An article was published in The Age Newspaper in Melbourne last year that questions the relevance of the Teacher Librarian to the learning process.
But at the same time it looks at the threat that the profession is facing as some schools opt for specialist teachers in other subject areas instead or in some instances closing libraries and replacing them with IT Centres.
I have to say "well done" to the paper for highlighting the challenges that the profession is facing.
But there was one thing that I felt that was missing from the comments provided by Dianne Ruffles (Teacher Librarian - Melbourne Grammar) and Alison Lester (Author); the importance of communicating information.
As a Teacher Librarian, I believe that providing students with skills in the effective communication of information is important to the learning process. It is one of the most important life skills that one can possess as it allows us to share and transfer information from person to person, whether it may be in a written form, visually or verbally. Through that new knowledge can be created.
But are we on borrowed time? I'd say no. Jobs are under threat from budgetary but as the research indicates, Teacher Librarians are gaining an ever more important role in the learning process. For me, just continue to advocate the role and show to everyone how wonderful Teacher Librarians are.
