Tag Archives: Teacher Librarian

Reflecting on the use of technology in learning environments

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I had previously considered the various ways information presented itself (Piper, 2022b) but this subject has encouraged me to consider the benefits of accessing, experiencing and utilising digital information for many purposes. Critical information literacy is at the forefront of learning for the 21st century learner, and TLs are best placed to support change and growth in digital literacy (Neely-Sardon & Tignor, 2018).

I find myself uniquely positioned in the school community for: curriculum needs; information literacy skills; knowledge; and expertise in the use of digital tools. As information experts in a growing digital world, TLs increasingly create resources such as learning objects (LOs) to guide users in the digital environment. Digital LOs add value to learning outcomes when critical thinking strategies are explained in interactive learning experiences (Goodset, 2020).

The opportunity to create a digital research guide, prompted me to consider factors such as web page layout, content accessibility, and content relevance (Cousins, 2014). The creation of a research guide for a group of Stage 2 students highlighted some challenges such as the variety of resources available and readability evaluations. Resources available online were often repetitive and presented in similar formats such as videos. Critical selection criteria were applied to ensure the resources were inclusive of the needs of my students. Students use and learn from research guides in different ways, so these resources needed to provide equitable access through imagery, text, audio, and opportunity for extension (Alverson et al., 2015).

In discussion forum 2.2, it was observed that some resources recommended for certain age groups were identified as being of a much higher readability level when  analysed by readability tools (Piper, 2022, August 1). Whilst the readability tool is helpful in recommending reading levels, our professional judgement as TLs is equally important when selecting resources for learning experiences.

Search engines are often utilised in information literacy programs. A comparison of search engines identified advantages and disadvantages in layout for the 21st century learner. I highlighted the benefits of having less ads presented when researching for specific content and discussed the reliability of some search engines over others (Piper, 2022d). Similar thoughts were shared with fellow students having identified a lack of consistency amongst many search engines and the need to promote one over the other when it came to teaching our younger students Piper, 2022, October 2).

Identifying these differences in search engines made me reflect on the digital tools I use in teaching. The use of specific digital learning tools during the pandemic made me realise that I hadn’t been critically applying selection criteria for using diverse tools (Piper, 2022c). Carrington’s Padagogy Wheel presents a selection of tools available for critical information learning and how they can support different domains of pedagogical thinking (Carrington, 2016). This model spurs me to consider how I can change and diversify the digital tools I use in my teaching practice to best support my 21st century learners.

My current library space demonstrates many limitations, not least because of the lack of digital resources and tools physically available (Piper, 2022a). As the TL within my school, I know that I must maintain current knowledge of digital tools and resources. Embedding future-focused pedagogy and tools in my dynamic library environment will ensure that my students remain critical users and creators of information.

 

References

Alverson, J., Schwartz, J., Brunskill, A., & Lefager, J. (2015). Creating audience and environment-friendly research guides: Findings from a user study (pp. 125–133). https://alair.ala.org/bitstream/handle/11213/17841/CreatingAudienceEnvironmentFriendlyResearchGuide.pdf?sequence=1

Carrington, A. (2016, June 20). The Padagogy Wheel. Education Technology Solutions; Interactive Media Group PTY LTD. https://educationtechnologysolutions.com/2016/06/padagogy-wheel/

Cousins, C. (2014, November 24). Website design for kids: Tips and advice. Design Shack. https://designshack.net/articles/graphics/website-design-for-kids-tips-and-advice/#

Goodsett, M. (2020). Best practices for teaching and assessing critical thinking in information literacy online learning objects. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 46(5), 102163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2020.102163

Neely-Sardon, A., & Tignor, M. (2018). Focus on the facts: A news and information literacy instructional program. The Reference Librarian, 59(3), 108–121. https://doi.org/10.1080/02763877.2018.1468849

Piper, J. (2022a, August 1). Making the most of my school library space. Lines of Thought: Reflections of a Teacher Librarian. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/jennyp/2022/08/01/making-the-most-of-my-school-library-space/

Piper, J. (2022b, August 1). The dynamic information environment. Lines of Thoughts: Reflections of a Teacher Librarian. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/jennyp/2022/08/01/the-dynamic-information-environment/

Piper, J. (2022c, October 2). Exploring the use of digital tools in the learning environment. Lines of Thoughts: Reflections of a Teacher Librarian. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/jennyp/2022/10/02/exploring-the-use-of-digital-tools-in-the-learning-environment/

Piper, J. (2022d, October 2). Using search engines well. Lines of Thoughts: Reflections of a Teacher Librarian. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/jennyp/2022/10/02/using-search-engines-well/

Utilising learning objects

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Prior to this course, I hadn’t really considered the TL as a publisher of resources. As TLs providing support for students and teachers, particularly in the information field, it is no surprise to learn that TLs are indeed publishers of resources such as Learning Objects (LO).

LOs offer unique opportunities to inform and guide both students and teachers, in the learning of a specific task (Memorial University, 2016). Providing digital LOs allow users to access these resources outside of school, or without the presence of a TL. For teachers, the flexibility of digital LOs means they can edit copies of LOs to suit their specific teaching task and to meet the needs of identified students.

As a TL, the creation and publication of LOs for my school clientele, opens up the opportunity to utilise specific resources within my school’s library collection that will support the school’s teaching and learning programs. The creation of templates allow the flexibility of creating multiple online resources addressing specific topic requirements in a very short space of time. As we all know, time is valuable and precious.

When I have taught my Stage 3 (yrs 5 and 6) students content that has required notetaking, I have often struggled with providing a user friendly tool that can be accessed repeatedly as their need arises. The idea of creating an LO for this specific task, is inspirational. Reading Dr Claire Brown’s article on effective note-taking has prompted me to reflect and think about how I can improve my services as TL for my students.

Becoming confident creators of LOs for the benefit of our library clientele, ensures that library users will value the creation of digital resources that can be applied to various aspects of teaching and learning.

 

References

Brown, Dr. C. (2015, May 21). What’s the best, most effective way to take notes? The Conversation.
https://theconversation.com/whats-the-best-most-effective-way-to-take-notes-41961

Memorial University. (2016, April 18). What are Learning Objects? Instruct­ional Resources: Resources
for Instructors to Use When Planning, Creating, Teaching, and Assessing.
https://blog.citl.mun.ca/instructionalresources/what-are-learning-objects/#

Exploring the use of digital tools in the learning environment

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When I reflect on the changing digital environments I am seeing in my school and beyond, I am challenged by the three questions mentioned in my reading modules:

  • Why am I using the tool?
  • What are the students learning when using the tool?
  • How will I know what they have learnt (assessment)?

To date, this course has really challenged my preconceptions of the role of TLs and how we certainly are the information experts and should be at the forefront of digital knowledge and change that we then share with and teach to our school communities.

The recent years of COVID-19 and its subsequent lockdowns, meant that teachers and students alike had to embrace learning through digital means. It was my first foray into really using Google products such as forms, docs and Google Classroom as teaching tools. At the time, I didn’t have much of a choice in using these tools. It was what the school was currently using, other teachers were somewhat familiar with these products, and so we teamed together to create resources and learning means for our students.

The Pedagogy wheel prompts me to critically reflect and consider the usefullness and potential limitations of the few digital tools I do use in teaching. It is clear that digital tools are becoming the norm in the learning environment. It is part of our everyday environment, and increasingly being a requirement of career skills. On this note, I feel it is my role to ensure I am equipped with knowledge and expertise to expose and guide my students to useful and diverse technological tools for diverse learning. The challenge here is: how do I keep up to date with changes in the use of future-focused learning tools? By participating in forums, and reading material distributed by educational authorities, such as Technology 4 Learning, I can ensure that I am exposed to new material, new tools, and new thoughts in teaching. By actively participating in these future-focused discussions, and practising the use of these teaching tools, I can only hope that my skills and knowledge as a technology user and teacher will improve. Advocating for diversity in the use of technological learning tools, and sharing my expertise to support school staff and students, will no doubt strengthen digital citizenship and information literacy.

Using search engines well

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My role as TL supports the teaching of information literacy. Certainly for my mid and upper primary students, the use of search engines for researching is going to be a common practice. Google has been the go to for most of these researches, but Module 3 on ‘Search Engines’, has reminded me of other search engines which I have used in the past. It made me question why I don’t use these any more.

Previous search engines I have been familiar with are Dogpile and Yahooligans. Sadly, Yahooligans no longer exists however I do have fond memories of it being an accessible site to young students. Instead we are left with Yahoo, a search engine not too disimilar to Google in appearance. An activity in Module 3 encouraged me to compare two search engines and reflect on key differences. A quick comparison of Dogpile and Yahoo demonstrated some the differences that I consider to be important in my potential recommendation and use of search engines in classroom scenarios.

Using the same key search terms for both practices, I found that Dogpile provided a list of ad related coverage, followed by alternate search terms to try, then finally, the required list of potentially useful resources for research purposes. Contrastingly, Yahoo provided the list of search results straight away. It was interesting to note that the results were ultimately the same, but the key difference was in the layout and presentation of results. As a TL, I am drawn to using Yahoo as a suitable and student friendly search engine to avoid unnecessary distractions in learning. When teaching time is limited and precious, it is important that TLs make the most of the best and most relevant resources for our student engagement, understanding and learning.

Making the most of my school library space

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My previous post discussed aspects of creating a dynamic information environment. I mostly referred to digital tools and digitised information. I mentioned that information comes in all forms and modes. Making the most of a library space, whether it be a school or public library, considers: the physical space; budget constraints; diverse needs of the library’s clients; and the management skills and expertise of the TL and public librarian.

My small school library is located in an older style building where two classrooms have been combined to make one larger space. It is restrictive with old fashioned window placements, two standard sized external doors, one internal door and two nib walls and a huge router in one corner, and an interactive board at one end, but there are positives! I absolutely love my long wooden deck/ verandah that receives northern sunshine on these winter days. When the sun shines, reading moves outside much to the joy of my students!

I am lucky enough to be currently making some significant changes within my library in terms of furniture placements, creating spaces for students to retreat or group work and the use of flexible furnishings. It’s not perfect, but changing my fiction and non fiction shelves means that my students can now reach books on the top shelf more easily. These shelves are also on wheels allowing me to change things around if I need/ want to. We are on a tight budget so some of these items were purchased like new but second hand saving some precious dollars. We are still working on improving acoustics and display opportunities by getting quotes for pin boards and also custom sized white boards in different areas of the library for flexible working/ learning opportunities.

I’d love more wall space for displays or interactive stations, such as Lego walls or a makerspace of sorts, to increase student engagement in problem solving activities. I don’t have any technology for students to use aside from a kiosk, but students do have access to ipads and/ or laptops for researching and the like. This, however, requires planning and reminders to students and class teachers to bring these devices from classrooms when they have their library session. We have a seperate technology room which can be used provided I book it in for library time. But in short, ready access to technology within the library would be a bonus. Another change that I am slowly working through, is culling old and severely outdated books. By ensuring my resources are current, relevant and accessible to my students, I am creating much needed valuable space on shelves and also creating a sense of light and space.

There are so many things that could be done in my library space with an limitless budget, but I am finding any changes I make are made with my students in mind. I am ever conscious of the fact that despite saying it is ‘my library’, it is very much my students’ library. Changes made in any library must consider the needs of its clients. So far, the small changes I have made in my library have been welcomed and praised by my students. I can only hope that further changes result in improvements for the benefit of my school community.

The dynamic information environment

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When I think of the dynamic information environment, I immediately think of information and how people access different types of information. As a TL, I reflect on the ways my students access information for learning and investigative purposes and how I guide their learning to help them build research skills.

My library space is limited when it comes to digital access and so my programming requires forward planning and liasing with fellow staff to book and secure access to laptops and ipads. My students thus spend the infant years understanding, learning and practising how non-fictional books are used and accessed. These skills are used and further refined from year 3 onwards, combining with digital research. It would be great to imagine my library space as one that creatively caters to the diverse learning needs of my students at the click of my fingers, however, this is not a reality and I know this scenario is repeated in many other schools. My school is fortunate to have a tech teacher who guides and supports tech and science utilising the tech room. Here, students use a range of digital tools applicable to their learning. Tools such as Book Creator, Word Clouds, Minecraft, Google Earth, and more, are all used to engage our diverse students to demonstrate learning success for a variety of outcomes and across KLA’s.

So, can I consider my library space a dynamic information environment? In a way, yes. At first glance it may not seem as such, considering the lack of obvious digital tools available for student use. But, we must remind ourselves that information is found in all sorts of places. Books, online, posters, magazines, signs, toys, and other tactile materials. I encourage my students to seek information from environmental print, provide opportunities to tell and retell stories using lego story boxes, rotate displays and always promote books about particular topics, authors or the latest trends. It is all too easy, in this digital age, to forget there was a time before ‘the internet’. Increasingly TLs and educators are striving to self educate on the latest digital tool or online information access point. While this is all well, I think there is still value in teaching students information access via books. Our diverse society means there is still inequitable access to digital tools by families, and we need to ensure these members of our communities  have the opportunity to develop the skills required to access information. As TLs, it is thus imperative that we maintain a diverse information environment, ensuring that we capture the curiosity of all of our students, staff and school community.

Reflecting on collection development

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Early in my journey to becoming a qualified teacher librarian (TL) I had not contemplated the complexities of the TL role (Piper, 2020). Resourcing the curriculum has given me the opportunity to deepen my understanding and knowledge of collection development and management. This reflection demonstrates my understanding of the role and nature of library collections. I highlight some key challenges TLs need to overcome in their multifaceted role while maintaining a dynamic library collection. As I embark on my professional journey as TL, I contemplate some practical ways in which I can meet the needs of my school community and advocate a collection of dynamic resources to strengthen the school curriculum.

Having worked in a school library, I have had the fortune to develop some understanding of library collections and how these are managed. The application of my understanding, however, was limited to basic management practices. I now know that library collections require expert management and development practices (Piper, 2022b). School libraries aim to provide access to resources for students, teachers, parents and the wider school community (NSW Government, 2021). TLs ensure that library resources are available to entertain, inform, support, and develop curriculum needs through their expert collection management (Australian School Library Association, 2022).

As a small school in a lower socio-demographic area, my library has historically relied on physical resources that are increasingly dated and provide little stimulus for innovative learning. Library collections should hold diverse resources presented in a range of formats for optimum engagement. A well-maintained library collection includes quality resources that support the school’s curriculum; is actively supported by the school community; considers potential limitations such as budget, accessibility, and ethics (Cooney et al., 2017). Library management must be undertaken with purpose and accountability through the implementation of a library collection policy and procedure. It is clear then, the library is a repository for a dynamic collection of resources that is managed and maintained by the expert TL.

Examining the many facets of collection management highlights necessary processes for evolving school libraries. Historically, communities have acknowledged libraries as repositories of resources (Vaughan, 2022). Collection management requires cyclic reviews of the resource collection to ensure resources are useful and meaningful (Saponaro & Evans, 2019). It has long been recognised that library users must have access to current resources to meet the demands of rapidly changing information landscapes (Fitzpatrick, 2000). By critically reviewing and assessing digital and physical resources within school libraries, TLs can ensure that relevant resources are meeting the needs of teachers, their diverse learners, and the evolving curriculum.

A library’s collection is informed and guided using policies and procedures (Braxton, 2018). Library policies and procedures are necessary for ensuring the library collection is useful and relevant for the library clientele. A search online demonstrates many examples of school library policies which include frameworks describing resource selection, acquisition, budgets, maintenance, and challenges (Christensen, 2018; St Andrew’s Cathedral School, 2012; Our Lady of the Assumption School, 2019).

A notable observation of library management policies show that selection and deselection criteria are reliable collection maintenance frameworks. The American Library Association identify selection criteria and aids that are used assist the TL when evaluating resources (American Library Association, 2017). As part of my course requirements, I had to create an annotated bibliography specific to the needs of my clientele, a Stage 3 cohort within my school (Piper, 2022a). My annotated bibliography identified examples of selection criteria that included: budget, learning needs, current collection holdings, resource formats, availability, and appropriateness of resources. Further, selection aids were identified as being helpful tools to source and evaluate resources that could contribute meaningfully to the library collection (Bertland, 2015). This exercise made me realise that I had already been using selection aids without understanding their relevance to collection management and development. With this knowledge, I now know that my resource selection practices will be enhanced.

TLs are expert managers of resources as well as teachers of information literacy (NSW Government, 2021b). TLs are qualified to lead information literacy programs which are supported by relevant and accessible resources that facilitate a quality curriculum. The use of collection policies and procedures enable TLs to demonstrate accountability and integrity when collating resources (IFLA School Libraries Section Standing Committee, 2015). Advocating a quality selection of resources demonstrate leadership from the TL in developing information literacy programs and facilitating the needs of the school community (Allen & Taylor, 2017).

TLs face several challenges when developing and managing collections (Softlink, 2019). These challenges can include budgeting, acquisition workflow and ethical issues. I reflected on elements of supply issues for school libraries and how overcoming shortfalls in access and budgeting needs can vary due to school specific scenarios (Piper, 2022c). Budgets can be sensitive topics with various curriculum areas vying for larger budgets. Expert TLs advocate strategically for reliable resources that meet curriculum needs (Ejikeme & Okpala, 2016). Similarly, ethical concerns must be monitored ensuring authorship is recognised, user responsibilities are practiced, equitable access considers the sensitivities of cultural and linguistic needs (Jacobs, 2008).

When I consider my own priorities for my TL role within my school, three areas stand out as being of importance: developing a greater understanding of school budgets; the implementation of a library collection procedure; and ensuring teaching and learning programs have access to relevant quality resources. These priorities will facilitate a quality library collection that is recognised and used by all members of the school community.

Looking ahead, I know that I need to encourage robust collaborative practices with my school leaders so that the development of the library collection is transparent, purposeful, and applicable to the needs of my school (Hutchinson, 2017). Consulting the school’s scope and sequence and liaising with colleagues will develop clear recommendations in budgeting for the acquisition of resources to support changing curriculums. Implementing a collection development policy will strategically advocate specific resources to support innovative learning programs. Together, these resources and learning programs will foster information literacies skills equipping students for the future (ACT Government, 2019).

The use of policies and frameworks to govern library collections establishes confidence in the TL to demonstrate professionalism in their role. By applying my knowledge and expertise in collection development and management, I aim to curate a dynamic collection meeting the discerning needs of my school community.

References

ACT Government. (2019). School libraries: the heart of 21st century learning (pp. 1–13). ACT Government Education. https://www.education.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/1435435/School-Libraries-The-Heart-of-21st-Century-Learning.pdf

Allen, L. E., & Taylor, D. M. (2017). The role of the academic Library Information Specialist (LIS) in teaching and learning in the 21st century. Information Discovery and Delivery, 45(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1108/idd-09-2016-0030

American Library Association. (2017, December 20). Selection criteria. ALA American Library Association. https://www.ala.org/tools/challengesupport/selectionpolicytoolkit/criteria#:~:text=Top%20Five%20Recommended%20Public%20Library,Publishers%20Weekly

American Library Association. (2021, December 19). The importance of library policies. ALA. https://www.ala.org/advocacy/importance-library-policies#:~:text=Libraries%20have%20a%20responsibility%20to,equitable%2C%20and%20non%2Ddiscriminatory.

Australian School Library Association. (2022). What is a Teacher Librarian? ASLA. https://asla.org.au/what-is-a-teacher-librarian

Bertland, L. (2015). Selection tools for school librarians. Resources for School Libraries. https://www.sldirectory.com/libsf/resf/selection.html

Braxton, B. (2018). Policies and procedures. 500 Hats the Teacher Librarian in the 21st Century. https://500hats.edublogs.org/policies/

Christensen, E. (2018). Heaton Public School library collection management policy. NSW Government Education. https://heaton-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/doe/sws/schools/h/heaton-p/localcontent/2018_library_collectionmanagementpolicy.pdf

Cooney, E., Galvin, M., Graetsch, S., Mitchell, P., Ryan, S., & Stoove, T. (2017). A manual for developing policies and procedures in Australian school library resource centres. (2nd ed.). Australian Library and Information Association.

Ejikeme, A. N., & Okpala, H. N. (2016). Promoting children’s learning through technology literacy: challenges to school librarians in the 21st century. Education and Information Technologies, 22(3), 1163–1177. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-016-9481-1

Fitzpatrick, C. (2000). Navigating a new information landscape. Social Education, 64(1), 33–34. http://www.socialstudies.org/sites/default/files/publications/se/6401/640107.html

Hutchinson, E. (2017). Navigating the information landscape through collaboration. SCIS, 101. https://www.scisdata.com/connections/issue-101/navigating-the-information-landscape-through-collaboration/

IFLA School Libraries Section Standing Committee. (2015). IFLA school library guidelines (B. Schultz-Jones & D. Oberg, Eds.). International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. https://www.ifla.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/assets/school-libraries-resource-centers/publications/ifla-school-library-guidelines.pdf

Jacobs, M. L. (2008). Ethics and ethical challenges in library instruction. Journal of Library Administration, 47(3-4), 211–232. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930820802186548

NSW Government. (2021). Library. NSW Government Education. https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/policies/pd-2005-0221#:~:text=The%20purpose%20of%20the%20school,Information%20Communications%20Technology%20and%20literacy.

Our Lady of the Assumption School. (2019). Library policies. Our Lady of the Assumption Ennogera; Brisbane Catholic Education. http://www.olaenoggera.qld.edu.au/about-us/policies-and-procedures/Pages/Library-Policies.aspx

Piper, J. (2020, March 13). Thoughts on being a teacher librarian. Lines of Thoughts Reflections of a Teacher Librarian. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/jennyp/2020/03/14/thoughts-on-being-a-teacher-librarian/

Piper, J. (2022a, May 9). Developing a relevant library collection. Lines of Thoughts Reflections of a Teacher Librarian. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/jennyp/2022/05/09/developing-a-relevant-library-collection/

Piper, J. (2022b, May 9). Developing and managing library collections – first thoughts. Lines of Thoughts Reflections of a Teacher Librarian. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/jennyp/2022/05/09/developing-and-managing-library-collections-first-thoughts/

Piper, J. (2022c, May 16). The makings of a good supplier. Lines of Thoughts Reflections of a Teacher Librarian. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/jennyp/2022/05/16/the-makings-of-a-good-supplier/

Saponaro, M. Z., & Evans, G. E. (2019). Collection management basics. In Proquest.com (7th ed.). ABC-CLIO, LLC. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/csuau/reader.action?docID=5762942

Softlink. (2019, August 13). 7 Challenges for school libraries – revisited. Softlink. https://www.softlinkint.com/blog/7-challenges-for-school-libraries-revisited/

St Andrew’s Cathedral School. (2012). St Andrew’s Cathedral School Library Policies. St Andrew’s Cathedral School. https://www.iasl-online.org/resources/Documents/PD%20Library/sacs_library_policies_2012_NEW.pdf

Vaughan, D. (2022). A brief history of libraries. In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/story/a-brief-history-of-libraries

Developing a relevant library collection

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My previous post observed the general understanding of library collection and development. This post aims to discuss and highlight key aspects of developing the school library collection.
I recently had to develop and annotate a collection of resources. In doing so, I discovered how important it is to ensure the resources chosen were of relevance and accessible to my students. I now know that TLs play a vital role in managing the library and ensuring curriculum needs are met with a quality collection. Whilst the curriculum needs generally guide the types of resources acquired by the library, consideration needs to be given for how these resources are acquired. TLs need to ensure that library collections are balanced and non-biased, relevant and accessible to students, teachers and the wider school community. By using a range of selection aids and tools, alongside collection criteria, the TL can hope to achieve a balanced library collection.

Such collection aids and tools can include the following:

  • promotions – including websites, online stores, school visits
  • recommendations – from teachers, consultants, students, TLs
  • bibliographic resources – online catalogues such as SCIS, subject lists including CBCA.
  • reviews – publisher and reader reviews

Selection criteria involves the processes in which resource selection and acquisitions are made. Selection criterias can include the following:

  • broad – involves philosophical principles
  • general – applicable to all resources regardless of format, authority, scope, etc.
  • specific – applicable to particular formats and characteristics identified within a resource format

When I think of my school context, general criteria that I think would be most applicable would be qualities such as format, availability and the use of CRAAP resource evaluation tool. The latter is readily familiar and understood, as it is a criteria I use when teaching students research skills in information literacy. When I think of specific criteria applicable to my school context, I consider budget, student learning needs and the school’s current library collection as most important.

Having developed a deeper understanding of the core foundation of resource acquisition, I now know that I can use selection aids and criteria to inform my practice of collection development within my school library.

Developing and managing library collections – first thoughts

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My first thoughts on collection development and management was a naive understanding built on the existence of libraries and their functions from a client’s perspective. To have a library collection is to have a collection of physical resources that can be accessed and used by library users, be they students, teachers or the general public. Collection management, I thought, then refers to ensuring resources are acquired and weeded as the need arose. Whilst this is in some way correct, the practice of developing and managing a library’s resource collection involves deeper thought, critical evaluations, processes and  collaborations with key stakeholders such as school executive teams.

One of the first practical tasks of this subject was to consider definitions of collection management and development. An online search identified varying degrees of understanding, but it was clear that the teacher librarian (TL) played a vital role in resourcing and managing a school library collection. The NSW Education Department clearly outlines the role of the TL and libraries within schools, stating that libraries provide vital access to quality resources to support innovative curriculum programs and that the TL collaborates with teaching staff and executive teams to develop quality teaching programs supported by the quality resources found in the library. Further, the existence of library policies and procedures ensures the library’s collections are current and relevant for the specific needs of the school.

It is important to note that there are many challenges that can restrict collection development and management. Course notes identify the following points for the TL to consider: ethors of the school context; technology provisions; student learning styles; teahing approaches; evolving curriculum; the changing publishing industry; new resources. Together, these challenges require the implementation of a procedure that guides and informs practical applications of library collection management.

 

Ideals of leadership for libraries

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When I consider the role models that I have who demonstrate leadership, there are certain traits that stand out. I have already mentioned this in a previous post, however, considering the top ten traits of librarian leaders prompts me to reflect and evaluate again, the leadership qualities displayed. The ten traits listed in the learning module include: interpersonal skills; vision; communication; flexibility; integrity; creativity; advocacy; delegation; service focus; education knowledge.

Many of these traits are evident in my role models. But many are also lacking or perhaps are not demonstrated as strongly as they should be. Key traits that stand out are those of advocacy and service focus. I pinpoint these two, because I know the importance of advocating for libraries and Teacher Librarians. I find these two traits particularly challenging working in a part time role. Whilst I work in a supportive school, the challenges still exist. Not being onsite all week means I only see staff and students briefly. Pushing out emails don’t result in the feedback and ongoing communication between staff that I envisage. When I am onsite, time is an ever present factor that influences the moments I have for advocating my role and services. How can this change? What can I do to make myself more visible and present within the school? Evidently, the culture of the school needs to continue to adapt and change. Working with key members of staff, helps in liaising and planning time for me to present and offer my services and the need for collaborative practices with the TL. Deliberately joining stage based meetings and planning sessions can help my presence being recognised as one that offer valuable assets to the school’s curriculum.

Certainly, it is evident that advocating for strong team work and collaboration is key to shaping an effective and robust teacher librarian.  I really resonate with the following quote by Sarah Brown:

A library is successful because of the entire team or staff, and a successful librarian leader enables and empowers the team through challenges and changes. (Brown, 2015, p. 34)

Brown discusses the ‘biology’ of librarian leadership pointing out that passion and a drive for making libraries successful, is imperative for upholding the library’s mission, providing a quality service and managing an accessible collection for it’s clients (Brown, 2015, pp. 33-43). As a beginning TL, I have passion and drive for making my library space the best it can be for my school. But I know this cannot happen without the support and collaboration of my school staff. By advocating for change and setting challenges that will empower members of my school, I know that over time, the culture of the school can change to support a servicing library that is intent on benefitting staff and students.

 

References

Brown, S. (2015). Leading the 21st-century academic library : successful strategies for envisioning and realizing preferred futures (B. L. Eden, Ed.; pp. 33–43). Rowman & Littlefield.

Piper, J. (2021, July 22). Observations of leadership in the TL role. Lines of Thoughts: Reflections of a Teacher Librarian. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/jennyp/2021/07/22/observations-of-leadership-in-the-tl-role/