The Strategic TL

Laura Beaumont ETL504 , , , 0 Comment
The Strategic TL

This critical reflection will examine how my views, knowledge and understanding of the role of Techer Librarian (TL) has changed from a leadership perspective. I will refer to blog posts from ETL504 and other Master of Education- Teacher Librarianship subjects to show the development of my understandings.

My thoughts before the subject:

Initially, I didn’t consider the word leadership when I contemplated the role of the TL. I referred to the role of TL as being a manager and an organiser of spaces and resources (Beaumont, 2023). Australian Library and Information Association (2019) states, leadership is separate from management and can happen at every level of an organisation. I misunderstood the role of the TL. I didn’t understand that TLs could in fact, make educational transformations within the school and the broader information and educational landscapes. The role can be misunderstood, underutilised and undervalued in schools (Merga, 2019). Often the role is unclear to students, teachers and stakeholders (Merga, 2019). Leading from the middle was something that transformed my thinking in this area and the key characteristics of adaptability, social awareness, communication skills and self-awareness (Dewett, 2022) were things I could identify with. Not once in my early blogs, did I mention leadership or strategic thinking or planning, vision or mission. TLs however are powerful educational leaders when they are supported and recognised within schools (International Literacy Association, 2022).

My thoughts throughout the subject:

My understanding of leadership and the change process was quite limited. I believed that leadership involved a leader generating an idea and then putting it into action. In my discussions with the library manager on placement a lot of the ETL504 theory came to life. Discussing the process of changing culture by setting an example, finding the right people to make change happen, clear communication and good timing, sometimes holding back ideas until the organisation is ready (G. Conroy-Cooper, personal communication, September 22, 2025).

 

It is critical to be able to lead yourself before you can lead others (Martin, 2020). This was a theme that began to make more sense to me as the subject progressed. The importance of a library vision and mission was made clear throughout this subject. In creating these statements, the TL begins to understand themselves and their context. In doing this, they can build strong foundations to build strategic directions. I understood that libraries followed the direction of the school, without external influence (Beaumont, 2025a). But through the readings and assignment work I now know that the TL has the power to work with leadership to create new visions and directions for the library and for the school and are influenced not only by internal factors, but also state, national and global trends and directions.

My thoughts now:

The learning in this subject has empowered me to make significant change within my role of Teacher Librarian, to improve the education, information access and wellbeing of all students. I found these topics very powerful, and I feel like I have a great tool kit of strategies to begin advocating for myself and my library by building my library strategic plan. I thought that leadership only had impacts on the library (Beaumont, 2025b), I now understand that the impacts of an effective TL leader can have school wide and industry-wide influence.

 

References:

Australian Library and Information Association. (2019). NextGen leadership scorecard. https://read.alia.org.au/nextgen-leadership-scorecard

Beaumont, L. (2023, April 9). The new TL. A hundred ways to learn. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/hundredwaystolearn/2023/04/09/the-new-tl/

Beaumont, L. (2025a, October 7). Pondering a strategic plan. A hundred ways to learn. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/hundredwaystolearn/2025/10/07/pondering-a-strategic-plan/

Beaumont, L. (2025b, October 7). Reflecting on change management. A hundred ways to learn. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/hundredwaystolearn/2025/10/07/refelcting-on-change-management/

Dewett, T. (2022). Leading in every direction [Video file]. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/learning/leading-in-every-direction/leading-forward-and-backward?u=2096756

International Literacy Association. (2022). Librarianship and literacy [Literacy leadership brief]. https://literacyworldwide.org/docs/default-source/where-we-stand/the-essential-leadership-of-school-librarians.pdf

Martin, J. (2020). Library leadership your way. The serials librarian. 78(1-4). 9-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/0361526X.2020.1707022

Merga, M. (2019). Do librarians feel that their profession is valued in contemporary schools. Journal of Australian Library and Information Association. 68(1). 18-37. https://doi.org/10.1080/24750158.2018.1557979

Pondering a Strategic Plan

Laura Beaumont ETL504 , , , 0 Comment
Pondering a Strategic Plan

I am mid-way through studying strategic thinking and strategic plans as a part of module 5. The content drew my attention to school libraries needing to have their own strategic plan and I wanted to put down my thoughts here before I delve deeper into this study.

I have always understood that libraries fit within the goals and mission of the school but never thought more broadly than that. I assumed it was a cascading effect: federal influences state, state influences school board, school board influences school, school influences library. But I am now beginning to realise that from a leadership perspective, this is following and not leading. I am really keen to learn how a library strategic plan can actually leverage the profile of the library and TL by having a clearly aligned strategic plan that addresses the needs not only of the school and state, but also of the nation. It gives much needed backing and critical importance to the role of TL as leader as it positions them at the forefront of leading change to benefit the learning and wellbeing outcomes of students and the organisation as a whole. Knowing the strategic priorities of the nation and state is now clearly my priority and using these alongside our school strategic plan is imperative to gaining the best outcomes and also being accountable in leading in my role as TL.

Reflecting on Change Management

Laura Beaumont ETL504 , , , , 0 Comment
Reflecting on Change Management

Change happens in schools constantly and teachers and TL’s are often at the front line when it comes to implementing changes. From curriculum to timetables, resources and administrative tasks it can sometimes feel never-ending. Throughout module 4, change management has been explored including how to communicate change, how to get others onboard and how to clearly communicate and manage conflict.

In reflecting on a situation of change that has happened recently in my own school I recalled a particularly disruptive change that happened at the commencement of this year.

This is what happened.

In each classroom is a SMART board with internal operating system, with and external (extra) windows based computer attached. This enables teachers to use the boar functions, but also access general content, apps etc on the screen that they’d usually be able to access from any other computer. The external computers were ‘out of date’ and up for renewal.

November/December 2024: Out of nowhere, staff were sent a survey asking if they used the computer that is attached to the rear of their SMART board screen in their classroom.  There were very few responses to this survey.

January 2025: Due to limited feedback the computer devices were removed from the back of the SMART boards and not replaced.

February 2025: First day of the school year and teachers were wondering why their screens were not “turning on” and they couldn’t access their files or lessons for display in the classroom. They were logging service requests for eServices to come and “fix the board”.

Communication after was slow and staff were reminded about the fact they didn’t fill out the survey. No response was taken as they didn’t want or use the device. There were many more delays after this. Then the computers (not sure if they were the old or new ones) began reappearing behind screens until they were all reinstalled. No official mention of this was made to staff and no feedback.

Some background information:

The SMART board is an essential piece of teaching equipment in all classrooms. Most staff didn’t really understand how it operated, they just used it. They didn’t understand that the board had a different internal computer with its own operating system and just used the external computer with windows software most of the time. Staff receive a LOT of emails and surveys and don’t always have adequate time to clarify or follow up. Sometimes they get overlooked. The leaders making these decisions work at an alternate location and have minimal physical contact and few relationships with the staff effected. The survey was sent at a very busy time of year.

How could it have been managed?

Lack of clear communication, preparation and technological understanding led to this outcome.

In this instance the leader was displaying a transactional style of leadership because they wanted to respond to budget restrictions by not replacing a piece of equipment that they thought was being underutilised in the school. They initially held a democratic approach by surveying the staff, asking for indication of the usage of the device. When they didn’t receive the number of responses needed, they took an autocratic position and made decisions on the behalf of all staff who didn’t reply. The communication after this decision was non-existent and when staff sought feedback, they were told it was their fault for not responding to the survey.

If the leader was to take on the clear communication process as outlined by Alanis Business Academy (2012), they would have considered what they were wanting to communicate and how- including the tone of the communication. The leader would have taken into account the knowledge of the receiver and helped to fill in any gaps, they would have also checked that the receiver did indeed receive and understand the message. This did not happen in this example, leading to major disruptions to teaching and learning, not to mention stress levels of those involved.

McNamara (2017), outlines 7 steps to problem solving and decision making which could have been effectively used in this scenario:

  • Define the problem. The need to update the computer devices.
  • Look at the potential causes for the problem. The required budget to replace these devices. Lacking knowledge of how these devices are used.
  • Identify alternative approaches to resolving this problem. Observe and talk to the users about how they use their devices. If they are unsure, find out more. If they are being used effectively, are there other resources that are not often used? Do the devices indeed need to be replaced?
  • Select an approach to resolve the problem. The devices are needed, put together a case and pose it to the finance team knowing that they will always prioritise teaching and learning.
  • Plan the implementation of the best alternative. Consult the effected staff and talk them through the replacement process. Replace in stages if budget does not allow full replacement.
  • Monitor implementation of the plan. Monitor staff usage and provide training if any devices are being underutilised.
  • Verify if the problem has been solved. Continue to communicate with staff to ensure a smooth transition of replacements and continued usage with minimal interruptions to teaching and learning. Clear communication leads to trust and collaboration.

So what could the TL do in this situation. The TL could have worked in collaboration with the eServices leader to provide feedback on how devices are used on campus. They could have also worked alongside teachers to ensure they understood the survey that had been distributed and encouraged each of them to fill it out.  I guess my lasting question is, how does the TL know when to assist with change when it has come from outside their immediate circles of control and influence, when there are many other leaders that would have impact in this area (Principal, AP, Head of Teaching and Learning)? Was there a place for the TL in managing this scenario?

Alanis Business Academy. (2012, August 2). Episode 19: How the communication process works [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6u0AVn-NUM

McNamara, C. (2017). Problem solving and decision-making. Free Management Library. http://managementhelp.org/personalproductivity/problem-solving.htm#guide

Building the capacity of students and teachers in resourcing the curriculum:

Laura Beaumont ETL504 , , , , 0 Comment
Building the capacity of students and teachers in resourcing the curriculum:

In my time in the school library, I have noticed a trend in the way teachers and students go about commencing inquiry projects. By inquiry projects, what I actually mean is ‘information finding’ projects, as they very rarely follow a sequence of inquiry.

 

Students are usually asked to pick a topic without first investigating what type of information is available to them. Students come asking for books on capybaras, axolotls and coyotes.  This in turn makes the information gathering process that much more difficult as some students find so many sources of information, whilst others only have 1 or no sources.

The issues I identify here are:

Teachers needing to develop confidence in clear and systematic approaches to inquiry.

Students and teachers knowing which resources are available to them.

And a refocusing from information gathering to information seeking skill building,  developing these skills before being asked to apply them.

Collaboration and clear communication are key in this scenario. Teachers communicating the learning sequence and working closely with the TL to determine the information sources available to students and which type of source the teacher was hoping students would learn to use. This also will enable opportunities for collection development in critical areas. It would also help the teacher to narrow down the options of choice for students, resulting in a focus on information finding skills, rather than content.

For the TL to take the lead in this scenario the TL takes a role of servant leadership with a focus on collaboration with the class teacher, with teacher and students increasing their engagement and teamwork through this style of leadership. Greenleaf (1970) explained that the outcome of servant leadership is those who have been served grow as people, either healthier or wiser or more autonomous, and that they will one day become servant leaders themselves. If we put this in the scenario described above, the TL takes the lead in collaborating with the teacher to create a framework for approaching the planning of inquiry units. They collaborate with the teacher to plan ahead by determining the resources available to students and build the collection where needed. They identify key skills they want the students to gain from their information searching and work together to provide the best conditions in which the students can learn these skills. This in turn helps the teacher to transfer this into other areas of their teaching and shows the students how to be thoughtful in commencing inquiry projects.

The TL leader can also be proactive in leading professional learning for all teachers, so they can have a framework for approaching these tasks. They can share information about inquiry-based learning frameworks and make efforts to make inquiry-based learning visible in the library through displays and info panels. They can work in collaboration with school curriculum leaders to ensure a school-wide approach is established.

Recommendations for this scenario:

  • TL to raise their profile by advocating for their expertise- Teachers need to know what the TL can do for them and WITH them and how this will lead to increased outcomes for students.
  • TL needs to work closely with teaching teams to map out learning sequences so they can support the curriculum with useful resources.
  • TL to instigate collaborative planning with an inquiry focus.
  • Whole School PL on inquiry process.
  • TL to work closely with curriculum leaders to determine a consistent approach.

 

Greenleaf, R. (1970). The servant as leader. Indianapolis, IN: Robert K. Greenleaf Center.

Commonalities between the role of TL and a Specialist Librarian

Laura Beaumont ETL512 , , , 0 Comment
Commonalities between the role of TL and a Specialist Librarian

If you’d asked me this morning what I would have in common with a librarian working in a specialist geoscience library, I would have had a hard time identifying any similarities between the roles. After an hour virtual study visit with Lucy Hawthorne of the Mineral Resources Tasmania Library I can now see that there are many overlaps between the two roles.

The Mineral Resources Tasmania (MRT) Geoscience Library is both a specialist library and a branch of the state government library. It collects and preserves resources in the fields of:

  • Earth Sciences
  • Mineral Resources
  • Land Management
  • Infrastructure Development
  • Mining History (limited).

The library is split into a core samples library which contains rock samples and a print and digital resources library containing reference materials and mining and geological reports.

Initially I thought that this role would be the equivalent to a doctor comparing themselves to a hairdresser, however common themes began to emerge.

  1. Both roles require resourcing to support professional practitioners in their work- In my role I work to resource the curriculum for teachers, sourcing materials to help them in their teaching of students. Secondary to this I provide information and literature resources to students to support their learning and interest in information and stories. Lucy provides resources and information to a range of professionals including geologists, developers and mining companies to assist them in carrying out their work. She is also able to support members of the public in sourcing materials relating to specific areas of geological interest, much like I do with my students.
  2. Both roles require a strong collection development policy (CDP)- In the school library, collections must be kept up to date and relevant to student interests and curriculum requirements. The collection is only as good as what can be accessed by the students and teachers. This involves weeding or clearing out the distractions from the core purpose. In my case, it was removing out of date non-fiction resources, unused fiction titles and most controversially removing some of the low quality picture books (namely the paw patrol mini library). These resources distracted the users from the main purpose of the library- to engage with quality, interesting and up to date resources. Lucy talked about the need to remain clear and goal orientated when considering the merit of any resource included in the geoscience library. She was very driven to ensure all resources were specifically Tasmanian focused and goes to great lengths to research new additions to the library including locally produced resources. This includes when items are donated, which did ring true for my own experience in the school library.
  3. Consulting library users in the recommendation of new resources- A big part of my role is to ensure that teachers and students get what they need and want, always in consultation with the CDP. If a requested resource is of high quality, supportive of our goals and values and positively contributes to the collection then it usually gets added. It’s also important to be a detective and find out what events, units of study, inquiry projects and curriculum focuses are next on the horizon. This ensures that when teachers and students are looking for a resource I will have a good supply to offer them. Lucy talked about how she consults the users to determine the resources they will need. She also keeps updated with which projects are coming up, so she can ensure the resources are at hand. She also has developed a culture of staff requesting resources which she is usually able to fulfil.
  4. Newsletters and promotion- Throughout my time in the school library I have used newsletters as a way to communicate events, resources and opportunities to teachers. This was not something that had happened previously, but has worked for me. Lucy also uses newsletters to inform all MRT staff of new acquisitions, interesting and curious resources and other useful information. We have both noted these newsletters as being popular and a great way to engage and connect and have received positive feedback from patrons/teachers.
  5. The lone librarian- As common in many schools, the librarian is usually working in isolation. I am the sole librarian at my campus, but do have a colleague in the senior campus to consult when required. Lucy mentioned a similar scenario. When she commenced there wasn’t even a librarian to do a hand over, and she needed to reach out to state government library staff to show her the ropes in using the library operating system. She is a master of all tasks and needs to ensure good time management as the job is quite autonomous and requires self-direction. This all rang true for me in my school library role.
  6. “Librarian Super Power”- Lucy talked about the magic in her role coming from those moments when she can find the hardest to find resources. She talked about resource location as if it were like treasure hunting. I feel the same way about my role. I feel the most rewarding part of what I do is helping people. I love to go above and beyond, providing the required resources, plus more in order to show teachers and students things they may not have previously considered. To uncover gems, finding new resources to make learning interesting, engaging and relevant.

This study visit opened my eyes to the similarities we all have and I look forward to examining further comparisons as this study visit week continues.

Two separate lives or one in the same: Does the “Digital” still belong in Digital Citizenship?

Laura Beaumont ETL523 0 Comment
Two separate lives or one in the same: Does the “Digital” still belong in Digital Citizenship?

As the world has become increasingly connected through digital means it leads me to question whether a distinction between what’s “real-life” and what is digital actually does more harm than good. And is, our digital life, actually our real-life anyway?

I am about to commence a deep dive into the world of digital citizenship and have been prompted to explore the validity of the word “digital” in the term digital citizenship. As the digital becomes more intertwined with our physical lives it seems trivial and almost irresponsible to classify one form of citizenship to be different to the other.

Collins (2005) dictionary define citizenship as: “The fact of belonging to a community because you live in it, and the duties and responsibilities that this brings.”  This includes the rights and duties of a person belonging to a community and their conduct within this group.

With online communities being ever more present in our lives today, the same rules surely should apply.  I believe that any type of citizenship education should always draw comparisons between our online and physical lives. Some examples include:

  • Children must be aware that their safety online is ABSOLUTELY just as important as their physical safety.
  • That kindness is kindness no matter where it exists digital or in-person.
  • Stealing is stealing wherever it happens.
  • Digital artifacts are still artifacts and came from somewhere.
  • Students need to respect that information and works of art or literature belong to the creator regardless of where they accessed it.
  • And just as it is in the physical world, in the digital world, information can be invented and untrue.

And this only scratches the surface.

So what if we were to take the “digital” out of digital citizenship and decided to simply teach everyone how to be a good citizen in all environments?  This would be amazing and would probably solve all of the worlds problems, but unfortunately I just don’t think it would have the same targeted impact.  What I do think can have the biggest impact is to ensure that all students have a deep understanding that what happens in their digital world 100% impacts their physical world. We just can’t separate the two. Teaching digital citizenship in a way that continually makes links to our physical existence surely must have a positive knock-on effect creating kind, considerate, empathetic, respectful and responsible citizens both digitally and physically. As teachers we must think holistically and consider the whole picture in order to create the biggest impact.

Teaching students digital citizenship allows us to home in on students’ digital lives, ultimately impacting their physical lives also. This type of education can have the biggest impact when it is taught alongside a strong values-based education. We just can’t successfully have one without the other.

Collins. (2005). Definition of citizenship.  https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/citizenship

 

Unlocking the Power of Fiction

Laura Beaumont ETL402 , , , , 0 Comment
Unlocking the Power of Fiction

The power of fiction can be overlooked if not fully understood. My learning in the opened my eyes to the learning possibilities that exist within fictional stories. Neil Gaiman (2015) stressed, that the telling of stories is an important part of the human experience. It helps people to make sense of their lives and experiences. Stories are what tell us that other people, perspectives, and experiences exist.

 

Prior to studying in this area, my idea of fiction and the uses of fiction in schools was confined to leisure reading, and language studies within the English curriculum. I have now come to understand that fiction can be a powerful tool in teaching across the entire curriculum, and is especially powerful in exploring social, emotional and environmental issues. Sanders (2017), Lindgren Leavenworth and Manni (2021) state that fiction can offer students a safe place to explore uncertainty, alternative perspectives and unfamiliar experiences in a non-threatening way. Bishop (1990) described fictional stories as windows, mirrors or sliding glass-doors; the window representing the different views and experiences than our own, the mirror representing a reflection of our own world, and the sliding glass-door as the moment where stories can spark real-world action and participation (Johnson, et al., 2017). This analogy illustrates why fiction can be so powerful when exploring social, emotional and environmental issues.

 

I have taken an in-depth look into how genre and impacts on the way themes and messages are received. Strong the emotional reactions to a story, lead to greater impact. When students experience strong emotion when learning, they are more likely to retain that information (Persellin, 2014). Recognising fiction as a blend of information and emotion, distinct from the largely informative nature of non-fiction texts, has been a revelation. Genre, previously not deeply understood, plays a crucial role. On reflection, contemporary realistic fiction was something that was requested frequently by students, probably due to the mirror qualities. Students were wanting to see their world and familiar experiences represented in the books they read. Vardell (2019) describes contemporary realistic fiction as in the present time with events and people that could be real, even though they are fictional. Realism is a powerful learning tool, as students can connect with characters and places easily, applying prior experiences to what they are reading.

 

Conversely, historical and fantasy fiction can prove powerful in teaching across the curriculum developing inference and complex understandings. Delamain and Spring (2018), describe inference as the ability to apply knowledge, experiences and reasoning to a text beyond what is written. Fantasy and historical fiction offer opportunities for students to build inference as the characters and situations presented in the story are most likely to be unfamiliar to their world, requiring them to think critically and reason. As a result, I intend to familiarise myself with historical and fantasy stories within our collection, incorporating them more deliberately as we expand our resources.

 

The implications of this learning directly apply to my role in the library, significantly influencing resource promotion and development. I am equipped to advocate for the integration of fiction in all learning and will be recommending them alongside requested non-fiction resources. The recognition of fiction’s potential to engage, educate, and inspire will reshape my daily practices, enriching the teaching and learning experiences in our school.

 

References:

 

Bishop, R. S. (1990). Mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors. Perspectives. 6(3), ix-xi

 

Delamain, C., & Spring, J. (2018). Reading between the lines set two : Inference skills for children aged 8 – 12. Taylor & Francis Group.

 

Johnson, N. J., Koss, M. D., & Martinez, M. (2017). Through the sliding glass door: #EmpowerTheReader. The Reading Teacher. 71(5), 569-577. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1659

 

Lindgren Leavenworth, M., & Manni, A. (2021). Climate fiction and young learners’ thoughts- a dialogue between literature and education. Environmental Education Research, 27(5), 727-742. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2020.1856345

 

Persellin, D. C., & Daniels, M. B. (2014). A concise guide to improving student learning : Six evidence-based principles and how to apply them. Taylor & Francis Group.

 

Sanders, D. L. (2017). Windows on a changing world: using children’s literature as an aesth/ethical trope in early years education for sustainability. In O. Franck & C. Osbeck (Eds.), Ethical literacies and education for sustainable development: young people, subjectivity and democratic participation. (pp.127-136). Springer International Publishing.

 

Vardell, S. M. (2019). Children’s Literature in Action : A Librarian’s Guide: Vol. Third edition. Libraries Unlimited.

 

Where to Next? The future of children’s literature

Laura Beaumont ETL402 , , , , , 0 Comment
Where to Next? The future of children’s literature

In reading ‘7 trends in children’s and YA publishing’ (2020, July 17), I have been reflecting on the trends that resonate with me and my school community.

Children must be the drivers of change within the children’s literature space. The trends that would likely be on most children’s wish list include:

  • Illustration: The increasing inclusion of illustration within fiction books, giving readers the opportunity to build their imaginings upon something observed. In an increasingly visual information landscape, children have not had to visualise entire worlds within their imagination before. The lack of included illustrations is often enough to put off a young reader, as the creation of visualisation from scratch often seems too daunting. If the purpose of reading is to learn and discover through enjoyment of text, then the inclusion of visuals is only going to make the text more accessible and appealing to a wider audience.  The popularity of Graphic Novels highlights the accessible and engaging role that illustration plays.
  • Visually Appealing: Children respond to creativity in the language used and the visual presentation of the text. A book’s personality must reflect the theme of the story, communicating through all aspects of it’s presentation. Creative use of font, layout, colour and design is not only a feature of the cover, but children expect this ‘personality’ to flow through the entire book. A child will then connect with the essence of the book , hooking them into wanting to engage with the story. Many children get grabbed by the cover, only to flick through the pages and place it back on the shelf. The reader is looking for an authentic visual representation of the story WITHIN the pages.
  • Bite Sized Moments: Writers and creators need to examine the way that most readers are reading. There may now be fewer readers who have extended periods of uninterrupted and undistracted time to devote to reading, but instead may have bite-sized moments in which to engage with books. This doesn’t mean that a story most loose depth or substance, it just means that a story must be crafted in a way which allows the reader to build the story in brief but frequent reading sessions. Can the story be crafted in such a way that the language grabs the reader in a way that allows them to cast away distractions that may exist in their environment at the time of reading. Going back to my last point about the inclusion of visuals, this will only assist in making these bite-sized moments more engaging.
  • Wellbeing a Priority: The more informed we become about diversity, inclusion, trauma and the resulting impacts on mental-health, the more imperative it becomes in ensuring wellbeing is at the heart of children’s literature. Making books child centered and focussed on matters that most affect children is a key priority now and in the future of children’s literature. In the past, literature was used as a means of getting children to think, believe and behave in ways that adults deemed most appropriate. Literature was used as a form of control. Over the centuries there has been a continual shift towards a child-centered approach to childhood in education, parenting and in general society which must be reflected in children’s literature. Literature must now be used to support children in their wellbeing by providing examples, advice, support and perspectives. Children are looking to literature for representation, searching for characters that resonate with their own experiences. Creating literature with a child-centered approach where child-wellbeing is at the heart is a must for the future of children’s literature.

As an aside, I am noticing a tension between the child borrowers and their well-meaning adults (either teachers or parents). The driver for innovation, transformation and change within the space of children’s literature should always be the child, however traditionally it has been the adults who have control over what is written, published, selected and purchased. I’m wondering if the increasing access to digital technologies and the way that these platforms are becoming extremely easy to use, is going to impact the way that content and literature is created and shared- giving a leg-up to child writers and creators.

Australian Writers’ Centre Team. (2020, July 17). 7 trends in children’s and YA publishing. AWC: Australian Writers’ Centre. https://www.writerscentre.com.au/blog/7-trends-in-childrens-and-ya-publishing/

The Power of the Collection- Reflections

Laura Beaumont ETL503 , 0 Comment
The Power of the Collection- Reflections

My understandings of the role and nature of a school library collection have increased in complexity through research, discussion and practice in developing a collection. I have discussed the power of the collection in influencing the engagement and success of student learning (Beaumont, 2023, April 9) and have begun to understand the impact that the collection can have on teacher engagement and success. Through advocating, collaborating and support, the Teacher Librarian (TL) and the collection can have huge impacts on the quality of the entire educational experience (Libraries Tasmania, 2022). I had not considered this until commencing my work in the school library and had previously only considered the direct impacts a collection may have on students. I now understand that if the TL is the information and curriculum specialist, then a well-considered collection can support quality just-in-time learning, satisfying Ranganthan’s (1931) fourth law ‘save the time of the reader’ whilst also saving the time of the teacher. This means that the careful development and management of a collection can encourage increased engagement, by allowing users to find information as required (Opara, 2017).

Collections are developed to respond to the needs of its users, whilst also catering for potential future needs (Fieldhouse, 2011). I understood that collection development was mostly a set of processes or steps to follow (Beaumont, 2023, March 4). I now understand this is the collection management process. I had little consideration for the values-based policy that needed to exist in order to guide these processes. The why was missing from my understandings. I began to explore how the values must be firmly embedded into the library mission and subsequent Collection Development Policy (CDP) to guide all procedures, acquisitions, management, decision making and associated teaching and learning (Beaumont, 2023, April 9). The CDP sits at the heart of all decisions made in relation to all parts of the collection. The following statement from the IFLA School Library Guidelines 2nd ed. (2015) highlights the importance of the Collection Development Policy in relation to school library collection development:

“A school library should be managed within a clearly structured policy framework that recognises the library as a core resource and centre for reading and inquiry. A school library policy should be devised bearing in mind the overarching policies and needs of the school and should reflect the ethos, mission, aims, and objectives, as well as the reality of the school (p 22-23).”

In advocating for the school library and the collection, it is essential that a strong CDP Policy exists and can be used as a tool in making strategic decisions benefiting teaching learning and wellbeing of staff and students.

A clear CDP will assist in futureproofing the library collection by incorporating statements on the community, the collection and selection aids. I have explored the ways in which collaboration between the TL, Teachers, students and the community is an important element in keeping the collection relevant to its users (Beaumont, 2023, March 12).  In collaborating, rather than consulting, the resources selected for addition to the collection would be most appropriate to the learning that is taking place. The selection aids as stated in the CDP would then include a statement on user selection and the ways in which this offers student agency and teacher collaboration.

I have previously discussed the way in which information in the 21st century is becoming an increasingly complex web of communication (Beaumont, 2023, May 13). I have explored how the collection must address this, ensuring easy access to clear, purposeful, relevant and authentic information. I can now see the selection criteria in the CDP can also be applied to digital information sources, assisting in the selection of appropriate online student resources. The CDP is an ever-evolving policy with school values and students at the core, assisting in the navigation of the information landscape of the 21st century.

 

Fieldhouse, M. (2011). The process of collection management. In M. Fieldhouse & A. Marshall (Eds.), Collection Development in the Digital Age. (pp. 27-43). Facet Publishing.

IFLA. (2015, June). IFLA School Library Guidelines, 2nd revised ed.  IFLA. https://www.ifla.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/assets/school-libraries-resource-centers/publications/ifla-school-library-guidelines.pdf

Libraries Tasmania (2022). Effective School Libraries. School Library Guidelines. https://libraries.tas.gov.au/school-library-guidelines/effective-school-libraries/

Opara, U. (2017). Empowering library users through the five laws of library science. Library Philosophy and Practice, 2017(1).

Ranganthan, S. (1931). The Library is a Growing Organism. The Five Laws of Library Science. Mandras: Mandras Library Association.

Information & Inquiry Specialist- Uncovering the Essence of the TL

Laura Beaumont ETL401 , 0 Comment
Information & Inquiry Specialist- Uncovering the Essence of the TL

Initially my understandings in the areas of Information Literacy, inquiry learning models and the role of the TL in inquiry learning was limited. I understood literacy in an English language learning sense but had little consideration for the complex range of literacies that exist and intertwine throughout a range of specialised fields of information. In my earliest readings I understood literacy as being a broad term describing the acquisition, understanding and application of information (Beaumont, 2023, April 17). I now understand that when the term ‘literacy’ is applied to a specific field such as digital (literacy), cultural (literacy), critical (literacy) or information (literacy), it takes on a new and more specified way of obtaining, processing and responding to the world around us. Throughout my studies in this subject, I have had to develop skills in information literacy to source, synthesise and analyse vast quantities of information across multiple platforms, formats and delivery modes. I needed to successfully do this to develop new understandings and articulate these through writing and practise. In learning, understanding and participating in this process, I now know that the skill of information literacy must be introduced to students at the earliest beginnings of their life-long learning journey, in order for them to fully participate in the 21st Century information landscape.

 

Information in the 21st century is a complex, everchanging, interconnected web of continuous communication. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find, critically analyse and authenticate information. Therefore, there must be huge importance placed on the development of information literacies in schools.

Information and the role of an Information Specialist is not something I had considered in my earliest understandings of the Teacher Librarian role. Initially, I had not completely realised the impact that the TL could have on the culture of learning within a school (Beaumont, 2023, April 9). I understood the TL as being a resource manager and administrator who also was an advocate for reading and literature (Beaumont, 2023, March 9). I had somehow missed the entire and incredibly essential element of Information Specialist and Inquiry Learning facilitator. I can now see that the TL is perfectly placed to be the information leader within the school, collaborating with class teachers, working directly with students and developing a culture of thoughtful and intelligent information literacy. The TL can lead the way in developing an inquiry-based way of being, that encourages the development of skills and attributes that will become “life-long and life-wide assets to learners” (Murdoch, 2021, p. 43).

 

As an experienced Early Childhood Teacher from an inquiry-based school, I feel I had a good understanding of the importance and value of inquiry-based, authentic education. However, I now know I was lacking an understanding of the models used to ensure the inquiry process was as effective as possible, leading to the best educational outcomes for students. I now understand my past practices as being more of a discovery facilitator, rather than an inquiry practitioner (Scott, 2018). Through studying Guided-Inquiry design (Kuhlthau et al., 2015) and the Information Seeking Process (Kuhlthau, 1991) I can see that the consideration of how learners seek and interact with information can determine their level of success in the inquiry process. I now see the importance of thoughtful planning and structure when designing an inquiry has direct benefits and impacts to the quality and effectiveness of the teaching and learning process.

 

Kuhlthau, C. (1991). Inside the search process: information seeking from the user’s perspective. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 42(5). 361-371. https://guidedinquirydesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/information-seeking-from-the-users-perspective.pdf

Kuhlthau, C., Maniotes, L. and Caspari, A. (2015). Guided Inquiry: learning in the 21st century: 2nd Ed. EBSCO Publishing.

Murdoch, K. (2021). The art of inquiry teaching. ACCESS, 35(4), 39-43. https://www.proquest.com/docview/2605663574/fulltextPDF/E651D56D25374FC6PQ/1?accountid=10344

Scott, D. (2018). Why your child will benefit from inquiry-based learning. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/why-your-child-will-benefit-from-inquiry-based-learning-97245

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