As part of the Online Reflective Journal Assignment.
My first clear memory of school libraries involved myself carrying a small colourful tote bag over my shoulder, gazing in the somewhat dark room, with shelves filled with books as tall as trees. The librarian could be seen in the center back of the room, perched on her desk with her eagle eyes peering through her clear glasses at anyone, who would run amok in her library.
While this ‘idealised’ vision of a teacher librarian was more than 20 years ago, I believe there is still this stereotype of a teacher librarian (TL). Full of wisdom and sitting above everyone in their room.
As a provisional high school educator I have worked in collaboration with librarians for students learning and compulsory wide-reading lessons. Yet comparing my experiences as a student with that of a teacher, the role of a TL is so much more than that woman sitting at her desk shushing all that make too much noise in her domain.
The ALIA describes the various roles of a TL, including but not limited to “learning and teaching, management, leadership as well as collaboration and community engagement.” (ALIA, 2014). While an expansive list I do agree that a TL is not only limited to these roles. I believe that the role of a TL is more than what is expected. In order to expand the minds of the students they encounter, the teachers they collaborate with, and the schools in which they contribute to.
This ideal of a limitless librarian is reverberated in Oddone, K. (2016), highlighting the importance of TL’s in the school. With the impact and alterations in education, upgrades in technology and the need for information faster than ever, schools need a place where students can thrive under these fantastical changes.
Without an educator specifically trained in the field of a TL, the ability for both students and teachers to find quality information and resources becomes a near impossible task. Not only are TL’s an asset to a schools community, but vital to its survival. Lagarde, J., & Johnson, D. (2014) touches on this need to adapt to changing environments both digitally and physically. There is a constant need for TL’s to accommodate all kind of learners in order to provide the best information.
Finally, I believe that the role of a TL is not just a supporting role in education, but a leader. They are first and foremost an educator. They are a researcher. They dedicate themselves to further the curiosity of the academic. They act as an encourager of social interaction. More importantly, they devote their time to challenge the school community, teacher and student alike. (Herring, 2007, p 36) really encompasses my feelings about the role of TL’s in the school community, individuals striving to work alongside both students and staff members in order to encourage “intellectually and [to] widen their horizons”.
So now all that is left for me to ponder on now, is how I choose to move forward in my career as a TL. With so much opportunity to make a difference, I believe it’s time I made that first tentative step into the unknown.
References:
A.L.I.A. (2014, March 2). What is a teacher librarian? Retrieved from Australian School Library Association: http://www.asla.org.au/advocacy/what-is-a-teacher-librarian.aspx
Herring, J. (2007). Teacher librarians and the school library. In S. Ferguson (Ed.) Libraries in the twenty-first century: charting new directions in information (pp.27-42).
Lagarde, J., & Johnson, D. (2014). Why do I still need a library when I have one in my pocket? the teacher librarian’s role in 1: 1/BYOD learning environments. Teacher Librarian, 41(5), 40.
Oddone, K. (2016). The importance of school libraries in the Google Age. SCIS. Connections, 98.