Mar
2021
The Principal and the Teacher Librarian
As I delve further into the course, I am having many lightbulb moments and I seem to be pinging at all hours, thinking through the flashes of realisation. My big lightbulb moment this week was the realisation that the TL’s role is so embedded and interconnected across all areas of the school that it would be hard to think of a school without a TL and library. An important relationship within the school is that of the TL and the principal and how this relationship affects both parties.
The principal is the manager of the school, so their role essentially makes or breaks the role of the library within the school. If a principal does not see the value of the library, then funding is not likely to be forthcoming. However, if the library is viewed as a valuable resource by the principal, then it becomes a hub of learning and collaboration. It has been shown that there is a ‘need for a library to support students’ literacy development’ (Hughes, 2013, p42) and that if a principal believes in a constructivist approach to teaching and learning then a literature-rich library will be realised (Farmer, 2007). In such a setting, collaboration between TL, teachers and principal can ensue. In saying that, the roles of each party need to be clear-cut and this is critical to the success of the collaboration (Haycock, 2007).
The TL needs to be proactive in voicing the needs of the teachers and students so that the principal can facilitate these needs. The principal can only act on what they know. It is up to the TL to demonstrate the value of the library resources and programs and in turn this enables the principal to be able to fulfil the needs. This requires strong collaboration from both the TL and the principal to support each other in their respective roles.
It is obvious that both the TL and the principal need to have a shared vision of the function of the library within the school (Haycock, 2007). If there is a break down in the collaboration between the TL and principal, then the learning outcomes for students is at risk.
References
Farmer, L. (2007). Principals: Catalysts for collaboration. School Libraries Worldwide, 13(1), 56-65.
Haycock, K. (2007). Collaboration: Critical success factors for student learning. School Libraries Worldwide, 13(1), 25-35.
Hughes, H. (2013). Findings about Gold Coast Principal’s views of school libraries and teacher librarians. Chapter 8, School libraries, teacher librarians and their contribution to student literacy development in Gold Coast schools. Research report.
Danz
March 21, 2021 at 3:52 am (4 years ago)Hi Lisa, I agree that TLs need to be proactive. I also had a sort of “a-ha” moment when listening to the Bonanno 2011 ASLA conference speech. She said we have to have a glass half full attitude and brand ourselves so we can get a “seismic shift” in making others see our profession as essential and not “invisible”. But as you say, without a supportive Principal, there are limitations to what we can achieve. Let’s keep lifting our profile!
Alicia
April 28, 2021 at 11:44 am (4 years ago)Yes – the principal can make or break the library! I had not previously considered how critical this relationship is. Not only does the principal control budget, staffing, etc. their attitude toward the teacher librarian and their work can also have a massive impact on the teacher librarian’s ability to work effectively with the staff of the school. The teachers look to their leader for example, and the principal sets the tone for the school culture. If the principal is not an advocate for the teacher librarian as an instructional partner for their teacher colleagues, and as having expertise which can be directly shared with the class teacher, it would be that much harder for the teacher librarian to take on these roles and work effectively with their colleagues. In this sense, the corporate skill of “managing up” is a useful one for the teacher librarian to master!
Alicia
April 28, 2021 at 11:45 am (4 years ago)Yes – the principal can make or break the library! I had not previously considered how critical this relationship is. Not only does the principal control budget, staffing, etc. their attitude toward the teacher librarian and their work can also have a massive impact on the teacher librarian’s ability to work effectively with the staff of the school. The teachers look to their leader for example, and the principal sets the tone for the school culture. If the principal is not an advocate for the teacher librarian as an instructional partner for their teacher colleagues, and as having expertise which can be directly shared with the class teacher, it would be that much harder for the teacher librarian to take on these roles and work effectively with their colleagues. In this sense, the corporate skill of “managing up” is a useful one for the teacher librarian to master!
arew
April 28, 2021 at 11:50 am (4 years ago)Yes – the principal can make or break the library! I had not previously considered how critical this relationship is. Not only does the principal control budget, staffing, etc. their attitude toward the teacher librarian and their work can also have a massive impact on the teacher librarian’s ability to work effectively with the staff of the school. The teachers look to their leader for example, and the principal sets the tone for the school culture. If the principal is not an advocate for the teacher librarian as an instructional partner for their teacher colleagues, and as having expertise which can be directly shared with the class teacher, it would be that much harder for the teacher librarian to take on these roles and work effectively with their colleagues. In this sense, the corporate skill of “managing up” is a useful one for the teacher librarian to master!