The use of space in a library is paramount to its success. The role of the Teacher librarian as the curator of the digital space also must juggle the multitude of online, physical and accessibility demands that can leave little room for imperfection. The model of digital spaces as flexible zones for campfire instruction, waterhole peer discussion, and individual cave reflection has been set as best practice by Thornburg (2004), however, there can be personal difficulties when budget, time and competing demands pull at the theory (Proctor, 2022, September 20). In trying to embed the theory of this course in a job I took up as a Teacher Librarian job this term, I see how a Librarian has an up hill battle. In one term I learned all the school’s systems, Oliver, behaviour management with a distinctly different cohort of students and stocktake. Not to mention that a room was built inside the library, so all the books had to be de-shelved. Where is the time to create resources when all this is happening, let alone ones that conform to theories about the savanna.
The information literacy skills required of students is also continuing to be evolved and there is development beyond the basic skills that students, teachers and teacher librarians may have. Oddone (2022, June 8) compares the much used CRAAP test to Caufield’s (2019) SIFT technique which broadens the consumer of information and their critical reflection of information sources to a wider reading within the information ecosystem. I admit that I did what I was told when instructing students in their evaluation of websites with random(?) questions about “what stands out to you?” (Proctor, 2022a, October 5). I now see that this is far too basic and along with SIFT, there is a need to look beyond one source to compare, contrast, and test reliability and veracity of sources (Proctor, 2022, October 4).
Information services are also continuing to evolve with the advent of web-based platforms and web based demand from students and teachers. Although this is an exciting area, there are issues that worry me having worked in Broken Hill (through COVID19 lockdown) where most students did not have a device. This was contrasted when I next worked in an affluent southern Sydney school where school fees were paid before you asked for them, and now I work at western Sydney school where there is a retraction of devices from a mobile phone ban. This, though solves some behavioural problems creates the digital divide gap on purpose with access dropping off for technology and by extension the digital services that the library provides (Proctor, 2022b, October 5). This digital divide and my experiences are well documented and extend beyond just money and bans, though income is a core component (Thomas, Wilson, & Park, 2018, March 29). I have plans to build this back up with an equity laptop loaning program with the meagre amount of laptops I have to loan. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Caulfield, M. (2019). SIFT (the four moves). Hapgood. https://hapgood.us/2019/06/19/sift-the-four-moves/
Oddone, K. (2022, June 8). Is CRAAP…crap? [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/07v2Q-Cmfs0
Thomas, J., Wilson, C. K. & Park, S. (2018, March 29). Australia’s digital divide is not going away. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/australias-digital-divide-is-not-going-away-91834
Thornburg, D. D. (2004). Campfires in cyberspace: primordial metaphors for learning in the 21st century. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 1(10)
