What exactly are teacher-librarians and can a school library operate without them?

At the start of September furore erupted over the decision of the Newcastle-Maitland Catholic diocese to redeploy or make redundant teacher-librarians at 58 schools. Unsurprisingly, discourse expressed horror by the diocese’s decision and spoke at length about the importance of teacher-librarians, especially amid the seeming decline of Australian school students’ literacy outcomes. Indeed, a petition to mandate teacher-librarian roles in schools, which has the official support of Australia Reads, the Australian Library and Information Association and the Australian Coalition of School Libraries, received over 18,000 signatures in a week.

This got me thinking. Yes, this pants-on-head ridiculous decision runs counter to the goal of improving the educational outcomes of our students. However, libraries are staffed by more than just teacher-librarians. And the increasing cutbacks to any kind of resource to the library speaks to a bigger issue: a systematic devaluing of school libraries as a whole – which includes the people who work in them.

Thus we arrive at this month’s question: what exactly are teacher-librarians, and can a school library operate without them.

As always, let’s start with the basics – my apologies if this is tedious because you already know it. What is a teacher librarian, exactly? As per the Australian Library and Information Services (ALIA):

A teacher-librarian holds dual expertise and accredited (ie a university qualification that has been officially evaluated and approved by an independent, recognised professional body, such as ALIA) qualifications for both teaching and Library and Information Sciences (LIS).

A librarian, therefore, has an accredited degree in library and information sciences, which qualifies them to work in a school library but not to teach a class independently.

A library technician usually – but not always – works under the supervision of a librarian and holds an accredited diploma in LIS.

A library assistant requires no formal qualification and usually only provides assistance to librarians and library technicians.

Currently, there are no consistent regulations in Australia for who – if anyone – should staff a school library, or even if a school should have a library. The absence of these regulations shows. School Library Association of SA president, Hajnalka Molloy, told 891 ABC Adelaide “prior to 2011, teacher-librarian positions were mandated in SA as a funded position,” but now, less than 15% of all schools in the state have a teacher-librarian.

To get a sense of what this might look like practically, I reached out to Helen, a much loved member of the bookstagram community who works as a library technician employed in a Victorian Government secondary school. She commented, “if I was a library technician at a school that also employed a librarian or a TL, my tasks would be much different.”

As it stands, what she does in her day-to-day work includes, but isn’t limited to: “Collection development, Purchasing decision, Budget management, Strategic planning, Program planning, Student supervision, Collaborating with staff, Daily circulation tasks, Shelving, Cataloguing, Covering, Stocktake, Display creation, Reading promotion, Booking & running author visits.” She didn’t mention that she also runs a fantastic Instagram account, but she does that, too.

She added, “Because I am NOT a TL: We do not have scheduled time tabled classes in the library, but we do have teachers that book the library space classes. When classes come into the library we help with finding resources for their research tasks. I do run library sessions, on request from teachers. When I run a session, the teacher needs to be in attendance.

“When I plan an author visit, I run those sessions but again teachers are rostered on for student supervision. What that basically means is that they are in the library during the session and I can call on them if I need assistance with student behaviour, but I do everything else.

“Even though I am not a TL, I do create research/study guides in LearnPath to support the teaching curriculum. This is done in consultation with the documented lesson plans that our teachers have created, as well as the information in the Victorian Curriculum.”

Sam, a library assistant in an Independent school, shared with me a proposal for their school to employ a teacher-librarian. Helen’s work aligns with many of the tasks listed on it. Sam also outlined their day-to-day work, which includes: “Collection management (stocktake, updating digital records, cataloguing, weeding, repairs, organising shelves), Circulation desk,  Displays, School digital news posts, Scholastic book club, Once a year author talks and book fair.”

Sam elaborated: “Because of my knowledge I have a lot of influence on purchasing however I have to get permission to buy something from head of library and head of school depending on what it is. Teachers come in with their class […] and if there’s time help out with recommendations and chat to the kids but teachers control the time […] So the students love of reading is really at whim and mood of their teacher and how much they value library time.”

Helen and Sam’s comments reveal three things.

First, they are powerhouses.

Second, the lack of regulation means a school library can exist and operate without a ‘fully qualified’ librarian or teacher-librarian. However, it makes the job of library staff that much harder in terms of creating curricular intersection and engagement – such as keep being discussed in relation to literacy outcomes.

Third, that a school library doesn’t simply exist in isolation. It needs someone who knows the collection, and the school community, to flourish.

Focusing on the diocese’s decision is therefore only part of the discourse. The bigger conversation is how we are resourcing – or not resourcing – school libraries in general, and how they are positioned within schools with respect the classroom teaching.

A 2024 article by Carrol et al outlines, “the global financial crisis and federal government stimulus initiatives, which included a large-scale infrastructure and refurbishment programme  [… included] AU$14.2 billion […] allocated to the Primary Schools [… to fund] new and refurbished halls, libraries and classrooms […leading to] the building of 2650 new primary school libraries in both government and non-government schools. While funds were made available for infrastructure, the staffing of these new facilities and education for school librarians did not keep pace.”

The article continues, observing “the removal of measurable benchmarks for existing service delivery in school libraries, declining government services to support school library staff, and a decline in teacher-librarianship education. For example, in the 1980s, all Australian state education departments had established centralised school library advisory and support services to assist those working in libraries in the areas of library management and curriculum. In the following decades, these state education department units were gradually closing, had closed, or were devolving into regional or local support units. By the early 2010s, all such services had ceased to exist.”

In sum, the diocese’s decision is the consequence of nearly two decades of Government providing rhetorical support for school libraries and literacy outcomes without looking at what needs to happen to ensure school libraries aren’t just tacked on to a school, and can support literacy in students.

Of course, we know reading for enjoyment is linked to higher literacy outcomes. It would seem obvious that a well resourced and supported school library would contribute to that. Yet, as this article points out: “school librarians are generally perceived as existing on the periphery of the educational experience in schools,” and “teacher librarians were not typically felt to be valued as a profession.” Factors contributing to this perception are “their status as educators out-side the classroom [and] low administrator regard and understanding.”

This is supported by research by Webber et al, who explored school libraries in a Scottish context, where they observed: “despite accumulating evidence regarding the essential service provided by school libraries and librarians, the profession remains at risk.”

Webber et al conclude “librarians support adolescents’ development as readers, as well as highlighting the vital, yet ‘largely hidden’ aspects of the role in supporting pupil wellbeing.”

It’s this invisibility to the work of library staff, and the importance of them doing this work in the contextual space of a library rather than in a classroom – that was highlighted by the diocese’s decision to relocate or make redundant those teacher-librarians.

With that in mind, let’s consider a couple of the evidence-based claims about what school libraries and their staff do that can (hopefully) add weight to the arguments we might make for good support, in the form of funding and thoughtful regulatory standards, for these institutions.

Webber et al found that while libraries are often expected to work “in an educative capacity” through implementing literacy programmes, or providing tailored support for struggling readers, they also worked to cultivate “volitional reading” by nurturing a love of reading within students. Cultivating this love of reading is often achieved by “gaining deep understanding of pupils’ reading interests and preferences and using this knowledge to match them with inspiring reading material.” This requires knowledge of the student and connection with them. It’s accomplished by someone whose dedicated job is to work in the library in this capacity, not someone who might come in one day a week, or who may tack on staffing the library to their main work (I have anecdotally heard this happens in my former Primary School following the retirement of the wonderful long-serving librarian; the alternative is nobody does it).

Webber et al also observe, “Librarians in many schools also take on a pastoral role,” which includes providing support and space for students who might be struggling academically, or who may fall into minority demographics, as well as “providing general support, cultivating positive relationships with pupils, creating and maintaining a welcoming environment, contributing towards social inclusion and pupil self-esteem.”

I am struck by the sheer number of things library staff do; something I also thought when reading over Sam and Helen’s day-to-day work. Although the study did not distinguish between librarians and teacher-librarians, we can see that an individual does not have to be a teacher-librarian to implement many of them, especially as Helen and Sam’s answers prove. However, a library which includes dedicated and brilliant technicians and assistants like Sam and Helen and has librarians and teacher-librarians can perform its intended duties to the fullest; teacher-librarians have an authority and accreditation to directly engage curriculum and teaching activities which then mean the library can be embedded within curricula in ways that support students’ learning.

The Carrol et al article also references the findings of a 2010 Senate enquiry, which concluded: “teacher librarians can play a vital role in educating future global citizens, who need to be […] responsible cyber citizens, able to discern the value and merit of the overwhelming amount of information that they encounter online.”

That last observation is particularly interesting, given it was made in 2010, before social media algorithms became individually curated, before the terms ‘fake news’ or ‘post truth’ entered public discussion, and before the age of Generative AI, Large Language Models, and the proliferation of AI slop further complicating the capacity to unpack whether what we encounter online is truth, fiction, or some confusing space between the two. Subsequent research has underscored the importance of teacher librarians and the library context in which they work.

Teacher-librarians have training and accreditation to directly liaise with classroom teachers, and develop and deliver classes on these subjects. This is the major thing which sets them apart from other library staff. However, the authority that comes with this accreditation doesn’t mean these outcomes will automatically happen. Schools need to have a cultural norm of collaboration with teacher-librarians. That starts with a requirement to have teacher-librarians in every school, but should include appropriate resourcing for multiple library staff members and curriculum guidelines which direct members of teaching staff to directly liaise with teacher librarians.

I have had the enormous privilege of being situated in educational contexts where the library staff were fantastic. I think about the impact they – and the spaces in my interactions and lessons with them occurred – have had on me as a reader, an author, a scholar, and a person navigating the ‘age of disinformation’ frequently.

A library is not just a collection of books; it’s a place where people can study, read, where classes can take place, or where students can ‘hang out’ (provided they aren’t too disruptive). Webber et al’s respondents “described the ways they organised the library space to make it feel safe, relaxed and welcoming, as well as incorporating specific resources and activities to help pupils feel comfortable.”

A library is a vital part of a school space and educational toolkit. It is a space that is crafted by the people who work within it. I’d love for us to expand our justifiable outrage at the Newcastle-Maitland Catholic diocese and the declining rates of teacher-librarians in schools to incorporate a holistic support the place of school libraries in our education system, as well as the people who work within them.

A huge thanks to Helen and Sam for so candidly speaking about their work with me.