Perceptions of a Teacher Librarian

The role of a Teacher Librarian (TL) is certainly complex and one that I had not spent significant time pondering prior to considering it as the next step in my own career. My initial understanding of what a TL does was typical of someone uninformed – they lend and return books, read stories, are ferociously protective of their space and, when a resource is not returned in a timely manner, irritable!

What I had assumed was the primary role of the TL was to look after the physical resources within the library itself and buy new books as required. I still believe that this is a significant part of a TL’s role but I had never considered the effort, care and expertise required to curate a collection prior to taking on the role of TL myself.

Early in my career, I often thought that the TL had an easier job than I did and was somewhat envious of all that time spent reading stories. Although my original and somewhat simplistic impressions hold true; a decade and a half of teaching has deepened my understanding of the role of a TL. My understanding of what a TL is and does was shaped in no small part by the wonderful relationship I had with the (now retired) TL at my school.

Maugan was a tireless advocate of the library as a place of learning and that the work she completed should be as valued as a classroom teacher (CT). Until writing this reflection, it had not really occurred to me that a CT does not need to constantly push and work to be valued and recognised for their role within the school. I assume that this is, in part, because most CTs do not have a proper understanding of what the role of a TL is and secondly, because a TL’s work is viewed by many as less important than a CT. This view is unfortunately perpetuated by some people in leadership roles when the TL’s program is always the first to be interrupted, modified or scrapped completely for a visiting show or school event (thankfully not the case in my school).

Maugan was also an excellent purveyor of resources; not just for the classroom but also for professional development and leisure. This impressed upon me that one aspect of a TL’s role is to showcase resources. I do admit, however, that I never gave much thought as to how she always managed to have the right resources on hand or always seemed to know where to find a requested resource at short notice.

The biggest insight into my own perceptions whilst writing this blog was that I never really understood the breadth and depth of what a TL does, at best I had a superficial understanding. Furthermore, as a CT I was never explicitly taught about the role of a TL within a school. I ascribed Maugan’s advocacy for the library and its resources to being a passionate person rather than it fulfilling part of her role as a TL.

As I embark on becoming a TL myself, the role of a TL will most certainly become clearer, along with the knowledge and expertise required to execute it.