My road to MEd Teacher Librarianship has been long, but eagerly awaited. My teaching career has led me down many and varied roads since my graduation just over twenty years ago. I have taught every grade and have followed various learning paths including executive roles. Throughout each experience, literature has always played a big part in informing my teaching and professional learning.
Reading books and their immersive effect is enthralling. The journey they take you on is one of my greatest joys, though sharing this joy with children has always been of greater reward. I thoroughly enjoy sharing all forms of text with children and especially love the quiet awe that comes when reading to children – the wonder, the curiosity and the questioning. I endeavour to encourage children to connect a text to themselves, the world or other texts that they have read.
I have always loved venturing into a library at every opportunity. As a classroom teacher, I sought to discover resources that related to what I was teaching. I ensured our classroom library had sufficient resources to support the children in their learning and included texts that connected them to their interests. I believe every child needs to find the right book to ensure they keep interested in reading, especially in Stage 3. I saw the library as a place for resources, not necessarily as a learning hub for the community, with the teacher librarian (TL) at the centre.
“I wish I had more to do at work. All I do is read books all day”, said no librarian ever. A meme I once came across, made me giggle, but then led me to question the statement. Have school librarians ever taught in a classroom? Do they understand the demands of a classroom teacher from within their library bubble? Merga (2019) points out that in some school environments the role is “marginalised”, as teacher librarians may not be seen as “real teachers” (Merga, 2019). It was concerning to me that some schools were thinking about creating libraries as information centres and getting rid of what I believe to be their paramount asset, a qualified TL!
Some schools have even changed the name of Teacher Librarian to such things as, digital learning specialist, technology integrator and information literacy teacher (Merga, 2019). I believe that this can devalue the role of TL and the scope it entails. Yes, the role is one that must embrace the digital age, so too must a library. At the same time, the focus on the role of a TL can’t solely rely on the digital age to ensure a modern feel – it is a slippery slope away from the key roles.
By looking at the three key roles of teacher librarians as curriculum leaders, information specialists and information services managers, we can get a better overview of the pivotal role to develop lifelong learners. The teacher librarian role needs to encompass not just our school leaders, but the teaching staff, parents and students. It is vital that the vision of the school community as a whole advocates for the value of the library within a school as a hub for learning and teaching. (ASLA, 2014) A place and role that matters to the entire school community. A road worth travelling.
References
Australian School Library Association. (2014). What is a teacher librarian? https://asla.org.au/what-is-a-teacher-librarian
Bruna. (2018). [Photograph]. Weheartit. https://weheartit.com/entry/259074590
Merga, M. (2019). Librarians in schools as literacy educators : Advocates for reaching beyond the classroom. Springer International Publishing AG.