After reading the material of Module 7, it is clear that it is both an exciting and also challenging time for TLs.

One of the biggest issues is the need to future proof the library and its patrons. No longer should TLs be relegated to a separate department of the school community but rather be an integral part of the school. In order for the library to continue to be relevant, we need to think about the needs of the patrons first and foremost.

Technology

Keeping up to date with technology is important. I know many teachers in my current school are intimidated by the fact that their students know more than them when it comes to computer literacy. It’s even worse when the kids know and take advantage of it! But rather than laborious professional learning, I personally find that the best training is to get in there and play with it (exactly how most of our students familiarise themselves with technology). This, however, also means that the TL will need to be a leader in facilitating this technology, which means getting the hardware and software ready.

Skills

Though technology and curriculum change at a rapid pace, it is the information literacy skills we teach will endure. Lesk (2004) states that one area TL needs to be aware of is the need to teach alternatives when their primary form of information searching is not available. This made be reflect on how we overly rely on “Google” to the point where it is now a verb… “just Google it.” Can you imagine how lost the world would be if Google broke? In my Year 5 class, we play the program “A Google A Day” which teaches students not to always rely on “Google” for the answer and to use other modes of searching.

 

Resources

In terms of curating a collection, TLs need to think realistically and have future lenses on. Variety of physical and digital resources are important for students to engage in, but what will our future students rely on most? O’Connell, Bales and Mitchell (2015) state that eBooks will not replace physical books which I agree with myself. But when it comes to non fiction, there seems to be a trend by the patrons of my school library to exclusively use digital web based sources. As TLs we need to know how our students are accessing information so we can facilitate the best solutions for them.

 

 

 

Lesk, M. (2004). Understanding digital libraries (2nd ed.). Elsevier.