Libraries and their collections - initial thoughts from the introduction

‘The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board said last month that declining enrollment is forcing them to lay off 39 school librarians and close the libraries. The board is facing a $10-million budget cut next year. It lost 800 students last year and is projecting a similar loss next year.’ (CBC News, 2011).

The biggest issue facing the role of the school library within schools is a lack of understanding about the role of the teacher librarian and the library itself. For many people, a library is a place stacked with books; a place that has diminished relevance in an increasingly digital world. It is worrying, that when faced with budgetary cuts, one school board effectively wiped out what should be considered THE two most relevant and important resources within the school: the library and the qualified teacher librarian who works in it. How or why can this happen?

I have to admit, there are days when I wonder if I can fully embrace the digital change that is occurring in libraries. And when I read about schools such as the Windsor Catholic schools, who removed all of their libraries from their schools, there are days when I sit back and wonder if many of the changes that are happening are a case of throwing out the baby with the bathwater. This is troubling, when as discussed in the introduction to module 1, that there is no systemic research available yet, that provides guidance around whether these sweeping changes are actually of benefit to the school community.

This article ‘What to watch for in 2013’ (Shatzkin, 2013) points out an important fact regarding the transition of print resources to digital.  ‘Immersive Books’, those books that are read from the first page, through the last, have been easily produced in ebook format. “Other than immersive’ books – reference books, picture books, illustrated books are still lagging behind in transitioning to digital format, and could do so for the foreseeable future. In resourcing the school library, and advocating for the types of resources that are acquired for the collection, this is an important understanding to have.

There is much about this process that will ultimately benefit from hindsight. It is an undeniable fact that yes, we now live in the ‘information age’. And yes, most of what people want to find out, they look for on google. And yes, one can download ebooks from the comfort of their own living rooms. Does being digital really mean the death of libraries? I don’t believe so. But I also don’t believe that libraries can only survive by going completely digital. It will be interesting to see research into the book-less, all-digital library in San Antonio, Texas compared with other more hybrid library designs, particularly concerning the reading matter that CAN’T be accessed through this approach.

I cannot agree with a decision to remove all printed books from the school library at this point in time, when many resources have not yet made the successful transition to digital dominance. To do so, right now, restricts students from accessing literature that has not yet been moved into digital format. It restricts student access to a multitude of well-researched and accurate reference material that they can trust and use in conjunction with online research. At this point in time, if the entire library catalogue is digital, it restricts the students from accessing reference books, picture books, illustrated books. These are not just books that students choose to research from, but are books that provide the teacher librarian with the opportunity to foster a love of reading across all genres and areas of information. 

What is reassuring from reading this article and the follow up article, Libraries to return to Windsor Catholic schools (Jeflyn, 2011) are two things. One, the strong reaction from both the parents and students regarding the closing of what they considered an important area of their school. Secondly, was the subsequent back down from the board, to reintroduce libraries back into the schools through a partnership with the local public library system. It is reassuring to see the emphasis put back into book collections and exciting children about reading. It is wonderful so see how collaboration between the school library and local community in creating a resource space valued and used beyond the four walls of the school.  

I believe there is a definite and important place for both digital and print resources in our school libraries at the present time. The challenge for teacher librarians is balancing these two important aspects of the collection, ensuring a professionally managed and well-resourced library that creates and nurtures an information rich learning environment. With this challenge, comes a need for the teacher librarian to be an advocate for the place of the school library, educating and working with the school leadership team and key committees in developing a common understanding for the place of the library with the schools learning environment.  It is too early yet, to be throwing that baby out with the bath water.

References:

Australian School Library Association (ASLA) & Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA),  (2004). Standards of Professional Excellence for teacher librarians.  In Australian School Library Association::ASLA. Retrieved from http://www.asla.org.au/policy/standards.aspx

CBC News (May 12, 2011). Parents don’t want book shut on school libraries. In CBC News Windsor. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/parents-don-t-want-book-shut-on-school-libraries-1.1061505

Idea Logical Blog. (

Jeflyn, P. (Nov 15, 2011). Libraries to return to Windsor Catholic Schools. In CBC News Windsor. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/libraries-to-return-to-windsor-catholic-schools-1.1021028

Shatzkin, M. (Jan 2, 2013). The Shatzkin Files – What to look for in 2013. In The Idea Logical Company.  Retrieved from http://www.idealog.com/blog/what-to-watch-for-in-2013/

Zipes

(Critics) are not recognising or do not want to recognise that the former traditional approaches to alphabetic literacy through reading print are not meeting the needs of young people who read texts much differently than the generations of teachers and educators who are teaching them.(p. 42)

Zipes, J. (2009). Misreading children and the fate of the book in Relentless progress the reconfiguration of children's literature, fairy tales, and storytelling. London: Routledge. (Chapter 2, p. 27-44)

I disagree with this comment from Zipes. Much of what has been commented on in the research on reading decline in this module, comments on the shift of reading for pleasure by the time students enter high school or college.

So it seems to be incongruous to say that traditional approaches to alphabetic literacy are not meeting the needs of young people.

In order for a person to choose to read for pleasure, they must possess the necessary skills for reading. A significant part of developing those skills is the variety of kills and instructions surrounding the ability to decode ie alphabetic literacy.

I would suggest that it is the skills that build upon decoding – critical literacy, inferential literacy are the ones that are often under taught in classrooms (particularly over the past decade where significant portions of the literacy curriculum has been devoted to the teaching of ‘text types’). If our curriculum does not encourage, nay demand of us to teach beyond the decoding stage, then we are not meeting the needs of young people.

In todays information age, where people are bombarded daily with a seemingly inexhaustible supply of information, it is imperative that we teach our students to be critically literate, to develop skills for interpreting what they read, justify their interpretations, make their own meaning of texts they read, compare themselves and their own experiences with what they read, to read broadly, to develop their own point of view, to respond to what they read

Then we will be teaching young people to be

• avid, self motivated, confident readers
• who feel strongly about what they choose to read
• who justify their reading choices
• who are engaged in the process of reading because they choose to be

Regardless of whether they read in print or digitally.

For the teacher librarian, this means a greater collaboration with classroom teachers to use literature across the curriculum that encourages and explicitly teaches these skills to our students.  

Is the Teacher Librarian an endangered species?

What a fabulous question - and one I would dearly love to pose to numerous principals, executive staff members and staff. In answering the question, one really needs to consider what they know of the role of the teacher librarian and what value they place upon that role.

The five guest speakers invited to answer that question at The American Association of School Librarians website:

Are School Librarians an Endangered Species provide interesting insight into this question.

All interviewees agreed - the Teacher Librarian is definitely not extinct and far from endangered. In today's rapidly changing educational landscape, the Teacher Librarian is a more relevant and important than ever.

Henry Jenkins points out that the role of Teacher Librarian needs to be redefined from that of curator of local collections to one where librarians are coaches who help young people navigate an evermore complex media and information landscape. He talks of librarians as online mentors in a digital landscape.

Doug Johnson discusses that the role of teacher librarian and their relevance in schools today is based on the core values or core beliefs that we as educators hold. If we believe in intellectual freedom, that all children should be good digital citizens, a commitment to teaching students to be critical users of information and ideas, that all students have the right to access a learning space where all of this is achievable, then there will continue to be teacher librarians and school libraries.

Michelle Luhtala gets right to the point. Schools that aim for instructional innovation and high standards for all learners and stand behind the goal of preparing students for 21st Century citizenship, understand that a well supported library program is integral towards meeting these goals. She discusses how rather than declining in relevance in schools, the need for Teacher Librarians is growing exponentially as the information age progresses. Luhtala also points out that educators who perceive the Teacher Librarian role as dealing primarily with print media show ignorance regarding the role of teacher librarian.

As we progress through this course, and towards achieving the qualifications for Teacher Librarianship,  forefront in our minds will be whether we will have to the opportunity to work with school executive who also share the understanding that Teacher Librarians are far from extinct and view us as critical members of the learning community.


What is your answer to this question?

How would your school executive and staff answer this question?

The Standards of Professional Excellence

In working the readings for the first unit of my Masters in Teacher Librarianship, the more I realise my idea of what it is to be a Teacher Librarian is either being challenged or affirmed. One of the most pivotal and thought provoking of these readings has been the Standards of Professional Excellence for Teaching Librarians, published by ALIA/ASLA.

I found the Standards affirming because there is a still a place for Teacher Librarians to build an environment and learning experience where the love of books and reading, the sharing of Authors and genres all come alive. I have always loved libraries - the tranquillity, to shared loved of reading, the access to resources. To know that this is still seen as an important aspect of the Teacher Librarian role is heartening.

I also found the Standards challenging because my view of what it means in reality to be a teacher librarian. My view of what it really means to be a teacher librarian has been shaped by what the teacher librarian role has been in the schools that I have worked in. I have held positions in ten schools, as well as done casual teaching in a number of others. The way the teacher librarian has functioned within those schools has been varied and often not a reflection of the standards as described by ASLA.

In only 3 of the ten schools I have worked at, was collaboration with the teacher librarian the expectation. And in saying that, 2 of those times was with the same Teacher Librarian whom I had developed a wonderful working relationship with, and was lucky enough to work with a 2nd time in another school. Working in collaboration with these Teacher Librarians was inspirational. The opportunities provided for the students, especially in utilising technology for guided inquiry was powerful. So well did one Teacher Librarian and I collaborate together, one of our units was developed into an online unit as part of an online project for our Diocese. These were teacher librarians with a wealth of knowledge, a love for their job, and what I aspired to be.

But sadly, this is not the norm.

In one school, the school librarian was not a trained teacher. She worked part-time in the office typing up the newsletter, and the rest of the time in library. The only access students had to the library was 45 mins for borrowing. The students were effectively banned from using the library any other time. The library resources were considered 'precious', 'costly' and students having access to such resources would diminish the worth of the resources there. Oblivious to this, and coming from my last employment where collaboration with the teacher librarian was a given, in my first few weeks, I happily trotted my class off to the library to do some research. I discovered students who had very limited understanding of accessing resources and was dumbfounded to receive a rap over the knuckles for using the library outside of the borrowing schedule. Pardon me?

The other 6 schools I worked in, had wonderful teacher librarians, with a wealth of knowledge, hamstrung by the role description developed by the school executive, who placed a lot of emphasis on the library as a convenient way of addressing RFF, borrowing books and little else. The teacher librarian is generally employed on a part-time basis, with little expectation of collaboration with teaching staff.

So, reading the professional standards set out by ASLA/ALIA was eyeopening. I learnt so much from reading that one document, that has challenged some of what I thought the role of the teacher librarian was, and affirmed others. And in reading through, when I think of the two wonderful teacher librarians who I worked collaboratively with, I can see how well their practice fits within the Standards.

From my experience, I believe many school executive to be unfamiliar with the standards and have a limited understanding of how diverse and complex the role of the teacher librarian has become. This filters throughout the school community, creating a mindset with teacher, students and parents, that the primary function of the teacher librarian is to provide support in the form of RFF and ensuring adequate resources are available.

So there is a challenge to be met for those of us obtaining qualifications in Teacher Librarianship to bring about dialogue and change of mindset for the role of the teacher librarian as it should be, not what  it currently is in many schools. To be an instrument of change, where the Teacher Librarian is seen as a pivotal, critical member of the learning community instead of the RFF babysitter.