Part A: Personal Philosophy
A teacher librarian (TL) should be a knowledgeable, current, dynamic teacher and information specialist, driven by a commitment to assist staff and students in navigating and accessing information. The TL’s role extends beyond resource management; it involves actively facilitating a culture of inquiry and learning. The TL should advocate for the school library as a central hub for education, well-being, and inclusivity. An exemplary TL leads digital literacy efforts, and stays agile in responding to technological advances, ensuring that students and staff are prepared for the challenges of the digital age.
Part B: Theory into Practice
Digital Citizenship
My journey through ETL523 has significantly transformed my understanding of digital citizenship. I already have experience teaching digital literacy within my TL role, but digital citizenship was a new term for me (Billingsley, 2024, March 14). I have grown to appreciate its multifaceted nature, including the nine elements as outlined by Ribble (2015). ETL523 revealed that digital citizenship extends beyond basic literacy, being concerned with using technology positively. A deep understanding of the ethical implications of technology use is required to teach digital citizenship effectively (Billingsley, 2024, March 30).
This knowledge has significantly changed my perspective. Instead of focusing primarily on the negative effects of technology, I now know I must educate students on how to use digital platforms constructively, becoming digitally literate and morally conscious (Billingsley, 2024, May 24). If schools and parents continue to preach only about the risks of the internet, I am concerned that we will create a divide between adults and young adults.
Throughout my career, I have grown to appreciate the challenges teachers face in keeping up with technology in the classroom. The pressures of assessment and reporting often leave little time to develop tech-integrated lessons (Fraillon et al., 2019). This highlights the need for regular professional development (PD), as to achieve excellence teachers must update their digital skills to develop 21st-century competencies (Sheffield et al., 2018). As digital experts, teacher librarians (TLs) are ideally positioned to provide this PD (Ragunathan, 2023).
Additionally, TLs play a valuable role in balancing digital and non-digital skills. Through the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report (2023) and the OECD’s PISA report (2023), I have learned the importance of developing 21st-century skills to prepare students for future careers. The Australian Curriculum’s (version 9) reflects this shift, digital literacy now named as a distinct capability, replacing the previous Information and Communication Technology framework (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2021). This emphasises the importance of integrating digital literacy across the curriculum (Rogers-Whitehead et al., 2022).
Through my reflective practice, I have discovered that collaboration with classroom teachers is key to effectively integrating digital literacy across subjects. (Billingsley, 2024, March 30). I have successfully created cross-disciplinary programs for Years 6 and 7, but timetable constraints have limited my ability to reach other year groups. Consequently, I am leading an initiative to empower teachers to incorporate digital literacy into their own lessons, providing them with the support they need to adapt to the new curriculum requirements. Measuring program success is something I plan to extend in the future, including developing assessment criteria and using varied evaluation tools such as the ‘Digital Elements Progression Chart’ (Ribble, 2023) to continually refine these programs.
After studying the modules in ETL523, I took on the challenge of designing a new digital citizenship unit of work within my school’s Year 7 Academic Skills Program. These lessons are grounded in Ribble’s (2023) nine elements and are led exclusively by TLs. I have also created an extensive LibGuide that has become an invaluable resource for both students and staff, offering structured guidance on navigating digital spaces responsibly and ethically (Figures 1 & 2). Through further advocacy, I have had the opportunity to share my new digital citizenship program with curriculum leaders in a meeting, enabling me to convince heads of departments of digital citizenship’s relevance across the curriculum.
Figure 1: Screenshot extract of cover page of unit overview on Year 7 LibGuide.
Figure 2: Screenshot extract showing page index of Year 7 Digital Citizenship LibGuide.
Within ETL523 assessments, I was challenged to create a digital wellbeing website, including interactive resources (Figure 3) and an infographic. This significantly tested my digital skills and reminded me of the importance of integrating these concepts into the curriculum. Even though many students have access to digital devices, using them effectively for educational purposes continues to be difficult and they lack the skills needed to use digital tools effectively (Hannan, 2024, May 2).
Figure 3: Online quiz
Evidence-based research is another aspect of the TL role that my studies have helped me understand and implement. After analysing Oddone et al., (2024), I conducted a CATWOE (Customer, Actor, Transformation, Worldview, Owner, and Environment) analysis on artificial intelligence (AI) use in education at St Stephen’s School. This strategic exercise provided valuable insights for decision-making, balancing potential benefits with ethical considerations, and I have a greater understanding of how integrating AI into education will require a school-wide effort and approach (Billingsley, 2024, April 9).
To conclude, my consideration of digital citizenship has grown from a focus on digital literacy to a more nuanced view that includes ethical technology use and digital wellbeing. I now envisage myself as a digital literacy leader, with the vision of guiding students through the complexity of using technology wisely. My long-term goal is to expand my digital citizenship program school-wide, ensuring all students are prepared for responsible digital participation.
Teacher librarian as leader
Initially, in ETL401, I viewed the TL role narrowly as a teacher that leads reading lessons, manages resources in the school library and provides some basic information technology support services (Billingsley, 2021, November 16). However, by studying Purcell (2010) and Lamb (2011) in module one, I gained a better knowledge of a TL’s varied job, which includes curriculum leadership, collection curation, digital literacy teaching and many other ‘hats’ as I discovered on Braxton’s ‘500 Hats’ blog.
This understanding deepened significantly during ETL504, where I uncovered the potential for TLs to serve as transformative leaders in driving school innovation (Billingsley, 2023, July 15). I explored how a TL’s commitment to servant leadership involves proactively addressing the needs of both teachers and students. Rather than merely reacting to immediate demands, I can lead a strategic initiative to embed digital literacy across the curriculum (Billingsley, 2023 September 18). Transformational leadership struck the strongest chord with me among the numerous leadership styles researched. This is because transformational leaders can inspire teachers, students, and parents to create a culture of continuous improvement and innovation, resulting in excellent organisation outcomes (Northouse, 2019). This style’s emphasis on inspiring and pushing others to attain common goals supports my TL vision.
Another valuable opportunity to expand my leadership perspective was through creating a concept map for the first assessment (Figure 4). This map visually represents the leadership dynamics at St Stephen’s School, particularly its shared vision. The process of constructing this map encouraged me to explore the external and internal factors that can impact on the potential success of leading. I can directly see how these factors such as recent technologies, the Australian curriculum, and 21st century education influences my decision-making in the workplace.
This analysis and action demonstrate how TLs can strengthen their influence within their school community, beginning with the adoption of the whole school vision. As a middle leader, I am acutely aware of the importance of successful collaboration with staff while responding to changing circumstances like technology and curriculum modifications (Billingsley, 2023, October 6). This year, I have led the implementation of Turnitin in SEQTA for the school, in response to growing concerns from staff about academic integrity, including issues like students using Generative AI for assessments. I have led presentations, developed resources such as a Turnitin Teacher Booklet and held workshops to show how TLs can respond to issues.
In shaping my leadership vision, I have drawn inspiration from Shapiro and Stefkovich’s (2010) paradigm of ethics including justice, care, and professionalism as critical components for ethical leaders. This framework has informed my leadership approach, guiding my efforts to avoid self-censorship (Billingsley, 2024, August 4) and maintain a diverse collection, ensure equitable resource access, create welcoming library spaces, and uphold integrity in staff and student interactions. The application of these principles has proven invaluable as our library continues to provide an inclusive environment for students with diverse needs.
Building on this foundation, I have embraced the concept of distributed leadership, as leadership practice rather than an official leadership title (Harris, 2014). This approach highlights the importance of advocating for the library’s role within the school. My latest advocacy project involved creating a video that promoted the positive value of reading cultures at our school (Figure 5). My ongoing work with the media team to promote library activities (Figure 6) demonstrates Cox and Korodjai’s (2019) writings on how TLs may use their position to achieve support from leadership and the school community.
Figure 5: St Stephen’s School promotion video
Figure 6: Screenshot of email (2024)
Initiating the development of the promotional video (Figure 5) exemplifies my efforts as a transformational leader. Through this initiative, I was able to actively validate the school-wide reading culture while inspiring the broader school community. The goal of this video was to communicate our school’s vision towards reading cultures. This initiative communicated our vision for reading and the collective commitment toward literacy. It also deepened my understanding of leadership styles and how I can act as a change agent, impacting pedagogy, curriculum, and school culture (Billingsley, 2023, July 15).
Figure 7: Podcast: Engaging and empowering school libraries by Hutchinson (2024)
With this insight, I understand the importance of principals valuing the TL’s contribution to leadership within a school (Figure 7). Principal support can help TLs have opportunities to enrich the school culture and develop innovative initiatives that can benefit the teaching and learning environment. Nevertheless, there is often a unawareness of what TLs do in their role (Fitzgerald, 2024). Principals must recognise that TLs can contribute to the curriculum and help personalise student learning through creating strong partnerships (Figure 8). This proactive approach to leadership is essential for the continued relevance and success of school libraries in the 21st century.
Figure 8: AASL Video (2020)
Collection Development
Unit ETL503 (Resourcing the Curriculum) has opened numerous possibilities for collection development and has left me inspired to experiment with innovative approaches to resource management and curation. Course readings introduced me to Schmidt’s (2016) perspective on the functions of collection evaluation which considered the interplay between collection relevance and resource allocation. This guided me to consider and experiment with shelving organisation, balancing collection types, analysing circulation statistics, promotion strategies, weeding methods, and equitable access.
One significant task I have recently undertaken involves drafting a proposal for restructuring a library zone. The plan focuses on the strategic reduction of the non-fiction print to allow for the expansion of quiet study space. This collection will be reduced through weeding books that are outdated and have poor circulation statistics. The aim is to create a highly relevant collection that caters for our school’s needs. Concurrently, I am addressing the increasing demand for reliable digital non-fiction resources.
To address this, I have integrated the Informit Explore database into the library portal, a decision that has received strong support from teachers (Figure 9 and 10). This platform complements our existing resources but supports the school’s strategic goal to develop the digital learning environment. By balancing physical and digital resources, my goal is to create a library environment that supports both traditional and innovative teaching methods.
Figure 9: Screenshot of home page of St Stephen’s School new Informit database
Figure 10: Email replies from teachers regarding Informit
Another significant project was to update the Manga collection. Previously housed on a spinner rack, these popular books were consistently disorganised, frustrating both library staff and students. The spinner’s haphazard nature was something I wanted to rectify. I drew inspiration from a layout I had observed during a network meeting at another school: low-profile, double-sided shelving that invited manga enthusiasts to immerse themselves in the hunt for their favourite volumes (Figure 11).
The first decision involved creating a new space with enough shelving for the Manga (Figure 12). I purchased shelving units that allowed for a more intuitive arrangement, with books now organised in alphabetical order, providing greater accessibility. This expands our available space and adds to the library’s aesthetic appeal. Lower shelving encourages students to crouch, browse, and lose themselves in their favourite reads. Consequently, students navigate the collection with ease, and library staff can now dedicate time to more enriching tasks.
Figure 11: Chisolm School Library
Figure 12: New Manga shelving at St Stephen’s School
Genrefication
In continuing our efforts to make our collection more accessible, the library is making plans to strategically genrefy the non-fiction collection by focusing on categories that resonate with students’ interests and support curriculum learning. Genrefication is a library collection organisation method that categorises materials based on genres and reader interest, rather than their Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) numbers (Moeller & Becnel 2019). The benefits of this would be increased circulation and easier access, however, academics and professionals have expressed concerns about the move away from standard library organisation (Wall, 2019).
During my ETL512 professional placement, I experienced how a group of public libraries adopted genrefication with impressive success (Figure 13). It was clear that in this instance, this approach to collection management improved accessibility, stimulating independent browsing, and complemented 21st century information-seeking, as many patrons enjoyed perusing the collection with ease. This reinforces the argument for public libraries to reshape their collections to better reflect current methods of searching for information (Chiavaroli, 2019).
Finden (2024) explores how non-fiction can be classified into two categories: high-interest and curriculum. Collection mapping is a vital starting point for giving information about the present status of a collection since it allows the TL to make educated purchases. (Billingsley, 2022, May 20). The approach I will follow is two-fold: to choose the categories that are most popular with students’ interests and topics that complement subject-specific curriculum modules. To understand this approach, I have observed another colleague’s genrefied non-fiction collection, which was tailored to student interests and ATAR subjects.
The effectiveness of genrefication in this context is evident, as it enhances student engagement by allowing them to explore topics of personal interest and share these discoveries with peers. The literature further supports this approach, noting that student-led selection promotes engagement and evaluation skills, encouraging lifelong learning (Torres, 2021). Additionally, my placement experience demonstrated that genrefication improves resource discoverability, helping patrons uncover materials that might otherwise remain unnoticed. This finding reinforces Moeller and Becnel’s (2019) argument that this method can introduce students to previously overlooked resources.
Figure 13: Photo of non-fiction genres at Duncraig Public Library
The combination of hands-on experience, library visits, and a thorough review of the literature has inspired me to implement genrefication with our non-fiction collection. I discovered that Madison’s Library includes a wealth of information on topics like genrefication. Encouragingly, her blogs contend that mastering the DDC is less critical than developing core information literacy skills in today’s digital age. In preparation for this transition, I have created a weeding chart for staff to complete, aiming to thoroughly evaluate our current collection before proceeding with genrefication. This approach will not only streamline our collection but also support my vision of creating a user-friendly library that meets the evolving needs of students in a digital environment.
Part C: Overall reflection
The Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) has significantly advanced my professional growth, corresponding with the Standards of Professional Excellence for Teacher Librarians (Australian Library and Information Association & Australian School Library Association, 2004). I now have a deepened understanding of the TL as a dynamic leader, driving change within the school community.
My initial insights in ETL401 (Standards 1.1, 1.2, & 1.3) strengthened my understanding of the TL’s role in the information environment. In ETL401 I created a guided inquiry teaching program, which led me to reflect on the importance of TL-Teacher partnerships (Standard 2.2), increasing my confidence in team-teaching and collaboration (Billingsley, 2022, January 8). In ETL402, I explored young adult speculative fiction and developed literature circles. Recently, I have made notable strides in developing a reading culture through the Year 9 to Year 1 ‘Read-Aloud Program’. This initiative has been particularly effective in promoting reading engagement across different year levels (Figure 14). I also shared the program’s success in the school newsletter.
Figure 14: Email of student feedback.
Shifting focus, in ETL505, I acquired essential skills in cataloguing and resource organisation (Standard 1.4). Using Web Dewey and the RDA Toolkit provided a solid foundation in cataloguing practices and improved my understanding of the DDC system, enhancing user navigation and resource discoverability (Standard 2.3). The study undertaken in ETL567 developed a critical understanding of research methodologies, literature review processes, and ethical considerations in educational research. By learning to conduct research, I can create evidence-based library programs that enhance student learning outcomes (Standard 3.2; 1.4). Drafting a research proposal for a digital makerspace with immersive technologies allowed me to envision innovation for my school, despite the absence of a current makerspace.
In ETL523, creating a digital wellbeing website was a significant digital challenge that enhanced my confidence and enabled me to teach both staff and students. These skills have been instrumental in developing research-based library programs that enhance student learning outcomes (Standard 3.2). I aim to share these insights with colleagues, emphasising the ongoing need for professional development in data management and analysis.
Reflecting on my journey, I am committed to staying informed about trends, such as AI in education, affirming that school libraries are central to shaping learning outcomes and preparing students for future challenges. To excel in professional development (Standard 3.1), I am pursuing courses about AI applications for school libraries and hope to use this to develop staff PD (Billingsley, 2024, August 22). I am also a keen member of the AI committee at my school (Standard 3.3).
Additionally, I am developing how the library can support pastoral care at my school. Lori Korodjai (2019) explores the school library’s role as transitional environment bridging various aspects of student life. I am working with the school’s Deans to establish the library as a safe space for at-risk students, reflecting my commitment to creating an inclusive space (Standard 3.3). It is rewarding to witness students seek comfort in the library, reaffirming my passion for the role. I am eager to extend my TL advocacy online, by contributing to professional networks (Standard 3.4). I have joined the Western Australian School Library Association and recently hosted a teacher-librarian network meeting. Inspired by TL blogs like The lifting librarian. and Megan Daley. I hope to expand my online presence through my blog. This digital engagement is not just an extension of my course but part of my future identity as a TL. I feel such a sense of achievement working in my role as TL and my studies have fully prepared me for reaching my full potential.
References
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