So, it seems that to be an "excellent" teacher librarian one must possess a certain level of superhero abilities. Not only must you be able to foster a love of literacy and lifelong learning, you also need to be a technology expert, a curriculum collaborator, a library administrator...even as some of my fellow students suggest, a counsellor for the kids that seek refuge in the library. The list goes on....
The question that Purcell raises, is how to prioritise all of these different roles in an individual school. From my own observations of several schools (as a parent) the focus is usually decided based on the skills and interest of the incumbent TL. I have two girls aged 10 and 8. My 10 year old attends an independent school with a school library rich in books. Her weekly library lesson consists of being read a story, followed by a complementary activity, and then some time for borrowing. It seems that this is what the TL finds comfortable and familiar, and she is very good at it.
Contrast this with my 8 year old, who attends our local public primary school. The TL at the school does not actually take any library lessons, nor is she involved in borrowing books. Rather, she fulfils a number of roles within the school; a "jack of all trades" if you like. Her technolgy skills are outstanding, and she seems to enjoy setting up wiki spaces, blogs, etc. She also helps out in the classroom during literacy lessons and takes the students for drama exercises. I can't actually pinpoint what her role is, but it does seem like she is used to help out in a number of ways throughout the school.
How do we find someone who can do all of the roles with passion? My feeling is that the school should prioritise what they want from their TL based on the school mission, and then decide whether their current TL is able to achieve all that they want. If they are not up to the challenge, then it's time to put out a call for a superhero!
