The NSW Department of Education in its Library Policy tells us that it is the teacher librarian, on behalf of the Principal, who is responsible for selection and acquisition of resources. Yet, should it be solely the teacher librarian who is making selection (and deselection) decisions? Of course not. Teacher librarians have a unique skill set in that they have the capacity to source, evaluate and make available resources their colleagues may not otherwise have found. Teacher librarians strive to stay abreast of developments in curriculum and the publishing industry as well as common digital resource providers so that they might identify and make available the most up to date resources available. But they are not usually subject specialists in all subjects. Class teachers and leaders have an intimate knowledge of their curriculum, their students and how the two might most beneficially be brought together. Teachers and leaders have insight into how resources might best be used with their students. It is sensible, therefore to include class teachers and leaders in decisions regarding selection and, particularly, deselection, of resources. At the end of the day, though, teacher librarians are intimately acquainted with the school library collection and are in the best position to know how a new or existing resource will fit within the context of the current collection and within the vision for the future collection. Teacher librarians are responsible for the budget of the library and, should therefore, in my opinion, have the final say as to which resources are purchased. The teacher librarian must be prepared to be influenced by the arguments and suggestions of other members of staff and of the wider school community but must approach those suggestions, requests and arguments with a critical eye, evaluating their merit within the context of the existing collection. It is this contextual evaluation that gives me pause when considering the possibility of patron-driven acquisition models that allow patrons (in this case students and staff) to trigger purchases on behalf of the library without regard to the context of the existing collection and without consideration being given to other budgetary considerations the teacher librarian might be grappling with.
How then might teacher librarians encourage community involvement in selection and deselection decision making? Students can be given the opportunity to suggest or request specific resources by completing a suggestion box slip or similar or by sending an email request to the teacher librarian directly. Teacher librarians on a fixed schedule can use a lesson here or there to ask students to produce a book talk about a book they have experienced outside of school and that they would recommend to others. Students could use their book club or book fair literature to ask the library to purchase particular books. Teacher librarians might consider asking student leaders (in my school we call the library monitors Reader Leaders) to provide suggestions and hold focus groups at particular times of year (eg in book week) to seek student input.
Some schools hold planning sessions for grade or stage teams to prepare teaching programs for the following term. This occasion could be used to seek teacher feedback on potential new resources identified and considered for purchase. It could also be an opportunity for teachers to request specific resources that they want to use. A suggestion form similar to that offered to students could be offered to staff and parents also. An online slip, such as a Google Form could be available to the entire school community via Orbit or the school website or app if in use.
