Part A

Although the role of an effective teacher-librarian is complex, a key element is knowing users well and considering their requirements when making important decisions. Teacher-librarians should cater for the varying needs of the school community through beneficial instruction and library management. They also need to construct library spaces, both digital and physical, that promote resource accessibility and accommodate all patrons. Ultimately, an effective librarian will ensure the library is usable and welcoming.

Part B

Introduction

When I initially commenced my studies, my perspective focused on my own procedures and needs, rather than my users. In my very first blog post (Clarke, 2018a), I discussed the different aspects of my role, but I neglected to consider the significance of my patrons within the library context. Throughout my studies, I have come to understand the importance of understanding students, staff members and other stakeholders in the areas of literacy, leadership and library management. Although I contributed to literacy development in the past, I did not realise the extensiveness of this capability until I started the Master of Education (Teacher-Librarianship) through Charles Sturt University. I also lacked the confidence to lead staff members and run a library by myself.

Literature and literacy

One of the most interesting aspects of the course was learning about the digital manifestations of literature in contemporary society and the school library. In the subject ETL401 (Introduction to Teacher Librarianship), I researched the information available on the relationship between literacy and technology. It became obvious to me that students need to be reading and understanding (Clarke 2018c; Clarke 2018d) a variety of text types, including digital and multimedia texts, particularly as these modern forms of literacy are nationwide priorities (ACARA, 2016). I discovered Carroll (2011) and Combes (2016), who both explained the importance of teaching students the skills they need to navigate and understand digital environments. After reading Digital Kids (Kutscher, 2017), I also realised that technology can be a distraction if it is not used in a meaningful way. In fact, I discovered hotspots or hyperlinks can impede comprehension and cause navigational issues for student users (Moody, 2010). This modern literacy research prompted me to choose the elective subject Literature in Digital Environments (INF533); I wanted to see how I could support teachers in the promotion of reading and literacy in a contemporary environment. Constructing a digital text within INF533 was valuable because it showed me the significance of practical learning (Clarke, 2019d). After reflection, I identified creation as being a key aspect of literacy (Clarke, 2019c). Therefore, as a result of these investigations, and after reading about the benefits of ebooks through studies by Foley (2012) and Lasley, Sosebee, and Cox (2017), I initiated more digital projects within the school. I realised that it is necessary for students to learn about the different elements of digital texts by producing their own stories, so I worked with a group of Year 7 students to help them create choose-your-own-adventure style narratives.The texts were published as PowerPoint presentations, although the traditional chronological sequencing was changed using internal hyperlinks. Through this process, the students dissected digital stories and obtained the knowledge they need to effectively read multimedia texts in the future. It also helped to reduce the issues with hotspots or hyperlinks that academics such as Moody (2010) had mentioned.

My understanding of how I can support the development of literacy was expanded in another elective subject, Literature Across the Curriculum (ETL402). I learnt about using literature, specifically graphic novels, to teach students important life lessons and improve their cultural awareness, which are elements that are discussed by academics such as Alverson (2017) and Marrall (2013). Through my studies I identified this cultural understanding as being significantly embedded in the curriculum (Clarke, 2019a). I continued to discover other benefits of graphic novels during the course, including their ability to engage reluctant readers, especially boys (Brozo, 2012). This elucidation encouraged me to use graphic novels and my knowledge of user abilities to engage students in literature and learning. Consequently, I changed the resource loan category of the graphic novels; the previous librarian had not been allowing students to take these texts out of the centre. I also endeavoured to expand the current collection by researching and procuring more graphic novels, including The Oracle Code (Nijkamp, 2020), which provides an interesting representation of disability within the world of DC superheroes.

During my studies within the subject Introduction to Education Research (EER500), I learnt a lot about the advantages of leisurely reading. For example, after perusing the Scholastic (2016) Kids and Family Reading Report, I discovered that personal-choice plays a large role in student engagement and subsequent achievement but there isn’t much literature about effective ways of helping students make appropriate choices (Clarke, 2019e). Consequently, I created a OneNote page for students to help them find interesting things to read as part of the school’s personal-choice reading program. It included quizzes, social reading websites, targeted library catalogue searches and award lists. I also plan to interact with my students more in order to understand their interests and provide suggestions.

In the future, I would like to work on helping students develop different types of literacy skills. One of the initial things we learnt in the course was that literacy is not just about reading and writing (Carroll, 2011; Coombes, 2016), as discussed in my final reflection for ETL401 (Clarke, 2018d). Now that I am a full-time librarian, I think the development of collaborative projects within the school will be a more viable. I did not feel confident in my leadership abilities when I was only working part-time.

Leadership

Through the subject Librarian as Leader (ETL504), I learnt about the distributional style of leadership and developing stronger connections with my users. As Maxwell (2018) states, this type of leadership allows for collaboration and the development of productive relationships, which in turn contributes to the overall functionality of the school (Harris, Caldwell & Longmuir, 2013). I worked on these skills by coordinating with the English faculty to form a proposal for a meaningful reading program. This specific project was prompted by the aforementioned research topic I explored within the EER500 subject. The purpose of the proposed program is to develop a reading culture and encourage students to connect with the novels they have borrowed. Although English students already participated in a Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) programme, many individuals were not engaged with the material they had chosen. In order to resolve this issue, I suggested involving students in the task of increasing the visibility of books and reading within the school. The Year 7 classes will learn about forms of book promotion then devise a way of advertising their personal-choice novel. After the lessons are complete, I will evaluate the unit to determine its effectiveness. This will enable me to form a better perspective of the school and its students.

My leadership skills have also been developed through the organisation of ancillary library staff. Before commencing the course and working as a librarian, my only experience was as a classroom teacher, so I did not know much about leading a team. ETL504 taught me that different styles are necessary, and one approach does not suit every situation or person. Therefore, I have employed a servant leadership style, which involves listening to library users and understanding their concerns (Maxwell, 2018) and prioritising their wellbeing (Katopol, 2015). This knowledge was strengthened through the delivery of practical scenarios within ETL504. We were given the opportunity to respond to common school library issues in small groups, so I was able to experience servant leadership, work as part of a team and obtain different perspectives (Clarke, 2019b). This transferred to my interactions with library staff members, who all have different personalities and needs. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, one of my assistants was very worried due to health issues. I listened to her concerns and initiated an appropriate action plan, including the placement of plastic guards and timetabling her breaks during periods of high student traffic.

My studies and the library users continued to influence my collaborative leadership style as a teacher-librarian (Clarke, 2019b), particularly after I learnt about the need for common goals and innovation, as discussed by Levitov (2016) and Markless (2016). Wellbeing was a significant focus within a previous place of employment, and I played a key role in developing a library space that supports this aspect of school life. In order to achieve my goal and secure significant funds, I needed to show initiative and apply for a local community grant. Now the students have a library environment in which they can relax and escape the demands of daily life. An important part of this project was coordinating with other teachers and faculties. For example, I worked with a woodwork teacher to produce a giant Jenga game for the students. I also needed to coordinate with my job-share partner to ensure my vision reflected his ideas and values. After the space was completed, my leadership qualities became even more evident; the initiative inspired the wellbeing coordinator at the school to create a similar space for staff. Another area is also going to be created near the principal’s office, with library staff leading its design and construction.

I also considered the perspective of Dotson and Clark (2015), who believe that teachers should lead through instruction. Consequently, I have taught students and staff members by providing guides on how to use library services and associated technologies. For example, I showed my library users how to access the Overdrive digital collection through the Sora reading app. Although existing information already exists on this topic, our account is more complicated to find, and I knew my patrons would find it difficult to find the correct account details. More recently, I created a guide with pictures that explained the process of accessing digital copies of specific serials through the catalogue. This served a double purpose; teachers were provided with technical instruction, but they were also reminded of the resources available through the library.

Library management
An important part of library management is promoting the centre and associated resources to the relevant users. During the study visits we completed as part of the ETL507 subject, I was inspired by the strong presence of the Mount Alvernia College library within the local community, as discussed by Gagen-Springs (2020). Therefore, I ensured articles and pictures showcasing my library appeared in various places, including the school’s social media page, the local newspaper (Sneddon, 2020) and the school newsletter (Clarke, 2020). I was also encouraged to produce interactive displays and increase student engagement after learning more about the role of the teacher-librarian. These displays included student photos of their pets, search-and-find activities, a Harry Potter themed display with sorting and divination, and raffles. This meant more students were engaged with the library, especially as personalised experiences increased their sense of ownership.

The study visits also influenced my practice in terms of archiving and preservation. James (2020) showed us the importance of looking after resources and ensuring their longevity. The schools I have been involved with as a librarian all have long, interesting histories, and many documents and images have started to deteriorate. Consequently, we have started to scan older documents and ensure newspaper articles are laminated and catalogued. ETL505 has significantly contributed to my understanding of this type of cataloguing. Learning about RDA showed me how I should describe resources that do not appear as existing records in the SCIS database or other sources. For example, my users would be very interested in the content and time periods covered in the articles, so it is important for me to ensure the titles, dates and descriptions are accurate.

My library management skills increased throughout the course, particularly after I completed my Professional Placement. For example, I learned how to use Softlink library systems effectively. When I started my new job, I setup an email reminder for students and they are now notified three days before a book is due. I also started distributing due date tickets with loans that would enter students in an end-of-term raffle if everything was returned in a timely manner. Most importantly, I was able to fix issues associated with lending rules and serials, which had been incorrectly recorded by the previous librarian. I have also allocated my assistants the tasks of cleaning up authority controls and changing resource loan categories.

Additionally, ETL505 has taught me to organise items accurately and effectively to ensure my users are able to find what they need. I found the perspective of Hider (2018) interesting because he showed that even resource description and collection management is influenced by users and the need to promote access. When I first arrived at my current place of employment, the old school magazines were stored in sealed boxes behind the circulation desk. This meant the principal and other teachers, who often needed to find information in the magazines, were unable to use them. Additionally, the boxes were unsightly and created unnecessary clutter. This meant the library seemed disorganised and was not as welcoming to the users.

Conclusion
Overall, my educational experiences have helped me become a better librarian because I was encouraged to learn more about my users, the local community and the broader library context. I am grateful for the flexibility of the course because it enabled me to explore my interests and ensure my learning was contemporary and relevant. In the future, it will be important for me to continue my education so I can understand more about the changing needs of my patrons. In the beginning of the course I identified the necessity of professional development for teacher librarians (Clarke, 2018b) but I did not identify many specific areas. I now know it is important to work towards school goals and remain aware of the ever-changing teacher-librarian role descriptions.

Part C

The Master of Education (Teacher-Librarianship) course at Charles Sturt University has supported the development of my skills in relation to multiple standards (ALIA, 2004). The diversity of the programme allows for various professional development opportunities in all areas. Most notably, I now understand more about the school community and curriculum (Standard 1.3), create and maintain an effective learning environment (Standard 2.1) and demonstrate commitment (Standard 3.2). This was due to my education in previously unfamiliar areas, including policy creation, collection development and management, inquiry learning, contemporary forms of literacy and leadership styles.

In the past, I limited my participation in aspects of school life that were outside my subject area because I lacked confidence in my knowledge of a wide range of curriculum elements. The course, especially subjects such as Introduction to Teacher Librarianship and Resourcing the Curriculum, prompted me to explore all aspects of my school’s curriculum (Standard 1.3) and consider the goals of various subjects. For example, I created an inquiry learning programme that incorporated outcomes from the Technology curriculum. Religion, which is a key focus within my Catholic school, was also something I learnt more about as a result of finding resources multiple teachers could use to support their lessons. I have never instructed a Religion class, so I previously did not know much about our diocese’s learning continuum or how I could facilitate faith-based learning as a librarian.

My skills were developed in the areas of commitment (Standard 3.2) and learning environments (Standard 2.1) because of the real-world perspectives my course coordinators presented. It was very helpful to see how other people designed their libraries and created engaging programmes. The passion and enthusiasm of my peers was very inspiring. For example, Gagen-Springs (2020) led one of our study visits and discussed various initiatives, including a book bus and a podcast. This showed me that the library environment is not just restricted to a physical building in a school. I have become more committed to expanding and improving the library space by helping students access online services, such as e-books and e-documents, and promoting our work on the school’s social media page.

In the future, I would like to connect with other members of the broader library community. Most schools usually only have one teacher-librarian, so there is a certain level of isolation within the profession. For this reason, I think Standard 3.4 (community responsibilities) is an area for improvement for me. In some ways, I do not feel as if I have been exposed to a wide variety of perspectives and opinions, especially as online learning reduces the amount of in-person interactions. This issue has been exacerbated by COVID-19 because we have been unable to travel or attend external development days. Therefore, I would like to participate in one of the conferences provided by professional organisations, particularly ALIA. I think this will help me better understand my role and the contemporary approaches associated with my profession, which in turn will enable me to meet all standards at a high level.

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