TLs are collaborators
ETL401 has not merely expanded my understanding of the TL,
it has actually defined it. Initially I set
out with my iPhone to record a series of interviews with teachers,
TLs, Headsof Department, Library Directors and
Directors of
Curriculum and Learning, eager to plot their understanding against mine and
exploit what Herring (2007) referred to as the human resource. I found that each person’s understanding of
the role stemmed from a history of collaboration. They used language like “they
assist” and “help find information”. Subsequent readings by Haycock, (2007) Purcell
(2010), Lamb & Johnson (2008), Herring (2007) and Kuhlthau (1995, 2004) reiterated
the importance of this aspect of the role. I learned that the TL is highly relational
and that ‘collaborating’ was even deemed a professional standard by ASLA (2002).
Teacher attitude can enable or
inhibit the TL’s potential
Through my readings and some forum posts, I also learned that in some schools, collaboration is a one-way street. Lack of
interest (Haycock, 2007), time constraints and role confusion (Kuhlthau, 1995),
and a lack of understanding of the TL often got in the way of collaborating
with TLs. This was a sentiment reinforced by many of my CSU
colleagues, some of whom are already working as TLs. Sometimes it was, as Scott
Rolfe acknowledged, that some teachers are “juggling
so many other balls already that the thought of additional programs sees them
turn off immediately”. Ann-Maree
lamented that she would have to “hassle teachers to get on board”. I would have justified my own lack of partnering up along these lines and it has been illuminating to view this situation from the TL's perspective. I found that
Scott
Rolfe’s observation that “the wider community … have no
clear understanding of what the role of the TL is” is probably true. The TL is
underutilized when their role is unappreciated, and this in turn impedes other important aspects
to the role such as teaching life-long IL skills (Herring 2011).
Literature, Literacy and Information
Literacy
I had expected
to learn more about “fostering
a love of reading”. Purcell’s (2010)
diagrammatical representation of the ‘Media Specialist’ surprised me by not
including anything about promoting a love of reading. At least
ASLA’s (2002) standards stated that a TL should know “how to promote and foster
reading" but I found it disconcerting that Herring (2007) expressed this aspect of the role as “Fiction and Non-Fiction advocate”. To
me, literature seems to be competing for space theoretically, yet in practice, my school library has a disproportionate amount of floor space dedicated to literature, and TLs work tirelessly to promote a love of reading. It seems anomalous. However, my understanding of
the TL has expanded to include other key features such as IL and ICT.
The online world is a TL role
changer
I've come to appreciate that the TL's role is inextricably linked to the ever evolving, terribly
exciting but possibly scary online information landscape. The digitization of print material, virtual
libraries and Google means that TLs need to stay on the cutting-edge of emerging technologies (Kuhlthau,
Maniotis & Caspari 2007, Herring, 2006). Libraries are no longer
about books, and I have been challenged to question whether they ever were.
The term ‘cybrarian’ (Carol Tonhauser, 2009 cited by Murry, J. 2000) has now become strangely appropriate to me,
reiterating Kong (2007) who sees ICT as integral.
IL
is a survival skill
I have learned that one of the most important aspects to
our role is the teaching and implementation of IL skills. Langford (1998) and Lupton’s (2002) many definitions
both confused and enlightened me and but what powerfully remained was an understanding
that IL was as important in today’s world as literacy itself.
Don Watson’s (2011) recent
essay on education in The Monthly seems
to sum up why we need both good teachers and good TLs in the 21st
century. Like many others, he challenges
the notion that access to information does not make us more informed.
“…the best mobile phones cannot do what a teacher
can. It is dumb like a mule, and no more the master of information we download
from it than a mule is master of the piano it carries on its back” (p11)
I think most profound
thing I have learned is that IL is not just a library skill. It is a life skill
and a survival skill, and that the role of the TL
in fostering this critical lifelong skill is more important than ever (Kuhlthau,
Caspari & Maniotis, 2007).
References
ASLA. (2002). Standards of professional excellence
for Teacher Librarians. http://www.asla.org.au/policy/standards.htm.
C. Kuhlthau, L. Maniotis & A. Kaspari. (2007).
Chapter One - Introduction to Guided Inquiry: what is it, what's new, why now?
In Guided Inquiry - Learning in the 21st Century. Westport, Connecticut,
USA: Libraries Unlimited.
Haycock, K. (2007, January). Collaboration: Critical
Success Factors for Student Learning. School Libraries Worldwide, 13(1),
25-35.
Herring, J. (2006). A Critical Investogation of
Students' and Teachers' Views of the Use of Information Literacy Skills in
School Assignments. Retrieved January 1, 2012, from American Association of
School Librarians: http://www.ala.org/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/slmrb/slmrcontents/volume9/informationliteracy
Herring, J. (2011, February). Assumptions, Information
Literacy and Transfer in High Schools. Teacher Librarian, 38(3).
Herring, J. (2011, January). Year seven students,
concept mapping and the issue of transfer. School Libraries Worldwide, 17(1),
11-23.
Herring, J. and Tarter, A. (2007a). Progress in
developing information literacy in a secondary school using the PLUS model. School
Libraries in View, 23, 23-27.
Herring,
J. (2007). Teacher Librarians and the School Library. In S. Ferguson, Libraries
in the twenty-first century: charting new directions in information (pp.
27-42). Wagga Wagga, NSW: Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt
University.
Jacobs, H. (2008, May). Perspectives on... Information
Literacy and Reflective Pedagogical Praxis. Journal of Academic
Librarianship, 34(3).
Kong, S. C. (2008, April 22). A curriculum framework
for implementing information technology in school education to foster
information literacy. ScienceDirect, 129-141.
Kuhlthau, C. (1995). The Process of Learning from
Information. School Libraries Worldwide, 1(1), 1-12.
Kuhlthau, C. (2004). Seeking Meaning (2 ed.).
Westport, Connecticut, USA: Libraries Unlimited.
Langford, L. (1998). Information Literacy: A
Clarification. FNO.org From Now On: The Educational Technology Journal.
Lamb, A
& Johnson, L. (2010). The School library Media Specialist. In Overview. http://eduscapes.com/sms/overview/collaboration.html.
Lupton, M. (2002, June). The getting of wisdom:
reflections of a teaching librarian. (information literacy responsibilities of
librarians). Australian Academic & Research Libraries.
Purcell,
M. (2010, November/December). All Librarians Do Is Check Out Books, Right? A
Look at the Roles of a School Library Media Specialist. Library Media
Connection, 29(3), pp. 30-33.
Watson, D. (2011, December).
The Nation Reviewed. Comment: Education. The Monthly, 10-12.
Hyperlinks
Corney, A. (2011a, November
25). The Human Resource. Retrieved January 29, 2012, from
Information Scavenger: http://informationscavenger.blogspot.com/2011/11/so-where-were-we-oh-yes-as-per.html
Corney, A. (2011b, November
28). The role of the TL seems
to be growing with every interview. Retrieved
January 29, 2012, from Information Scavenger: http://informationscavenger.blogspot.com/2011/11/role-of-tl-seems-to-be-growing-with.html
Corney, A. (2011d, November
28). Technology is Scary. Retrieved January 29, 2012, from
Information Scavenger: http://informationscavenger.blogspot.com/2011/11/technology-is-scary.html
Corney, A. (2011e, December
2). The Cull. Retrieved January 29, 2012, from
Information Scavenger: http://informationscavenger.blogspot.com/2011/12/cull.html
Corney, A. (2012a, January
2). The Beach - Is it really
an obstacle to Information Technology? Retrieved
January 29, 2012, from Information Scavenger: http://informationscavenger.blogspot.com/2012/01/beach-is-it-really-obstacle-to.html
Corney, A. (2012b, January
10). No Plain Sailing. Retrieved January 29, 2012, from
Information Scavenger: http://informationscavenger.blogspot.com/2012/01/helloagain-followers-all-six-of-you-and.html
Corney, A. (2012c, January
29). The Mule and The Piano. Retrieved January 26, 2012, from
Information Scavenger. Retrieved January 29,
2012 http://informationscavenger.blogspot.com/2012/01/donkey-and-piano.html
Hannon, A. (2011, December 30). Webmail has been
discontinued [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from http://forums.csu.edu.au/perl/forums.pl?forum_id=ETL401_201190_W_D_Sub7_forum
Rolfe, S. (2011, December 23). Webmail has
been discontinued [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from http://forums.csu.edu.au/perl/forums.pl?forum_id=ETL401_201190_W_D_Sub4_forum&task=frameset
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