The School Librarian as Literacy Leader

6th Rizal Library International ConferenceLeadership and Change: Setting Directions Braving the Odds

October 23 - 24, 2014

Zarah C. GagatigaTeacher Librarian, The Beacon Academy

Laguna, Philippines

http://lovealibrarian.blogspot.comzarah.gagatiga@gmail.com

@thecoffeegoddes

The 1st International Conference on Children’s Library Services

Theme: Connecting and Linking of Information through Transformed Children’s Library Services

http://lovealibrarian.blogspot.comzarah.gagatiga@gmail.com

@thecoffeegoddes

Librarian, transformer ka ba?

“Humans don’t deserve to live!”

They deserve to choose for themselves.

Transformative Learning

Empowered thinking

Visioning

Focusing on the future

- W. Spady, OBE Founder

● Empowered thinking entails critical thinking.

● Being a visionary requires creativity; imagination and endurance

● Keeping an eye towards the future would mean valuing the given time to use resources, plan strategies and reflect and figure out what works and what does not.

Transformational Leaders

Understand the human potential to learn continuously.

Can manage oneself

Believe that lifelong learning is a culture, a lifestyle, a philosophy

Where do we find transformational leaders?

Leading from the Middle

Leading from the Middle

The individual is not in a position of power but can exercise influence from

a different position.

- Ken Haycock, 2010

Leading from the Middle

INFLUENCE is

POWER.

School librarians are in a position to lead from the middle.

● Information literacy teacher

● Reading advocate● Information

manager

- M. Eisenberg, 2002

● Coordinator and advocate ensuring equitable access to technology and resources

● IL instructor sharing teaching roles with teachers

School librarians are in a position to lead from the middle.

Instructional leaders who support the instructional mission of the school.

- S. Coatney, 2010

● Teacher● Instructional

partner● Information

specialist● Program

administrator● Information Power

ASSL, 1998

IFLA UNESCO School Library GuidelinesThe librarian’s main role is to contribute to the mission and goals of the school including the evaluation procedures and to develop and implement those of the school library. In cooperation with the senior school management, administrators and teachers, the librarian is involved in the development of plans and the implementation of the curriculum.

IFLA UNESCO School Library Guidelines

The librarian has the knowledge and skills regarding the provision of information and solution of information problems as well as the expertise in the use of all sources, both printed and electronic.... the librarian should lead reading campaigns and the promotion of child literature, media and culture.

DepEd School Library Guidelines, 2011

The professional licensed librarian shall be given a faculty status, with corresponding privileges and benefits comparable to those of the teaching faculty.

- Standard III - Human Resource

DepEd School Library Guidelines, 2011

C. Coordination with the faculty shall be done to promote effective use of the school library media center.

D. Instruction on the effective use of library media center and on various information sources shall be given to the students as well as to the faculty.

DepEd School Library Guideline, 2011

E. The school library media center shall be available for use by individual students and by class groups throughout the school day. Flexible scheduling enables the teacher to ring his class to the library at the best time suited for the purpose of class supervised research.

- Standard V - Services and Use of Resources

Code of Ethics for Philippine Librarians

Article 1.2 states the librarian’s responsibility in promoting literacy and education of the public by making the resources and services of the library known and accessible to its users.

School Librarian as Literacy LeaderUNESCO (2006) has four discrete understandings of what literacy is: a) literacy as an autonomous set of skills; b) literacy as applied, practiced and situated; c) literacy as a learning process and;d) literacy as text. Literacy as an autonomous set of skills pertains to the acquisition of oral, reading and writing skills and its continued development.

School Librarian as Literacy Leader● Has a personal vision of literacy● A model of the reading the habit● Has a deep understanding of the reading and writing

process● Examines best practices in literacy instruction especially

where technology is applied● Able to communicate the literacy vision and reading

passion to school leaders, teachers and colleagues. ■ D. Achterman, 2010

Research Question

How do school librarians perform their role as literacy leaders in their school and learning

community?

Interviewees profile

● All are licensed librarians● K-12 ready schools, PAASCU accredited● 5 - 20 years work experience● 1 PhD; middle manager● 1 MLIS; section head● 3 pursuing MLIS; section head

Interview results: On literacy and reading culture

● Common definition of literacy is the ability to read and write

● 4 believe that a reading culture begins with the individual

● 1 thinks that reading culture is a set of training experience on literacy skills development

On planning, implementing, evaluating literacy and reading programs

3 plan with staff, teachers and students2 have little time to plan with teachers and students1 conducts evaluation of literacy and reading program based on criteria4 do not evaluate literacy and reading program but includes these in annual report

Top 10 Literacy & Reading Program1) Information Literacy / Library Instruction Program2) Book Fairs 3) Storytelling Program4) Bibliotherapy and Reading Guidance Program5) DEAR Program

6) Top Ten List of Books, Movies, App7) Film Showing8) Author and Illustrator Visits9) Book talks and reviews through book clubs10) Book Mobile and Reading Camp

On community involvement & collaboration

1 involves parents and alumni in storytelling programs1 includes parents and alumni in evaluation of programs and activities4 involve school administrators, teachers, staff and students in programs and activities

Top 3 Goals of the Program

1) to foster a genuine love of books and reading;

2) to promote books and use of library resources;

3) to model the reading habit.

Top 3 Challenges1) budget and logistics – collection development is the bigger slice of the pie;

2) time constraints and different goals and objectives of library staff and colleagues;

3) lack of support from school administrators - difficulty to communicate to school administrators the relevance of literacy and reading programs.

Literacy leadership roles

All five believe on the relevant role they play as literacy leader in their learning community.

Best Practice

1. Book Mobile & Reading Camp

2. DEAR Program3. Assessment &

Enrichment Program

4. Pinoy Read-a-thon

Analysis

● All five are good managers of literacy and reading programs.

● Literacy vision is unclear and unarticulated thus communicating programs to administration is a challenge.

● Evaluation of literacy programs is weak.● Lack of literacy and reading activities that

blend print and technology use.

Recommendations● Start immersing and grounding oneself in literature;

● Create a personal vision of literacy and define pathways towards its actualization;

● Develop a personal and professional learning network where they can discuss, converse and partake in ideas on literacy leadership with local and international librarians;

Recommendations● Learn about reading and literacy advocacy and that the

school library is part and parcel of this advocacy. Once this is understood and learned, go out there and advocate the school library to school leaders, teachers, parents and other members of the community;

● Practice and apply trends and ideas learned from personal learning network in real life and in work life;

Recommendations● Find mentors and support groups in the process of

transitioning from manager of library services to literacy leaders in local and international library organizations;

● For local and national library organizations to conduct seminar-workshops on leadership and design mentoring programs that develop leadership qualities of their librarian members.

Recommendations● More benchmarking activities that focus on leadership in

libraries and best practices discussion in library workplaces need to happen in professional organizations.

● Publicize these discussion points and document the development of ideas on librarian leadership through online platforms for accessibility.

Recommendations● Review of the Library and Information Science

curriculum in undergraduate and graduate levels that looks at a tracking on education, children's literature, young adult literature, psychology and educational technology is a suggestion as well. This is to further prepare graduates of LIS who chose to work in school libraries become school librarians who are leaders and advocates too.

The “All Spark”

Managers stay in the status quo. True leaders dare to imagine and create the future.

- Michael Gorman, 1982

From manager to leader

Follow your passion and life will reward

you.

- Iroh of the Fire Nation, Dragon of the West