May 23

Assessment 2 – Part B – Reflection

As this semester draws to a close, so too does my formal learning journey as a teacher librarian (TL). After nine long years of undergraduate and post-graduate study I am finally (this subject pending) a qualified TL in the eyes of the NSW Department. I am especially appreciative that ETL504 has been my final subject, as I feel the content covered therein, from leadership styles, leadership for change, 21st century learning, strategic planning, to at the centre of all of it, the TL as a leader, has given me knowledge and skills that I can apply to my current role.

 

In my initial blog post for this subject, I expressed doubt and trepidation about my leadership abilities (Milliken, 2021a). My response reflected a naive and simplified understanding of leadership as something reserved solely for those in formally recognised leadership positions, such as the principal or school executive members. As I’ve progressed through the learning modules and activities in this subject, however, my understanding of leadership has dramatically changed. I have come to recognise that leaders are not just those appointed to formal leadership roles but can emerge in informal leadership positions due to their own expertise and/or influence with peers (Leithwood et al., 2006). Effective leaders will empower and encourage innovation from those around them, all for the purpose of moving the organisation toward the achievement of a future-focused vision (Law et al., 2011; Smith, 2020).

 

Reflecting upon the course content has also revealed that the trepidation I felt about my own leadership abilities has been misplaced, as it has become clear that I have already begun to develop into an instructional leader role in my current school. As a TL and expert in information literacy (IL), I have previously embedded myself in some programs of learning at my school, providing research and IL support to students at their point-of-need and working alongside the classroom teacher to team teach this content. As an instructional leader, collaboration with teachers is crucially important as this is how the TL can deepen and enrich students’ learning, as well as support the development of classroom teachers’ capacity to successfully implement change in their classrooms (Schifter, 2008). Collaboration is also vital because it allows TLs to advocate for their role with their peers (Cox & Korodaj, 2019; ).

 

Despite this being the end of my degree, my learning journey as a TL is far from over. While the final assessment for this subject has driven my motivation to create change in my own school environment for the purpose of meeting the needs of today’s learners, I recognise that I must first develop my professional knowledge of guided inquiry before approaching my school’s formal leadership for approval. In the meantime, I will continue to cultivate influence amongst my peers by resourcing their curriculum and collaborating on research tasks. I will also be placing a great emphasis on communication, with the goal being to create transparency and advocate for my position. In other words, the journey is only just beginning.

 

Reference List

Cox, E., & Korodaj, L. (2019). Leading from the sweet spot: Embedding the library and the teacher librarian in your school community. Access, 33(4), 14–25.

 

Law, N., Yuen, A. & Fox, R. (2011). Educational Innovations Beyond Technology: Nurturing Leadership and Establishing Learning Organizations. Springer.

 

Leithwood, K., Day, C., Sammons, P., Harris, A., & Hopkins, D. (2006). Successful school leadership: What it is and how it influences pupil learning. DfES Publications.

 

Milliken, K. (2021a, March 3). ETL504 – Initial Thoughts. CSU Thinkspace. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/readminder/2021/03/15/etl504-initial-thoughts/.

 

Smith, D. (2020, February 26). What is Leadership? Knowledge Quest. https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/what-is-leadership/

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April 7

ETL504 – Module 3.2/3 – Communication

Recreational borrowing is declining and students’ engagement with the fiction collection has decreased. The collection is currently shelved alphabetically. Genrefication of the fiction collection is being proposed as a strategy to address the issue.

 

The scenario described above is similar to one that I found myself in at the end of 2019, when I sat back to look at the haphazard way resources within the fiction collection had been clearly labelled with a genre sticker. It was inconsistent, which I found particularly annoying. I also noticed that students seemed to find it difficult to find books they wanted to read. I would ask students if they needed help, and they would note, “I’m looking for a romance”. I would point at the books that had been marked with a sticker, and would be asked if that’s all we had. “Of course not,” I would reply, “that’s just how some of them have been labelled.”

 

Genrefying the collection would be a challenge for me, I knew, but I had researched the benefits. I spoke with my HT, who also saw the merit of the move. I had collected data from students asking them how they picked books to read, and how easy they found it to find a book they wanted to read on our shelves. But I never asked them if that’s how they wanted the fiction collection to be arranged. Genrefication was about what I wanted, and the benefits I saw.

 

For change to be successful though — and for school libraries to thrive — the school community must feel ownership over it, and open to this change. Communicating change after the fact does not count, but rather, I should have invited the opportunity for community input in whether the collection was rearranged. Through open channels of communication, I could have advocated for my role within the school, and demonstrated what a large-scale job genrefication was. I could have gained the opportunity to find out if genrefication was what the community thought best (after all, they are the ones who know the students best), and if they decided for the idea, gotten buy-in.

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April 1

ETL504 – Module 2.3 – Leadership Styles

A suitable leadership style for a principal looking to facilitate leadership in the teacher librarian would definitely be transformational leadership. Transformational leaders use trust and communication to encourage participation and goal alignment with individuals within the organisation. In such an environment where staff are empowered to be collaborative and work together, the teacher librarian would have the ability to emerge as an informal leader.

As for leadership styles that the teacher librarian could use in this transformational environment, they could use instructional leadership, as ideally that is where their ‘expertise’ lay: in teaching and learning, specifically as it relates to student engagement and achievement. Using the qualities of an instructional leader, the TL would be well-positioned to provide support to teachers in achieving their, and the school’s goals. It also helps in this case that the library is often the learning ‘hub’ of the school.

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March 15

ETL504 – Initial Thoughts

What does it mean to be a teacher librarian, and a leader?

I often find it difficult to reconcile these two ideas together, especially since I am a beginning teacher and therefore do not have what I believe is sufficient experience, to call myself a leader. I understand the importance of being a leader for the purpose of advocacy for my role and the role of teacher librarian in general, but I am constantly wondering what I have to offer teachers with 15+ experience.

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September 18

ETL507 – Assessment 2 – Study Visit Report

Part A: Attendance

Synchronously  
24th August, 2020 Krystal Gagen-Spriggs, Mount Alvernia College, Queensland
25th August, 2020 Katie Haden, Supreme Court Library, Queensland
2nd September, 2020 Justine Hanna, Moonee Valley Libraries, Victoria
Non-Synchronously  
26th August, 2020 Sally Turbitt, University of Newcastle MakerSpace

 

 

Part B: 1) Essay

A well-resourced information agency is a successful information agency. Discuss.

Introduction

Imputing variations of the search terms ‘well-resourced’ and ‘information agency’ into both the Charles Sturt Library Catalogue and Google will return hundreds of results, the majority of which discuss the impact of libraries. Almost none define what makes up a ‘well-resourced’ information agency. Instead, it is often left to the reader to look for commonalities among the libraries studied. The following report is a break-down of what this author believes are the commonalities of well-resourced and therefore successful information agencies: a qualified librarian; an interest and content-driven collection; and a dynamic space. In considering each of these aspects, real-life examples of three different libraries – special, school and academic – will be discussed.

A Qualified Librarian

Numerous studies have been carried out which demonstrate that a qualified — and effective — teacher librarian can make a positive impact on learning and teaching. Research suggests that the active presence of a teacher librarian (TL) in a school can have a beneficial effect on young people’s literacy learning (Bailey, Hall, & Gamble, 2007), while the absence of TL can be associated with a negative influence on students’ academic achievement (Dow, McMahon-Lakin, & Court, 2012). Students in a school with a qualified TL and a strong library programme also typically perform better in standardised testing (Lance & Kachel, 2018). Recent research has also focused on how teacher librarians support struggling readers (Merga, 2019), as well as champion student wellbeing (Merga, 2020). As such, qualified librarians are one of the core requirements of a successful and well-resourced library.

The positive impact that a qualified librarian can have is clearly demonstrated in the work and efforts of Krystal Gagen-Spriggs, a teacher librarian at Mount Alvernia College, an independent, single-sex private school in Brisbane, Queensland. Working in the College’s ‘iCentre’ since 2016, Gagen-Spriggs and her team run a literacy-focused program called Campfire, which is delivered to Years 7-9 in their fortnightly library lessons. During this informal lesson, Gagen-Spriggs delivers a series of ‘book talks’ and gives students the opportunity to read for pleasure. Alongside the regular classroom teacher, she also interviews each student about their reading habits and interests in an effort to better tailor her book recommendations and support students’ reading.

Data collected from students about the Campfire program revealed that over 48% would not read or visit a library without Campfire, while the number of students who read more than recommended 20 minutes per week — outside of curriculum requirements — rose by 24% from 2018 to 2019. Furthermore, 97% of the respondents revealed that the TL-led book talks encouraged them to read, while 88% found the TL’s recommendations helpful in choosing interesting reading material (Stower & Gagen-Spriggs, 2019). In fact, the Campfire program was so successful that in 2020, Gagen-Spriggs and her team — with the support of school administration and staff — chose to extend the program into Year 9.

An Interest and Content-Driven Collection 

The mission and goals of any information agency revolve around meeting the informational, educational, and recreational needs of its clientele (Gregory, 2019, p. 13). In this way, an information agency’s collection shares a common purpose or goal: to serve the community. This is why it often said that a library’s collection lies at the heart of a library. Therefore, to be considered well-resourced and thus successful, an information agency’s collection must be effectively developed and managed so that it is able to meet the needs of both actual and potential users (Disher, 2014).

The process of collection development is far from easy, however. No information agency has one intended user, and therefore, collection development must be held accountable to multiple users and non-users alike. Special libraries, however, have a unique benefit in that their intended audience has a uniting goal or common interest. Take for instance, Queensland’s Supreme Court Library, which principally serves the judiciary and legal profession.

Working in Collections at QSCL, Katie Haden oversees collections strategy and planning, as well as collection projects, policies, negotiations, and training. She also manages the Research and Education team, who is primarily responsible for delivering and supporting many of the core services of the Library, including delivering relevant information and content to the Library’s users. When questioned how the Library chooses resources to add and weed from their collection, Haden indicated that there is actually a collection subcommittee at QSCL, who is made up of judicial and legal professionals. As these individuals are immersed in the legal profession, collection development and weeding choices are often made by them, and then reviewed by a relevant librarian. As such, QSCL’s collection is almost entirely interest and content-driven, as the people responsible for making collection decisions are also actual and potential users of the Library. By doing this, the Library ensures that its collection meets user needs, but also ensures that the collection gets used by their clientele.

A Dynamic Space

In addition to employing suitably qualified people, and developing an interest and content-driven collection, an effective information agency must also provide flexible learning spaces that facilitate discussion, as well as both collaborative and independent learning (Sengupta, Blessinger, & Cox, 2020). In recent years, libraries have moved to include more innovative spaces where users are not just encouraged to learn, but also create. An example of such a space is known as a ‘Makerspace’.

Sally Turbitt, from the University of Newcastle Library, is the Library’s Makerspace coordinator. The Makerspace provides dedicated areas for 3D printing, sewing, soldering, and CAD design, as well as a variety of resources including tools, powered work spaces and games, to entice users into the space. When asked about how she and her team ensure the Makerspace meets users’ needs, Turbitt noted, “we talk with and listen to students who use the space [as part of their] studies [and personal lives], and then investigate what they ask for”. Although the space is, by Turbitt’s own admission, “well-resourced”, her and her team are careful to not confront users by putting everything out at once, instead they “always ensure a mix of resources are on display”.

By incorporating both the user’s personal and academic context into her understanding of their needs, Turbitt and her team are better equipped to ensure they resource a dynamic space that effectively facilitates learning and problem solving (Bawden & Robinson, 2013).

Conclusion

A successful information agency does not merely exist, nor does it exist in a vacuum. Qualified staff, a content and interest-driven collection, as well as a dynamic space are all part of what makes an information agency successful. Together, these elements ensure that an information agency is best equipped to meet the needs of its clientele, which in turn, encourages use and allows these institutions to move into the future. In this way, a successful information agency is really the sum of all its well-resourced parts.

 

Part B: 2) Reflection

As the only teacher librarian employed at a high school, it is easy to feel isolated from other information professionals. These study visits afforded me the opportunity to understand that even though information agencies may exist to serve different audiences and purposes, there are still some common practices and challenges that bind us together.

Gagen-Sprigg’s visit at Mount Alvernia College’s iCentre was perhaps the most helpful for me as an information professional, as her context is most similar to my own. Her discussion and success with the Campfire program has particularly inspired me. At my own school, we have a mandatory 20-minutes of pleasure reading per day, and I often observe books being mass-borrowed at the beginning of the school year, only for the books and the borrowers to never return. The benefits of pleasure reading are tenfold (Nippold, Duthrie, & Larsen, 2005), and after seeing Gagen-Sprigg’s success, I am definitely going to investigate the possibility of implementing a similar program at my own school so that I can better work toward building those relationships which are so crucial to the creation of a reading community (Blintz, 1993).

One thing that I particularly enjoyed from Haden’s presentation was the mention and brief description of the collection subcommittee who helps in the selection of resources. As the only TL employed in a school, collection management is my sole responsibility. Although we already have a recommendation box, I had approached Senior Executive at the school about forming an advisory board made up of students and staff where they were invited to weigh in on the selection process, as well as the activities, programmes and services afforded by the Library. I hoped that in doing this, the Library would become more meaningful and accessible to those who it is intended to serve (Nairn, 2001). This was pre-COVID, and while current guidelines don’t make forming and adjourning this advisory board possible, it is something I want to pursue in the future.

Turbitt’s discussion around the University of Newcastle’s Makerspace was particularly enlightening. The addition of makerspaces in school libraries have been increasingly steadily in recent years, but until Turbitt’s presentation, I did not truly understand what value makerspaces could add to academic and personal lives of students’, particularly in the cultivation of their soft skills. Although a makerspace is not something my school is looking to currently introduce, Turbitt’s description of creating a safe place for students’ to discover and make mistakes particularly resonated with me, as this is the vision for my own school library. Introducing elements of Turbitt’s makerspace – colouring and board games, for instance – may aid in the construction of this atmosphere.

These study visits proved that although I may already be an information professional immersed in the world of information agencies, I still have a lot to learn from the practice of others.

 

Word Count: 1609

 

References

Bailey, M., Hall, C., & Gamble, N. (2007). Promoting School Libraries and Schools Library Services: Problems and Partnerships. English in Education, 41(2), 75-81.

 

Bintz, W. P. (1993). Resistant Readers in Secondary Education: Some Insights and Implications, Journal of Reading, 36 (8), 604-615.

 

Disher, W. (2014). Crash Course in Collection Development. California, USA: Libraries Unlimited.

 

Dow, M. J., McMahon-Lakin, J., & Court, S. C. (2012). School Librarian Staffing Levels and Student Achievement as Represented in 2006-2009 Kansas Annual Yearly Progress Data. School Library Research, 15, 1-15.

 

Gregory, V. L. (2019). Collection Development and Management for 21st Century Library Collections. Chicago, USA: American Library Association.

 

Haden, K. (2020). Charles Sturt University Virtual Study Visit [Keynote Slides]. Retrieved from https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/execute/content/file?cmd=view&content_id=_3783468_1&course_id=_50448_1&framesetWrapped=true.

 

Lance, K. C., & Kachel, D. E. (2018). Why School Librarians Matter: What Years of Research Tell Us. Phi Delta Kappan, 99(7), 15-20. doi:10.1177/0031721718767854.

 

Lonsdale, M. (2003). Impact of School Libraries on Student Achievement: A Review of the Research. Camberwell, VIC: Australian Council for Educational Research.

 

Merga, M. (2019). How Do Librarians in Schools Support Struggling Readers? English in Education, 53(4), 145–60. https://doi.org/10.1080/04250494.2018.1558030.

 

Merga, M. (2020). How Can School Libraries Support Student Wellbeing? Evidence and Implications for Further Research. Journal of Library Administration, 60(6), 660-673. doi: 10.1080/01930826.2020.1773718.

 

Nippold, M. A., Duthie, J. K., Larsen, J. (2005). Literacy as a leisure activity: free-time preferences of older children and young adolescents, Language, speech, and hearing services in schools, 32(2), 93-102.

 

Sengupta, E., Blessinger, P., & Cox, M. D. (2020). Introduction to Designing Effective Library Learning Spaces in Higher Education. Innovations in Higher Education Teaching and Learning, 29, 3-12. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2055-364120200000029001

 

Supreme Court Library Queensland. (2018). About us [HTML webpage]. Retrieved from https://www.sclqld.org.au/about-us.

 

Stower, H. & Gagen-Spriggs, K. (2019). Using evidence-based practice to inform school library programs [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from https://lstudentsmtaqldedu-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/r/personal/gagek_staff_mta_qld_edu_au/_layouts/15/Doc.aspx?sourcedoc=%7BE97C1056-7D46-40F5-B24B-C4C52965CBC7%7D&file=ASLA%202019%20-%20Evidence%20based%20practice.pptx&action=edit&mobileredirect=true

 

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May 17

INF506 – Assessment 3 – Part 2 – Evaluative Statement & Reflection

Part 2A – Evaluative Statement

In the past several years, there has been a distinct shift away from the traditional concept of a library as a brick-and-mortar building towards a more permeating presence, with many libraries striving to meet both existing and potential users where they already are: online (Mathews, 2007). In fact, according to We Are Social’s Digital 2020 report, over 3.8 billion people worldwide use social media, and on average, spend a total of 144 minutes on these platforms each and every day. Most of this activity is done using untethered mobile technology, with 32.9 million mobile phone connections in Australia alone (We are Social, 2020b). With such trends realised, there can be little doubt as to why subjects such as INF506: Social Networking for Information Professionals exist and why this particular subject sets out to give information professionals a firm grasp of the theoretical and practical application of social networking within libraries.

Online social networking has provided new and exciting opportunities for both libraries and information professionals and is often undertaken for two primary purposes. The first of these is professional learning. Leveraging Web 2.0 technologies, social media sites use algorithms and other data to identify and connect users with previously unknown, but otherwise like-minded individuals and organisations. Typically known as Professional Learning Networks (PLNs), these sets of connections are always based on common ground, such as shared interests, skills, and/or a profession. Although the success of a PLN depends on individuals being willing to contribute, these networks often serve a great space of collaboration, encouraging users to build knowledge together, whilst also learning at their own pace (Richardson & Mancabelli, 2011). Some great examples of PLNs can be found on Twitter, a microblogging platform. Twitter is one of my preferred PLN sites because users typically use the hashtag symbol (#) before a relevant keyword or phrase to categorise each tweet and make it discoverable in a Twitter search. By clicking a hashtagged word in a message, I can see other users’ tweets on the same topic, which allows me to very easily locate potential people to add to my PLN.

Example of a hashtag search on Twitter

An example of using a hashtag to search, identify and connect with similarly interested users

The second purpose for cultivating an online presence is the increased visibility of the library to users. Information professionals can leverage social networking sites as a marketing tool for the services available to users at their library. The possible convenience and simplicity of using social media also allows libraries to quickly spread information, and communicate library-hosted events and activities to patrons (Chu & Du, 2012). An example of such an organisation is @galstonhslibrary on Instagram. Their feed consists of a series of engaging images that promotes the collection, services, and upcoming events that the school library offers to their users. This account was one of many that I used as inspiration for the creation of my own school library Instagram as part of Assessment 2. I ultimately picked Instagram as the platform for my theoretical account because I liked the visual component of the content, particularly because it felt more informal, which given my target audience of teenagers, was the desired outcome.

Instagram feed

@galstonhslibrary’s Instagram feed

For all the opportunities it provides, using social networking in a professional context is not without potential challenges and issues. Since with Web 2.0, users are both consumers and producers of content, users should practice media ethics (Lee, 2010). Many organisations do not always think to properly train staff in using specific social media platforms effectively and ethically before launching accounts on these platforms (Potter, 2012). Furthermore, the ongoing management of an online account is a considerable time investment, as information professionals must not only create content to regularly post, but also engage with users online (Mathews, 2007). There is also the continual threat of loss of privacy and identity online, particularly given social media networks are constantly tweaking their privacy settings. Although measures can be put in place to mitigate the risk to users, the hacking of Google (Sveen, 2018) and data ‘sharing’ of social media giants such as Facebook (Confessore, LaForgia & Dance, 2018) illustrates that nothing is ever truly private online.

This being said, individuals and individuals acting on behalf of organisations must always comport themselves online in a manner that does not contradict the user agreement of that specific social media site, or if relevant, the organisation’s code of conduct and/or social media policy. It is recommended that before embarking on establishing a social media presence for any organisation, there is a clear and approved social media policy in place that governs behaviour online and protects employees and/or the organisation. By creating policies, planning for preservation, understanding user needs, defining tasks, and assigning workloads, libraries and information professionals will be better prepared and ready to act should any issues or risks concerning social networking arise (Zhixian, 2017).

In conclusion, INF506 has been an exploration of the possibilities and challenges of social media tools in a library setting and has personally pushed me to look beyond social media as a being solely about social participation, and more as a platform that can be used expand my professional learning network.

 

Word Count: 783

 

References

Confessore, N., LaForgia, M., & Dance G. J. X. (2018). Facebook’s Data Sharing and Privacy Rules: 5 Takeways From Our Investigation. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/18/us/politics/facebook-data-sharing-deals.html

Chu, S. K. W. & Du, H. S. (2012). Social networking tools for academic libraries. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 45(1), 64-75. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1177/0961000611434361.

McAndrew, F. T. & Jeong, H. S. (2012). Who does what on Facebook? Age, sex, and relationship status as predictors of Facebook Use. Computers in Human Behaviour, 28(6), 2359-2365. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2012.07.007

Richardson, W. & Mancabelli, R. (2011). Personal Learning Networks: Using the power of connections to transform education. Hawker Brownlow Education.

Lee, A. L. (2010). Media Education: Definitions, Approaches and Development around the Globe. New Horizons In Education, 58(3), 1-13.

Mathews, B. (2007). Chapter 7: Online social networking. In N. Courtney (Ed.), Library 2.0 and beyond: Innovative technologies and tomorrow’s user (pp. 75-91). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

Potter, N. (2012). The Library Marketing Toolkit. London, UK: Facet Publishing.

Richardson, W. & Mancabelli, R. (2011). Personal Learning Networks: Using the power of connections to transform education. Melbourne, Victoria: Hawker Browlea Education.

Sveen, B. (2018). Google+ social media service to shut down after private data of at least 500,000 users exposed. ABC News. Retrieved from https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-09/google-social-media-service-shut-down-after-privacy-issue/10354918?pfmredir=sm&sf199623527=1

We Are Social. (2020). Digital 2020 – Global Overview. Retrieved May 17, 2020, from https://wearesocial.com/au/blog/2020/01/digital-2020-3-8-billion-people-use-social-media

We Are Social. (2020b). Digital 2020 – Australia. Retrieved May 17, 2020 from https://wearesocial.com/au/digital-2020-australia.

 

____________________________________________________________________________________

Part 2B – Reflective Statement

In my introductory blog post for INF506, I wrote that by engaging in this subject, I hoped to gain a better understanding of how participatory Web 2.0 technologies had transformed libraries by changing the way users consumed, shared and created information (Milliken, 2020a). I also noted that I was approaching this subject as someone who already regularly uses a variety of social media platforms to meet both my personal and professional needs. If I’m being entirely honest though, I didn’t really expect to learn anything new in INF506. Born in 1994, I have grown up alongside the Internet and do not remember information services – or really, life – before Web 2.0. Perhaps conceitedly, I consider myself a digital native. As such, I definitely wondered what, if anything, INF506 could teach me considering I am an established social networker and fledgling information professional, hence why I simply stated that I hoped to gain a “better understanding” of Web 2.0 throughout this subject. Oh, how pride cometh before the fall.

Figure 1

From the very beginning, INF506 has made me rethink the technology tools that are already at my fingertips, as well to question and reflect upon how I can make these tools work for me within my specific context as an information professional employed in a high school library. Module 1 was brief but introduced me to the idea that social media platforms were about more than just connecting with family and friends, and also had the benefit of being a place in which individuals could learn collaboratively for the purpose of enhancing professional practice (Gerts, 2020a). As a result, in the past 3 months, I have become more active on Twitter, my chosen platform for my Professional Learning Network [PLN]. Using this platform, I have been identifying resources relevant to and users who share my passion for school libraries.  Figure 1 shows an exchange I had on Twitter with another member of my PLN regarding a possible resource that could be used in the library (Milliken, 2020b).

Module 2 asked us to think about how society and information services have been influenced and changed because of developments and trends in participatory Web 2.0 technologies (Gerts, 2020b). I reflected upon these changes and how libraries were responding to them in my second post, The Influence of Technology on Society (Milliken, 2020c). This module and subsequent OLJ entry really made me think about how hypocritical I was being when it came to libraries and Web 2.0. I talked the talk about libraries needing to embrace the future, lest they become irrelevant, but I wasn’t yet walking the walk in my own library.

Module 3 focused on a variety of social media platforms and assessment tools, and how organisations were using these to further their reach and connect with users (Gerts, 2020c). In my third blog entry, I discussed what constituted an effective social media presence by contrasting ALA and ALIA’s twitter accounts (Milliken, 2020d). The outcome of my analysis really highlighted the importance of using #hashtags.

Module 4 combined theory with practice to look at the processes involved in embracing Library 2.0 (and Librarian 2.0) to implement social media at an organisation (Gerts, 2020d). Module 5 meanwhile honed in on the importance of social media strategies and policies in an organisation, particularly when it comes to avoiding issues surrounding social networking (Gerts, 2020e). These modules and their various components formed the groundwork on which I based much of Assessment 2. Using all the knowledge I had culminated through my engagement with INF506, I created a prototype Instagram account for my high school library, which I had already wanted to — in real life — create. Using Assessment 2 as a ‘trial run’ was a valuable learning experience because it made me think about my patrons and what I hoped to achieve in establishing an online community for them, as well as what was involved in the ongoing management of this community. Whereas I may have otherwise rushed into it in real life, I have instead taken the time to develop a strategy, and familiarise myself with my organisation’s social media policy… all as part of an assessment that I already had to do! Talk about serendipity.

Module 6 left the unit open-ended, and had me looking toward the future (Gerts, 2020f). I considered this future in my final OLJ entry, The Future of Teacher Librarians (Milliken, 2020e). As an information professional, I am uniquely positioned to assist teachers and help students be prepared to be competent and active citizens in an increasingly digital society. This being said, there is definite need for increased collaboration between teachers and teacher librarians in digital literacy instruction, and that it is only through this collaboration that authentic and meaningful learning can take place.

As INF506 draws to a close, I feel empowered to put the knowledge and tools I’ve encountered throughout this subject into use. It’s time to walk the walk, not just talk the talk, and I am excited for the future.

 

Word Count: 802

 

References

Gerts, C. (2020). Module 1: Introduction to the Subject [Module notes]. Retrieved from https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_44362_1&content_id=_3264901_1&mode=reset

Gerts, C. (2020b). Module 2: Information and society [Module notes]. Retrieved from https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_44362_1&content_id=_3264902_1&mode=reset.

Gerts, C. (2020c). Module 3: Social Media tools and platforms [Module notes]. Retrieved from https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_44362_1&content_id=_3264903_1&mode=reset.

Gerts, C. (2020d). Module 4: Social media and your organisation [Module notes]. Retrieved from https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_44362_1&content_id=_3264904_1&mode=reset.

Gerts, C. (2020e). Module 5: The role of social media policies [Module notes]. Retrieved from https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_44362_1&content_id=_3264905_1&mode=reset.

Gerts, C. (2020f). Module 6: On to the future [Module notes]. Retrieved from https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_44362_1&content_id=_3264906_1&mode=reset

Milliken, K. (2020a, March 11). INF506: Assessment 1 [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/readminder/2020/03/11/inf506-assessment-1/.

Milliken, K. [@ilykcake]. (2020b, April 27). Can’t wait! #edchat #writing #writingcommunity https://twitter.com/yvetteposh/status/1254567025130668037. [Tweet]. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/ilykcake/status/1254619204348592128.

Milliken, K. (2020c, March 20). INF506: The Influence of Technology on Society [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/readminder/2020/03/20/inf506-the-influence-of-technology-on-society/.

Milliken, K. (2020d, March 30). INF506: ALIA versus ALA [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/readminder/2020/03/30/inf506-alia-versus-ala/.

 

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May 15

INF506 – The Future of Teacher Librarians

“The library looks like a revolving door of classes,” Jennifer Sturge (2019, p. 26) writes at the beginning of her article on the readiness for school library collaboration. “Classroom teachers come and drop off their classes for a lesson,” she says before concluding, “the school librarian teaches… in isolation”.

What follows these opening statements amounts to a call-to-arms for teacher librarians [TLs]; an incessant urging that if anything is to change, TLs must actively seek out opportunities to demonstrate their value through the creation of authentic learning experiences that are designed to improve and further student outcomes. What needs to happen, Sturge argues, is for the culture of teaching to shift from isolation to one of collaboration, namely, collaboration between TLs and classroom teachers in the teaching and planning of units. For this to successfully happen, there needs to be sufficient buy-in and support from administrators and classroom teachers alike.

Although well articulated and full of practical insights from her own collaboration efforts, Sturge’s argument neither new nor unique. In 2005, Ross Todd and Carol Kuhlthau wrote that school librarians needed to work with classroom teachers to facilitate opportunities for students to learn, particularly when it comes to the development and instruction of information literacy. “This shared dimension of pedagogy,” they argued, “clearly plays a key role in maximising learning outcomes in terms of intellectual quality, the development of higher-order thinking, depth of knowledge, and depth of understanding” (p 86).

As the teacher librarian simultaneously straddles both the education and the information studies disciplines, their role in teaching information literacy is a given – it has, after all, been clearly outlined in the Australian curriculum (ACARA, n.d.), as well as several policies and statements published by Australian library bodies (ALIA & ASLA, 2018). In even these official documents – documents published by organisations that determine the education Australian children receive – the onerous for teaching information literacy seemingly falls solely on the shoulders of the TL. Publicly, this is not a collaborative venture between school administrators, teacher librarians and classroom teachers, as Sturge (2019) and Todd & Kuhlthau (2005) argue it should be.

The failure of the Department and other various bodies to recognise the value – and absence – of collaboration between library and teaching staff looms large for the future of information professionals working within schools. If TLs are to play a part in helping students successfully achieve learning outcomes and become lifelong learners, they themselves must find a way to combat this issue. Teacher librarians are more than just teachers, as the above image included from Alison Young (2014) suggests. Sturge (2019) has the right idea, and her voice joins the others that have gone before her.

 

Reference List

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (n.d.). Literacy learning progression and Digital Technologies. Retrieved August 10, 2019, from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/media/3652/literacy-digital-technologies.pdf. 

Australian Library and Information Association, & Australian School Library Association. (2016). Policy on information literacy. Retrieved August 3, 2019, from https://www.alia.org.au/about-alia/policies-standards-and-guidelines/aliaasla-policy-information-literacy-australian-schools.

Australian Library and Information Association [ALIA] & the Australian School Library Association [ASLA]. (2018). Joint Statement on information literacy. Retrieved August 11, 2019 from https://asla.org.au/resources/Documents/Website%20Documents/Policies/policy_Information_Literacy.pdf.

Sturge, J. (2019). Assessing Readiness for School Library Collaboration. Knowledge Quest, 47(3), 24–31.

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April 26

INF506 – Digital Identities

A digital identity is information on and about an entity that computer systems use to represent an external entity (International Standards Organisation, 2011). This external entity may be an individual, organisation or even a device. Whenever you sign up for anything on a computer and/or the Internet – email, social media site, even a simple login – you are contributing to your digital identity. Very often, this online identity might be completely at odds with your actual identity (Cho and Jimerson, 2017).

With the popularity of social media sites and the use of Web 2.0 tools, individuals and organisations are generating more information about themselves more than ever before. Some of this information can be made deliberately public, or kept private from the general public through privacy settings. Regardless though, it can be argued that the hacking of Google+ (Sveen, 2018) and the data ‘sharing’ of social media giants such as Facebook (Confessore, LaForgia, Dance, 2018) illustrates that nothing is ever truly private online.

Cho and Jimerson (2017, p.895) discuss how educators’ online identities (‘me-the-professional’) can differ significantly from their real identities (‘me-the-person’) because of the limitations and nature of online environments. For instance, on Twitter, users create and connect ideas that construct their identity through 140 characters. Furthermore, educators often self-censor online in order to be ‘professional’, i.e. “putting out a positive image” and not being overly critical of the school or others (p. 893). They do this, in additional to not sharing personal or controversial information online, largely because of fear of reprisal and judgement, demonstrating that their online identities often come at the expense of enacting certain dimensions of their personal identity.

This is unlikely to change, particularly when even the NSW Department of Education (2018, p. 6) has said that “staff should be aware that they could be identified as an employee of the department from their online activities”, and for this reason “should not post about their work, colleagues, students or official information”. I have seen this in action myself recently. One of my colleagues has become very vocal online about the current COVID-19 situation and schools. When I asked whether they feared reprisal, they said, “I’m being very careful to not criticise the Department. That could get me fired. Instead, I’m criticising the Government”.

This demonstrates some of what can, and can’t be – without consequence – shared online. Personal information should, as a general rule, always be protected by privacy settings. The murky area, however, is around what employees can and cannot share online. It seems unlikely that there will ever be a reconciliation between our ‘me-the-person’ and ‘me-the-professional’ identities.

 

Reference List

Cho, V., & Jimerson, J. B. (2017). Managing digital identity on Twitter: The case of school administrators. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 45(5), 884–900. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143216659295

Confessore, N., LaForgia, M., & Dance G. J. X. (2018). Facebook’s Data Sharing and Privacy Rules: 5 Takeways From Our Investigation. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/18/us/politics/facebook-data-sharing-deals.html

International Standards Organisation. (2011). Information technology—Security techniques—A framework for Identity Management—Part 1: Terminology and concepts. ISO. Retrieved from https://www.iso.org/cms/render/live/en/sites/isoorg/contents/data/standard/05/79/57914.html

NSW Department of Education. (2018). Social Media Policy. Retrieved April 11, 2020, from https://policies.education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/associated-documents/social-media-procedures.pdf.

Sveen, B. (2018). Google+ social media service to shut down after private data of at least 500,000 users exposed. ABC News. Retrieved from https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-09/google-social-media-service-shut-down-after-privacy-issue/10354918?pfmredir=sm&sf199623527=1

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April 15

INF506 – Professional Learning Networks and I

Roughly fifteen months ago, after six years of full-time study and a year of full-time office administration work, I embarked on my teaching journey. I taught casually for a month, before being offered a term-long contract to teach English at a nearby High School. In the final two weeks of Term 1, just as my contract was coming up for renewal, I saw a listing for a teacher librarian at another nearby school. I applied on the Friday, got a call up for an interview on the Monday, got offered the position on Tuesday, accepted it, taught my English classes for the final time on the Wednesday, and then had two days of job hand-over with the retiring teacher librarian on the Thursday and Friday.

In the space of five days, I went from being a transient English teacher to managing an entire high school library. To say it was – and sometimes still is – overwhelming is an understatement. I’ve only been a teacher librarian for just over a year now.

In the early days, I very quickly came to rely on Professional Learning Networks [PLN]. According to the stages of PLN adoption outlined by Utecht (2008), I have somewhat immersed myself in various networks, but progressed no further through the other five stages. I say “somewhat” immersed because I very rarely contribute to these networks myself. After all, what can I say to people who have worked in the profession for decades?

This unit, as well as my own professional reflection, has resulted in my questioning of my abstinence from these networks. I truly think that being withdrawn in these networks has negatively impacted my professional life, which has had a trickle-down effect on my personal life. I’m trying to do it alone, rather than utilising these networks to help me connect with others and develop as a librarian, which is visualised in this image (untitled image of knowledge transfer, n.d.). This is causing me undue stress, as I’m constantly wondering if I can do better.

In trying to rectify this, and really get the most out of the PLNs available to me, I find Lisa Nielsen’s (2008) post ‘5 things you can do to begin developing your personal learning network’ highly practical. And while I may not yet be ready to take the stage in the virtual PLNs I’m part of, I’ve started to create my own in my staffroom. The rest will come in time.

 

Reference List

Utecht, J. (2008, April 3). Stages of PLN adoption [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.thethinkingstick.com/stages-of-pln-adoption/

Nielson, L. (2008, October 12). 5 Things You Can Do to Begin Developing Your Personal Learning Network. Retrieved from https://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2008/04/5-things-you-can-do-to-begin-developing.html

[Untitled image of knowledge transfer]. (n.d.). Getting Smart. Retrieved from https://www.gettingsmart.com/2013/01/20-tips-for-creating-a-professional-learning-network/. 

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