Joyce Valenza presents a powerful and dramatic overview of the role of the TL in modern school libraries. However I don’t consider the school library to be a place where funding is cut and libraries are closing. Funding is increasing for my own school library, we have a library assistant for a day and major plans for an update of furniture/technology/shelving and physical resources. Last week our assistant collected dozens of fiction titles not borrowed for over 3 years and we have created a display to encourage students to borrow them. We will promote these books during all our lessons to years 1-6 over the next 2 weeks to get some back into circulation. The leftovers will be weeded.
Todd (2015) describes the educational landscape for the TL as moving towards a data-driven, measurable, accountable, evidence based system to prove the worth of school libraries. The TL needs to, “move beyond the intelligent guesswork and clever hunches, to a sound basis of practice.” (Todd.2015.p.63) Todd describes how we need to lobby for our space in funding and accountability in the future through evidence.
Valenza in her list of what we will lose, also reveals what we can gain from continuing to properly fund and support school libraries.
Todd, R.J., (2015) Evidence-based practice and school libraries. Knowledge Quest, 43/3, 8-15. Retrieved from CSU Course Notes: https://doms.csu.edu.au/csu/file/b84e4d87-0e09-4bd5-9dcb-023fe550270a/1/todd-r.pdf
Valenza,J.(2013). Retrieved (2019,May,25). https://vimeo.com/82208025
