I did not really know the difference between managers and leaders as discussed in my previous post Managers vs leaders in the school library context (Proctor, 2023, July 27) and this had led me to believe that what I was doing was OK. Managing the library in the way I have as a first year Teacher Librarian has so far consisted of a library refurbishment and the general library duties with some highlights being genrefication, stocktake and cycling through 2 library assistants all while competing the masters degree on the job. But this is in no way leadership (Kotter, 2013) and demonstrates a limited ability in my methods thus far to advocate for the library and its services. I can see that I have the potential capacity to work on my profile within the school and lead from the middle with literacy initiatives and next practice learning that is a school strategic focus area and a prime ground for the Teacher Librarian to flex their skills through their servant leadership in creating success for others (Potter, 2015-2017).
Leadership within an organisation to me was a vertical path and the Teacher Librarian role sat with the teachers. The informal roles of leadership that have been discussed previously Teacher Librarians within the organisational hierarchy (Proctor, 2023, August 1) show that Teacher Librarians are leaders from the middle and have an important functions and school wide influence across learning areas and if advocated for the ability to lead along the vertical leadership path I had originally envisioned (Cox & Korodaj, 2019). Advocacy is one of my areas of weakness as I am not yet accessed or utilised in my current situation. I believe the advocacy (Kaaland, 2012) and influence I need comes from leading from the middle and finding my entry point with individual teachers who will also promote my collaboration and expertise, before jumping straight into school wide strategic change.
Change occurs whether we like it or not within education and the school organisation drivers of such change have been discussed previously Change in libraries: drivers, changers and proof you have something of value to add (Proctor, 2023, August 14). The payoff from drivers of change – even the unexpected ones – is that they are opportunities to evolve and adapt to new experiences and ideas and can flow through to a new wider vision of a library to adapt to the change and ensure 21st Century learning (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2016). This does take skill to avoid inertia and putting off people and can be overcome with relationship building and communication. The issue however can be that if no one understands your role and the benefits it has to offer, there may be a lack of uptake of Teacher Librarian skills (AASL, 2013, Bishop, 2011). This is again where advocacy becomes important along with leading through influence from the middle.
The role of the librarian as an official leader is not recognised within policy documents previously discussed Teacher librarian as leader and other things – it’s a mixed bag at times (Proctor, 2023, September 29) by government agencies, so leaves no wonder that other colleagues may not always see the greater role played by the Teacher Librarian across the school. Beyond the explicit policy document language there is hidden connotation that through collaboration and specialist roles in information literacy, Teacher Librarians can be informal leaders. I hope to build my capacity in this way through building relationships with colleagues that allow for the transfer of knowledge. Furthermore the wellbeing support in library design and spaces and academic specialist role of the Teacher Librarian means they are dynamic and there may be formal recognition of this in the future.
Alliance for Excellent Education (2016). Future ready librarians. Future Ready Schools. https://futureready.org/thenetwork/strands/future-ready-librarians/
American Association of School Librarians. (2013). Chapter 4: Empowering learning through leadership. In AASL, Empowering learners: Guidelines for school library programs (pp.57-63). American Library Association.
Bishop, K. (2011). Connecting libraries with classrooms. Linworth.
Cox, E. & Korodaj, L. (2019). Leading from the sweet spot: Embedding the library and the teacher librarian in your school community. Access, 33(4), 14-25.
Kaaland, C. (2012). Developing a culture of advocacy. In D. Levitov (Ed. pp. 39-56), Activism and the school librarian: Tools for advocacy and survival. Libraries Unlimited.
Kotter, J. (2013, August 15). The key differences between leading and managing [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/SEfgCqnMl5E
Potter, J. (2015-2017). The servant-leader in the library: a case study and journey towards self-transcendence. The international journal of servant-leadership, 11(1), 437-460.
Proctor, D. (2023, July 27). Managers vs leaders in the school library context. Teacher librarianship – the journey. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/davidproctor/2023/07/27/managers-vs-leaders-in-the-school-library-context/
Proctor, D. (2023, August 1). Teacher librarians within the organisational hierarchy. Teacher librarianship – the journey. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/davidproctor/2023/08/01/librarians-within-the-organisational-hierarchy/
Proctor, D. (2023, August 14). Change in libraries: drivers, changers and proof you have something of value to add. Teacher librarianship – the journey. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/davidproctor/2023/08/14/change-in-libraries-drivers-changers-and-proof-you-have-something-of-value-to-add/
Proctor, D. (2023, September 29). Teacher librarian as leader and other things – it’s a mixed bag at times. Teacher librarianship – the journey. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/davidproctor/2023/09/29/teacher-librarian-as-leader-and-other-things-its-a-mixed-bag-at-times/