Australian School Library Association > Policy > Policy Statement - Teacher Librarian Qualifications

Policy Statement - Teacher Librarian Qualifications

Staffing is the crucial factor in the provision of effective library resource services in schools. Teacher librarians, library technicians and clerical staff play an integral role in achieving the learning outcomes which are the goal of schools' learning programs.

Both professional and support staff are needed for the effective functioning of the school library resource centre and the achievement of the desired learning outcomes.

The person responsible for managing the school library resource centre and information services should be a qualified teacher librarian.

A qualified teacher librarian is 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).

These qualifications ensure that the teacher librarian is both an educator and an information manager with integrated understandings from both of the areas. As a result, a knowledge of the curriculum, teaching strategies and learning styles is combined with a knowledge of resources and information access systems. This enables teacher librarians to undertake an active role in curriculum design, support and implementation.

Courses in teacher librarianship emphasise the unique, integrated nature of the role.

(Source: Australian School Library Association and Australian Library and Information Association, Learning for the future: developing information services in Australian schools, Curriculum Corporation, 1993.)

Adopted November 1994