Australian School Library Association > Policy > Joint policy statment - library and information services in schools

Policy Statement - ALIA / ASLA joint statement on library and information services in schools

1. School library and information programs and services are integral to the goals of the school and the aims of the school curriculum.

2. As a member of the school's teaching team, the teacher-librarian has a role in the planning, implementation and evaluation of education policies, curricula, outcomes and programs, with particular reference to the development of students' information literacy.

3. As a member of the schools' management team, the teacher-librarian has a role in ensuring the school community's access to an organised collection of teaching and learning resources and services designed to meet the educational, recreational and cultural needs of that community.

4. As a significant sector in Australia's total information resources, school libraries should provide access to a network of library and information programs and services at the local, state, national and international levels.

5. So that the library and information services offered through the school library both shape and reflect the school's goals, professional staff should be qualified in teacher-librarianship on entry to the profession, and have the opportunity to undertake continuing professional development.  Appropriately-qualified technical and clerical staff should assist professional staff.

6. Library and information programs and services in schools should be developed within the context of ASLA and ALIA endorsed statements.

(Reference: Australian School Library Association and Australian Library and Information Association 2001, 2nd edition, Learning for the future: developing information services in schools, Curriculum Corporation, Carlton South, VIC, p 56.)

Adopted: 1989

Readopted: 2003

© ALIA/ASLA