Professional Reflection 

Think about responsibility for resource selection.  You may like to use one or more of the following questions to write some blog posts.

• Discuss how the teacher librarian’s expertise and role is different from that required by all teachers.
• Share ideas on how teacher librarians might effectively collaborate with the school community in the selection of resources in a school with which you are familiar.
• Consider also how to engage your learners in selection of resources for their school library.
• Who should have the final say on what is included? Why?

How is the teacher librarian’s expertise and role different from that of a classroom teacher?

A teacher librarian (TL) is both a teacher and an information specialist. Whilst both classroom teachers (CT) and TL’s are concerned with literacy skill development, it is the TL who has the qualifications in information science and can therefor critically evaluate relevant resources to support the curriculum. TL’s will be the experts in information seeking, search strategies, key search terms and where to find quality creditable resources, in many formats. Classroom teachers will often be more focused on assessment and content driven agendas. Both TL’s and CT’s should unite in shared values as educators for an effective collaboration. Kammer et al (2021) reminded me that both the TL and CT should uphold learning centred visions when working within partnerships together with a shared trust at the heart of this.

How can a TL effectively collaborate with other staff when selecting resources for the school library collection?

TL’s can effectively collaborate with the rest of the school community by attending meetings and helping teachers realise how the school library resources can support the learning in their classes. (Cellucci & Harland, 2022). I consider being proactive in the role of the TL as fundamental to the success of the role; taking action and embracing challenge and opportunity will assist a TL in becoming a leader in the school community. In my own experience, I can reflect how teachers are not usually aware of everything a TL does in a typical day; I am a little ashamed to admit that once upon a time,  I also did not understand the capacity of the TL role.

So how do we change this? Celluci & Harland (2022) highlight that TL’s need to show other staff exactly what they can offer and provide. It is therefore up to the TL to be visible and promote the library and what it has to offer. TL’s are in the unique position of knowing and dabbling in all the learning areas across the curriculum, therefore viewing the bigger picture of learning taking place in a school, bridging the gaps between different subject departments within a school.

 

How can learners be engaged in selecting resources?

I hold the opinion that a TL should provide ample opportunities for students to select resources. In light of Ranganthan’s first law of library science – ‘Books are for use’, every library reader should have the means to suggest new resources they want for the collection. Hughes-Hassel & Mancall (2005) stress how patron driven acquisition favours a move away from a ‘just in case’ collection to a ‘just in time’ collection. I think it is essential that the right balance is struck between the role of the patron and the role of the TL’s in resource selection. Whilst supporting the student’s reading desires is important, this must be balanced by providing a school collection that supports the mission statement, goals and values of the school. As I explore this in my role as a TL, I would say it is a delicate balance and certainly a juggling act at times: sometimes the personal requests from students as to what they want to read can come into conflict with the wider values of the school. This is were my judgment and expertise as a TL plays a very important and sensitive role. Whilst I wholly want nothing more than to provide my students with a collection that fulfils their reading for pleasure, I equally have to consider if this compliments the aims of the school and provides pastoral care and academic rigour.

In my school library patron driven acquisition (PDA) practices can be witnessed through the following:

1. Request Slips – handwritten slips kept at the library officer’s check out desk.
2. Student created digital collections in the form of bucket lists, or recent recommendations.
3. Bookclub students involvement in choosing books from book talks and drops from local suppliers.
4. Selection excursions – twice yearly our bookclub students go on a bookshop excursion where they choose books for the library. A printed acknowledgement of the student choice is then attached to the inside of the book, thus providing recognition to the student for the specific book choice.
5. Conversations during reading lessons between TLs  and students about any recent reads or requests they might have.
6. Using data about the library user usage.

Who should have the final say on resource selection?

I think the TL should ultimately have control over the resource selection because it is the TL that is in the position to be most knowledgeable about the wider community of users of the library, their information seeking behaviours, personal interests, educational needs, and the wider curriculum needs. Hughes-Hassell (2020) stresses that the learner should always be at the centre of the resource selection rather than the collection policy or institutional goals. Reflecting on this, I think even though the TL has the final say on the collection, it is fundamental that the policy has the learner at the heart of its criteria.

References

Australian School Library Association. (2018). What is a teacher librarian? Retrieved from http:// www.asla.org.au/advocacy/what-is-a-teacher-librarian.aspx.

Cellucci, A & Harland, P. (2022). Do you know your administrator’s priorities for the school library? Knowledge Quest 50(3), 44-49.

Gregory, V.(2019). Collection development and management for 21st century library collections : an introduction. ALA Neal-Schuman, Chicago.

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

Hughes-Hassell, S.(2020). Collection Management for Youth: equity, inclusion and learning. (2nd edn) Chicago ALA Editions.

Hughes-Hassel, S. & Mancall, J.(2005). Collection management for youth: responding to the needs of learners. Emerald Journals 26(1) 37-37. ALA Editions.

Kammer, J., Donahay, A., King, M., Koeberl, H.(2021). What Makes School Librarian-Teacher Collaboration Successful. Knowledge Quest 50(1), 50-52.

Leiter, R. (2003). Reflections on Ranganathan’s Five Laws of Library Science. Law Library Journal 95(3), 411-719.

Merga, M., & Mat Roni, S. (2018). Empowering parents to encourage children to read beyond the early years. The Reading Teacher, 72(2), 213–221.

 

 

 

 

 

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