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Policy Statement - Teacher librarians in Australia

Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and

Australian School Library Association  (ASLA)

Purpose

To describe and promote the role of teacher librarians in Australian schools.

ALIA Objects addressed

To ensure the high standard of personnel engaged in information provision and foster their professional interests and aspirations.

To represent the interests of the members to governments, other organisations and the community.

ASLA Objectives addressed

Promote an understanding of the aims, needs and educational significance of school library resource services and teacher librarians

Maintain the awareness of Government bodies of the needs and educational significance of school library resource services and advise them on all matters concerning school library resource services and teacher librarianship.

Principle

Lifelong learning for all citizens is one of the stated aims of Australian education authorities. It is acknowledged that to participate fully in an information society, students need to be information literate.

Statement

A qualified teacher librarian can be defined as a person who holds recognised teaching qualifications and qualifications in librarianship, defined as eligibility for professional membership for the Australian Library and Information Association [ALIA]1 Within the broad fields of Education and Librarianship, teacher librarians are uniquely qualified. This is valuable because curriculum knowledge and pedagogy are combined with library and information management knowledge and skills. The teacher librarian plays a critical role in the development of information literate citizens who are lifelong learners.

The teacher librarian is a leader within the educational community. The valuable role of the teacher librarian focuses on:

  • Learners and learning
  • Teachers and teaching
  • Resourcing the curriculum
  • Facilitating access to information
  • Developing the physical environment
Teacher librarians support and implement the vision of their school communities through advocating and building effective library and information services and programs that contribute to the development of lifelong learners.

1 Learning for the future 2nd ed. p.60

Related documents

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

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

Statement on information literacy for all Australians (ALIA website)

ALIA Core values statement (ALIA website

Adopted May 2003