Part A
TL’s proactively engage their knowledge of curriculum and pedagogy skills with their specialised expertise as information professionals to collaborate with school administration, teachers, students and the wider school community to design, resource and deliver authentic learning experiences. TL’s are a key leader in promoting and supporting a dynamic culture of reading, information seeking and inquiry through their teaching, programs, services, resources and technologies. Their role has a direct influence on developing a quality collection that meets the diverse needs of their school, promoting literature and building information literacy skills across the school community to develop competent, independent, lifelong learners.
Part B: Leadership
Grant Snider is one of my favourite comic artists on Instagram. His recent post The Climb depicts my study journey and serves as a perfect reflection aid for this degree which felt like a never-ending climb. Sometimes I felt ill prepared or ill equip for the task ahead, but my love for learning and my inner belief that I had what it took to be an excellent TL kept me climbing towards what I thought was the goal; reaching the top, finishing my degree and landing my dream job. Our Thinkspace blog provided ample pitstops along the way to admire the view and reflect on what I had learned and how to apply this to my role. Looking back, I can see how far I have come, for this has been no small feat and like taking a gasp at the amazing view you get when you reach the top, I feel proud of the way I have grown and what I have been able to achieve. What I have also come to realise is that reaching the top, getting to the end of my degree and landing my dream job doesn’t mean I have reached the final pinnacle. If I could redraw Grant’s comic, I would continue the mountain and draw a series of undulating hills. There will be plenty more opportunities ahead to break a sweat (face new challenges and learn new skills) and admire newly discovered views (reflect on new learning, pivot my understanding and implement evidence-based practices). The Climb is about growing my own capacity as an effective TL, where ongoing professional development is essential to remain relevant and indispensable as I lead the whole school community on their own learning journey and transform attitudes, minds, behaviour and practices that equip and mobilise learners to be empowered and ethical uses of information.
According to Thomas & Beauchamp (2007) success and well-being in a new profession is dependent on a strong sense of professional identity (as cited in Branch-Mueller & Rodger, 2019). I chose to reflect on leadership as a major subject for this reflection because this is where I grew the most. According to Wilson et al. (2020) effective school leaders have a strong and positive impact on student learning when under their leadership. Discovering that leadership was a core part of our professional practice seriously left me doubting my ability to be an effective TL, yet I knew this was an essential part of my role I needed to develop. I didn’t have the confidence, knowledge or skills nor had ever seen a TL in action that I could draw on and model my practice. I can’t say there is one subject that made the difference and fully equipped me for the task of being an effective leader. Looking back I recognise each unit played a part in developing my knowledge, skills and understandings on librarianship and how to embed core principles such as equitable access to information, intellectual freedom, ethical use of information, information and digital literacy, reading and literature, integrating technology, developing and managing a quality collection that meets the needs of the learning community and using evidence and data to plan, implement and evaluate library programs and services all while merging these new knowledge and understandings with our existing teaching knowledge and expertise. I strongly believe this is why TL’s are uniquely positioned to be effective leaders (Branch-Mueller & Rodger, 2019), advocates, instructional partners, essential curriculum and pedagogy collaborators and culture changers in our learning communities. This dual qualification has given me the confidence and skills as a leader to implement innovative practices, educate and collaborate with conviction and authority and advocate with passion and credibility.
According to Branch-Muller & Rodger (2022) there is still much work to do to determine which dispositions are essential to the TL. What I learned in ETL504 was the importance of building and developing strong relationships with students, teachers, administration and the wider community. Leading from the middle was another concept that stretched my knowledge and understanding of our role. What I learned in practice is that it takes time to earn people’s trust and build open, positive and rewarding learning partnerships with staff and students. This takes place both in formal and informal conversations, reinforcing our visibility, transparency, building trust and rapport where we are ultimately seen as central figures creating strong connections between people, information and ideas (Wilson et al., 2020). One of my biggest frustrations is that our advocacy role often involves having conversations that clear up misconceptions about our role and value. However, what I have come to realise is that all our efforts are worth it when we see others that we have had a positive impact on become our voice of advocacy. As Jones & Long (2019) remind us, it has never been more important that TL’s step into their leadership role if we are to turn the tide of school librarianship.
Technology
I was inspired by learning in ETL401 that libraries and the information sector have always responded to the changing needs of society, this made me excited to be part of a profession that has innovation as a core intent, highlighted in the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Statement of Intent (Australian Library and Information Association [ALIA], 2014). I loved learning about the ways libraries evolved and adapted to serve the information needs of a progressive, technologically sophisticated and culturally diverse society (ALIA, 2014). I recognised my responsibility as an information professional to ensure a high standard of library and information practice and the importance of embracing a mindset that also continues to evolve and embrace information and technology changes as our discipline pivots in an everchanging landscape. Future proofing the library was a concept we explored in our degree and I have come to the conclusion that the future of libraries and our profession is dependent on our ability to recognise changes and influences in society and consider how we can adapt our practices to meet the needs of our users. Undoubtedly, the use of technology is an integral catalyst in our future proofing practices.
The use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) permeates all aspects of our role and practice as a TL where it can be a barrier or enabler to our core business such as resource management, library advocacy and supporting teaching and learning. In my teaching experience I have seen the most well-funded schools with 1:1 ipad ratios still struggle with embedding and implementing ICT into their curriculum due to limited technology skills amongst teachers and students and also poor-quality bandwidth making it impossible for synchronised learning. Our unit in 401 explored inquiry-based learning and this was the first time I could see the value of collaboration with classroom teachers and students and the opportunity it presented to explicitly teach information and digital literacy in authentic learning experiences using technology in the delivery of teaching and student learning. In this way, TL’s have an opportunity to use their expertise, problem solve and collaborate with teachers to co-create and co-teach student-centred programs incorporating authentic ICT capabilities. Using our instructional teaching hat we also have the opportunity to lead and train our colleagues and equip them to be competent and confident users of technology.
The 2021 lockdown reinforced to me how much digital technology is embedded in every aspect of our lives and professional workplaces. It was only a few months before this lockdown that I began my first job as an academic librarian. Little did I know that I would only have a few months to learn all the digital affordances that my new role involved. I had zero experience on any of the digital platforms my role relied on and I depended completely on my library colleagues getting me up to speed in order for me to do my job during my induction process. The lockdown was another steep learning curve when we transitioned into Teams and I began delivering student support predominately on zoom. I was amazed at how much of my role relied on technology. We further supported student learning by keeping our libguides up to date with relevant curated resources that reflected their current learning needs. While we already had an extensive ebook and ejournal collection, purchasing more ebooks that directly supported teaching and learning needs became a key priority. During the lockdown my colleague and I attended an Exlibris webinar which promoted their services and digital platforms. Our interest peaked when they explained Rialto, a digital marketplace platform for library acquisitions. Rialto seemed to meet our existing needs as we were only purchasing ebooks via Proquest Lib Central leaving us both frustrated as we felt it was limited and was not meeting our ebook demands and needs. This was the first time I had an opportunity to promote an innovative idea to our library manager. I recalled Steve Wheeler’s (2015) keynote address in ETL523 which left a significant impression on me when he explained that schools often see new technologies and buy them without knowing what to do with them. His advice was the problem should come first and then you find the right technology to solve it (Wheeler, 2015). This gave me the confidence to present our request because we felt Rialto was going to solve our problem. Fortunately, this was approved and the end of the year/new year involved training and implementing this new platform. It was a positive experience even though my colleague was hesitant and nervous about the enormous task. She felt better knowing we were doing it together. The risk of implementing a new digital platform, although daunting at the time, outweighed the rewards of increased student and faculty satisfaction and improved student outcomes because they now have greater access to quality resources, reinforcing the value and worth of the library to our key stakeholders.
Collection Development
My passion for using literature across the curriculum, nurturing reading for pleasure and a strong motivation to support time-poor teachers with high-quality resources underpinned my learning and growth journey in collection development. ETL503, ETL505 and ETL402 played significant roles in shaping my knowledge and understandings of being a key leader in the school as a collection development expert. TL’s play a powerful and essential role in promoting schoolwide cultures of literacy, partnering with teachers to enhance learning, propelling students towards lifelong reading habits and intentionally establishing transformative learning spaces with rich print and digital resources (Ness et al., 2022). We achieve this by curating a strong library collection and providing access to high-quality, diverse and culturally rich and relevant texts and genres that support teaching and learning needs of our school community (Ness et al., 2022). I was confident that my student-orientated teaching philosophy would be an asset in understanding the learning and recreational needs and interests of students. According to Ness et al. (2022) a TL sees text through the lens of the student, not via a level, label or district approved curriculum. The idea of matching students reading levels to books continues to be an area of debate and TL’s have a vital role in educating our school community about intellectual freedom and equitable access to materials.
Learning about the role of a Collection Development Policy opened my eyes to the importance of having policy and procedures in our professional toolkit to guide our professional practice. I had no idea about selection and deselection criteria, or that resources could be challenged by our school community let alone how to handle these potential confrontations. Morris Gleitzman left a significant impact on the way I saw school libraries in one of his interviews for the Students Need School Libraries campaign when he explained how school libraries are a significant financial investment for the school and this is why they should be run by a trained and qualified TL. The responsibility of steering the central learning hub of the school made me realise every intention and decision I made should be guided by data-driven, evidence-based practices, providing transparency and accountability to all invested stakeholders. The Australian Library and
Information Association (ALIA) (2017) highlights the value of developing and implementing policies and procedures to assist library staff in demonstrating their accountability for this significant school investment. Knowing this, I am very intentional about having open, transparent communication and demonstrating accountability in my practice. One way I do this is by promoting new purchases in my monthly staff meeting library reports. As part of this report I have created a table with newly purchased book images that are hyperlinked, taking faculty members directly to its location in our catalogue, whether print or ebook. Staff have been impressed with this initiative as they can immediately see where funds have been spent and can see how these new purchases are directly meeting the teaching and learning needs of both staff and students. New purchases are also promoted in our subject libguide bringing these new acquisitions to the forefront, supporting student learning.
Since I began my new job in March last year I have heard many positive and encouraging comments from our faculty about the difference I have made in our library space. All I had to fall back on was what I have learned throughout this degree, where I tried my best to apply these new learnings to my own unique library setting, and it is indeed a unique role to what I was initially preparing myself for. This degree taught me the importance of having a library that reflects and supports the learning and teaching that is happening in the school and this is what I was very intentional about cultivating and nurturing in my own library. I recognised the rhythm of our school directly reflected the kind of support and learning that was happening in the library. I recall students stressed about their anatomy exam, so we set up the anatomy models around the library. This was the first time I saw the library transform into a collaborative learning centre where students were learning and teaching each other. Faculty that came in to the library saw the library atmosphere had changed and they loved what they saw. Students were free to be themselves, there was laughter and they were never told to “shhhhsh”. This was the start of a journey where I have been very intentional about promoting student engagement and creating a cultural change in our library space. My learning and growth throughout this degree has given me the confidence and skills to keep our library relevant and engaging, promote learning and student success.
Part C
I reflect back to the beginning of this degree feeling somewhat confident that my curriculum and pedagogy knowledge and skills, love for reading and literature, being student-centred and understanding the nature and needs of learners (Australian School Library Association[ASLA], 2004, Standard 1.2, 1.3, 2.1) would provide a firm scaffold for my learning ahead. I look back and recognise this learning journey ripped the rug from under my feet many times and left me balancing on one foot as new ideas, theories, values and standards helped pivot my knowledge and understandings towards the complex role of a TL. Keywords introduced throughout the course like leader, advocate, information management, equitable access, information literacy, multiliteracies and collection development (ASLA, 2004, Standard 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 3.3) just to name a few, not only challenged me but made me doubt myself as an effective TL, yet I saw their value and understood the vital significance each of these have in building a strong and effective teaching, learning and library culture. I never saw myself as a leader in education nor having potential to be an effective promotor and advocate. This course helpful me identify why developing effective communication, a fundamental skill underpinning most of the ASLA (2004) standards of professional excellence is so important in our role as we promote, educate and advocate for our library resources, programs and services to our administration, staff, students, local school community and broader communities. Initiating collaboration with administration, teachers and students stands out as a critical role of an effective TL reinforced in the ASLA (2004) standards of professional excellence. When I first learned about this role in ETL401 Introduction to Teacher Librarianship, it was simultaneously daunting and exciting as I recognised opportunity for innovation and a space to share my knowledge, skills and expertise. I understood the importance of evaluation in teaching (ASLA, 2004, Standard 2.4) but this course continued to broaden my knowledge and understanding of the importance of measuring the value and impact of library resources, facilities, programs and services (ASLA, 2004, Standard 2.4) and how these provide evidence-based information that can be used to improve, inform, evaluate, promote, advocate, educate, plan and budget for future practice and collaboration that fosters excellence in our profession.
This course has equipped me with a professional palette combining knowledge, skills and attitudes that I can draw on (ASLA, 2004) and adapt according to the information and education sector I may find myself in. It has also reinforced the importance of having a professional commitment as an excellent teacher librarian (ASLA, 2004, Standard 3) and not only continue my own professional learning journey as a lifelong learner, but model this and empower others in the school community to become lifelong learners as well (ASLA, 2004). As teaching and curriculum reforms continue to impact learning, it is crucial that I continue to pursue professional development opportunities that inform my knowledge, skills and newly found confidence as a leader (ASLA, 2004), including key areas such as ICT, general capabilities and the new information literacy framework. I also value being part of our professional learning network which encourages me to be engaged, connected and make meaningful contributions to our professional practice as we strive to model best practices and demonstrate our value and role.
References
Australian Library and Information Association. (2014). The library and information sector: Core knowledge, skills and attributes. https://read.alia.org.au/library-and-information-sector-core-knowledge-skills-and-attributes
Australian Library and Information Association. (2017). A manual for developing policies and proceducres in school library resources centres. file:///Users/jennifer_g/Downloads/alia_schools_developing_policies_and_procedures_manual_2017_0.pdf
Australian School Library Association. (2004). ALIA-ASLA standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians. file:///Users/jennifer_g/Downloads/alia_asla_standards_of_professional_excellence_for_teacher_librarians_2004.pdf
Branch-Mueller, J., & Rodger, J. (2019). From teacher to teacher-librarian: Building knowledge, skills and attitudes for school leadership. In B. A. Schultz-Jones & D. Oberg (Eds.), Global action on school library education and training (pp. 45-56). https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/avondale/reader.action?docID=5625145&ppg=5
Branch-Mueller, J., & Rodger, J. ( 2022). “Single Threads Woven Together in a Tapestry”: Dispositions of teacher-librarian leaders. School Libraries Worldwide, 27(1), 39–49. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.29173/slw8454
Jones, J. L., & Long, L. B. (2019). The continuing journey to understand dispositions and the concept of the ho-hum librarian. Teacher Librarian 46(4), 17-21. https://avondale.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/61UNI_AVN/1auc10/cdi_proquest_miscellaneous_2264119619
Ness, M., Merga, M. K., Torres, J. E., & Chambre, S. (2022). The essential leadership of school librarians. International Literacy Association. https://www.literacyworldwide.org/docs/default-source/where-we-stand/the-essential-leadership-of-school-librarians.pdf
Snider, G. (2022, September 3). The climb [Infographic]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/grantdraws/?hl=en
Wheeler, S. (2015, March 17). Digital learning futures: Mind the gap [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7EftCFQHVg
Wilson, A., Almerico, G. M., Johnston, P., & Ensmann, S. (2020). Examining educational leadership dispositions: A valid and reliable assessment of leadership dispostions. International Journal of Educational Leadership Preparation, 15(1), 17-28. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1254584.pdf