Part C - Critical synthesis

In hindsight, upon commencing this course I had very little knowledge of the role of a teacher librarian (TL) and arguably, my perception of the TL crucially left out the teaching aspects. While I appreciated the information and resource management role, I perceived the teaching aspect as predominantly a resourcing one. I was unaware of the varied TL roles, particularly in terms of leadership, policy and curriculum development and the central nature of the TL role literature advocates (Gillespie, 2010, August 30). As Hartzell (2002) and Oberg (2006) suggest, this perception arises from experience. None of my experiences as a school student, trainee teacher or teacher led me to consider the teaching and particularly the collaborative planning and teaching (CTP) role of the TL as a core duty. These experiences were compounded by a lack of literature and reference to the library within my Diploma of Education and reading of mainstream teaching journals, a lack of modelling as a beginning teacher (Gillespie, 2010, September 7) and furthered by what I now recognise as the isolation due to scheduling that many TLs suffer. I was surprised by the correlation between TL qualifications, adequately resourced school libraries and student achievement (Haycock 2003, Lonsdale 2003, Hay 2005) and could not fathom why the TL had not figured more highly in my educational encounters (Gillespie, 2010, August 4).

Through exploring the information literate school community (ILSC) my knowledge of information literacy (IL) and understanding of the TL role was furthered and challenged. The concept of ILSC (Henri 1995, 2005) raised issues regarding IL and its place in schools not previously considered. Although previously teaching research techniques, it was not in an extended explicit way embedded in a whole-school approach. The ILSC raised the potential of a learning organisation and Fullan’s (1999) article resonated (Gillespie, 2010 September 16) and highlighted the need for reforms in some schools I have associated with a view echoed by interviews with teachers, the local high school TL and on the forum (Park, 2010, Wilson 2010). I subsequently think of IL as a teaching subject for TLs where a thorough knowledge of IL and how to teach associated skills (and championing the ILSC) is essential. Exploring the idea of IL led me to view it as a dynamic concept that changes with changing technology and realise the TL role must also be viewed as dynamic and changing alongside changes in technology and the behaviours of the learners (Langford,1999). Exploring IL models was also illuminating. Kuhlthau’s information search process (1993) expanded my views of how TLs can assist information searchers and how beneficial having a complete understanding of the principle of uncertainty and appropriate timely interventions could be for teachers and TLs alike.

The ILSC also raised the issue of CTP where many forum contributions were insightful. My experience of CTP with TLs was largely absent except in the sense of discussing resource use. I now see the value of CTP, particularly in terms of adopting an inquiry or resourced based learning (as opposed to teaching) approach. The difficulties in terms of lack of time, teacher perceptions and scheduling problems was reinforced though articles (Todd, 2001, 2007) and on the forum (Abercrombie, 2010, Delmage 2010), but counterbalanced by Brown (2004), Viney (2010) and others providing solutions.

Contemplating CTP raised the personal/personality aspects of the TL role particularly in terms of the importance of relationships in creating CTP opportunities. The importance of personality also recalled student days with grumpy library assistants and caused reflection on the affect of personality. I only now discerned the difference between the assistant and TL in that school - a reflection of the problem of some TL perception (Reynolds & Carrol, 2007) and signalling the need for advocacy as well as an affable personality.

Initially I didn’t appreciate the extent to which the TL role included being a master of technology (new products/information/search engines/resources and facilities) nor adequately considered the library as a “techno-savvy, book rich media centre” (Mckenzie, 2004). This now appears an obvious TL role, but my early thoughts separated the bulk of technological responsibility, probably because my most recent school experience is of a library with no student access to computers!

Studying the Standards of professional excellence for TLS (ALIA/ASLA 2004) reinforced the technology and information management side of the TL role. Examining these in detail has given me a fuller and more complete understanding of the TL role and what it takes to be an excellent one. Including the advantages of evaluation as championed by Todd (2001,2007). On completing this final assignment I feel I have travelled from a limited and ‘old-fashioned’ view of the TL role to a contemporary and comprehensive understanding of it. While researching, I came across an article by Mckenzie (2010) and thought this graphic encompasses much of how I now view the role of the TL …… all the way from professional and curriculum developer to test expert and politician.

Image from McKenzie, J. (2004)

REFERENCES

Abercrombie, J. (2010 July 27). Principal Support for Collaboration .[online forum comment]. Retrieved from: http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/ETL401_201060_W_D/page/0307b082-a8b4-4a84-00ee-eb8803dd801d

Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) & Australian School Library Association (ASLA). (2004). Standards of Professinal excellence for teacher librarians. Retrieved from: http://www.alia.org.au/policies/TLstandards.pdf

Brennan, K (2010 July 31) Re: Principal support.[online forum comment]. Retrieved from:http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/ETL401_201060_W_D/page/0307b082-a8b4-4a84-00ee-eb8803dd801d

Brown, C. (2004). America's most wanted: teachers who collaborate. Teacher Librarian 32(1) 13-18

Delmage, P. (2010, August 1) How do Principals "stack up" [online forum comment]. Retrieved from: http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/ETL401_201060_W_D/page/0307b082-a8b4-4a84-00ee-eb8803dd801d

Fullan, M. (1999). Deep meaning of inside collaboration. In Change forces: the sequel (pp. 31-41). London : Falmer Press.

Gillespie, K (2010, August 4). Edition 5 – TLs and achievement. Confessions of a would be librarian. Available at: http://enterthebook.blogspot.com/2010/08/5.html

Gillespie, K (2010, August 30). Edition 12 – so far..... Confessions of a would be librarian. Available at http://enterthebook.blogspot.com/2010/08/edition-12-take-2.html

Gillespie, K (2010, September 7). Edition 13 – blogging, ILSC + TL literature. Confessions of a would be librarian. Available at: http://enterthebook.blogspot.com/2010/09/edition-13.html

Gillespie, K (2010, September 16). Edition 16 – collaboration. Confessions of a would be librarian. Available at: http://enterthebook.blogspot.com/2010/09/edition-16-collaboration.html

Hartzell, G. (2002). The Principal's Perceptions of School Libraries and Teacher-Librarians. School Libraries Worldwide 8(1), 92-110.

Hay, L. (2005) Student learning through Australian school libraries. synergy 4 (2)

Haycock, K. (2003) The crisis in Canada's school libraries: The case for reform and re-investment.

Henri, J. (1999) The Information literate school community: not just a pretty face. In J. Henri & K. Bonanno, (eds) (1999) The Information literate school community: best practice, (pp. 1-10). Wagga Wagga, NSW: Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University.

Henri, J. (2005b). What is an information literate school community and what are the implications for teacher librarians? Unpublished chapter. Retrieved from http://www.cite.hku.hk/people/jhenri/doc/InformationLiterateSchoolCommunity

Kuhlthau, C. (1993). Seeking Meaning: A Process Approach to Library and Information Services See Information Systems. . Norwood, N J: Ablex
..... Click the link for more information.

Langford, L. 1999, Ch 4 Information literacy? Seeking clarification, pp. 43-54 In J. Henri & K. Bonanno, (eds) The Information literate school community: best practice. Wagga Wagga, NSW: Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University.

Lonsdale, M. (2003). Impact of school libraries on student achievement: A review of the research. Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research.

McKenzie, J. (2004). The Techno-Savvy, Book-Rich Media Center. From Now On The Educational Technology Journal 13(7). Retrieved from: http://fno.org/apr04/technosavvy.html

McKenzie, J. (2010) Why We Still Need Libraries and Librarians in From now on: the educational technology journal 19(4) Available at http://fno.org/mar2010/still.html

Oberg, D. (2006) Developing the respect and support of school administrators. Teacher Librarian 33(3) 13.

Park, L, (2010, September 20) [online forum comment]. Retrieved from: http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/ETL401_201060_W_D/page/6b298791-4b02-47c9-0070-26e826b0ce77

Renfrey, M. (2010, August 10). Re: TL Role Statement Comparison. [online forum comment]. Retrieved from: http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/ETL401_201060_W_D/page/0307b082-a8b4-4a84-00ee-eb8803dd801d

Reynolds, S. & Carrol, M. (2001) Where have all the teacher librarians gone? Access 15(2) 30-34.

Todd, R. (2001). A sustainable future for teacher-librarians: Inquiry learning, actions and evidence. Orana 37(3) 10-20.

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Todd, R. (2007). Evidenced-based practice and school libraries: from advocacy to action. In S. Hughes-Hassell & V. H. Harada, (Eds.). School reform and the school library media specialist (pp. 57-78). Westport, CY: Libraries Unlimited.

Todd R J.(2008) The dynamics of classroom teacher and teacher librarian instructional collaborations. Scan 27 (2) p.19-28;

Viney, H. (2010, August 1) Topic Two. [online forum comment]. Retrieved from: http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/ETL401_201060_W_D/page/0307b082-a8b4-4a84-00ee-eb8803dd801d

Wilson, K, (2010, September 2) Management implications [online forum comment]. Retrieved from: http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/ETL401_201060_W_D/page/8237b4dd-9365-44b4-0005-acf4adb0f580