Such a pleasure to move onto a new topic.
However disturbing to once again have the teacher librarian role situated as fighting for the necessities of existence, in this case for funding.
Framing the advantages of a functional school library in terms of increased achievement whether in literacy or NAPLAN is suggested. Though the calculus of working at a school in the first place where the principal requires convincing of the existence or basic funding needs of a library is problematic to me.
The TL is the steward of the collection which can be collectively a significantly sized financial asset. Management of the funding resources therefore goes not only into acquisition but also maintenance and repair. Funding impacts on how many roles are employed within the space and thus how many volunteers can be managed also.
Collaboration is the key to maximising the benefits as a solo school librarian can only interact with so many students in a day. Through the management and promotion of the collection the necessary interactions can occur through other stakeholders and that can be where the valuable experiences are enacted.