There seems to be so much to get your head around when it comes to library policies. The two main ones being a development policy which is the responsibility of the teacher librarian and the collection management policy which is more of a collaborative work between the library staff and administration. 

Both are vital in the work that we undertake in the library setting. At BCC, we have parts of the policies but they were written back in 2009 and haven’t been updated since. It appears to be the one document that covers: staffing, daily housekeeping, collection development, budget, cataloguing, processing, circulation, stocktake, donations and copyright. There is also a challenged resource guideline and form that can be filled out and the process taken if that was to arise. The problem faced is that the policy and guidelines currently followed are in the current TL’s head and perhaps she doesn’t have the time to update the policy. My hope is that I can work with the TL and be involved in updating these policies so when she decides to retire, the policies are already in place and can continue to be reviewed and implemented. 

Censorship is another issue that can influence what books are bought and placed on the shelves. It is certainly important to put your own views aside and ensure that topics cover both sides (where possible). I find that primary school topics would be easy to cover, but secondary is where I feel I would struggle – mainly because this is not my area. Collaboration with the secondary teachers would be necessary to ensure the right books and topics are being placed on the shelves and students are able to access them.

Since completing Assignment 1 for ETL503, I really feel that teachers aren’t sure of what is available at the library. Just like we completed for the assignment – one of the aspects I would like to implement is a list of resources that would be good to use for the topics covered in each year level. This would give the teachers better access to the library and the resources available. I know that this would take time but I feel it would be of much benefit.