Section 1

1.6 Staffing

Staffing

The following section is based on Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and Australian School Library Association (ASLA) standards and Tasmanian Department of Education statements of duties. It may be used as a guide to determining staffing levels for school libraries.

ALIA /ASLA recommends that the person responsible for managing the school library and information service should be a qualified teacher librarian. This is a person who holds a recognised teaching qualification and qualifications in librarianship, defined as eligibility for professional membership of the Australian Library and Information Association. ALIA and ASLA are both national bodies and the recommendations they propose are for the ideal school library situation. It is recognised that in many school libraries the duties may be devolved to other school library staff, or may not be performed at all.

The teacher librarian is both an educator and an information manager. This enables them to combine their knowledge of the curriculum, teaching strategies and learning styles with knowledge of resource management, information services, personnel management and information access systems including information technology systems.

In practice, staffing in school libraries can vary from school to school - from large high school and college libraries with one or more teacher librarians, to small primary school libraries run by resource teachers, parents or volunteers. The description below of the roles of different personnel in a school library represents the ideal and is based on national standards. Staffing levels in Tasmanian school libraries are at the discretion of the school principal.

The primary responsibility for the duty of care of students remains with the teacher-librarian or teacher in charge of the library.

Other staff in a school library may include library technicians, library assistants, volunteers, student library assistants, in-school mentors (ISMs) and part time library staff. Each of these categories of employees will be discussed in turn.

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The role of the teacher-librarian includes:

Collaboratively devising and implementing programs for information literacy, resource discovery, literacy and to encourage reading.
Having a key role in the development and implementation of the school's information and communication technology (ICT) program.
Developing, organising and managing information resources that meet the educational, cultural and recreational needs of students and the professional needs of teachers.
Devising and delivering professional learning opportunities to school staff as well as participating in library-related professional learning activities.
Being responsible for all library management, including:
Collection development and management
Preparing and administering library and information management guidelines (policies) for the school
Ensuring equity of access to resources
Preparing and administering the library budget
Training and supervising library personnel, including volunteers
Evaluating and reporting on library programs
Organising the library including devising and implementing systems for efficient library operation

Selection criteria for employment of a teacher-librarian may include:

Evidence of well-developed and current knowledge of curriculum content and teaching methodologies as related to library and information management.
A broad knowledge of the principles and practices of contemporary librarianship and their application in an educational setting.
Appropriate teaching qualifications.
Appropriate qualifications in librarianship.
Well-developed communication and interpersonal skills, including the capacity to interact effectively with a range of school community members.
Personal skills of flexibility, adaptability as well as a high degree of motivation. Commitment to the principles of equal opportunity in education for all students

ALIA and ASLA's joint statement of standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians describes the professional knowledge, skills and commitment demonstrated by teacher librarians working at a level of excellence.

Teacher librarians work in cooperation with the school Principal and other teaching staff to achieve successful educational programs. They should be involved in curriculum planning and school committees and play an active role in the teaching and learning process.

In schools that operate the TALIS automated library system, teacher librarians are responsible for the maintenance of high quality shared catalogue records (school and public libraries) and for sharing the responsibility of maintaining the integrity of the database. Some teacher librarians may be asked to mentor library technicians in schools other than their own to ensure catalogue records are accurate and to provide cataloguing advice.

For information about teacher-librarian and librarianship courses for people holding a tertiary qualification refer to the University of Tasmania website.

Courses for librarians and teacher-librarians may also be undertaken through distance education at Charles Sturt University, Edith Cowan University or Curtin University

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Library Technicians

Qualified library technicians hold a diploma-level or equivalent qualification from a TAFE Institute, conferring eligibility for library technician membership of the Australian Library and Information Association. Library technicians provide technical support by maintaining and operating library systems and assisting in the provision of reference and information services.

The role of the school library technician includes:

Amending and retrieving monograph and serials catalogue records and constructing basic records under supervision and in accordance with national and international standards
Maintaining and providing technical support and training in the use of multimedia equipment used in information access, distribution, retrieval and control
Applying established standards to the storage, maintenance and preservation of library materials
Guiding and assisting students and staff in retrieving information
Gathering and collating technical information for school staff
Assisting in collection management and assessment
Operating and maintaining manual and automated library control systems
Supervising less experienced staff as required
Training less experienced staff and trainees in technical procedures
Applying quality assurance procedures as required
Undertaking clerical duties associated with the above tasks

School library technicians are expected to be able to exercise reasonable initiative and judgement in monitoring work, dealing with issues associated with school library operating procedures, the application of school library policies and techniques and the interpretation and referral of enquiries. A technician is expected to work without close supervision, but priorities are determined by the supervising teacher, teacher-librarian or Principal.

Selection criteria for employment as a school library technician include:

Demonstrated understanding of the function and use of computer applications in libraries including an ability to construct records and accurately encode and interpret data from printed and electronic sources.
Proven knowledge of bibliographic tools and the principles of bibliographic control including the creation of bibliographic records.
Sound experience and knowledge of library procedures including, circulation, document delivery, stock maintenance and information access, together with an understanding of the role of the library in a school environment.
Sound interpersonal and communication skills, in particular the capacity to convey technical information to staff and clients in a non-technical manner.
Good organisational skills and demonstrated personal initiative and motivation coupled with the ability to work effectively in a team environment.
Ability to supervise staff as well as capacity to provide procedural and on the job training to staff.

Library technicians in schools are provided with TALIS training by the State Library Systems Support team. The dates and topics of training sessions are available on the Systems Support website.

For information about the Institute of TAFE Tasmania diploma courses in Library and Information Services see the websites: Library/Information Services Diploma

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Library Aides

Library aides are teacher aides working in a specialised area. They operate routine library procedures and provide the clerical support necessary to maintain the efficient functioning of the library.

The role of the school library aide includes:

Providing clerical support to information services staff (e.g. teacher librarian, library technician)
Assisting in the maintenance of library facilities such as re-shelving resources, set up of displays, operation of security procedures
Assisting in the maintenance of bibliographic records and user records, following up overdue resources
Issuing and recording loans and registering new borrowers
Processing and preparing resources and materials, including repairs
Assisting members of the school community to access resources and materials
Arranging bookings of library and meeting rooms and maintaining areas in good order

Library aides are also expected to participate and assist in whole of school activities and to assist on school camps or excursions. Most library aides receive on-the-job training and TALIS training provided by the State Library Systems Support Team. They perform tasks under supervision.

Selection criteria for employment as a school library aide include:

Proven communication and interpersonal skills with both adults and students.
An understanding of the work of a library or resource centre.
An understanding of general educational processes and methods.
Proven capacity to work as part of a team and be adaptable and flexible.
Established skills of creativity and initiative.
A good standard of numeracy and literacy with personal skills of accuracy, precision, personal organisation and planning.

Library aides are eligible to gain recognition of their skills by achieving a certificate as part of the Teacher Aide Learning and Recognition Framework (Department staff only). Certificate II contains units suitable for library aides, although some library aides with more experience might tackle Certificates III or IV.

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Volunteers

Volunteers, such as parents and student helpers, can provide valuable help with routine tasks in the library. They enable the school library to extend and enhance its programs – they do not replace staff in the execution of the school library program.

Parents can help with preparing stock and shelving items, keeping the library tidy, supporting pupil use and organising displays, promotions and other special events. The existing skills of volunteers may be harnessed for a variety of library tasks.

Volunteers may also include people who are undertaking voluntary work as part of a library-related course or as part of a work-experience program. These volunteers are often capable of carrying out specific short-term projects. Students can also help out with some of these tasks and can help promote the library to other students.

The teacher-librarian should provide some training and/or experience to all volunteers.

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Student library assistants

Teacher-librarians can provide opportunities for student leadership by guiding students who volunteer as assistants or monitors in the library. The teacher librarian should decide how best to train the student volunteers so that they are in turn able to assist other students and library staff.

An example of a comprehensive student library volunteer program can be found at the following website: Student Teaching and Research Services (S.T.A.R.S.) program at Palmerston Districts Primary School.

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In-School Mentors (ISMs)

Certain teachers may be designated as In-School Mentors (ISMs) in schools. In-School Mentors are identified teachers in schools who have received training from the Department of Education professional learning team. Their role is to provide support and professional development in the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to staff in their own school. The teacher-librarian is well placed to be the ISM for the school as the responsibilities may overlap with teacher-librarian competencies.

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Part-time library staff

School libraries are often staffed by part-time professionals, part-time technicians, part-time clerical assistants or a combination of some or all of these people.

In order to facilitate the smooth operation of the library, part-time workers should ensure that efficient communication is a priority. Well-trained support staff is essential if the teacher-librarian is part-time as there may be no time available for the teacher-librarian to train or supervise library staff.

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