| The 21st century school
librarian: educator, information manager and expert adviser
JAMES E HERRING
This piece originally appeared in January
2000 issue of Focus, the newsletter of the Scottish Division of the
Career Development Group
Introduction
Woody Allen is quoted as stating that people should try to avoid making
predictions, especially about the future and indeed, trying to foresee
developments in the educational world of the school librarian in the
next century can be seen as a hazardous task, given some previous
predictions to be found in the literature. Despite the dangers of being
quoted in 50 years time as an example of aberrant futurology, this
article will seek to address the following topics :
*Future developments in IT in schools
*Future developments in learning and teaching in schools
*The future role of the school librarian
It is hoped that by addressing these issues, school librarians will be
able to plan ahead confidently and enrich the learning of future school
pupils by developing their own professional skills and careers.
Future developments in IT in schools
The most immediate change in schools in the developed countries in the
early 21st century will be the development of intranets. A few pioneer
schools across the world have developed intranets but , in this author's
view, these intranets will be seen in the future as limited in scope.
The key issue for schools relates not just to the type of IT used to
develop the school intranet but to the information content of the
intranet. This author's model of an effective school intranet envisages
the following
*An intranet has been developed based on the school's or the local
authority's server
*School information resources of different kinds are available via one
source i.e. the school intranet's home page and include the school
library catalogue, networked CD-ROMs, email and the World Wide Web,
curriculum related downloaded websites, instructional websites and
school administrative information.
Thus schools have some way to go before they can claim to have effective
intranets which exploit the technological advances available [1].
Other developments in IT which are particularly relevant to school
librarians are the development of the OPAC into a truly useful
curricular resource e.g. by increased annotation of resources in the
OPAC and the integration of URLs and downloaded websites into the stock
of the school library. There will be a significant increase in the range
and type of electronic journals available Developments in IT in schools
provide a range of opportunities for school librarians to extend their
present range of services and to support the curriculum in new ways. A
proactive approach will be needed by school librarians who will need to
make teachers and school management aware of the skills they have as
information professionals to identify new technologies and new
information resources and develop them to support learning and teaching.
Future developments in learning and teaching in schools
Given the above technological developments, especially the development
of intranets, school librarians may fear that their role in the school
could become marginalised. Two scenarios can be envisaged for the role
of the 21st century school librarian.
The nightmare scenario
This scenario sees all learning and all learning resources being
available online and accessible from anywhere in the school and from
home. Pupils and teachers are so accustomed to using Web based materials
that they no longer use books or other library based materials.
Information skills development is done online and not face to face. The
school librarian is an administrator of online resources who is mainly
concerned with the school's resources budget but no longer has daily
personal contact with pupils or teachers as no-one visits the library
any longer.
The blue skies scenario
In this scenario, while there has been a great increase in online
materials, pupils and teachers still use both print and electronic
resources. The school library is the learning centre of the school and,
in some schools, traditional use of the classroom is now redundant. The
school librarian is the key developer of the use of online and print
materials in the curriculum and coordinates the school's information
skills programme. The school librarian is the key INSET provider in the
school and trains teachers in the development of instructional websites
and the effective use of e-journals and Web based educational resources.
While school librarians obviously need to be aware of the first
scenario, there is little likelihood of it occurring if school
librarians continue to play an active role in resource development in
the school. In some schools, the blue skies scenario will develop
although many schools may find this scenario difficult to get to because
restrictions such as finance and an unwillingness to change amongst
school management.
The future role of the school librarian
The future role of the school librarian will depend on a number of
related aspects but the key aspect will lie with the school librarian
herself and her ability to identify what changes will occur in the
school and how she can be actively involved in managing such changes.
The future role can be seen as incorporating 3 different aspects -
educator, information manager and expert adviser. As an educator, the
school librarian will be the school's key player in the development of
information skills in the school. Using models such as PLUS [2]
or the work of authors such as Kuhlthau [3], school
librarians will provide pupils with the key learning skills to cope with
both print and electronic resources. In the future, teaching information
skills will be seen as important in the school as teaching subject areas
such as history. As information manager the school librarian will
develop an online map of the curriculum for the school and will be the
online resource manager for the school. She will select and evaluate
both print and online materials and will develop skills in evaluating
Web based materials which can be used by pupils and teachers in the
school. As expert advisor, the school librarian will be recognised by
school managers as an expert advisor in developing the school intranet;
training teachers to use technology and online resources in the
curriculum; advising teachers on the availability and value of print and
electronic resources, websites which are particularly geared to the
school's curriculum.
Conclusion
The 21st century school librarian in the short term will have a role
very similar to that of today's school librarian. As the century
progresses, however, her role is likely to change radically as is the
technology and the mode of learning for most pupils. What will not
change is the need for the school librarian to be a flexible, adaptable
lifelong learner and agent of positive change in the school, a person to
whom both pupils and teachers turn in order to get professional,
curricular and learning advice. The school librarian's role will be
challenging, rewarding and, above all, extremely valuable in the school
of the future.
References
[1] Herring, J. E. Exploiting the Internet as an
information resource in schools. Library Association Publishing, 1999.
[2] Herring. J. E. Teaching information skills in
schools. Library Association Publishing, 1997.
[3] Kuhlthau, C. The virtual school library. Libraries
Unlimited, 1997.
James E. Herring
Head of Information Management Group, Faculty of Arts
Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh, Scotland
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