Coming from a theatre background, literature has always held a special meaning for me. As a Teacher Librarian (TL), I may be wearing a different hat but my passion for storytelling remains unchanged. Stories are maps of people’s lives, mirrors into souls and sparks into inspirations.

Embarking on the study of ETL402, I have gained an appreciation for the value of using literature across the curriculum. So let’s begin by unravelling key principles for reading literature. The first truth is diversity and I have long felt the importance of representing all voices, whether that is through reading or performing. Short (2018), recognises that many children’s books are lacking in representations that reflect true likeness of cultures and reading to evoke empathy and respect for otherness was a heartfelt linchpin expressed on forums (Buckley, 2022, Nov 12). As a TL, creating a diverse literature collection and guiding students to the right books is fundamental to providing for every student.

Another key consideration I have embraced, is the power of digital narratives to draw in a wide range of learners. Dail et al (2018), encourages a shift towards digital texts in the classroom as it exposes the readers to multimodal learning experiences, offering multiple pathways through the narrative. Providing different digital story formats will be an integral emphasis for expanding my school library collection (Billingsley, 2022, Dec 31).

I have continued to speculate over the concept of literary learning as the teaching of literature across the curriculum to gain greater understanding of subject concepts. It was valuable to gain a nuanced understanding of the differences between literacy and literary learning, centring around the relationship between the reader and the text. I have always associated literacy with those familiar language skills but the power of literature to teach multiple concepts fascinates me. Another central learning point is the value of literature to stimulate shared discussions (Fisher & Frey, 2018).  In my TL role, I have created a new eco fiction collection and it delightfully led to many climate conscious chats with eco-enthusiast students. Reflecting with my dramatist hat on, humans have always craved interaction. Just think back to 5th century Athens and the interactive storytelling at Dionysian festivals. Sharing stories is simply fundamental to our existence, and as a TL, I can’t wait for all the discoveries that sharing literature will bring as my reading journey continues.

Future goals

1. Follow a vision to develop a multicultural, multi-format collection (Billingsley, 2022, Dec 6).
2. Increase access to multi-literacies (Billingsley, 2022, Jan 6) through introducing a new library subscription to the digital app Comics Plus, giving access to a wealth of visual formats.
3. Strengthen and embed more reader response strategies across different groups.
4. Use visual texts in lessons to provide creative learning experiences (Hope, 2020).
5. Lead a staff presentation delivering ways that illustrated fiction can be used across subjects.
6. Add to our popular story writing competitions and author talks by adding writer/author workshops, as suggested on forums, (Sze, 2022, Nov 22) and investigate virtual author visits (Jones, 2021).
7. Implement more activities for improving whole school reading culture: Interviewing and sharing staff summer reads.

References

Dail, J. S., Witte, S.,  & Bickmore, S. (2018). Toward a More Visual Literacy : Shifting the Paradigm with Digital Tools and Young Adult Literature. Rowman & Littlefield.

Fisher, D. & Frey, N. (2018). Raise reading volume through access, choice, discussion, and book talks. Reading Teacher, 72(1), 89-97. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1691

Hope, J. (2020). Seeing Sense: visual literacy as a tool for libraries, learning and reader development. Facet, London.