Library In School Library Essay Sample

The foundation of my beliefs that make a teacher librarian (TL) an exemplary instructional partner is rooted in the thought that every student has the right to a personal education. This belief can be modeled in the library by the teacher librarian by creating opportunities that will enable each student to learn and grow. The library is the heart of the school  (Martin & Panter, 2015,  value 1, para 4.) it is a place where students can come and make their education personal. The TL can help students find their passions, simple interests, or just chat about recent fads and trends. The library is a place where the school community can celebrate diversity, accomplishments, or grieve losses and failures without being judged. Every student, every staff member has a unique position in the school and it is up to the TL to be the glue that keeps it all together.

The TL must make the library welcome to all students and staff. The library is a place to explore freely, a place for those who don’t walk the beaten path. It is a sanctuary for those who are stressed out, a place to be calm, to be themselves in a caring environment (Martin & Panter, 2015, value 1, para 1.). It is a place where the school community can be united. Where teachers and the TL can work together to further the learning of each student. It is the job of the TL to connect the library outcomes to curriculum standards by collaborating with teacher and be a continuous learning thread throughout the school (Martin & Panter, 2015, value 2, para 3.)

As a TL it will be of utmost importance to stay current with the trends, news, technology. In order to be the hub of the school the TL will have to know and understand what is going on in the community, what is happening in the country, as well as global topics. This knowledge will not be limited to news, but also to technology. Librarians should be leading the way in digital learning and literacy (Will,  2016, Teaching Digital Literacy, para 2.). Computers, tablets, and cellphones have become an integral part of our everyday lives. It will be essential for the TL to incorporate digital learning and citizenship into the library program. Budgets maybe tight, TLs, teachers, and students may have to cope with the technology and equipment that is available. It will be up to the TL to stay positive, and understand how to troubleshoot and run the equipment to help lessons and learning run smoothly. It will also be the TL that will advocate for updated technology that is critical to the school body.

Teacher librarians are essential to a thriving learning environment. There are many critical elements that make a TL an exemplary intrucstioinal partner, this paper only pointed out a few. If  studies have shown that when there is a full time librarian that actively collaborates with teachers and offers an instructional program the benefits pour out to every member of the school community, then why is there so many cut backs in this profession?  Does society look at our children’s educational experience as one dimensional, teacher - student , paper - pencil?