tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608578348561040061.post2853855251961992115..comments2023-11-03T21:07:28.364+11:00Comments on Stories are light: We Really Do Need School Libraries and Teacher LibrariansUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608578348561040061.post-43013973163994516212011-12-22T19:41:20.890+11:002011-12-22T19:41:20.890+11:00My day job is in a school library as a teacher-lib...My day job is in a school library as a teacher-librarian, but we're a dying species - and I have to teach English, literacy and a homeroom subject, despite being the sole TL. There are no more teacher-librarian courses in Victoria and only about three across the country now. Many libraries are now run by library technicians at best and, in some cases, by people with no qualifications at all. My library's budget was cut down to $3000 this year! I didn't know this had been done, so ran out of money by May. I've fought it and, meanwhile, made the best of the situation. As a writer ands reviewer I know other writers and reviewers. I managed to arrange events and hand over my review copies. I ran a book club at lunchtime. I have taken kids to the State Library for Teen Booktalkers and in one case, we had the huge good fortune of having the State Library's CYL come to us! We managed, somehow,<br /><br />But this can't be allowed to continue into the International Year of Reading. If you care, really care, about school libraries and specialists to run them, Google "Georgia Phillips", a lady who has been running a very successful campaign, including an on-line petition and a government investigation into the role of TLs in school libraries. We're still waiting on the results of the latter.Sue Bursztynskihttp://suebursztynski.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608578348561040061.post-22594481783391895492011-12-17T21:51:26.372+11:002011-12-17T21:51:26.372+11:00Well said Sandy. We need well resourced libraries ...Well said Sandy. We need well resourced libraries with budgets to build collections of printed books along with ebooks. And we desperately need to staff those libraries with qualified teacher librarians to put those books into readers' hands and to support classroom teachers in the teaching of information literacy skills. Yes, information is available online and in electronic format, but we need an expert to teach students to access that information. In WA many state schools are getting rid of TLs. It is such a shame that the Federal Government has funded the building of so mny new libraries yet hasn't encouraged state governments to ensure that they are properly staffed.Sally Murphyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06094054139556676270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608578348561040061.post-84793659955730826862011-12-17T19:09:44.686+11:002011-12-17T19:09:44.686+11:00I can't agree more Sandy. We are pretty lucky ...I can't agree more Sandy. We are pretty lucky at our school. We have a great library and a dedicated teacher who has a keen interest in children's fiction. He is a member of our writers' group and writes children's fiction. <br /><br />Every school needs a library.<br /><br /><br />JeffJeffery E Dohertyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17510796613549766241noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608578348561040061.post-86180501362821021032011-12-17T06:22:15.435+11:002011-12-17T06:22:15.435+11:00Nice articleNice articlefreightbackhttp://freightback.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com