In the current state of ‘information overload’, librarians play a critical role in shaping and delivering information efficiently, effectively, and directly – making sense in a world of excess. Librarians steer people towards reliable and content-rich sources. They are the navigators within a world full of junk and clutter, who make sense of databases, information networks and collections, giving helpful signposts to the public with whom they interact.
Librarians are no longer the ‘information holders’ who sit behind a desk all day, engaging only with the public through the long spectacled lens of a well-placed stare. No. The role of the librarian is extremely hands-on and centres on being the driving force of interaction within the library itself. What I find the most apparent in school libraries is the stripping back of the ‘culture of silence’ that I was so used to as a child. Now, libraries are a hive of activity, especially when it comes to workshops and events dedicated to the promotion of children’s reading and development. Libraries are now full of vibrancy because the dedicated librarians are creating programs that are designed to engage audiences and bring them inside the physical space of a library. This is especially so for the teacher-librarian, who is above all qualified in delivering content specifically catering to education development because they have a dedicated teaching background. Why is it, then, that the number of teacher-librarians, specifically within primary education, is sharply falling, and according to Weldon (2016), has been since 2010? It is arguable that primary school teachers are now being expected to take up the slack, with repeated budget cuts to schools and libraries accounting for this decline in teacher-librarians at the primary level, specifically, 5600-1300 between the years 2010-2013. This decline represents a worrying trend in that we are losing out on a highly skilled specialist librarian that can be invaluable within a community in favour of ‘par’ level teachers who have basic level knowledge of library systems at best due to their already overburdened workloads (Tarica, 2010). I believe if this trend continues, we will not be able to bridge the divide that exists between the rich (having access to technology at their fingertips through personal resources and private schools) and the poor, who rely on libraries and teacher-librarians as an infrastructure for educational development (through reading programs, access to the Internet, digital media, specialist librarian teaching programs, the list goes on and on). Since at least 1997, the role of the teacher-librarian has been changing (Brown & Sheppard, 1997). I truly hope that primary teacher-librarians won’t be cut due to ‘organisational change’, the phrase that creates such vagueness and instability when talking about school restructuring for the 21st century. Like libraries, teacher-librarians must maintain ongoing up-skilling of their own roles to remain relevant, but also to keep standards high. If there is no money to fund these roles, we are going to see school libraries increasingly empty, because there will be no one delivering reading programs, tailoring educational texts, liaising with global libraries, delivering innovative programs, etc (Tarica, 2010). This will have a significant impact on the children, the real losers in this non-fiction story. References: Brown, J., & Sheppard, B. (1997, July). Teacher-librarians in learning organisations. Information rich but knowledge poor? Emerging issues for schools and libraries worldwide. Paper presented at the annual conference of the international association of school librarianship held in conjunction with the association for Teacher-librarianship in Canada. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED412959.pdf Tarica, E. (2010, August 6). Library specialists being shelved. Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/library-specialists-being-shelved-20100806-11o9t.html Thompson, S. (2013, October 1). The walls come down in the modern library: Public libraries are being transformed from book repositories to community hubs in a digital age. The Irish Times. Retrieved from http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/the-walls-come-down-in-the-modern-library-1.1545175 Weldon, P. (2016). Staff in Australia’s schools: What the staff in Australia’s schools surveys tell us about teachers working in school libraries. Camberwell, VIC: ACER. Retrieved from http://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1026&context=tll_misc
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10/28/2016 05:49:56 am
I, too, found this dwindling appreciation for T-L dismaying and blogged on the topic of the essential librarian, hoping to add my voice to the collective outcry. I agree wholeheartedly that the qualified teacher librarian is a vital human resource and should be pivotal in meeting a school’s pedagogical needs.
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10/28/2016 08:42:37 pm
Thank you Liz for highlighting such an important (and alarming) issue. Thank you, not only for providing important information about it is Teacher Librarians are qualified to do, but for pointing out what the alternatives are…as I believe these are not often considered. I am passionate about the issue of the decline of TLs, and their apparent lack of value, and have also blogged about it.
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Liz SimsI am currently completing a Masters in Inclusive Education. I work as a teacher aide specialising in Music and Media Studies. ArchivesCategories |