Starting Again

After another slow start to the semester (assisted by the fact that I was overseas) I am back for my second attempt at ETL 401. I am still struggling with the whole work/life/study balance but am starting to learn to say no to things so that I can actually get on with some study.

After taking the time to explore the introductory module of this unit, I am starting to form a more concrete image of the role of the Teacher Librarian within the school environment. To me, the "role of the school library as the information centre of the school and the role of the teacher librarian as the school’s information specialist" (CSU ETL401 Introduction 2011) is a new perspective on how the library fits into the school context. Herring (2007, p27.) explains further that "school libraries do not, like many other libraries, merely support the community in which they exist, nor do they merely serve that community, but they are a vital part of the school. The school library should be seen as a centre of learning first and a centre of resources second."

However it comes as no surprise to me that to be an effective TL, one must have knowledge in a broad range of fields as noted below.

• library and information management
• education
• children’s and young adult literature
• educational administration
• organisational behaviour
• inquiry learning and information literacy
• information and communication technology (CSU ETL401 Introduction 2011)

I adore the way that Herring (2007, p28.) explains the value of the school library. "Using a school library well and learning from a teacher librarian can be a vital part of students’ education." Herring later summarises the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) School Library Manifesto where it states that ‘The school library equips students with lifelong learning skills and develops the imagination, enabling them to live as responsible citizens’ but it can be criticised for putting services before this in a preceding sentence (International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) 2006, paragraph 1).

The role of the Teacher Librarian within the school context encompasses many different roles, which must be prioritised in order to be effective. The TL in a school environment wears a plethora of different hats that cover the many different roles required to effectively run and manage a school library. The TL uses the knowledge from the fields stated above to effectively manage all of the different roles.

Now that I am beginning to understand more about the role of the Teacher Librarian in a school context, I am feeling more confident that I am heading in the right direction for assignment 1.

Currently reading: A Tiny Bit Marvellous by Dawn French