Teacher Librarianship Standards

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Looking at the evidence guide produced by ASLA for the ‘proficient career stage’ brings back stressful memories of collating my VIT portfolio of evidence, responding to all the AITSL standards (as I applied for full teacher registration). The portfolio itself ended up being more than 150 pages and the process was overwhelming – but I did learn a lot in the process! It forced me to reflect on my practice and consider areas for improvement as well as future benchmarks of success.

I think these ASLA evidence guides confirm, publicly, that teacher librarianship is primarily an education-focused role. In Victoria, it seems that schools don’t have to employ qualified teacher librarians. For example, in my current school, the sole middle/senior school librarian is not a qualified teacher and cannot assist with curriculum resourcing or pedagogical strategies. However, these evidence guides show that the work of teacher librarians can be substantiated against the AITSL standards, as the work of teachers can be.

The evidence guides also give examples of how the standards can be interpreted and practically applied. As the documentation states, the guides can be used for professional learning and goal-setting – which is how I imagine I will use them – particularly moving from the ‘proficient’ to the ‘highly accomplished’ level of career progress (ASLA, 2015). It is always helpful to have a framework to check that you are on track and also for accountability and reporting purposes (e.g. sharing your annual or term progress with school leadership). I think the guides add credibility to the profession, which is important for advocacy initiatives, particularly relating to future funding and job security.

References: 

Australian School Library Association (2015). Evidence guide for teacher librarians in the proficient career stage. https://asla.org.au/resources/Documents/Website%20Documents/evidence_guide_prof.pdf

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Recommendation: Children’s Books Daily

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Children’s Books Daily is an amazing website run by passionate QLD teacher librarian and parent, Megan Daley. Megan is a previous recipient of the national Dromken Librarian’s Award and has been working as a teacher librarian for many years. She published the incredibly helpful book for parents/teachers ‘Raising Readers‘ in 2019 which is brimming with wisdom and advice.

There is a lot of helpful content on her website, including a blog, a range of different ‘top 20 book lists’ for different age groups and a categorised section for book reviews. These book reviews are mostly written by Megan or a member of her team (e.g. teacher librarian Mel Kroeger).

Pros: 

  • Megan is an expert! She knows students through her work in schools but also as a parent with kids of her own
  • She promotes quality Australian literature, particularly new titles
  • Her knowledge base and audience are tailored to Australian school students/teachers/parents
  • Can filter reviews by age group and genre

Cons: 

  • It’s not clear of Megan is ever sent material to review from publishers/authors
  • Potentially biased towards book suiting her interests (but she does seem to read broadly!)

Here is YouTube video produced by Queensland University of Technology celebrating Megan Daley!

Image Credit: Photo by Michał Parzuchowski on Unsplash

Library Suppliers

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Question Prompt: What qualities would you look for in preferred school library suppliers? What challenges may schools who are isolated from major cities and schools with unique needs (specialist curriculum, language/ethnic/religious groups and learning styles) experience when it comes to acquiring resources? Identify and discuss some of these challenges and share ideas for overcoming them.

I would preference suppliers who are based in Australia who have variety and a significant number of the needed resources, ideally at a comparable price point to competitors. Buying most of the resources from a small number of suppliers will make shipping and processing easier. However, as the module notes suggest, I’d keep an eye out for suppliers who endorse exclusivity and prevent you from buying from different suppliers.

Schools who are isolated geographically may have more trouble ordering and receiving resources in a timely manner. Transport costs may also be significantly higher, particularly if you are in remote parts of Australia. To overcome this, ordering in bulk and ahead of time (as much as possible) could help.

Schools who have specific needs (e.g. requiring bilingual resources or resources for students with specific learning needs etc) may not be able to order through bigger suppliers and may have to look at niche or international suppliers. These resources may be more expensive and take longer to arrive. However, it will be worth it if the school then acquires the quality, appropriate resources the community needs!

Image Credit: Photo by Jessica Ruscello on Unsplash

The Information Society

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“Information Society is a term for a society in which the creation, distribution, and manipulation of information has become the most significant economic and cultural activity. An Information Society may be contrasted with societies in which the economic underpinning is primarily Industrial or Agrarian. The machine tools of the Information Society are computers and telecommunications, rather than lathes or ploughs” (Rouse, 2005).

What do you think the term ‘information society’ means?

I think that information society is where we find ourselves and how we define ourselves right now, as part of the digital revolution. All around the world we, as a very broad group of humans, are living in the information environment (both analog and digital). Floridi calls this ever-evolving environment the “infosphere” which covers “all informational entities…their properties, interactions, processes, and mutual relations” (Floridi, 2007, p. 59). The information society is global and connected and driven by the galloping pace of digital innovation and development.

Why is it important for teacher librarians to understand the information landscape?

As Teacher Librarians, we must understand this information landscape because we live in it! More importantly, our students inhabit it too. Understanding this vast landscape is important because a significant part of our role is sifting through for quality information and resources for others to access. It is, however, also modelling best practice and scaffolding of skills so students can navigate this landscape for themselves. There is so much information that we can all easily access now online and in our physical environment, with more information being created and disseminated every second. This is an overwhelming thought – so, it is imperative we learn how to scope the landscape (and develop strategies to cope with information overload)!

Understanding the information landscape is also important because we are preparing students for futures, such as careers, that will only become more involved in this advancing, digitally driven information landscape. This website https://100jobsofthefuture.com/ is a joint project by Ford Australia, Deakin University and Griffith University, and gives an idea of what future jobs over the next few decades might look like! As David Ramadge comments in the report, “the level of technological understanding will increase for all jobs of the future, but jobs will open up for people who can successfully stand between people and machines, and who can understand people” (Tytler et al., 2019, p. 30).

References:

Floridi, L. (2007). A Look into the Future Impact of ICT on Our Lives. Information Society, 23(1), 59–64.

Rouse, M. (2005). Information Society. WhatIs.com. https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/Information-Society

Tytler, R., Bridgstock, R., White, P., Mather, D., Mccandless, T., Grant-Iramu, M. (2019). 100 jobs of the future. Deakin University, Australia. Retrieved from https://100jobsofthefuture.com/report/100jobsofthefuturereport-SCREEN.pdf 

Image Credit: Photo by Juliana Kozoski on Unsplash

Conceptualising Information

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“Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?”

  • (T.S Eliot, 1934, p. 7)

This week in ETL401, we have been exploring the information environment. I  hadn’t really ever considered how complex even just defining ‘information’ could be, let alone variations or different ways to categorise. Theorist Donald Case explains that even just defining ‘information’ is fraught, highly contentious and can have different subject-specific meanings/interpretations. Further, if the definition is too narrow, then it is too limited for application, but if it is too broad then it “poses problems for operalization and measurement of concepts” (Case, 2006, p. 66). I imagine this could make research investigations very challenging! For the purposes of his book, Case opts for broad definitions finally concluding that information is such a base, “primitive concept” it doesn’t really need a fine-tuned definition anyway!

It helped me to better understand the concept of information through the data-knowledge continuum or the DIKW pyramid (data-information-knowledge-wisdom). This theory is a way of categorising information in a hierarchy that progresses based on meaning and understanding. Here is a short video lecture, presented by Kay Oddone, that helped me to better understand this theory:

I think it’s important for us as budding Teacher Librarians to get a grasp on ‘information’ as it is to become our dialect and is such an integral part of helping students/staff manage the ever-growing world of information. Personally I find the conceptualisation of defining ‘information’ a bit too philosophical and am far more interested in the meaning we attach to it and practical application!

Reference: 

Case, D. O. (2006). Looking for information: A survey of research on information seeking, needs, and behavior: a survey of research on information seeking, needs, and behavior. Emerald Publishing Limited.

Eliot, T. (1934). Choruses, The Rock: A Pageant Play. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company.

Oddone, K. (2022). Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/9i3_soqoC00 

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Teacher Librarians and the Information Landscape

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“In this particular context, the term information landscape refers to textual knowledge mapping of individual cultural practices and experiences, which constitute a holistic and dynamic knowledge system.” (Savolainen, 2021).

Why it is important to have an understanding of the broader information landscape?

As a school-based teacher librarian, you are the resident expert for how to best navigate the information landscape (both digital and print). It can seem overwhelming, for both staff and students, because there is so much information out there to be filtered/appraised/sorted and so on, before it can be used for various education purposes. Not only do TLs need a good grasp on how it all works, but they need to be actively modelling how to navigate the landscape regularly, so they can keep informed. Effective TLs will always be the go-to people in school for staff and students who need help or have questions about sourcing or critiquing information.

How you think the information landscape will affect your role as a TL in a school?

I think the information landscape, particularly ever-evolving digital resources, will impact us as TLs daily! We need to make sure that we are accessing the best resources for our learning community and giving them up-to-date information to best navigate the information landscape themselves. The pace of change and vastness of digital resources means that we must keep up-to-date and be open-minded about trialling new platforms, emerging technologies, and diverse resources. It’s easy to focus on the digital information landscape, but this encompasses print information resources as well – we need to keep abreast of excellent print learning resources as well (from non-fiction resources to quality novels by local authors). The information landscape will remain a thrilling, slightly terrifying, essential part of our jobs!

References: 

Savolainen, R. (2021). Information landscapes as contexts of information practices. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 53(4), 655–667.

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Assignment 1: What I thought I knew

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Task Description: Reflecting on your experiences as a teacher before you became interested in working in a school library, write a 500-word piece about your understandings of the role of the TL in schools.

I first became aware of Teacher Librarians (TLs) when I undertook my two teaching placements as a Master of Teaching student in 2016 (I ended up teaching at the first placement school the following year). Both of the schools I taught at had thriving school libraries staffed with a variety of librarians and technicians but, most importantly, were headed by a passionate and qualified TL. Unfortunately, the first TL has just recently passed away from cancer. I wish I had had the opportunity to learn more from him while he was still alive. He remains the single most extraordinary person – enthusiastic, supportive, resourceful – I have met during my five years in education.

During these two placements I loved spending time in the libraries, and often took my classes for reading or research sessions. I once put on a podcast exhibition event with a Media class, supported by the library team, and we invited the whole school to attend – putting on a delicious spread and showcasing exciting student learning. On my second placement I saw the library come alive with poetry readings, music events and fierce chess competitions. Teachers often visited for support and there was a constant flow of students in and out.

I remember the TL on my second placement commenting, “I’m one of the few surviving TLs. They are as rare as hen’s teeth these days. Their expertise just isn’t appreciated any more.” Upon hearing that, I essentially dismissed becoming a TL myself, mistakenly assuming that the qualification no longer existed or was fast becoming extinct.

I look back on these experiences fondly because they showed me what an effective TL can be and the incredible impact they can have on the whole school community, through the library environment they cultivate. They open the door to the physical library space for students to read, learn and inquire, but they also open doors in the digital landscape; modelling information literacy skills, supporting student learning and connecting the community with quality resources. As Hill (2017) summarises, they oversee “places where the letter ‘C’ is key: create, connect, collaborate, communicate, care and change with your community.”

Interactions with library staff in schools who are not qualified TLs has only reinforced to me the vital role that TLs play in the school community. As the Australian Library and Information Association (2016) outlines, the “key roles of the teacher librarian are learning and teaching, management, leadership as well as collaboration and community engagement.” As the digital landscape evolves with complex information and resources, necessary for both staff and students to navigate confidently, TLs in schools are, arguably, more important than ever.

References: 

Australian Library and Information Association. (2016). Statement on Teacher Librarians in Australia. https://read.alia.org.au/alia-asla-statement-teacher-librarians-australia 

Hill, A. (2017). Australian Teacher Librarian of the Year 2017: Reaffirming and celebrating the pivotal role of teacher librarians in our school libraries. Access, 31(3), 28-29.

Maridashvili, A. (2021). Young woman in blue jacket choosing a book from a bookshelves [Photograph]. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/gqk2hoqGAL0.

Defining Collection Development

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This week in ETL503 Resourcing the Curriculum, we have been learning about managing and developing the school library collection.

I couldn’t find a definition of collection management or development used by my local educational authority, the Victorian Department of Education. So, instead, I found the South Australian Department of Education’s 2020 policy document: ‘Selecting and using resources for educational purposes guideline’. On page 5, an overview of collection management is discussed:

“Teacher-librarians, resource centre managers, technology coordinators, team leaders and IT managers have key roles in selecting, managing, and distributing a range of resources. They are well-placed to provide advice about selecting resources including conventional books, newspapers, magazines and journals, CDs, talking books and DVDs, conventional charts, digital images, e-collections, apps, and a variety of digital resources. Existing resources require regular review for quality control and to monitor continuing relevance” (Department of Education South Australia, 2020, p.5).

In the School Library Association of Victoria (SLAV)’s 2018 ‘Statement on School Libraries’, they state that school libraries support learning communities by “managing and curating equitable, inclusive and diverse physical and digital collections that reflect both a local and global perspective.”

Key elements across these two definitions are the importance of school collections that comprise digital and print resources that are suitable to the needs of school learning community. The first definition, offered by the South Australian Department of Education, distils the teacher librarian’s core role as “selecting, managing and distributing” resources. In addition, the process that our lecturer Ms Krystal Gagen-Spriggs calls ‘weeding’ is also mentioned, with emphasis on the continual assessment of resource quality and relevance. The SLAV statement places explicit importance on resources that are “inclusive and diverse”, which I think is a vital component of collection management or development as well.

In this week’s module, I found it comforting to read that it’s not just the teacher librarian’s responsibility! Developing and managing resource collections is a collaborative effort which involves the input of many in the broader learning community.

References:

Department of Education South Australia. (2020). Selecting and using resources for educational purposes guideline. https://www.education.sa.gov.au/doc/selecting-and-using-resources-educational-purposes-guideline

School Library Association of Victoria. (2018). ‘Statement on School Libraries’. https://slav.org.au/resources/Documents/statement.pdf

In The Beginning

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Well, here we are! Day one of studying my Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) and time to birth a new blog. I enrolled in this course because I am an avid bibliophile with a longstanding love of books and libraries. I have found school and public libraries to be places of wonder, shelter, inspiration, and comfort, particularly during stormy times. I have been an English teacher for five years and am passionate about supporting students to be lifelong readers and promoting quality Australian literature. 

I vehemently disagree with alarmist rhetoric about the ‘death’ of books and libraries. On the contrary, I believe that libraries have never been more important and am enthusiastic about the way that libraries are transforming to expand offerings, incorporate digital resources, increase collaboration, and support wellbeing. I have never wanted to be a stuffy, cardigan-clad, teen-hating librarian presiding over an immaculate, untouched collection of books anyway!

Effective Teacher Librarians are worth their weight in gold and the very best I’ve met are all dynamic, warm, supportive, inspiring education leaders. I am taking this course to hopefully become a TL myself but also learn how to equip 21st century learners, share powerful learning resources, connect with others around the globe, become a better reader and, well, just learn a whole lot more myself.

Image Credit: Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

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