Part B
I think through ‘Resourcing the Curriculum’ unit I have developed a great understanding of TLs as not just being the manager of the library collection but also the importance of effective collaboration with the wider school community to develop library collection policies and procedures that can help successfully achieve the outcomes of future focussed learning. I also learnt the importance of setting up the selection criteria and selection aides that are used as the guidelines to the selection.
In my blog post (Kaur, 2021, Nov 26), I have mentioned how strongly I resonate with Kay’s teaching philosophy to keep learning authentic and connected so students can apply it to improve their knowledge. I think it is essential to regularly collaborate with classroom teachers as they know their students’ best and their individual learning needs and interests while looking for suitable resources that can fulfil those goals.
I have learnt that there are few things that we can keep in mind to ensure effective resourcing of a curriculum: –
- A policy that reflects the mission of the school library, statements of freedom of information, collection evaluation, the long and short-term goals regarding the provision of resources.
- Equitable access to information resources to ensure that the collection meets the diverse needs of the learners.
- Balanced collections comprising of print and digital resources that is based on a collection management policy which is collaboratively developed by the school community led by the teacher librarian and school leaders.
- Responsibilities for collaborative decision making when selecting high quality resources that support teaching and learning requirements (ASLA, 2009).
As an informational professional it is important to continuously seek knowledge and understand different viewpoints to achieve a better insight. I noticed that my regular readings of discussion forums and blog posts enhanced my learning of important policies like ‘Collection Development Policy’ which is one of the strategic future focused documents that covers key areas like copyright, collection evaluation, resource selection, weeding, collection mapping, censorship, budget constraints, technological changes etc. An effective CDP that has clearly documented guidelines can guide the individuals involved in implementation of collection development task, hence ensuring consistency. It is extremely important to promote awareness of these issues with school leaders and I will be using our staff development day or one of the library showcase days as a platform to communicate these relevant issues that are too easily overlooked.
I completely agree with this statement by Wade (2005) that a well written policy that embraces technological and educational changes and meets the learning, recreational, emotional needs of its users can help move the library from a dodo bird to a phoenix.
I particularly got intrigued by forum discussions on censorship called ‘Key takeaway from your readings on censorship’. Censorship is a complex issue and one that can be frustrating for a teacher librarian specially if there is no clear selection policy and a challenged resource process. I agree with Lisa Gemell’s comment in which she states importance of making informed decisions and having a process for objections that can support librarians and make them feel confident about their selected resources. (Gemell, 2021, December 28)
Clare Hilzinger’s mentions that creating a censorship checklist in the form of an appendix to know the reason why a particular resource is not appropriate could be a useful tool too. (Hilzinger, 2022, January 10) . I think for my own practice I will prioritise the issues of revising copyright regulations using information from the website Smartcopying: The Official Guide to Copyright Issues for Australian Schools and TAFE and censorship. I will also share the relevant policies and procedures with the executive team. I also intend to inform staff members about Creative Commons and the four possible conditions for using Creative Commons licensed resources.
Collection development policy can also assist in future proofing the collection as it can also become a training tool for future practitioners and help in building a vibrant library collection (Chaputula & Kanyundo, 2014). I think for CDP to assist in future proofing the collection, as an information leader the onus lies with an effective TL who is prepared to be flexible and embrace technological changes. As a key member and information specialist of a school community, a TL needs to be well-informed of all the changes and ready to communicate and educate the school community on issues that are generally overlooked in a busy school environment. There is also a need to continually evaluate, assess and develop collection in accordance with the new resources and incorporate collections that include a broad range of print, digital and transmedia content. (Shaw, 2022, January 4)
According to Abercrombie (2018) the collection development policy must reflect the changes in access to information and adapt to these for the library to remain relevant. To improve my practice and become an effective and confident Teacher Librarian, I think having a CDP that reflects the aims of the school and its users and one that can help in ensuring optimal use of budget allocation will help in making my choices justified and will also reflect best professional practice.
References: –
Abercrombie, S. (2018). Why do you need a collection development plan? Knowledge Quest. https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/why-do-you-need-a-collection-development-plan/
Australian School Library Association (ASLA). (2009) Statement on school library resource provision. https://asla.org.au/resources/Documents/Website%20Documents/Policies/policy_School_Library_Resource_Provision.pdf
Chaputula, A. H., & Kanyundo, A. J. (2014). Collection development policy: How its absence has affected collection development practices at Mzuzu University Library. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 46(4), 317–325. https://doi.org/10.1177/0961000614531005
Gemell L, (2021). Forum 6.2 – Key takeaway from your readings on censorship
Hilzinger C, (2022). Forum 6.2 – Key takeaway from your readings on censorship
Shaw B, (2022). Forum 7.1: In conclusion. https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/forum?action=list_threads&course_id=_58478_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_115077_1&forum_id=_260202_1
Wade, C. (2005). The school library: phoenix or dodo bird? Educational Horizons, 8(5), 12-14.