LIBE 467 Theme 2: What does a teacher librarian do? Who are you?

The readings around the role of a teacher librarian have been especially pertinent to me, as a new teacher librarian, in the middle of my diploma. I have been evolving and grappling with this identity question over the past few months. Like Alice, in the video below, I don’t even know myself some days!

Schools in Alberta do not include teacher librarians, and my school has not had anyone been staffed in the learning commons in any capacity. The role more commonly found (if at all) is that of a library technician. I attended a meeting this week of librarians, looking to build community and connection. Out of the group of eight, three were teachers, one had a library technician diploma, and just myself has been working towards becoming a certified teacher librarian. Many expressed that they sort of fell into the job. The culture and climate to who teacher librarians are and what they do feels different here than I imagine it does in BC. 

Since the role of teacher librarian was created at my school this past September, the question of “what does a teacher librarian do?” has been a prominent theme in many regards as students, teachers, administrators and myself all work to determine the answer from different lenses. 

In module 5, we examined the role of teacher-librarian. Riedling suggests three ways a teacher-librarian can assist students and teachers with research/reference requests (p. 96).

1.    Ready-Reference - questions that can be answered with short and factual information;

2.    Research Projects - in-depth coverage of a topic often requiring the use of multiple sources of information;

3.    Readers' Advisory - recommending good leisure reading.

Primarily, I began with Number 3. I am an avid reader myself and I enjoy finding great matches between books and readers. It was comfortable for me, and felt like one of my strengths. This, however, does not adequately capture what my administrators envision from the teacher-librarian role. As Mueller pointed out in module 5,” one area that you should have noticed as missing or lacking is any discussion about the role that Cooperative/Collaborative Planning should play in reference and research.” (Mueller, module 5).   This is more in alignment with what administration envisioned my role would be when the job was created. In discussion with my administrators, it was shared that every lesson would be so collaborative in nature that the lesson could not occur without both teacher librarian and homeroom teacher present and we would be both co-teaching together. With a fixed schedule, teaching all K-6 classes each week (26 homeroom teachers) has been challenging to make that vision a reality, for a few reasons, but largely due to time, (it’s a 0.5 job). This expectation of constant collaboration while has incredible moments can also feel forced and awkward sometimes. 

Teachers too are still in the learning phase of what the scope of a teacher librarian can be. Although I meet each team every second week to plan, it is not always collaborative or research based work. A connected read aloud might be what the teacher desires for our time. In this case, it has become a balance to figure out, does the homeroom teacher decide what happens in the LC? How can we effectively collaborate and create moving forward? As always, there are some teachers that are more keen than others but navigating these relationships has been sometimes tricky and part of the learning curve. 

Students are the easiest part of the job! In general, there has been so much positive feedback about the learning commons space “feeling alive.” Students enjoy the increased access, longer hours and more regular access to books. They have shared appreciation for the new titles coming in, and having their suggestions come into the collection. Working with the students each day is truly what keeps me striving to learn and improve.  

Finally, I am still working through what my job is, and what I would like it to look like. Finding a place that meets everyone's needs is my goal. A space where teachers, student, administration and myself are all onboard with the same vision with what a teacher librarian is, is what I am hoping to achieve one day. An article written by Trevor Mackenzie resonated with me. The image below is helpful for me in beginning to get a sense of the multifaceted nature of the job. 

(image source: Canadian School Library Journal) 

I have learned that being an effective communicator is the most important skill. Using Riedling’s Research Interview, when working with the students, yes, definitely. But also, to be in constant communication with teachers and administrators about advocacy, planning, learning needs and meeting outcomes is also a crucial part of my job. 

From here, I think the next step is thoughtfully planning what I would like the role to encompass, and work from there. When I take a close look at the program I am developing, with the student’s needs in mind, I feel like I am well on my way. 

Works Cited
L., Ariyana. 2020, February 23. WhoAreYou. [video file] Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf5nCPFBSHw  

Mackenzie, Trevor. (2019, March 18). Classroom Inquiry's Secret Weapon: The Teacher-Librarian. Retrieved from https://journal.canadianschoollibraries.ca/classroom-inquirys-secret-weapon-the-teacher-librarian/

Mueller, Aaron. “Lesson 5: The Reference Interview: Cooperative Program Planning and Teaching for Personalized Inquiry”. LIBE-467-63C, University of British Columbia, 2020.

Riedling, Ann Marlow and Cynthia Houston. (2019) Reference Skills for the library media specialist: tools and tips. 4th Ed. Worthington, Ohio.