The teacher librarian role (TL) has changed dramatically in the 21^st century and to be effective they must be a curriculum leader and an information expert. To reflect on my understanding of the TL role I have compared a variety of publications as well as the practice I have observed in numerous schools.  My teaching and school management experience has been in Australia, the UK and in International Schools in Singapore and therefore it is relevant for me to understand the different expectations in the role of a TL in an international context. I have particularly focussed on the UK and Australia, because my current school is a British International School and I intend to return to Australia in the future.

The Australian School Library Association (ASLA), American Association of School Librarians (AASL), International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) and the School Libraries Association (SLA) in the UK all have standards and guidelines for TLs to follow. They have a variety of differences and similarities but all stress the importance of a TL being an information specialist, the importance of collaboration within the school and community, having library management skills and supporting teachers to deliver the curriculum. In the UK a School Librarian does not have to have a teaching qualification and the focus is more on information literacy, IT skills and awareness and knowledge of children’s literature and the curriculum, rather than the teaching role. (ASLA, AASL, IFLA and SLA)

Many people, including myself, are attracted to the role of a TL because of their own love of reading and the TL role is viewed by many as someone who is a reading advocate and library collection manager. Herring (2007, p.3) argues “Given that reading for pleasure is a small (but important) part of the school curriculum, it can be argued that this aspect is given unnecessary prominence in some school library mission statements.” Literature promotion is one of the key responsibilities of a teacher-librarian and the ASSL guidelines highlights that teacher-librarians must stay up-to-date with children’s literature to foster a love of reading. My school is an International School and the role expected is more aligned with the statements produced by ASLA, IASL and AASL but the job description also has a big focus on managing the library resources and space and promoting the library within the school and community by organising reading-related events. My focus moving forward will be to demonstrate many of the other skills a TL can bring to a school.

So what else should a TL be? They are teachers, leaders, advocates for reading, inquiry, and learning, instructional partners, tech-savy information specialists, programme administrators, curriculum consultants, community collaborators and digital detectives.  (Lamb, Purcell and Valenza)

Not only does a TL need to wear all of these hats but they must be a life-long learner who stays abreast of constant changes or there are implications for the school and the students. Ojala (3013, p.3) states “how libraries evolve to remain relevant in the new information landscape is perhaps the most urgent question facing the profession today.”

ASLA has a motto within their statements:’ inform, innovate and inspire’, and I think those three words encapsulate what a TL should be achieving in their school. At the same time, they must ensure the library is at the heart of a school and try to wear their numerous hats and keep up with the global information environment.

References

American Association of School Librarians (2007). Standards for the 21st Century Learner. Retrieved from http://www.asla.org.au/policy/teacher-librarian-qualifications.aspx

Australian School Library Association’s (2014). Statement on teacher librarian qualifications. Retrieved from http://www.asla.org.au/policy/teacher-librarian-qualifications.aspx

Australian School Library Association’s (2014). What is a teacher librarian? Retrieved from http://www.asla.org.au/advocacy/what-is-a-teacher-librarian.aspx

Herring, J. (2007). Teacher librarians and the school library. In S. Ferguson (Ed.) Libraries in the twenty first century: charting new directions in information (pp. 27-42). Wagga Wagga, NSW: Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University.

The International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA)/UNESCO School Library Manifesto (1999; 2006) Retrieved from http://www.ifla.org/VII/s11/pubs/manifest.htm

Lamb, A. (2010). Bursting with potential: Mixing a media specialist’s palette. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning. 55 (4), 27-36.

Ojala, M. (2013). Riding the Waves or Caught in the Tide, Insights from the IFLA Trend Report. Information Today, 30(9), 1.

Purcell, M. (2010). All Librarians Do Is Check out Books, Right? A Look at the Roles of a School Library Media Specialist. Library Media Connection, 29(3-), 30-33.

School Library Association (SLA)(2014). SLA standards for Secondary School Libraries. Retrieved from http://www.sla.org.uk/standards.php website:

Valenza, J. (2010, December 3). A revised manifesto Retrieved from http://blogs.slj.com/neverendingsearch/2010/12/03/a-revised-manifesto/.