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It was an interesting experience reading about each other’s libraries, wasn’t it? After learning about the differences between our sites, group C concluded that our school communities vary greatly. The needs of our community influence both the development of the collection and the professional competencies we felt were most important. Although competency 1.5 (“Has expert knowledge in evaluating learning resources…to support the instructional program”) was chosen by four members of our group as one of the top three, we concluded that all competencies are necessary in a Teacher Librarian. The choice of professional competencies that are most significant to a TL’s work in collection development and organization will vary depending on the TL’s present situation. Bishop (2007) states “Effective collection development must be based on reliable knowledge about the collection’s users” (p.19). This detailed look at our “community” of library users was a good first step in understanding how to manage the collection.
 * __ “Show and Tell”: Week 1 Discussion Summary __**

As our discussions progressed we looked at ways to support the various competencies, what the role of a TL means in our own schools and districts and some of the challenges TLs face in the area of collection development. Here are a few highlights of what was discussed:


 * How can a TL best facilitate learning and collaboration and enjoyment? We shared ideas and teaching tips with each other such as using Inquiry-based cross-curricular Resource Units to build relationships with staff and improve student learning.


 * How the collection is maintained? We found each site has a slightly different process, from the school district doing all the ordering and preparation of the items in the collection (as in Kevin’s district) to individual teachers helping to add to the collection, (as in Jacqui’s school).


 * By exploring the cultural and language make up of our schools in greater detail, we realized that this has a large impact on our selection choices. Kevin’s far north Selkirk population was quite different from Melissa’s eastern Newfoundland district.


 * What is the “job” of the TL in each school? Is TL time mandated according to the district or is it up to an individual school’s administration? We shared our experiences with how other staff sees the TL’s position as becoming more of an “agent of change” and less of a semi-retirement job and also what happens when the TL is away for the day. In this thread, Kathy shared a memorable statement: “By not having TOC's [or a “substitute”] the message is that library time is just a "frill" and can be done without.”


 * We had a spirited discussion centred on the use of technology and school policies, which vary greatly, and what we felt our role as the TL / classroom teacher is in this area. We felt that having online resources as part of our collections influences not only our collections, but our programs, as we need to teach information literacy and web safety. Jacqui posted some links to various online sources in this area and Darren shared the title of a “must read” to gain a better perspective. (“ // Childhood under siege: how big business targets children” //, by Joel Bakan).
 * During our discussion, we also shared ways to include more technology into our schools and some of the innovative ways we are currently using technology with our students.

We all realize that there are challenges that go along with the responsibility of being the TL in a school. Nevertheless, the overall feeling of our discussions is that the library is a place we all would choose to be. In fact Melissa, who has just moved to a new district and now doesn’t have a TL position, stated that she would have to volunteer in a school library soon as she is beginning to experience “library withdrawal”. Even those of us who are not currently in a TL position can often be found “hanging out” in what we agree are the “central hubs” of our schools. Here is a photo of a lovely spot in Kathy’s library. Wouldn’t you like to visit this space?



We hope you enjoyed your first week’s discussion as much as we did!

* Asselin, M., Branch, J.L., & Oberg, D. (2003). // Achieving information literacy: standards for school library programs in Canada //. Ottawa: Canadian School Library Association.

Bishop, K. (2007). //The collection program in schools//: concepts, practices, and information sources. 4th ed. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.