More than just a pretty face....

and other observations on school libraries and teacher-librarianship

The Canadian School Executive, Vol.7, No. 2, June, 1987, pp. 24-25.  Reprinted:  BCTLA Bookmark, Vol. 29, No.2, Dec. 1987, pp. 45-46. , N.B. Teachers' Association Resources, Vol. XVII, No.2, April 1989, pp.1-2. Alberta Learning Resources Journal, Vol. 9, No. 1, 1988, pp. 16-17.  N.B. Teachers'  Association Principals in Council, Vol. XVII, No.2, May 1989, pp.6-7. , MSLAVA Journal, Vol.16, No.1, September 1988, pp.12-14. Intermediate Teacher, Vol.17, No. 1, Fall 1977, pp.10-11

Buying or Selling a School Librarian

Every once in a while a principal calls me to ask if I could recommend someone who might like to apply for a job in his or her school as the "school librarian".  Over the years, my usual reaction to these calls has been one of great pleasure.  If you don't think about it, the call is a kind of acknowledgment that someone out there knows about the work you do and trusts that work enough to ask you quite important questions.  I am glad to  offer my expertise.  (Flattery  never hurts).

 But if I really think about the question, I probably have done many of my former students considerable harm in my greedy acceptance of the flattery and my honest hope that I might assist.  I may have ignored many of the tenets that I hold about the role and nature of the school library by blithely accepting the notion that the principal knows what he needs.

Potential Problem
If I commend someone, should I not be sure that the position will be worthy of his or her skills and attention?  In fact, if I affirm that Mary Brown is a great person and a terrific teacher-librarian and I send her out to a school operated by Mr. Sludge, a principal who is perpetually searching for a "good" school librarian - because he has no understanding about the role or the needs of the school librarian - am I not destroying everything I stand for?  Mary Brown may be initially delighted that I have recommended her and would not dare to ask the right questions, trusting in my confidence and her idealism.  After all, her mentor recommended her!  However, she may experience extreme difficulty in developing a good library program for the school - one that many of its teachers may never have experienced or thought about - because the principal is not "in tune" with what constitutes a good library program.

Testing the Waters
 So, next time, instead of accepting the notion that the principal is a perfectly responsible educational leader who continually searches for the perfect library program and teacher-librarian to run it, I am going to use the opportunity to test that individual on the depth of understanding (and empathy) that surrounds the notion of the library in that school.

These could be some of the questions that I could pose to the next principal who calls and asks me about Mary Brown or if "I could recommend someone to run his little library."

*  Will Mary Brown have your unqualified support to select materials that she determines will best satisfy the needs of the school?  Do you have policies and procedures in place that would provide the librarian with the support of your office when a censorship issue emerges?  Lacking such a policy, will you undertake to develop one with the teacher-librarian as a matter of immediate importance?

*  Will Ms. Brown receive, at the interview, a copy of your school library policy, that includes detailed statements relating to the role of the teacher-librarian in meeting the curriculum material needs of the school and delivering research skills through classroom consultation and planning with teachers?

*  Will Ms. Brown be given assurance that a full-time trained library assistant will be in place in the library to maintain the collection and the procedures so that she will have adequate freedom (sufficient time) from the mundane to deliver the high quality program that the school requires?

* Will Ms. Brown have the assurance, in writing, as part of policy, that the library will not be considered a study hall, detention centre, holding tank, games room, relief centre or be used for any other purpose that has nothing to do with teaching or learning but is related to discipline and control?

*  Will Ms. Brown have the assurance that library instruction is seen by the school as part of the school library program and that the program must be integrated into the curriculum of the school?

*  Can I assure my nominee that you acknowledge the teacher-librarian to be an integral part of the school's instructional program?

*  Will Ms. Brown be covered by a substitute teacher-librarian when she is absent from the school, on the same basis as are other teachers?

*  Will Ms. Brown be expected to assist in developing a budget for learning materials for the school, based on the actual needs of the school's program?

Improving Employment Opportunities

If the answers I receive are unsatisfactory, what should I do?  Is honesty the best policy?  Should I use the opportunity to teach?  Should the principal be advised that I could not consider recommending anyone to take over the library in his school until he was able to recognize that the teacher-librarian's is an academic appointment?  Would such an approach actually change the situation?  Or would it simply be best to go back to my original response and enthusiastically assist one of my graduates, regardless of the conditions and expectations?

Hard choices, but until educational leaders recognize the purpose and effective use of the school library and its programs, we shall have to struggle to sell libraries on the basis of "personality" rather than on the basis of consciously meeting school goals.

Donald Hamilton