Throughout this subject, my understanding of leadership and the role of the teacher librarian (TL) as a leader has developed significantly. Initially, I saw the TL as someone who manages library resources and supports the school community through information services (Sha, 2023, July 11). However, as I progressed through the course, my perception of the TL expanded. I now see the TL as a proactive leader, playing a crucial role in fostering digital literacy, information fluency, and creating a future-ready learning environment (Branch-Mueller & Rodger, 2019).
At the start of the subject, I focused mainly on the day-to-day responsibilities of a TL, such as maintaining collections and supporting literacy initiatives. However, through discussions and readings on various leadership styles, such as transformational, distributed, and servant leadership, I began to appreciate how these leadership approaches can empower TLs to be key change agents in school. For instance, transformational leadership encourages innovation and motivates staff and students (Wilson Heenan et al., 2023), while distributed leadership highlights the importance of collaboration, which aligns with how TLs often work across departments and with different stakeholders (Larsson & Löwstedt, 2023). This view is further supported by Williams (2024) in her forum post, where she believes a TL as a transformational leader will inspire and promote change through collaboration in school.
In one of my other blog posts, I mentioned the importance of TLs in supporting inquiry-based learning (Sha, 2023, September 29). As I reflect on that now, I see how this role is deeply intertwined with leadership. Inquiry-based learning requires students to engage critically with information, and the TL, by leading digital literacy initiatives, directly supports the development of these critical thinking skills (Sha, 2024, May 25). The TL’s leadership is about guiding not just students, but also staff, in navigating the ever-changing digital landscape.
My understanding has also been influenced by our discussions on strategic planning. Learning how to strategically position the library to align with school-wide goals, such as enhancing digital literacy, has deepened my appreciation for the TL’s leadership role in advocating for and implementing systemic changes. As we explored strategies for overcoming resistance to change, I came to see how TLs can lead from the middle to build consensus and support sustained change. A key challenge for TLs is often gaining buy-in from all stakeholders, but I now understand that by fostering collaboration and demonstrating tangible benefits to students’ learning outcomes, TLs can more effectively address resistance and secure support for new initiatives.
Looking forward, my practice as a teacher librarian will be shaped by this more dynamic understanding of leadership. As I mentioned in the forum post, I will commit to professional learning and aim to be an advocate for digital literacy and information fluency, taking a leadership role in driving innovation and collaboration across the school (Sha, 2024, September 8). Furthermore, I now recognise that leadership is not just about directing others, but about empowering and supporting both staff and students to engage meaningfully with information and learning. I feel confident that this knowledge will help me create a library that is not only a hub for information but also a centre for leadership and learning in the school.
Reference:
Branch-Mueller, J. L., & Rodger, J. C. (2019). Taking it Outside the School Library: Teacher-Librarians as School and District Leaders. Selected Papers from the … Annual Conference, International Association of School Librarianship, 1–11.
Larsson, P., & Löwstedt, J. (2023). Distributed school leadership: Making sense of the educational infrastructure. Educational Management, Administration & Leadership, 51(1), 138–156. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143220973668
Williams, J (2024, September 5). Transforming the library. [Comment on ‘Module 4.3: TLs as change leaders Why]. Forum; Module 4. https://learn.csu.edu.au/d2l/le/17890/discussions/topics/34505/View
Wilson Heenan, I., De Paor, D., Lafferty, N., & Mannix McNamara, P. (2023). The Impact of Transformational School Leadership on School Staff and School Culture in Primary Schools—A Systematic Review of International Literature. Societies (Basel, Switzerland), 13(6), 133-. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13060133