Libraries must adapt to changes and the needs of the community. A library that remains stagnant in its services becomes redundant. The key point of libraries and librarians is to understand their community and adapt to their needs (Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), 2014).
The principal must be future-focused for the library to continue to be of service to the school community. A principal who believes that a library is a place to house books will be doing a disservice to their school community. The collection development policy must reflect the changes in access to information and adapt to these for the library to remain relevant (Abercrombie, 2018).
In a primary school setting the physical non-fiction (NF) section will continue to be a vibrant area of the library collection, however this must be regularly updated (including weeding) to ensure current information is presented (Abercrombie, 2018; ACT Government Education, 2019). I know at my library the NF section is hugely popular and the books are suitable to the needs of the students.
In 10 years’ time, the NF section at the senior school would look vastly different. My library in the senior school has a well-resources NF section that is hardly touched by the students. When researching for assignments, the students use online platforms rather than physical resources. All students in the high school have their own laptop which is used in all classes, whereas the primary school students do not have uninterrupted access to information technology. I believe that within 10 years the NF section of the high school library will no longer be there or will be limited to a few bookshelves. This does not mean that the collection will have shrunk because the online collection will grow significantly. The budget that would have been spent on the physical NF resources would be used to purchase e-resources.
The teacher librarian themselves play a critical role in the function of the school library (ALIA 2014). Casting my mind back to my high school library experiences, I remember a ‘library dragon’ who was unapproachable and sent you out if you so much as breathed in the library. This was not a space where I wanted to go to do any kind of research but, being pre-internet boom, there was little choice. I am sure this was not everyone’s experience, but it definitely stuck with me and, as I embark on my TL journey, I know what I do not want to be. In a typical day at the library, I support students and teachers alike in selecting resources for research and recreational reading, and my main project is creating resource pages for students and teachers to use to support research across a range of subject areas.
I feel the library will always be a space where the school community can come to access resources (either physically or digitally), learn research skills, or simply enjoy some quiet time.
References
Abercrombie, S. (2018, May 30). Why do you need a collection development plan? Knowledge Quest. https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/why-do-you-need-a-collection-development-plan/
ACT Government Education. (2019). School libraries: The heart of 21st century learning. https://www.education.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/1435435/School-Libraries-The-Heart-of-21st-Century-Learning.pdf
Australian Library and Information Association. (2014). Future of the library and information science profession: School libraries. https://read.alia.org.au/content/future-library-and-information-science-profession-school-libraries
So much has changed in my thinking in the areas of the role of the teacher librarian (TL), Information Literacy and Inquiry Learning Models over the course of this unit it’s hard to know where to start. Even prior to beginning this area of study I had moved my thinking from the TL being a staff member whose roles “included reading a story to each class every week, helping students with borrowing, putting books back on the shelves, and organising and handing out BookClub orders” (Gemell, 2021, March 7, para. 1), even though these are some tasks that I fulfil in my current TL role. On reflection, having read back over my very first post, The Role of the Teacher Librarian (Gemell, 2021, March 7), not once did I mention inquiry learning. I hinted at information literacy but didn’t quite hit the mark by stating that the TL fulfils “a vital role by working collaboratively … to plan and teach units of work in order to assist the students to develop information literacy” (para.2). This collaboration only meant working with a classroom teacher, not the principal and I had no understanding of why this collaboration was important, it was just something TLs did.
Prior to study I thought that Information Literacy just referred to students being able to search for and use information for their assignments. I also never realised that information literacy has no set definition and its use depends on the context and purpose (Charles Sturt University, 2021). With all the different theories and approaches to information literacy no wonder it becomes a daunting area! However, I have come to realise it is so much more than doing basic searches and students writing information in their own words, and the TL plays an important role in this particular avenue of literacy. This does not happen in isolation and is a collaboration between the TL, classroom teachers and the school principal. Without all these elements in sync, the initiative of information literacy will fail before it flourishes (Kelly, 2021, April 30 ).
In my previous experience, inquiry learning was done in-class with the classroom teacher and the students. It never occurred to me that the TL would be an integral part of the process. I also never realised that there were so many different inquiry models to choose from, each offering something different, depending on the context in which they are used. I had only ever worked with Kath Murdoch’s model of designing a journey of inquiry (Murdoch, 2019) (and this was only brought to my attention five years ago) so it was interesting to delve deeper into the world of inquiry learning models and the benefits of using inquiry learning. I have come to the conclusion that a whole-school approach is the most effective way to achieve quality outcomes from inquiry and “the vision of all three (TL, classroom teacher and principal) need to match so that the skills being taught and used by the students are systematic and consistent” (Gemell, 2021, April 9, para. 4). The skills the TL brings to any inquiry learning model are paramount to the success of the program.
I think that my biggest shift in thinking throughout this unit has been the concept of collaboration between TL, principal and classroom teacher. Without a shared vision and collaboration between all three, the failure of information literacy and inquiry learning is inevitable. The roles of the TL, principal and classroom teachers work hand in hand (in hand) and the TL is the butter that holds that sandwich together. “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” (Gemell, 2021, March 18, para. 3).
It’s interesting that the idea of collaboration between TL, classroom teacher and principal is not a new one and was shown as a key component to student success in 1999 (Muronaga & Harada) and possibly even earlier. It was a big lightbulb moment when I realised this was such an important component of the TL role and the success of information literacy and inquiry learning models. My biggest question now is how far can you take this collaboration and what would happen? Just imagine the possibilities!
References
Charles Sturt University. (2021). Information Literacy [course material]. ETL401, Interact2. https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContentEditable.jsp?content_id=_4194250_1&course_id=_55148_1
Gemell, L. (2021, March 7). Role of the Teacher Librarian. Mrs G’s Masters Musings. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/mastersmusings/2021/03/07/role-of-the-teacher-librarian/
Gemell, L. (2021, April 9). Information Literacy in the school context. Mrs G’s Masters Musings. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/mastersmusings/2021/04/09/information-literacy-in-the-school-context/
Gemell, L (2021, April 3). Inquiry learning vs. standardised testing. Mrs G’s Masters Musings. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/mastersmusings/2021/04/03/inquiry-learning-vs-standardised-testing/
Kelly, S. (2021, April 30). DISCUSSION: 5.4a: Information Literacy. [Unpublished manuscript]. School of Information Studies, Charles Sturt University
Murdoch, Kath (2019). A Model for Designing a Journey of Inquiry. Kath Murdoch. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55c7efeae4b0f5d2463be2d1/t/5dcb82551bdcf03f365b0a6f/1573618265386/A+MODEL+FOR+DESIGNING+A+JOURNEY+OF+INQUIRY.pdf
Muronaga, K. & Harada, V. (1999). The Art of Collaboration. Teacher Librarian, 27 (1). 9
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.