Beginning this subject was a bit overwhelming from me as just the thought of resourcing the Curriculum to me sounded like a huge responsibility. It is recommended to do this subject at the start of the course but this is my last core subject. However, I found the discussion forums very helpful. A lot of the questions were answered through forums. This form of communication brings collaboration and will also be useful in our work culture. I had a very positive experience with the group.
A teacher librarian wears several hats. In regards to budget and collection development, a teacher librarian plays the role of a collaborator, steward and a thinker. As a collaborator, a teacher librarian collaborates with students, fellow teachers, your administration and other community members; i.e., staff, school board members, parents, etc. In the role of a steward, a teacher librarian is a leader seeking a wide array of input, basing purchase recommendations and choices on sound needs identification, carefully monitoring and accounting for all expenditures, implementing and assessing the results, and communicating to the learning community. Finally as a thinker, a teacher librarian may have input on the development of the budget and making suggestions to their principal. This was really interesting and shows the different role of a teacher librarian.
The readings in this subject have demonstrated why the collection policy is such a critical strategic document and how it helps both library and teaching staff to be informed about the current library practices. This subject has given me an insight into the role of teacher librarian as collection manager. I have understand how important it is to have a collection policy at school. My school does not have any policy however we are in the process of creating one. The Australian Library and Information Association Schools considers that a Collection Development Policy is essential to a school library as it explains why the collection exists (ALIA Schools and VCTL, 2007). A well-managed library collection development emphasise the need of ongoing assessment and evaluation. Library automated system has made this easier and efficient. Collection policy also helps to future proof the collection. A collection policy should support the Australian Curriculum and reflect the values of the school.
A school library should have a balanced collection. In developing a balanced collection, it is essential to consider the school’s vision and mission and based on that then come up with selection criteria. National Library of New Zealand (2020) states that a collection management plan is a guiding document of a library. A teacher librarian should be well familiar with his/ her nature of users as this impacts the collection in the library. As Braxton (2018) states, resources should meet the teaching and learning needs of students and reflect both the diverse nature of students’ backgrounds as well as their needs, interests and abilities. All the stakeholders has a role to play in developing collection for the school but teacher librarian is the one who makes ultimate decision. During the selection process, a teacher librarian should ensure that resources meet the criteria. Reputed selection aids such as SCIS, Scootle, Scholastic, CBCA, Premier’s Reading Challenge and other reputable sources should be considered before purchasing. Publisher’s website, OZTL-Net, Goodreads are also some of good selection tools.
The topic on budgeting made me realise the importance of prioritising the purchases. I learnt how important it is to include staff and students in the purchasing process to keep the library collection relevant. In our school, we have a suggestion box for students and teachers where everyone is encouraged to recommend books and provide feedback and suggestions.
This year I also attended Copyright seminar conducted by National Copyright Unit. Smart copying website is a useful resource for teacher librarians. Censorship was a very interesting topic in this subject and is considered as one of the aspects of policy.
Another important lesson I have learned is how quickly a collection can become irrelevant to its users. Therefore ongoing assessment of collection is also necessary to make sure the collection is relevant and up to date. Weeding is equally important to acquiring new resources. Barbara Braxton’s blog 500 hats (2018), provides a timeframe as a guide for non- fiction books that can be useful to ensure that the collection is current.
School library should also cater for the growth and development of digital resources within the library’s collection. At our school, e resources are recently introduced. Digital resources are equally import as physical resources in today’s world. This is the future of school libraries and hence students should be educated to be information literate. The skills needed to be a digital citizen are skills school librarians, or media specialists, possess and are often called upon to teach. The 21st century skills cannot be learned in isolation. Some of the skills of 21st century include critical thinking, creative thinking, communication, collaboration and teamwork, personal and social skills, and information and communication technologies (ICT) skills. Technology will have major influence in the education sector and this in turn will influence the school library collection. This is also the most effective way of advocating school library to all the stakeholders.
Finally through this subject, I have come across so many useful resources that will definitely assist me in my professional life. Overall, this subject has been very beneficial and has taught me why resourcing and collection management is an important aspect of the teacher librarian’s role.
References:
Australian Library and Information Association Schools & Victorian Catholic Teacher Librarians. (2020). Retrieved 9 January 2020, from https://www.alia.org.au/sites/default/files/ALIA%20Schools%20policies%20and%20procedures%20manual_FINAL_text%20only.pdf
Braxton, B. (2016). Sample collection policy. Retrieved from http://500hats.edublogs.org/policies/sample-collection-policy/
National Library of New Zealand. (2016). Annual report. Services to Schools. Retrieved from http://schools.natlib.govt.nz/school-libraries/library-management/annual-report