Life gets in the way so very often. After a long hiatus, I am back, thinking hat on, with a purpose and a promise to be more involved in my blog and my studies. It's amazing how much has changed since I have begun my Masters, especially my perception of the role of the Teacher Librarian, and what it takes to make a good library.
Learning on the job, in a library that has only had well-meaning teaching staff manage it has been terribly daunting and exciting at once. I think what fascinates me is what is selected to spend budgets on, and what is neglected.
How am I going to be a good leader in this context? The dusty, dated library needs an overhaul-maybe data is the key?
Literacy is the other hat I wear at my school, so combining the two should prove fruitful. Softlink found that schools' NAPLAN data increased when there was adequate funding for libraries and library specialists. (Softlink, 2013)
I need to convince the school I work in that greater capital needs to be spent on the upkeep of the library environment- mission brown, wood panelling and green laminex of the eighties is hardly retro-chic. The place is crying out for a makeover- sure I can be 'frugal and flexible' (http://eduscapes.com/sms/administration/budget.html)
with acquiring resources for the collection, but a brand new library is beyond my budget! This once state-of-the-art technical school of the eighties has been allowed to languish in the face of constant education budget cuts-I need to make my role, and the space that I work in, an irreplaceable, valued part of the school community.
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