Australia, access to the internet is almost
ubiquitous. In 2014–15, 85% of the Australian population aged 15 years and over
were internet users, with 99% of people aged 15–17 using the internet (ABS
2016). With such widespread access to information comes the commonly asked
question: now that we have Google, do we still require libraries and
librarians? This question is particularly being pressed in schools, where
smartphones mean that both teachers and students carry a wealth of information
in their pocket, and school budgets are increasingly stretched between a wide
range of competing demands.
Regular
newspaper articles spread the gloomy news about the demise of the teacher
librarian; articles such as 'Teacher librarians on borrowed time' in The Age (Preiss 2014) speak of funding pressures
in Australian schools — but this is not just a local phenomenon. 'The calamity
of the disappearing school libraries' (Kachel 2015), published in The Conversation last year, deplores the closure
of school libraries and the perceived redundancy of the teacher librarian role
across the United States of America.
Fortunately,
in Australia almost all schools still have a library — and thanks to the
Building the Education Revolution funding which prioritised school libraries in
primary schools (Gillard 2009), many are quite new. Despite this, there are
huge variances in terms of staffing, facilities, and resources. The most recent
survey of staff in Australian schools by the Australian Council for Education
Research (ACER) found that between 2010 and 2013, the number of teacher librarians
in primary schools dropped from 5,600 to 1,300; fortunately secondary teacher
librarian positions remained fairly steady (ACER 2014). This leads to a
situation where many libraries are empty and, as Nick Earls (2015) observes, in
those cases 'classroom teachers are expected to take up the slack', training
students to check out books, as if this is all that teacher librarians do.
The
situation is dire, but the battle is not over yet. One of the key challenges
for library staff is to convince the principal — who is often the
decision-maker regarding allocation of staffing funds — that teacher librarians
are so much more than the 'keeper of the books'. The role has changed, and it
is constantly evolving to meet contemporary teaching and learning needs.
There
are multiple reasons why schools must retain the teacher librarian role; and
why, despite easy access to Google, this role is more important than ever. The
reasons below will not be news for teacher librarians, but they may surprise
others who are not aware of the capacity and potential of a qualified teacher
librarian. Why not use this article as a catalyst for discussion with your
school's administration team — and spread the word about why the world needs
teacher librarians.
A qualified teacher
librarian and a well-resourced library increases student achievement
Overwhelmingly
in local, national, and international studies, a positive correlation is found
between the presence of a qualified teacher librarian and student achievement.
Extensive research also finds that administration — most specifically principal
— support for the teacher librarian role and the school library significantly
enhances the positive impact the library has on student achievement (Haycock
1999; Oberg 1995; Oberg, Hay & Henri, 2000 cited in Hartzell 2002).
Scholastic's publication 'School Libraries Work!' (2016) includes reports from 25 states in the USA, as well as findings from the National Center for Literacy Education, and the School Library Journal's analysis. The research suggests that having a qualified school librarian, a well-developed library collection, and collaboration and co-teaching between the teacher librarian and teaching staff all elevate student learning.
In Australia, research demonstrates similar findings. Principle findings from the most recent Australian School Library Survey (Softlink 2015) suggest there is a positive correlation between annual school library budgets, the number of qualified teacher librarians employed, and NAPLAN Reading Literacy results. This relationship has been consistent since the annual survey began in 2010.
Scholastic's publication 'School Libraries Work!' (2016) includes reports from 25 states in the USA, as well as findings from the National Center for Literacy Education, and the School Library Journal's analysis. The research suggests that having a qualified school librarian, a well-developed library collection, and collaboration and co-teaching between the teacher librarian and teaching staff all elevate student learning.
In Australia, research demonstrates similar findings. Principle findings from the most recent Australian School Library Survey (Softlink 2015) suggest there is a positive correlation between annual school library budgets, the number of qualified teacher librarians employed, and NAPLAN Reading Literacy results. This relationship has been consistent since the annual survey began in 2010.
Teacher librarians can provide access to curated
information that specifically meets student and staff needs
Trying
to find quality information on the internet has been described as trying to
take a sip of water from a fire hydrant. Even choosing a novel to read can be
an overwhelming experience when faced with the millions of titles available
through providers such as Amazon.
A
library offers access to high-quality information and resources that have been
carefully curated to meet local needs. Teacher librarians have been
specifically trained to help teachers and students find the information they
need, and know how to model and teach these skills so that the top hit on
Google ceases to be the most popular option. Teacher librarians can share tips
and tricks for searching online, provide access to databases and indexes that
can drill down into areas that a surface Google search cannot reach, and are
familiar with the collection of resources that are currently available.
What's more, with increasing numbers of resources available digitally, library catalogues are becoming far richer than simply lists of books that are currently sitting on shelves. A well-developed library catalogue provides access to collections of books, DVDs, CDs, and other physical resources, as well as ebooks and audiobooks, links to websites, reviews of apps for installation on mobile devices, and more. This movement toward seeing the library catalogue as a social space (Tarulli 2012) is being adopted across many libraries — but in schools, it is driven by qualified teacher librarians.
Teacher librarians take pride in developing library catalogues without 'dead ends' that take users directly to high quality resources. The top ten 'hits' on a well-developed catalogue are probably much closer to what a teacher or student is looking for than the top ten 'hits' from a simple Google search.
What's more, with increasing numbers of resources available digitally, library catalogues are becoming far richer than simply lists of books that are currently sitting on shelves. A well-developed library catalogue provides access to collections of books, DVDs, CDs, and other physical resources, as well as ebooks and audiobooks, links to websites, reviews of apps for installation on mobile devices, and more. This movement toward seeing the library catalogue as a social space (Tarulli 2012) is being adopted across many libraries — but in schools, it is driven by qualified teacher librarians.
Teacher librarians take pride in developing library catalogues without 'dead ends' that take users directly to high quality resources. The top ten 'hits' on a well-developed catalogue are probably much closer to what a teacher or student is looking for than the top ten 'hits' from a simple Google search.
A teacher librarian works to develop a reading
culture and to raise the levels of information literacy across the school
Teacher
librarians know and love literature. They promote texts in a variety of
formats, including novels, ebooks, audiobooks, graphic novels, picture books,
and magazines. Teacher librarians' knowledge of literacy development, current
releases, and popular culture ensures they have the ability to suggest the
right book to entice the reluctant reader, and to share joy with the compulsive
bookworms when new titles by favourite authors are released.
The teacher librarian has a unique role in the school. Having qualifications in both teaching and librarianship, they are familiar with pedagogy and curriculum, and also have expertise in resource management, information literacy, and literature (ASLA 2014). Not being tied to a particular year level or subject area means that they interact with everyone, allowing them to develop a 'big picture' of the school in a way that few others can.
In the age of 'infowhelm', having an information expert on staff, who can not only identify the right tool or piece of research but can also teach staff and students the skills and strategies required to access it, is essential. Teacher librarians are experts in content curation, and they can create digital lists of resources that are carefully evaluated, selected, and distributed in easily accessible ways.
The teacher librarian has a unique role in the school. Having qualifications in both teaching and librarianship, they are familiar with pedagogy and curriculum, and also have expertise in resource management, information literacy, and literature (ASLA 2014). Not being tied to a particular year level or subject area means that they interact with everyone, allowing them to develop a 'big picture' of the school in a way that few others can.
In the age of 'infowhelm', having an information expert on staff, who can not only identify the right tool or piece of research but can also teach staff and students the skills and strategies required to access it, is essential. Teacher librarians are experts in content curation, and they can create digital lists of resources that are carefully evaluated, selected, and distributed in easily accessible ways.
School libraries provide a social space to meet,
collaborate, research, learn, share, and relax
The
school library can be seen as one of the only spaces in a school which is truly
free — the space that is not 'home' or a 'classroom', and which can be without
academic, sporting, or family expectations. While some may insist that the
stereotypical 'silent' library should still exist, many school libraries
provide a space to meet, talk, eat, study, relax, make, and play. Along with
great examples of modern libraries such as the State Library of Queensland’s
The Edge, school libraries can also be welcoming, flexible learning
environments. School libraries have long been a place of refuge from the
playground for many students, and now, with changing technologies and concepts
such as makerspaces becoming commonplace, libraries are even more exciting to
explore than ever before.
As Roly Keating, Chief Executive of the British Library, states: ‘[Libraries] stand for a certain freedom, and privacy of thought and search and expression. They stand for private study in a social space; they are safe . . . places of sanctuary. . . And they are trusted’ (cited in Furness 2015).
The challenge for school libraries now is how to effectively combine the physical and the virtual — to find the right balance so that the library is not seen as a dusty remnant of the past, but as a living incubator of ideas, learning, and innovation. Without a teacher librarian available to direct this growth, this challenge often goes unmet, and the library, which represents a significant investment of school funds, does not meet its potential.
As Roly Keating, Chief Executive of the British Library, states: ‘[Libraries] stand for a certain freedom, and privacy of thought and search and expression. They stand for private study in a social space; they are safe . . . places of sanctuary. . . And they are trusted’ (cited in Furness 2015).
The challenge for school libraries now is how to effectively combine the physical and the virtual — to find the right balance so that the library is not seen as a dusty remnant of the past, but as a living incubator of ideas, learning, and innovation. Without a teacher librarian available to direct this growth, this challenge often goes unmet, and the library, which represents a significant investment of school funds, does not meet its potential.
A
well-resourced school library and a qualified, passionate teacher librarian can
transform a school. A qualified contemporary teacher librarian can:
• plan and teach collaboratively across all year levels and subjects
• encourage an active reading culture
• develop an inquiry-based learning culture
• provide advice and information on cutting-edge technologies and pedagogies
• manage and develop relevant and responsive collections of physical and digital resources
• and provide professional learning for teachers, admin, and other school community members in areas such as information management, social media management, and resource development.
• plan and teach collaboratively across all year levels and subjects
• encourage an active reading culture
• develop an inquiry-based learning culture
• provide advice and information on cutting-edge technologies and pedagogies
• manage and develop relevant and responsive collections of physical and digital resources
• and provide professional learning for teachers, admin, and other school community members in areas such as information management, social media management, and resource development.
The
connected teacher librarian is an indispensable part of every school in this
information age.
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