Rethinking roles & responsiblities of teacher librarians

The NMC Horizon Report: 2014 Library Edition, examines key trends, significant challenges, and emerging technologies for their potential impact on academic and research libraries worldwide. Following the publication of the report, the New Media Consortium hosted a virtual symposium on The Future of Libraries which includes 4 videos on the following topics:

  • Emphasis on mobile
  • Content management & technical infrastructure
  • Increasing access & discovery opportunities
  • Rethinking roles & relationships of librarians

It is this last video on the changing role and relationships that held my attention.

Even though the focus is on academic libraries in higher education the content does highlight similar issues that are common to school libraries.

Here are some key points to ponder:

  • Shift in hiring trends where institutions are seeking personnel with digital and/or technology backgrounds
  • Need to map existing personnel skill set against criteria that moves the institution forward which then identifies expertise to offer and areas for continuing professional learning
  • Engage in virtual outreach to learning community and provide opportunity to work collaboratively online with teaching colleagues
  • Advocate and lead the ethical use of information in the school community
  • Be flexible, adaptable and agile to work in with the information change movement – minimise resistance to change, e.g. moving towards digital collections and online resource access, novel approaches to curation strategies and techniques
  • Be responsive to changing needs of clientele
  • Look for and engage in connecting curriculum to critical information needs in the classroom – seen as part of the faculty/department in the teaching and learning process
  • Increase the visibility of the library through creative spaces and places for experimentation, e.g. makerspaces in response to teaching and learning needs of users
  • “Follow” the voices that compliment what you do and challenge what you do – harness and leverage your networks to support your patrons
  • Develop a unique skill set – cross cultural, digital fluency, sense making of complex information flow, design thinking, digital and media literacy, proactive advocacy for diverse range of library services to the school community

In the closing remarks of the broadcast, one of the panel members strongly supported the need to consistently engage in the rethinking process as it is an essential interactive process with colleagues to keep the profession vibrant and visible.