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Theme 2: The Many Roles of the TL in Managing and Evaluating Reference Services


This section of the course focused on the complex and diverse roles of the teacher librarian in the effective management, administration and evaluation of the school library’s reference services. While this may sound technical, fundamentally this section was about the various roles of the teacher librarian in building an excellent resource collection in a optimally functional library.

We first examined the role of the teacher librarian as interviewer in the Reference Interview. As interviewer, the teacher librarian must determine the many needs of the student - to ascertain the information needed, to clarify student questions and to determine the best format of resources to use. The conversation is necessarily human, in that the librarian examines the deeply human connections to the questions being asked: prior learning, fears and emotional cues, areas of need. The process is more akin to a doctor-patient relationship in which doctor attitude, the safe setting, professional skills, and ability to talk and listen are foremost. It strikes me that this is an area which can never be replaced by technology. A computer may be able to provide a list of resources, but it can never meet the client on an emotional level and support them through the vulnerable process of asking a question. A successful reference interview does not simply lead to a list of resources, it is essential that the student feels heard and that they have been “given adequate attention” (Riedling, p.104).

Next, we analyzed the varied roles of the teacher librarian in providing programming and instruction, management of learning resources and effective leadership in resource-based learning. Our group discussion invited us to explain which roles seemed most important to us and why. The conversation was a beautiful expression of our individual passions and priorities. While some saw collaborative planning and teaching as the core of teacher librarianship, others expressed that providing leadership in teaching and training peers was paramount. Again, this reflects the humanity of the library; each of us brings our unique gifts and strengths to the library, to the benefit of all users. The role of collaborator is not more important than that of community networker or program promoter. All are essential and all are impacted by the personal nature of the teacher librarian behind them. The role is certainly complex and multi-faceted!

The final section of this unit focused on the visionary role of the teacher librarian. Beyond providing the aforementioned services, the teacher librarian must also develop and assess the policies, practices and facilities of the library. In an effort to provide intellectual, physical and digital access to resources and programming, the teacher librarian must focus on increasing student information literacy skills and promote resources. The teacher librarian is called to look both ahead and behind as they plan for future initiatives and assess and weed resources.

The role of the teacher librarian is both deeply human and incredibly complex
The role of the teacher librarian is both deeply human and incredibly complex. I’ve created a word cloud with some of the keywords from the readings and our discussions to represent some of that which the teacher librarian is called to do in effective management and evaluation of reference services in the school library. 
 Word art created by Sarah Coull using wordart.com, 2019: https://wordart.com/edit/558u9uu4my2r

Resources
Riedling, A. M., Shake, L., & Houston, C. (2013) Reference skills for the school library media specialist: Tools and tips (3rd ed.). Santa Barbara, CA: Linworth.

Images courtesy Pixabay and tagged CC0 Public Domain - no attribution required


Comments

  1. Aaron MuellerFebruary 15, 2019 at 6:08 AM

    Excellent reflection post. So many interesting points and statements you wrote deserve comment. Your highlight of all the individual ways we express ourselves as T-Ls, the core aspects of our human skills that can never be replaced by a computer, the word clouds you created and the opportunities ahead as well as the reminders from behind, all demonstrate deep understanding of this last theme and our explorations as a course. Well done.

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  2. Ms. FletcherFebruary 15, 2019 at 8:32 AM

    I really like your word cloud and its form - it visually captures all a teacher librarian can offer. I think you make a strong point about humans needing real conversations, and this is what a reference interview is, a conversation to understand what the student/patron is really seeking. As you mention, technology alone cannot provide this human element and tailored care, and it is akin to a doctor-patient relationship! Just last week at the public library I listened as the librarian helped an elderly patron find information about the Keto diet. They found a book and the librarian was guiding him through some of the information as he lead with follow-up questions. He then asked, "but can I still have ice cream?! Oh no! You sound like my doctor!" The librarian laughed and politely said, "you can choose what you do, I just found you the information!"

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  3. Sandy H.February 16, 2019 at 6:20 PM

    Long live the teacher-librarian! Your comment about how no machine can take the place of human connection was spot on. We exercise this human connection, combined with a heavy dose of intuition, when we aid a student who is struggling to express a question, when they need assistance to clarify or pare down their questions and when we figure out if we have satisfied their query or when they require further support or assistance. Our “human-ness” is what makes us highly effective at what we do and I'm not afraid that computers will ever effectively replace teachers or teacher-librarians.

    Sarah, your word art was a creative and inspiring expression of the complex, sometimes overwhelming, yet exciting and life-giving role (for both ourselves and our community) that a teacher-librarian plays. Thank you for sharing this. It has certainly given me pause to think and appreciate.

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  4. Laura SherriffFebruary 21, 2019 at 1:25 AM

    It's interesting that you compare the teacher librarian/student relationship to a doctor/patient. And just like you experience a lot of different beside manners, there are different approaches you can take to this role. I also like that you can bring a variety of different skills to the role (tech, literacy, inquiry etc.). But I think you pinpointed the most important role of being there for the students.

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  5. CT GuyFebruary 25, 2019 at 3:17 PM

    I liked that you mentioned the TL's role is both human and complex. It really emphasizes the core of being a TL in an educational setting. There has been such a technology push in the last few decades and mostly connections to databases and computer usage; however your comment about the personal quality of the TL is very on point in today's library environment. I am certain cities could or very shortly replace most humans in the library with self-checkouts and robotics based shelving units, but the library would suffer I feel. As you say, the role is complex and I doubt could ever be fully replaced, the TL is the libraries heart and soul in the larger system at work. I feel you also sussed out some larger adjacent themes from part two in your post.

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