Re: [LM_NET] Teacher Librarian

[Barbara Braxton <barbara.288@BIGPOND.COM>]

Dear Meg
In Australia the term used is 'teacher librarian' because to work in school 
libraries we must have,
first and foremost, a full 4-year teaching degree.  Although we are trying to have 
everyone also
have a specialist educational librarian qualification ( usually post-grad), this is 
not always the
case.  Part of the reason for this is that there is neither requirement nor reward 
for Australian
teachers to have post-grad qualifications.  There is also a supposed shortage of 
teacher librarians
so principals think that anyone can do the job and put a teacher (or, at worst, a 
clerical
assistant) in the position. 

In those primary (elementary) schools where there are teacher librarians, the role 
is very much a
teaching role, most often in a role that gives classroom-based teachers preparation 
time. All those
things that Barbara Combe identified are a vital part of our role but are often not
recognised/understood./valued by our peers.  They see us as the ones taking the 
kids when they have
prep time, although I know of one school where the teacher librarian was not 
replaced when she left
and the teaching staff have finally discovered all those added extras that were 
done to support
their teaching.

The high school situation here is different and I can't comment on that, but, in my 
opinion, teacher
librarian expresses perfectly the hats we wear.
Barbara
 

Barbara Braxton
Teacher Librarian
COOMA NSW 2630
AUSTRALIA

E. barbara.288@bigpond.com
Together we learn from each other 

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