Never Fear, the Librarians are Here!

 Never Fear, the Librarians are Here!

The Job Description of a TL: Not Just a Reference Collector

In 2014, TNT launched an irreverent sci-fi fantasy series called, "The Librarians" as a spin off of the movies series of the same name. It ran for 4 seasons and depicted a motely crew of misfits taking on the role of librarian to save the world. According to Wikepedia, "The Librarians are an ancient organization dedicated to protecting an innocent world from a magical and fantasy-like secret reality hidden from view." It was a fabulous, goofy show that reflected zero real librarianship but did reinforce the notion that librarians have every resource at their fingertips and that the library stacks are boundless, limitless shelves where all manner of info can be gathered by simply pulling the right tomb. Their library was a magical place where the answers to all the problems in the world, real and imagined, could be found. My kind of library!

Alas, a Hollywood imagined and green screen created library is not a real world entity. It certainly doesn't exist in a public school. Instead, our libraries are oddly coloured (mine is a teal blue) boxes that are often a mishmash of decades worth of resources, technology, tables, chairs and questionable leavings by distracted students. It is not quite the stuff of television shows or movies. 

And yet... it is likely as magical and capable of pulling off even the most unimaginable feats of learning, research and education. With the right teaching librarian at the helm, a library can be almost all things to everyone. In theory. And within budget. No small feat for any librarian, even the magical ones on tv. 

Riedling supposes that "reference services revolve around the basic principle of maximization of information resources in all formats" (3). But this description is far too vague to truly express what it is that managing and evaluating a reference service is. Nor does it adequately explain what role the TL plays in creating this reference collection. And it is only one part of a teaching librarian's job description. So...what does a teacher librarian do? 

One of the TL's in my discussion group, G.D, chose an outside and somewhat vague description of the job description, "[t]he representation I really liked and felt closest to my heart is the one (not surprisingly) with the least amount of detailed description: “The role and the impact of the teacher librarian can be synthesized quite simply: teacher librarians impact student learning and achievement by forming strong and positive relationships with members of the school community, especially the school principal; by collaborating with classroom colleagues to plan, develop and access independent learning abilities in students; by fostering a recreational reading culture in the building; and by providing informational staff development opportunities.“ (K. Haycock, Leading Learning, 21)

I think this definition would fit many teaching librarian's definitions of their job and their true roles in the school setting. I know they spend many hours painstakingly curating and weeding their respective collections but I would wonder how much time they spend thinking about the thinking of that process. With these questions in mind, I interviewed my school's TL (via email due to Covid protocols and hectic work days). 

BB: Thank you for letting me ask you these questions! First one, How would you describe your role as a teacher librarian? What would you say is your real life job description?

LM: I work to create a safe and welcome space for staff and students to have access to print and electronic resources.  I collaborate with teachers to create learning opportunities across the curriculum and continuously curate resources to make that learning happen. 

BB: What are your most used strategies to manage the reference collection?

LM: This is a funny one because whereas with the rest of the collection (and in particular with fiction) you can look at the catalogue for circulation statistics, reference resources are often used in the library.  Ultimately, I end up looking at publication dates. *(it should be noted that there really isn't a reference collection in my school any longer. The students long since went digital and the print resources are slowly being faded out. 

BB: What is the reality and challenges of providing a reference service in a school setting? Budget constraints, etc. 

LM: The greatest challenge is getting students to use the print resources.  Similarly, it is often tough to sell kids on the value of the district curated digital resources as well.  The bulk of my budget goes toward fiction.

From this conversation, I gathered a few insights into how reference services are managed in my district. One, the resources are largely acquired at the district level so here is no opportunity for meaningful evaluation or to use any of the recommended selection processes (Riedling, 20) as it has been done at the district level. 

And two, said reference resources are almost exclusively online so the TL's job (at least in my specific district) is largely to engage with students and point them in the right direction digitally to gain access to those resources. 

As a classroom teacher, I have seen this teaching/directing in action and it is no small feat to get students off of Google and Wikipedia. But the largely digital platform allows for TL time to be focused on the engagement of students and acting as a bridge to the information rather than as a collector of resources. While that means they may not have ultimate control over the selected reference materials, it does free up time for other aspects of the job.

According to Boma David-West (2019), "[F]or there to be an effective reference service delivery there must be sound and quality reference collections. Acccording to Agidahun(2004) a library that cannot meet the information needs of its users is moribond and anaemic in information system because it has lost its vitality, honour and attraction. Hence, libraries should ensure that they provide adequate and relevant sources in order to meet the information needs of users". If the model of the modern reference collection is digital and curated or collated at a district level, a large chunk of the TL job description is then removed, leaving time for all the other aspects of the job that TL's seem to value more; working with students and engaging in the teaching of research, critical thinking and literacy skills. This, it seems from the TL's I have spoken with, seems to be the most valuable aspect of the job. 

Perhaps, to bring this blog theme full circle, this is where the magic of a real library lies. 

                                            

References

 

Ajidahun, C.O. (2004) The acquisition management and bibliographic control of government publication in Nigerian university libraries World Libraries 14

Draboczi, G (Feb 21, 2022) Lesson 6: Role Description - Discussion Groups 3  LIBE 467 63D 2021W2

Riedling, Ann Marlow, and Cynthia Houston. Reference Skills for the School Librarian: Tools and Tips. Libraries Unlimited, an Imprint of ABC CLIO, LLC, 2019.

Torukwein, David-West, Boma. “Availability and Utilization of Reference Sources in Academic Libraries By.” Academia.edu, 25 June 2021, https://www.academia.edu/49360503/AVAILABILITY_AND_UTILIZATION_OF_REFERENCE_SOURCES_IN_ACADEMIC_LIBRARIES_By.

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http://blog.whooosreading.org/15-most-accurate-school-librarian-memes/