While thinking about the learning journey undertaken this semester, with my return to study, it was both, challenging as well as encouraging. Throughout the course, my understanding about the role of teacher librarian has changed drastically. It has impacted very positively on the different roles and the many hats that the teacher librarians wear. They are teachers, ICT specialists, curriculum specialists, in charge of the management and resourcing of collections, expert communicators, environment managers- for effective learning environments, literature promoters, and leaders in the school and wider school community (ALIA, 2012; SLASA, 2008; ALSA, 2004). With the changing nature of education system in this e- world, the role of a teacher librarian is very complex and plays a pivotal role in a school.

I am now challenged and encourage to plan and deliver library programs that are based on quality teaching and guided inquiry design process. In today’s world, information literacy has been a buzz word. Constructivist theories of learning can be used to deliver these skills in a school. Constructivist theories of learning, which view knowledge not as some external block of ideas, concepts and information to be acquired, but as something constructed by individual learners, have become more accepted in schools. (Herring, 2007).Theories of constructivism suggest that humans construct knowledge and meaning from their experiences. It promotes active learning and learning by doing. As a result the understanding will be meaningful and lifelong.

Student Learning through Australian School Libraries (Hay 2005, 2006) indicated that the school library and teacher-librarian help students learn by providing access to a range of current resources and technology and by developing information literacy. The School Libraries Futures Project (Hay & Todd 2010) provided extensive examples of teacher-librarian activities that support information literacy and learning in New South Wales government schools.

A recent report (Staff in Australia’s Schools survey from the Australian Council for Education Research (ACER)) has suggested that the role of a teacher librarian in school has a significant impact on the NAPLAN results. It also shows that the students who most need teacher librarians are the least well served. The report notes that between 2010 and 2013 there is evidence of a greater number of teachers in library roles in high socio-economic (SES) schools and correspondingly fewer in low SES schools (ALIA, 2016).

However, some of the challenges that teacher librarians face are technology, time and workload, status and role (Combes, 2008). According to Barbara Combes, some of the strategies to overcome the challenges are to update our technological skills, learn to prioritise, be realistic, become a strategic planner, learn to delegate and collaborate, don’t make assumptions, attend professional development courses, promote yourself and your library (SCIS, Issue 66).

To sum up with, “Teacher librarians’ knowledge and use of current and emergent digital technologies, together with a deep appreciation of literature, can transform teaching and learning within the school” (ASLA, 2012, p.10).

References

Australian Library and Information Association Schools (March 2016), ALIA Calls more Teacher Librarians following Flat NAPLAN resultshttps://www.alia.org.au/news/14553/alia-calls-more-teacher-librarians-following-flat-naplan-test-results

Australian School Library Association (2013) Future learning and school libraries. Canberra: ASLA

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 Stuart University.

Combes, B. (2008) Challenges for Teacher Librarianship in 21^st Century http://www2.curriculum.edu.au/scis/connections/issue_66/challenges_for_teacher_librarianship_pt1.html, Scan 66 (3), 11-12

A teacher librarian plays a very important role in a school. It is the role that allows her to foster a love of reading while helping to integrate technology and promote information skills at the school. In a school, the library and teacher librarian are integral part of the learning and teaching community that makes up the school. Teaching students to develop information skills is done by teacher librarians in the library and this is integrated with classroom teaching.

According to Australian School Library Association (ALIA), a qualified teacher librarian is defined as a person who holds recognised teaching qualifications and qualifications in librarianship, defined as eligibility for professional membership for the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). ALIA has identified the three major roles of a teacher librarian. The three major roles are Teacher librarians as curriculum leaders, teacher librarians as information specialists, teacher librarians as information service managers.

In terms of teacher librarians being excellent practitioners, the standards state that teacher librarians will ‘engage and challenge learners’, work collaboratively with teachers in developing information literacy, ‘provide exemplary library and information services’ and evaluate their own role and the services they provide. The standards state that excellent teacher librarians are committed professionals who are leaders in their school in developing learning and are active within the teacher librarian profession (ASLA 2004b, pp.3-4). The Standards clearly state that the librarians can no longer be simply information providers.

A teacher librarian works collaboratively with all the stakeholders in a school. When I joined as a teacher librarian in a primary school five years back, I was responsible for planning, setting up and establishment of library from a bare room and a few boxes of books. I co-ordinated with teachers, administration and technology support to troubleshoot ongoing problems and was able to foster a highly productive and efficient learning environment. However, the role of teacher librarians has significantly changed in this digital age.

According to me, a fundamental goal of teaching is to foster strong relationships within a positive learning environment. A positive relationship can help students’ achieve a goal with confidence and build healthy self-esteem. It is my desire as a teacher librarian to help students. My role as a teacher librarian is to develop in students’ positive attitude towards the use of library and making it a hub of learning and not a warehouse of books. Effective use of library will make students independent workers and will develop their skills in cooperation, compromise and concentration.

In a school, the library and the teacher librarian are an integral part of the learning and teaching community that makes up the school. It would be really encouraging to see that our future libraries should be seen as a centre of learning first and a centre of resource second ( Herring, 2007, p. 30)

It is very vital for the teacher librarians to keep them updated with various professional development courses as he/ she wears so many different hats. According to AASL (2009), school libraries are essential to the development of learning skills.

References

Lamb, A. (2011). Bursting with Potential: Mixing a media Specialist’s Palette. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 55 (4), 31.

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.

School Library Association of South Australia (SLASA) , (2007). SLASA teacher librarian role statement. Retrieved from

http://www.asla.org.au/advocacy/what-is-a-teacher-librarian.aspx