Lyn Hay School of Information Studies Charles Sturt University Wagga Wagga, NSW

1. The Principal-Library Team Dynamic… Powerful partnerships forging information literate school communities Lyn Hay School of Information Studies Charles Sturt University Wagga Wagga, NSW

2. Principals & teacher librarians are together responsible for establishing environments for effective teaching and learning to take place

3. An information literate school community… • whole school information policies & ICT plan • benchmarked information competencies & student portfolios • funds for information service provision • members understand TL role as teacher as well as information expert

4. teacher in charge of information services is qualified TL • teachers as learners • information skills across curriculum/in context • process of learning from information – resource based, problem-solving learning • learning contexts varied/wide range of resources • teaching teams encouraged

5. student drafts included in assessment • information tasks negotiated with stakeholders • social justice issues considered re use of information process in homework • student feedback encouraged • student records of self-assessment • principal expects TL to meet ‘corporate’ information needs

6. Creation ofan information literate schoolcommunity

7. Inhibitors & enablers • analyse school for primary inhibitors & basic enablers • inhibitors – lack of time, confusion of roles, poorly designed assignments • basic enablers • team approach to teaching • understanding of constructivist learning • commitment to lifelong learning • competence developing learning strategies (Kuhlthau, 1993)

8. Information literacy traits • invention • fluency • support • navigation • searching • selection • questioning • planning • interpretation • deep thinking • commitment (McKenzie, 1998)

9. If principals and TLs are responsible for establishing environments for effective teaching and learning... what factors are critical to a successful and professional partnership?

10. Principals.... • understanding of information literacy & encouraged teachers to embrace it • preferred verbal communication • support TLs as a quasi-senior member of staff as long as the TL is credible • identified TLs as ‘natural’ ICT leaders • rely on TL’s professional judgement • not exposed to TL issues at Principals’ conferences & meetings

11. Principals.... • provide TLs with freedom to ‘do their own thing’ • allow release to plan/teach collaboratively & undertake professional development • support information literacy via major ICT funding & ongoing support of collection development • are uncertain how to evaluate the success of information literacy programs • place high value on TL qualifications & merit selection for the school’s TL position

12. Principals have high expectations....

13. They have high expectations of.... • TLs being ICT literate & having a vision of the future development of information services in the school • what the TL should achieve in & beyond the library • the TL as information advisor to the Principal

14. Principal-TL relationship TRUST • principals gave TLs ‘what they wanted‘ because they believed the TL would only make ‘legitimate’ demands • TLs tended to be ‘conservative’ in their requests – did not abuse the principal’s trust

15. SHARED VISION • Development of an ILSC could only be achievedthrough an integrated school library program: • close alignment between the TL’s & principal’s vision was essential • TL had to be credible & act as a change agent • TL needed broad based support & not seen as part of factional politics

16. Themes of principal support.... • understanding & believing in a collaborative school library program • recognising the importance of the TL • ensuring collaborative planning time & other program resources • providing appropriate staff development • monitoring implementation of a collaborative school library program

17. Level of principal support.... • measuring perceptions • identifying the level of attention given at present & in future • measuring beliefs • indicate strength of alignment between P & TL • open-ended questions • identify barriers & support, P & TL roles and contributions

18. Findings • Ps & TLs demonstrated close affinity across perceptions & beliefs • Ps viewed themselves as spending less time on critical matters than their TLs thought they did • Ps perceived current allocation of time on information literacy support as all they could give • Ps needed to increase support in 5 areas • TLs disagreed with some belief statements

19. Findings • Ps and TLs differed in 3 beliefs about TL absence, credibility & professional competence • Ps & TLs viewed TL critical contributions to quality teaching & learning as: • professional development of teaching staff • collegiality • collection management • process orientation • ICT expertise

20. Findings • Ps & TLs strongly agreed barriers hindering IL across curriculum were: • funding • teacher knowledge & beliefs • teachers desire • planning time • credentials • TLs saw lack of top-down support as major impediment in ability to influence curriculum

21. What do we need to do? Follow these 8 ‘Guiding Principles’...

22. Guiding principles 1. Communicate regularly 2. Don’t assume anything. Keep yourself & your partner informed 3. TL must be visible 4. TL must seek alliances 5. Ensure a balance in TL duties 6. Lead by example as information users 7. Work & learn together

23. Develop an ILSC blueprint • emerging  developing  proficient  advanced • Indicators • Existence of an information policy • ICT plan in place • Information skills taught & learned in context, across the curriculum • Authentic assessment enabling information skills integration • School-wide appreciation of TL role • Learning contexts varied, available in variety of formats • Mechanisms to support professional development of teachers for information literacy

24. “We can’t impart something we can’t live, we can’t teach something we don’t know, andwe can’t expect something we cannot model.That’s why we need to clearly identify our paradigms and choose principles we want to guide us…

25. “And it’s also why we can’t afford to leave anyone behind in this process because, if we do, we’ll inevitably do the same with our students.”

26. The Principal-Library Team Dynamic… Powerful partnerships forging information literate school communities Lyn Hay School of Information Studies Charles Sturt University Wagga Wagga, NSW