LM_NET: Library Media Networking
Dear Colleagues
I have been following this thread with great interest, albeit from afar, as
the issue is one that is often raised on OZTL_NET, as there does seem to be
a trend in some areas to fill teacher-librarian positions with those without
the library qualifications ... possibly because there is a shortage of t/ls.
In fact, it was how I got my job, although I had already enrolled in my M.Ed
course. But I DID have 25 years classroom experience behind me, a fully
automated library and the support of a great network to help me.
But the point of this post is two-fold:-
1. In the Australian Capital Territory, and presumably for the rest of the
nation, you cannot be employed in a TEACHING position in the primary,
secondary or college (not university) sectors without having a degree that
has had a specified, formal, supervised practical teaching component. And a
US colleague who recently arrived here, with her MLS and US teaching
experience has found that she cannot be employed here, even in a relief
capacity, because her degree does not have that practical component as a
requirement..
The t/l in the primary sector particularly, carries a significant teaching
load, working hand in hand with the class teacher so that their programs are
intertwined and complement each other, with the main focus on developing
information literacy skills in context. Thus learning to take notes or
whatever, is not just something that happens for 45 mins once a week in the
Resource Centre.
2. Several of our universities offer teacher-librarian qualifications as
graduate programs through distance education, either in the form of a
Graduate Diploma or a Masters, depending on the previous qualification you
bring to the course. Depending on the workload you choose, it usually takes
two years of part-time study to complete the work, and the one that I did
required me to do a two-week prac in a public library, despite the fact that
I was running my own. (I was a bit sceptical at first, but I learned so
much from such a different perspective that it was a most valuable time).
Is this not an option available through your universities?
I am currently putting together some ideas to help ourselves promote what we
do, why and how so that the specialist nature of our role is preserved. If
you have some ideas, subtle or in-your-face, please email me offlist.
Cheers
Barbara
Barbara Braxton
Teacher Librarian
Palmerston District Primary School
PALMERSTON ACT 2913
AUSTRALIA
T. 02 6205 6162
F. 02 6205 7242
E. barbara@dynamite.com.au
W. http://www.palmdps.act.edu.au
----- Original Message -----
From: Joni J Rathbun <jrathbun@OREDNET.ORG>
To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Sent: Sunday, December 05, 1999 4:16 AM
Subject: Re: Personal Reflections . . .
> On Fri, 3 Dec 1999, Heather Norris wrote:
>
>
> > It is sad so many states are like Utah, yet others like Virginia require
> > librarians at every level. How can we organize to work to standardize
this
> > across the country? It seems we all agree that the best of all worlds
would
> > have an MLS certified librarian in every school--aided by a
paraprofessional
> > who is more than just "clerical" help.
> >
>
> In an ideal world, I would probably agree provided the person
> also had a degree in education. I am not an advocate for staffing
> school libraries with MLS-only backgrounds. But that is not the
> point of my post.
>
> My point has something to do with the practicality of requiring
> an MLS. If that were the case in all states, I think we'd have even
> fewer professional "types" in our school libraries. As another poster
> stated, there can be some associated problems. The closest program
> to me has long been about 6 hours one direction and another state away,
> hardly a reasonable commute. If, perhaps, I had made a decision to go into
> this field when I was 18, I would have chosen to head to faraway
> parts. But not unlike many others in this particular field, it's something
> I decided to do in my second life meaning at that point I also had
> children and mortgage payments and other assorted things to fuss about.
>
> Simply requiring an MLS (in any combination upon which we may
> or may not agree) is not likely to do a lot of good unless we also
> have reasonable opportunity to acquire such a degree. If every school
> in the nation started to require an MLS, could we actually meet the
> demand?
>
> What are some practical -- if not acceptable -- alternatives?
>
> This line of thought of course, doesn't even take into consideration
> the issue related to "convincing" schools/districts/administrators/others
> that some type of professional preparation is needed in the first place.
> That's a whole 'nother ballgame. Well ... kind of! It's also a vicious
> circle. If there was a demand, there might be more opportunity to acquire
> the necessary training and education...
>
>
>
> J. Rathbun | Library Teacher - Media Specialist
> Lincoln Elementary School - Las Vegas
> jrathbun@orednet.org [home]
> The views I express are mine and mine alone.
>
> "Poetry and hums aren't things which you get, they're
> things which get you. And all you can do is to go
> where they can find you."
>
> -- Winnie the Pooh
>
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