Communication… Communication is vital in the ways in which Principals can enable the teacher librarian. And the same will be for how TL’s might enable the role of the principal. The Principal should be clear about what his visions are and the same should be said about the teacher librarian. But no one is going to get anywhere if it is just one way. I was a part of a few meetings with the principal regarding building the new library, but the motto was “you can have your say but not get your way.” From my readings this week I can see how important it is for this communication to take place so that both are on the same page, supporting each other and asking what you can do for the other person. It is like a partnership between a vital resource and the person leading the ship.

But not every school is able to have this partnership when a lot of it comes down to the monetary benefit. I did a little bit of research and I find it interesting that in NSW it is mandatory for a government school to have a teacher librarian as mentioned by Carmody, (2019). It is considered to be an aging profession but is it possibly on the rise, if it is becoming mandatory? Staffing is predominately up to the Principal but they require a teacher who is able to cover lots of areas and able to keep up with changes. According to Hughes (2013) Principals can see what the role of a teacher librarian is but some of the things that are needed include resources available, updated spaces, more staffing and an awareness of the library to the other teachers and back to monetary benefit. Overall, this then becomes a whole school approach and should hopefully aid the partnership between the Principal and the library. 

Communication and partnership between Principals and teacher librarians are essential to enable each other’s roles. 

References

Carmody, R. (2019) School libraries hit by the loss of a dying breed as teacher librarians enter ‘survival mode’ ABC News . https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-15/research-reveals-alarming-loss-in-teacher-librarians-in-schools/11494022 

Hughes, H. (2013). Findings about Gold Coast Principal’s views of school libraries and teacher librarians. School Library Association of Queensland Queensland University of Technology: Research Report. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/60260/38/60260b.pdf