fyi : back issues

Spring Issue 2002-Promotion and Perceptions

Promoting primary
Promoting the teacher-librarian and library resource centre.

By Kaye Hunter

In preparing to write this article I asked myself the questions:

-What key aspects of the primary teacher-librarian's role need promoting?, and

-What services usually provided within the Library Resource Centre are in need of promotion? 

Although it is widely recognized that the role and duties of a teacher-librarian are diverse, the highest priority of the primary teacher-librarian within any school should be to the promotion of their key roles as an educator and an information manager. With these roles as our focus and prime motivation we should consider ways in which these roles, and the services provided within the Library Resource Centre, can be promoted to the staff, students and wider school community.

How can the role as educator and information manager become widely known and accepted? Things don't just happen! Be proactive! Make and take your opportunities!

 
As with any promotion and marketing campaign you need a clearly thought out strategy and a preparedness to work hard, enthusiastically and often creatively to carry it out!

Perhaps the first opportunity to promote the role as educator and information manager could be in the interview for the position. It is here that the foundations for future success can be made. If you have in your application and interview clearly articulated the way you see your role, then once employed, as well as being expected to fulfil the school's requirements and expectations, the school, too, has a commitment to support you in your endeavours. This support can come in a variety of ways and at different times.

Having the opportunity to workshop with staff regarding your role and the role of the Library Resource Centre within the school, can be a great starting point. This will possibly be the first opportunity that the whole staff has ever had to reflect on the role of the teacher-librarian. In this session, give staff the opportunity to discuss the perceptions they have of your role; promote your commitment to the teaching role; outline cooperative program planning and team teaching, and brainstorm and discuss the benefits for the students and the staff of this approach.

Ensure that you have allocated, and adequate, planning time with the staff. This underpins the success of your efforts to be an effective educator and information manager within your school. Unfortunately there are still some schools where combined planning time with teacher-librarians is not allocated and therefore planning becomes ad hoc! Be proactive. Think how and when these sessions could take place and then discuss your ideas with the Head and/or Curriculum Coordinator.

As part of the teaching team, become involved in curriculum meetings where possible. Encourage the convenor to use the Library Resource Centre as a meeting place. Make a space within the Centre for this to happen.
Document all programs with the classroom teachers, clearly stating the curriculum focus and the key learning outcomes. Ensure all staff receive a copy of the program.

 
Take the opportunity to display the work that the students complete. Ensure that most of the library's displays are of student work and not all generated by the teacher-librarian. The Library Resource Centre is often the venue for parent information nights and staff meetings. If there is a whole school Open Night, bring in display boards and have work from each student on display! Also display work in the classrooms, main office or school foyer, near the Tuck Shop and on other noticeboards around the school.

 
Initiate, plan and implement a whole school initiative. As whole school integrated curriculum initiatives are far more effective than programs run in isolation, plan with classroom teachers.

Such programs could include:

-Whole school reading challenges. They are fun and also support the reading and literature programs already established within the school. Annual challenges could run from Week 1 in Term 3 and culminate in Book Week. Take on the theme of Book Week. For example, this year it was The Book Feast Reading Challenge. Create sheets for the students to record their reading, have book feasting tables in the Library and classrooms, liaise with other specialists including the art teacher to integrate their programs, plan a Book Week Assembly and encourage a presentation or performance from each class, invite parents to morning tea prior to assembly, display a large banner in the school grounds promoting the reading challenge, award certificates to all, etc, etc! One of the good things about this is that reading has a high profile for six weeks instead of just once during Book Week!

-Whole school approach to the teaching of information literacy. The need for such a program is well documented. Again, take the initiative. Attend professional development activities and evaluate published programs that provide a framework for staff and students to work from. Present your findings to staff. Plan units of work with the classroom teachers, establish or adopt a whole school scope, sequence of skills, learning outcomes, and document the student's progress towards achieving them. 

There are many advantages in taking such initiatives within your school. You will be recognised as an educator and information manager, the Library Resource Centre will become a place of active learning and play a key role in supporting the school's curriculum.

But the best promotion of all is the improvement in student learning outcomes and the enthusiasm of the students for the Library Resource Centre and its efforts.

Kaye Hunter is a primary school teacher-librarian at St Leonards College in Brighton. Kaye is also our highly valued and hard-working primary representative on the editorial committee of FYI.