Boy time really does fly. Its been a while since I have had a chance to add a new blog so some catching up is due. While I have posted on the forums my views of the subject content so far, this blog will be more my personal reflections about those postings.
The readings provided for the subject have certainly prompted a lot of discussion on the forums and its great to be able to see others point of view. As mentioned in my previous blog, I have always felt that libraries and librarians in primary schools have not appeared to be used effectively in the context of the classroom or curriculum. The research shows that this has been the case and that changes are being effected to ensure that better value is given to the service and that the service itself can change to better reflect its ability to assist the school and its mission.
As mentioned in my post of 2 August, I think the statements and standards proposed for identifying good TL's are a too broad. The idea that librarians should be providing students with opportunities to embrace reading and become lifelong learners is a bit like reinventing the wheel. Keep in mind also that I bring a primary school perspective to these musings which can be decidedly different to those working in secorndary schools. The English syllabus for primary schools consists of three strands: talking and listening, reading and writing. These strands are very explicit in their description of what students should be achieving at certain stages of development and what teachers are required to provide in learning experiences. 25% of the weekly timetable is given to literacy so many hours are spent providing students with opportunities to not only become expert readers of many different genres but also develop a love of reading and the skills that reading can instill in students. Why then should librarians also provide opportunities to students? As for lifelong learners, this catch phrase is littered throughout the syllabus documents and other rationales distributed by the Department so are libraries simply a tool for etended practice for students?
I believe the key to libraries in our primary schools is collaboration with teaching staff first and foremost. Yes they need to be included in the policy and funding procedures of the school and to develop an ethos that reflects the school but, without collaboration with teachers in order to enhance the learning in context I feel they simply become a fill in activity while teachers are on RFF. Libraries are information depositories and I believe its important that students are taught a variety of ways in which they can obtain information. Constructivist pedagogies and inquiry based learning demand that students make their own meanings of information but how to do this if they cannot access the information that is available. Information literacy development is more than just googling an idea or phrase.
One final point that I would like to make on librarian roles is the adminstration aspect. Admin is a part of all our lives but it doesnt have to be time consuming. I think school libraries would benefit from self service check in/out systems similar to universities etc. Students would become independent in their borrowing activities freeing up this time for the librarian. Also, the system could provide valuable data in digital form that could be used to evaluate library use at the school.
