Professional Documents
Culture Documents
IN ONTARIO
The Ontario
Library Association
2009
notice of copyright and intellectual property
Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario
The Ontario Library Association
a study by Queen's University and People for Education
Document Citation
@ your library®
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The Ontario Library Association Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario
CONTENTS
Introduction 3
Libraries as hubs 6
The teacher-librarian 13
Continuum chart 21
Ongoing challenges 34
Conclusion 36
Methodology 38
iii
acknowledgements
We would like to thank all of the principals, teachers, teacher-librarians and
students who participated in this study.
They not only gave freely of their time, but they provided us with many
insights about school libraries, teacher-librarians and education policy.
We would also like to thank the students and parents in the elementary
school who allowed us to take photographs of them in the school library.
authors
Don A. Klinger, Lead Researcher
Elizabeth Lee
Gay Stephenson
Christopher Deluca
King Luu
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The Ontario Library Association Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario
exemplary school
libraries
Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario The Ontario Library Association
The study involved 8 elementary school libraries selected by the Ontario School
Library Association based on input from regional contacts in the association. These
libraries were chosen because they had been previously identified as having
exemplary library programs.
In order to obtain rich information about these programs and identify the stories,
relationships, policies, and practices surrounding a exemplary library program, we
obtained:
relevant school and library documents related to literacy initiatives that involve
the school library
a summary of extra-curricular library practices and procedures as well as those
that are integrated with classroom activities and programs;
interviews with the school administration, teachers, and librarians;
student and teacher surveys, and
observations of the operation of the elementary school library and teacher
librarian.
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The Ontario Library Association Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario
introduction
school library and teacher-librarian are
Exemplary School libraries are a central
recognized as playing a critical role in
hub of the school. They are prominently
supporting the educational outcomes of the
placed and a centre of activity and
school, the term “exemplary” can be
learning. The teacher librarians in such
attached to the school library.
programs commonly collaborate with
other teachers in the school, and they This work is a continuation of a study
find ways to engage the community to funded by the Ontario Library Association.
best support children’s learning. It was conducted in a unique partnership
between researchers from Queen’s
University and the non-profit organization,
People for Education.
“The best thing about our school library is the
librarian. She is kind and helpful. We wanted to begin to understand the
Without her there is no library.” characteristics and procedures that enable a
school library to be an integral part of a
A student in one of the case studies
school’s literacy initiatives and overall
success.
What we found will provide a foundation
The purpose of this project was to identify for identifying the procedures and practices
the characteristics of an exemplary that are most associated with exemplary
elementary school library. We asked the library programs. We believe this
questions: What are the characteristics that information will be of value for the broader
exemplary libraries have in common? and community of teacher librarians, classroom
What are the things that make them teachers, and administrators responsible for
unique? increasing and/or maintaining student
What we discovered is that the vision of literacy achievement, as well as parents who
the library as a classroom and a welcoming share the role of supporting children’s
place of learning are the key facets of literacy development.
exemplary school libraries. When the
The school library, located beside the school entrance and kitty corner from the school
office, colourfully reflects the energy and enthusiasm with which Ms. V. embraces her role
as a teacher librarian. The front window looks onto the school’s courtyard entrance, and
beside one of the many “cozy corners,” complete with comfortable chairs and a round
table, stands Sir Bob, a knight in full armour. At least ten big stuffed animals can be found
flopped out on top of shelves filled with books – at an easy to reach height for those
tempted to read them. Walls are plastered with posters of the latest publications for the
Forest of Reading. There is a computer lab, a piano, and, of course, a nice bit of floor space
furnished with a cushioned wooden rocking chair.
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Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario The Ontario Library Association
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Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario The Ontario Library Association
libraries as “hubs”
Similarly, principals in the schools
Key to an exemplary library program is
considered the school library as the core
the teacher-librarian’s ability to be an
place for the school for the success of learning and
effective teacher, providing
teaching. They recognized the critical role
educational support and leadership
they played in supporting the teacher-
through partnering and collaboration,
librarian as a key teaching member of
while finding opportunities for
their staff.
integration and cross-curricular
connections. In part because of the leadership of the
principals, classroom teachers in the
schools took every opportunity they could
to work collaboratively with the teacher-
librarians, often sharing in lesson planning
and delivery.
Student satisfaction
Students reported high levels of
satisfaction and engagement with the
school library. They were active readers
and the majority also wanted to have
more opportunities to use the school
library
Libraries with multiple roles
Clearly, we found both of these programs
Staff attitudes key for exemplary school to be exemplary in the practices of the
libraries teacher librarian and the educational
In the two schools in the initial case support provided by the school library.
studies, the teacher-librarians, classroom We also found that even within these two
teachers and the school administrators all schools, the library has multiple roles,
considered the library as a classroom and extending beyond those of book
an important place for learning. selection, or as a place for reading and
The teacher-librarians in the two initial research.
case studies endeavoured to create a The teacher-librarians went far beyond
school library that was welcoming to both simply managing books and resources or
teachers and students. They believed their providing preparation time coverage.
primary role was the promotion of
student learning and saw the library as the There was a qualitative difference
centre of the school. These librarians between the two schools in terms of
made the library the heart of the school activities within the libraries. These
and seized on every opportunity to teach activities varied in terms of the amount of
in an engaging fashion, bringing an teacher collaboration, library use, and
enthusiasm that drew students and staff ongoing library programs.
into the library.
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The Ontario Library Association Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario
Students in the first school library case These findings help to frame the
study reported a much wider variety of subsequent results and the continuum of
activities. As an example, there was a exemplary practice that we have created.
substantial difference between schools The student survey results from these
with respect to the impact of the “Forest two schools will be reported later along
of Reading” program. with the students’ survey results from the
other school library programs we studied.
The Forest of Reading program had a
relatively strong impact on students in These findings were critical in developing
one of the schools, where the school the Continuum of Exemplary School
administration and many of the teachers Library Programs, especially as related to
in the school supported it, while it had a Level 3 on the continuum.
relatively weak impact in the other
school. These preliminary results
suggested there might be different stages
or levels, based on school context, that
exist along a continuum of exemplary
school library programs.
Given the detailed focus on the two
initial school library programs, the
following results highlight the key
findings of our interviews and
observations in both of these schools.
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Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario The Ontario Library Association
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The Ontario Library Association Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario
government, and the creation of a film both the students’ criteria and the board criteria
from the novel Charlotte’s Web where for selecting books. It was amazing. They loved it.
students made models, wrote the script, In the front it looked like a mini bookstore, but in
and directed and videotaped the story. the back it was just like a warehouse. Their eyes
Benefits for other teachers nearly popped out of their heads - all these books!”
Exemplary library programs possess a
One of the benefits of partnering cited by range of qualities
the teachers was that each teacher could
bring his or her own strengths to the When teachers were asked to describe the
partnership. Similarly, teachers assisted most important features of an exemplary
library program, apparent differences
each other in building skills in areas where
they themselves may be less knowledgeable. emerged, supporting the premise there are
a number of stages or levels in the
The teacher-librarian was considered a key continuum of what can be identified as
teacher who was knowledgeable in many exemplary. In one school partnering and
fields, could see the big picture and was collaboration were acknowledged as
capable of tapping into many resources important features, along with adequate
inside and outside the school. resources in the library, open
In one case, a classroom-teacher explained communication, an organized teacher-
how partnering with the teacher-librarian librarian, and even the benefit of simply
had taught her how to tackle teaching having a teacher-librarian. In the other
drama, a subject she was not comfortable school, partnering seemed to be the key
with. feature. It was the first thing the teachers
From field trips to projects—multiple uses
mentioned and they continually referred to
for libraries and librarians it throughout their interviews.
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Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario The Ontario Library Association
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The Ontario Library Association Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario
the teacher-librarian
An exemplary library program is a hub This striving for improvement was em-
from which learning branches out into ployed as a deliberate strategy. The
all areas of the school. teacher-librarians individually modeled
life-long learning by seeking out learn-
This vision of the library as a place for ing opportunities in areas that were
learning and teaching emerged again and
again in response to a range of questions.
new to them and then transferred it
back to the library to enhance their
Innovation and challenge program.
The librarians in the case studies continu- Engaged and enthusiastic
ally worked to move beyond their current
success, challenging themselves and their The teacher-librarians in these school li-
program, rather than simply repeating braries were enthusiastic about their jobs,
what they had done. This is in contrast to with one stating “I tell everybody I have the
a more traditional approach where, once a best job in the entire school…because you get to see
lesson, an activity, or an event is success- it all.”
ful, it is repeated, becoming a routine. The Although they had different personalities
repetition is understandable, but it does and expressed this enthusiasm with dis-
not address important nuances that require tinct styles, there was a high level of en-
adaptation. gagement in the job. This was apparent
These teacher-librarians did not turn suc- from the range of programs each had de-
cesses into routines. For example, one de- veloped for their libraries and their wider
scribed a successful parent initiative that in involvement in their schools, serving on
many good library programs would be re- grade level and administrative teams.
peated again; however, in her program she They each had a positive outlook towards
consciously changed it every year "staff, and the staff and spoke with real appreciation
students and parents all come together, and every of the students. They recognized the chal-
year we change it to keep it fresh but still support- lenges faced by their schools but inter-
ing the whole theme of literacy." It was not preted these as opportunities; they weren't
change for novelty's sake but rather the discouraged but relished the challenges.
outcome of reflection and evaluation.
“Forest of Reading”
From partner collaboration, linking to
school initiatives, parent programs and In two of the initial case studies, the
book exchange the librarians set them- teacher-librarians not only ran very suc-
selves high expectations, and sought out cessful Forest of Reading programs but
challenges for themselves and for the pro-
gram.
"I really enjoy my job, I enjoy the kids. It's We are “the centre of all action…where teachers and stu-
never boring, always challenging. I'm always dents start their day and travel to the library during the day
able to find a new creative twist that I didn't and end their day…all the resources are used endlessly.”
know existed." A teacher-librarian in one of the case studies
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The AnnualSchool
Exemplary ReportLibraries
on Ontario’s Public Schools
in Ontario The OntarioPeople
Libraryfor Education
Association
they had given them twists to infuse more And one ran a Tamagochi club after
learning objectives. school for a defined block of time in
which children were able to bring in their
"I think that one of the important qualities that
own Tamagochi and play with them in
my school library program has that makes it
the club.
successful is that a lot of it is open flexible part-
ner time. We all bring different strengths so that "I saw the educational potential of them, but in
when we plan a unit, or when we are teaching it many schools they are banned. I spoke with my
or marking it that we all bring different perspec- principal before forming this club. And we
tives." worked out that we would have a baby-sitting
office. My office was the Tamagochi day-
care…And then we would play. …. the kids did
not think they were learning anything. When I
"I wanted to show the staff that there was some asked them, they said, “Oh, I learned some new
value in my job and one of our school initiatives is cheat codes. Oh I learned how to play this game
literacy so I coupled those two things together and really well and earn more points.” In terms of
created a program that would support both, what I
call a literacy based drama program. I took a full year content learning, it was as much about the learn-
of drama training offered through the drama ing skills and the collaborative skills; that is
department after school…previous to that I had no where I found the Tamagochi club made a bene-
experience with drama. I taught lessons and I fit."
reported on drama expectations that I gave to
teachers for the report cards and that was a huge This librarian had turned a problem in the
success. I was able to tie it to our school initiatives school into an opportunity for learning.
and I was able to support our lower level students
and engage them and I was giving teachers These exemplary librarians stressed the
something of value to them, which is covering a importance of building relationships with
piece of the curriculum." students and staff and they created op-
A teacher-librarian in one of the case studies portunities for this to happen. Referring
to the Tamagochi club, the teacher-
librarian saw it as "a way to reach those kids
that are really hard to reach. And a way that is
Going beyond expectations
not always manageable when it is only just cur-
riculum, or just about learning. It is about build-
Each of the teacher-librarians in the initial ing relationships."
case studies had designed instructional
units or extra clubs that were out of the They also recognized that they needed to
ordinary. Moreover they were intended work with different staff members in a
to address a variety of issues and had flexible manner to fit each teacher's com-
learning objectives seamlessly embedded fort level. …[one teacher] "is not as comfort-
within them. able with the collaborative piece. And when she
and I tried partnering in one way it did not work
To meet the language needs of English very well so we worked it out in slightly different
language learners one teacher-librarian way."
created a story telling club in the library
to provide extra language practice.
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The Ontario Library Association Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario
Time makes all the difference is cut back to .5).” As this librarian con-
Funding was named as the biggest chal- cluded “if I’m only deemed worthy of half time
lenge as it determined the librarian's ap- partnering period that sends a pretty strong mes-
pointment and thus the amount of time sage to the staff that it’s not a worthy enough pro-
that could be devoted to teaching. In two gram.”
of the case studies the teacher-librarians Volunteer support posed another chal-
reported that their library had benefited lenge. When they were fortunate enough
from their principals' support through ex- to have help, they utilized it to maximize
tra funding. This took two forms: funding their teaching since these volunteers would
additional librarian time beyond the mini- help with book fairs or library material
mum prep allocation, and extra funding management.
for library resources.
Flexible time/flexible role
In those cases, the librarians had a full
The teacher-librarians recognized the im-
time position though the size of the
portance of flexibility within the program
schools required only a .5 position. Both
and in how they worked with teachers as
librarians expressed the view that this addi-
contributing factors to success. The flexi-
tional time allowed them to teach rather
bility of an open timetable allowed for col-
than simply manage the collection and
laborative teaching with depth. This was
cover other teacher’s preparation time.
attributed to the principal's support in the
Working collaboratively with teachers in a assignment of load and through the extra
substantive manner was not possible with funding for her position.
only the amount of time available in a prep
coverage allocation.
The larger amount of time resulted in
higher quality instruction for students be-
“We get passports. The teachers read the titles as well. At
cause meaningful learning units that inte-
the back of the library there are charts that show which
grated knowledge and skills across the cur- teacher had read which book. The kids come to read the
riculum were possible, with students bene- chart which helps them in terms of chart reading. And then
fiting from more than one teacher. on their own time they chat with the teacher to earn a signa-
Additional library funding from the princi- ture on their passport. The Red Maple group, have different
pal helped to validate the important role of options as to how they can chat. They can do it individually, or
as a group. So, because they are very social animals, they’ll
the library program. But the teachers were decide they read the book or they share it among themselves
concerned about the negative impact if and they say, “okay, there are 3 of us who want to do a group
this funding was lost. chat” and they call it chocolate chat. We have these elec-
"My value as a teacher librarian and the value of tronic buzzers, sit around and we quiz each other. For every
the library will start to be diminished (if the time right answer they get they get a chocolate. The third option
the Red Maple group has is to do it online. So they can go
onto our teleconferences, and they can post a review."
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Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario The Ontario Library Association
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People for Education
The Ontario Library Association The Annual ReportSchool
Exemplary on Ontario’s Public
Libraries Schools
in Ontario
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Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario The Ontario Library Association
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Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario The Ontario Library Association
librarian who is a change agent, striving A school library operating at Level 3 will
to alter both the context and the differ from one in Level 2 because there
program. is greater support the educational role of
school library program. However, it is
Programs at Level 1 face the greatest
important to recognize that a school
number of limitations due to context and
library program may be at different levels
the greatest school resistance to accepting
for different library characteristics. For
the educational role of the school library.
example, a school may be at a Level 2
Subsequent levels have fewer contextual
with respect to its financial supports but
limitations.
be functioning at a Level 3 in its ability to
integrate within the school culture (See
Table 1).
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The Ontario Library Association Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario
Library’s role in Operates within school Partnerships are Library is central to Level 3 features plus
school culture building learning systematic support
Teacher-
Seen as a secondary Library is an important
librarian’s role in Equal partner
resource resource
school
Integration of
classroom and library
Library “skills” instruction
some teaching is Curriculum and library
Program
unconnected to instruction coordinated Innovative,
classroom instruction opportunistic:
Finds solutions to
barriers
Seen as central to
school's purpose
Shared understanding
Pro-active in support of across staff and system
the library (board) of library role
(as defined in level 3)
Library valued but not Shared decision
seen as central to making System wide valuing
school’s purpose and support for library
Library viewed as
Administration Librarian involved in programs (e.g.,
peripheral
Decision making about school leadership board level consultant)
the library may not
involve the librarian Understands & values PD support for
the instructional role of librarians,
librarian
Librarians are required
Scheduling supports to have specialization
instructional role of
librarian
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Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario The Ontario Library Association
level 1
consultant support or professional
Exemplary school library programs at
development opportunities. PD support
Level 1 operate within a context that
for school library programs is unavailable
places several constraints on the
at the board level.
teacher librarian and the school library
program. Teachers working within a Level 1 school
context may have limited experience with
Such a context may be due to financial or
a teacher-librarian or with developing
budgetary constraints and is marked by a
teacher partnerships with the teacher-
general lack of teacher and administrator
librarian. Ultimately, a lack of experience
support. Often, these programs have
makes integration of the library program
partial (i.e., part-time) teacher librarian
more difficult as teachers are reluctant to
positions resulting in limited
use the library and partner with the
programming.
teacher-librarian.
The principals and teachers in the schools
Sometimes I have to go out and hunt people down. we classified as having Level 1 exemplary
school libraries spoke enthusiastically
Teacher librarian about the teacher-librarian and the school
library. However, they tended to describe
a traditional view of the school library,
This may result in the teacher-librarian demonstrating a limited understanding of
having to work in more than one school the possibilities the school library offered
or more than one position within a for teaching.
school, decreasing the connection
between the teacher-librarian and The exemplary school library programs at
classroom teachers and students. Level 1 are those in which the teacher-
librarian works within a school context
Such part-time positions make the role of that views the library program as an
the teacher-librarian more difficult. It important source for resources and
especially makes flexible open scheduling information. The teacher-librarian’s
difficult or even impossible to maintain primary role is one of support, providing
and severely limits instructional time. The prep coverage or other specific services,
librarian is used for prep coverage and for example, information technology or
basic library functions rather than research skills instruction.
instructional purposes. In addition,
librarians within this context have limited The instruction the teacher-librarian does
ability to offer open flexible schedules to provide is completed independently, and
accommodate students’ learning needs. in addition to that provided by the
classroom teacher. In order to be
The current or historical school board effective, these teacher-librarians help
policies and library support may also create exemplary library programs
contribute to a disabling context where through their ongoing efforts to build a
there is little expectation for the school richer library program for teachers and
library to be staffed by a trained teacher- students. These teacher-librarians must
librarian. In addition, librarians operating continually work to develop partnerships
within this context may have little that enable the librarian to be more
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Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario The Ontario Library Association
level 2
Similar to exemplary Level 1 school
A distinguishing characteristic of Level
library programs, effective teacher-
2 school libraries is an increased
librarians working at Level 2 actively try
emphasis on integrating instruction.
to modify their context to enhance the
Library programs functioning at a Level 2 role of the library within the school.
have fewer constraining school contexts
The increased emphasis on integrating
than those at Level 1 and play an
instruction in Level 2 libraries is the result
important and ongoing role, supporting
of many factors within the context. For
classroom teachers and students’ learning;
instance, teachers were more open to
but they are not viewed as central to
working cooperatively with the teacher-
achieving the school’s purpose.
librarian. Given the increased funding
support, librarians within this context
have developed partnerships with
“I think that people are starting to see how well classroom teachers and take on a larger
it's working.” instructional role.
Teacher Librarian
Teachers are not only more willing to
work collaboratively, but the instructional
cooperation between classroom teachers
Exemplary Level 2 library programs
and teacher-librarians is more apparent
benefit from greater administrative
than observed in Level 1. Again, this is an
support. Principals in these schools
ongoing process that takes time and
typically held a broader view of the role
effort.
of the library within the school culture
and their active support of the library As one teacher librarian commented,
influences how the library is viewed and “With total support from the administration my
used by other teachers. biggest challenge was changing the way the library
was used.”
"But it's a process. If you'd have come the first
year it would have been different…one of the Certainly, time is an important factor that
things the principal and I talked about as a helps teachers and administrators
strategy was finding the teachers you know would understand how the school library
be on board like that." program can contribute to learning. It
shifts the ways in which the school library
Funding is often unstable from year-to- is used, and changes the working
year with administrators providing partial relationships between teachers and the
funding, at least for a period of time. This teacher-librarian. However, successful
funding is used to provide prep coverage collaborations also help to develop the
so that the librarian can focus more time role of the school library and the teacher-
on instruction and planning. These librarian.
efforts allow librarians working within a
Level 2 context to begin to make Teacher-librarians in exemplary Level 2
meaningful connections with classroom school library programs focus on
teachers and encourage greater use of the promoting the library program by
library and its services alongside a focus encouraging teachers to use the library
on instruction. and partner with the librarian for
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Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario The Ontario Library Association
level 3
(a) funding additional librarian time
Key to a Level 3 exemplary library
beyond the minimum prep allocation,
program is the teacher-librarian’s
and
ability to be an effective teacher,
providing educational support and (b) extra funding for resources.
leadership through partnering and
Principals would prioritize funding for
collaboration, while finding
library services, finding extra internal
opportunities for integration and
funds to increase the library allocation.
cross-curricular connections.
Short of board level cuts, the teacher-
librarian's position was secure. The
increased librarian time allowed teacher-
“I think it is empowering staff and students. It is librarians to be much more involved in
not my library, it is not my computer, it is not my teaching, rather than simply being a
collection, it is ours.” mechanism to manage the library or
Teacher-librarian provide preparation coverage. Not
surprisingly, such a model provides
higher quality instruction for students and
Exemplary Level 3 school library opportunities for teacher collaboration
programs are able to have a primary focus and curricular integration.
on student learning. Collaboration between classroom
A review of the cases illustrate that in teachers and teacher-librarians was seen
Level 3 programs, the library is a central as a critical activity within Level 3
part of the school with links throughout programs.
the school. The library extends well Librarians worked very hard over time to
beyond a site for book selection or as a build teachers’ awareness of the benefits
place for reading and research. collaboration with the teacher-librarian,
The teacher-librarian serves many roles, and had successfully demonstrated these
beyond managing the library resources or benefits to the staff.
providing prep coverage for teachers. They sought to provide ever-changing
Librarians in Level 3 programs have support to teachers and had successfully
opportunities to teach in an engaging reached the point where they were
fashion. The staffs in these schools share participating in true collaborative teaching
a vision of the library as a place for with classroom teachers in the school.
learning and teaching, and the library has
Exemplary level 3 programs had teacher-
a critical role supporting students, staff,
librarians who seized on every
and each school’s mandate.
opportunity to teach in an engaging
Level 3 school library programs exist in a fashion and brought an enthusiasm to
context having strong administrative this that drew students and staff into the
support. Principals considered the library library. Hence the teacher-librarian was
to be integral to the schools’ mission. considered a key provider of instruction
in the school and the school community.
These school library programs are highly
supported, often through extra funding. Examples of initiatives in Level 3
This funding took on two forms: exemplary school libraries included:
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Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario The Ontario Library Association
level 4
program, is largely based on good
We were unable to categorize any
fortune, rather than systematic efforts.
programs as level 4, as unfortunately,
School library programs that are
school libraries in Ontario receive
supported may suddenly disappear and
intermittent support.
then have to be recreated years later.
What differentiates Level 4 programs
The ad hoc approach to the role of
from Level 3, is that they have systematic
school libraries in education from the
administrative support at the school,
three levels of administration (school,
school board, and provincial levels, both
board and provincial) results in hard won
in funding and policy.
expertise and knowledge vanishing from
the educational system. The quote from
the case study above highlights this
My value as a teacher librarian and the value of continual challenge for school library
the library will start to be diminished (if the time programs, challenges that currently
is cut back to .5) prevent the school libraries we observed
Teacher-librarian in a Level 3 from being considered Level 4.
exemplary school library
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Figure 2 contains our findings regarding The findings also illustrate areas for
students’ perceptions of the roles and further examination. For example, the
responsibilities of the teacher-librarian. students generally did not believe that the
teacher-librarian knew the kinds of books
These findings help illustrate the ways
they like to read.
that students view the function of the
school library. Students responded to Wide variations in perceptions
these items with a “Yes” or “No”
The students’ perceptions of the library
response, and the Figure contains the
were as varied as the programs we
proportion of students responding “Yes”
observed.
to the specific item.
We had intended to use the student data
As presented on Figure 2, these
to examine the similarities across
exemplary teacher-librarians were
exemplary school library programs in
considered an important resource in the
terms of the services provided to
school, teaching students how to do
students. But, because the responses were
research (92%), and use the computer
so varied, we had to revise our original
(65% to 80%), among other visible
intention. (See Appendix “B”)
responsibilities.
The students spoke consistently highly of
Interestingly, over 60% of the students
the school library, but their reasoning for
reported that these teacher-librarians
their views varied. Similarly, students
came to their classrooms.
used the school library in very different
ways.
32
The Ontario Library Association Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Helps choose Helps with Encourages Helpf ul Knowlegeable Knows about Knows about I learned a lot I like the
books homework students to computers Internet f rom the librarian
use library librarian
33
Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario The Ontario Library Association
ongoing challenges
libraries, and because funding for
The challenges facing school libraries
librarians is provided on a per pupil basis,
are part of the context in which the
small schools are much less likely to have
school library operates, and are
teacher-librarians.
important factors in determining the
current effectiveness of the school Some school boards make decisions to
library and the teacher librarian. support school libraries, while others
leave decisions to principals. Many boards
with a history of cutting teacher-librarian
Funding is the biggest challenge across the positions have created a context in which
continuum. It has an impact on the ability of the principals and teachers have less
school library to provide a program that is experience using school libraries. One
focused on teaching students.
third of the elementary schools in
Ontario have no teacher-librarian (People
for Education 2008). Qualified teacher-
On the other hand, the challenges also librarians in these boards may have
illustrate opportunities and directions that returned to classroom teaching, taken
can help library programs become more other leadership roles, or retired.
effective, regardless of their current
status. The province currently spends
approximately $76 million on Literacy
1. Funding
and Numeracy initiatives, but none of
Not surprisingly, funding is the biggest that funding is targeted at school libraries.
challenge across the continuum. It This is surprising in light of the evidence
impacts the ability of a school library from large-scale studies that have clearly
program to provide a school library linked the presence of a trained teacher
program that is focused on teaching librarian who collaborates instructionally
students. It determines the librarian's with teachers to higher student
appointment and thus the amount of a performance on standardized measures of
teacher-librarian’s time that is devoted to literacy, and content knowledge across
teaching. grade levels (Haycock, 2001; Jones &
Zambone, 2007; Lance, 2002; Lance,
Financial constraints require the majority
Rodney & Hamilton-Pennell, 2000).
of schools to find ways to reduce
operational costs. Due to the fixed costs 3. Securing principal support
associated with classroom teachers and The support of the elementary school
building operations, the most common principal was vital to both the existence
method to address issues of cost of the exemplary school library and to its
reduction has been through student continued success.
support services. School libraries have
been particularly vulnerable to such The support of the principal was
funding cuts. demonstrated by dedicating sufficient
operating, maintenance and renewal
2. Policy
funds to the library, allotting
There is presently no provincial policy to teaching/partnership time to the teacher-
ensure all schools have fully-functioning librarian, protecting the teacher-librarian
34
The Ontario Library Association Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario
from delivering excessive amounts of must devote to prep coverage the more
preparation time and, perhaps most restraints there are on instructional
significantly, by clearly acknowledging the collaboration with teachers and the more
teacher-librarian’s leadership role among restrictions on open scheduling.
the teachers in the school. 5. Lack of knowledge
Principals who understand the impact of School libraries are often in difficult
exemplary school library programs on situations. A lack of experience and an
student learning are vital, yet in the unawareness of how school library
context of Ontario where less than 15% programs can contribute to education
(People for Education, 2008) of prevents teachers, administrators and
elementary schools have a full-time policy makers from considering the
teacher-librarian, principals tend to lack school library programs as an essential
sufficient experience with library component of education.
programs to have an understanding of
how well-supported library programs can There is less support for libraries when
contribute to the school’s educational libraries are considered an adjunct to
goals. education, further perpetuating a narrow
role for school libraries. Teacher-
The low level of comprehensive library librarians must constantly advocate for
programs in elementary schools also the presence of a school library program,
creates a situation in which teachers have unlike teachers and administrators who
not had the experience of collaborating are more of a given within the educational
for student instruction with a teacher- system. Leadership at the provincial level
librarian. These two factors result in from the Ministry of Education is
teacher librarians being under-utilized essential to alter this view of the role of
instructionally and needing to justify their school libraries.
place in education. Without the support
of elementary school principals exemplary 6. Lack of systemic policy
school libraries cannot exist. As long a school libraries are not an
4. Delivering preparation time integral part of the educational system at
the provincial level through provincial
Principals in this study identified the use funding, and staffing policy the school
of the teacher-librarian to cover library cannot realize its full potential in
preparation time as an increasing contributing to the education of Ontario’s
pressure. students.
One of the biggest obstacles elementary While some students may be fortunate
school principals face is human resources. enough to encounter a board or principal
Labour agreements with elementary who, through effective policy, fosters the
teachers have included increasing development of an exemplary library
amounts of preparation time each year, program, other students may never have
over three years. Preparation time must that opportunity.
be covered by other qualified teachers in
the school, and teacher-librarians are All students throughout all of their
frequently assigned this role. The greater schooling deserve more.
amount of time that a teacher-librarian
35
Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario The Ontario Library Association
conclusion
Libraries as school hubs
There are exemplary school library
programs in Ontario, but there is not a Exemplary School libraries are a central
unitary conception of an exemplary hub of the school, prominently placed
school program, nor is there is a sin- and a central place of activity and learn-
gle approach that creates an exem- ing.
plary library program. Vitally important is the vision of the li-
These programs are unique but they all brary as a classroom and a welcoming
provide a valued educational service to place of learning. The teacher-librarians
the students fortunate enough to be in are leaders in their school and out-
these schools. standing teachers. Both the library and
the teacher librarian are recognized as
playing a critical role in supporting the
educational outcomes of the school.
There is presently no provincial policy to ensure
all schools have fully-functioning libraries, and In schools with these types of libraries,
because funding for librarians is provided on a students reported high levels of satisfac-
per pupil basis, small schools are much less tion and engagement with their libraries,
likely to have teacher-librarians. and they were active readers. The major-
ity wanted to have more opportunities to
use the school library.
Principal and system support essential
A key attribute of these exemplary library School libraries such as these can only
programs is the exemplary teaching skills
flourish and thrive with support from
of the teacher librarians, coupled with
principals who:
their enthusiasm and ingenuity. These
teacher librarians are excellent teachers, regard the teacher-librarian as a key
maximizing teaching and learning oppor- teaching member of their staff,
tunities for students. allocate adequate resources to the
library,
Our findings highlight the need for and protect the librarian from exces-
teacher librarians to be highly adaptable, sive preparation time coverage.
changing their manner of approach to
suit the styles of the teachers with whom Inadequate school library and teacher
they work and their current school con- librarian support from principals, school
text. The most successful programs are boards and the Ministry of Education
characterized by teacher-librarian and present difficult barriers to overcome.
classroom teacher collaborations in terms Despite the evidence from numerous
of teaching, learning, and library use.
36
The Ontario Library Association Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario
“If I could change one thing about the library I would have
more authors come in.”
“If I could change one thing about the library I would have
more room for people to read and a separate room for
people that are doing things for school projects where it’s
loud.”
“If I could change one thing about the library I would keep
library period everyday.”
Students from the case studies
37
Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario The Ontario Library Association
methodology
Our inquiry focused on elementary We conducted one 45-minute
schools with exemplary library interview with each school principal,
programs, as identified by the 60-minute individual interviews with
regional coordinators of the Ontario four teachers (Grades 3- 6) from each
school, and two 60-minute interviews
Library Association (OLA).
with the teacher librarian. We also
Given the complex nature of the observed the teacher librarian for 1-2
phenomena, a multi-staged Case Study days, as (s)he completed her(his)
methodology was used. Our research responsibilities as the school’s teacher
began with two intensive case studies librarian. These observations were
during the 2006/2007 school year. supplemented by field notes and
The story of two school libraries library documents. Classroom teachers
were chosen based on their ability to
These two cases enabled us to not provide rich information about the
only refine our research methods, but current library programs and class use
also provided us with detailed of the library.
information about the operation of
these two identified exemplary library The student surveys examined Grades
programs. In order to obtain rich 3 to 6 students’ perceptions about the
information about these programs and role of the library and the librarian,
identify the stories, relationships, their use of library resources, and their
policies, and practices surrounding a experiences in the library. Each survey
exemplary library program, we required approximately 20 minutes to
obtained: complete. In order to minimize the
impact on the classroom teacher, the
1. relevant school and library surveys were sent home with the
documents related to literacy students to complete. Parents signed
initiatives that involve the school the Letter of Consent and the students
library; returned the completed survey to the
2. a summary of extra-curricular classroom teacher. We sampled at least
library practices and procedures as four classes in each school (between
well as those that are integrated 100 and 120 students per school) and
with classroom activities and had a completion rate of
programs; approximately 50%.
3. interviews with the school We had less success with the teacher
administration, teachers, and surveys, which attempted to obtain a
librarians; better understanding of how the staff
of teachers made use of the school
4. student and teacher surveys, and
library. Teachers not completing the
5. observations of the operation of interviews generally did not complete
the school library and teacher the survey and those teachers who
librarian. completed the interview felt the survey
38
The Ontario Library Association Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario
39
The Ontario Library Association Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario
Appendix “A”
School library profiles
As highlighted on Figure 4, frequent class
Figure 4 contains the 13 items from the
use (at least 2 times per week) of the
student survey related to how frequently
school library for computers (item 1) var-
students use the school library during
ied between 5% and 88% across the
class time (the first 4 items) and during
schools, with the average being 40%. Not
their own time (the last 9 items).
surprisingly, there was much less variabil-
For example, the results presented on ity in the use of the library to find books,
Figure 3 demonstrate that there was rela- ranging between 38 and 100%, with the
tively large variability in students’ percep- average being 75%.
tions regarding their teacher librarian’s Using student results to evaluate libraries
knowledge of the internet (48% to 100%),
while there was little variability across the After reviewing these results, we discov-
schools in terms of students’ perceptions ered these students’ perceptions could
that the teacher librarian was helpful also provide a valuable internal evaluation
(92% to 100%). tool for school libraries. An individual
School Profile could be created and com-
There was greater variability in students’ pared to the range of profiles that are
use of the school library (see Figure 4). found across schools. Examples of these
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Helps choose Helps with Encourages Helpful Knowlegeable Knows about Knows about I learned a lot I like the
books homework students to computers Internet from the librarian
use library librarian
40
Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario The Ontario Library Association
Individual Profiles are presented on Fig- The majority of students reported that
ure 5 and Figure 6, using hypothetical the librarian helped them choose books
results to illustrate the potential use of (75%) but only 30% agreed that the
such profiles. school librarian helped with homework.
Overall, the librarian at this school is av-
These Figures provide similar data as pre-
erage for most items relating to students’
sented on Figure 3 and Figure 4, with the
perceptions.
addition of the average results for a
school, as represented by each bar. The In contrast, students’ perceptions of the
Individual School Profile is a useful librarian were below average for com-
mechanism for teacher librarians to ex- puter and Internet knowledge. According
amine their school library program, and to the surveys, 55% of students agreed
set their own priorities based on these that the librarian was knowledgeable
findings. about computers, and 60% agreed that
As an example, the librarian at this hypo- the librarian was knowledgeable about the
thetical school is considered knowledge- Internet, compared to the across school
able and encourages students to use the average of approximately 80%.
school library (see Figure 5). This appears to be a school in which the
teacher librarian is not used to provide
Figure 5: Individual School Profile of Students’ Perceptions of the Teacher Librarian’s Role
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Helps choose Helps with Encourages Helpful Knowlegeable Knows about Knows about I learned a lot I like the
books homework students to computers Internet from the librarian
use library librarian
41
The Ontario Library Association Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
42
Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario The Ontario Library Association
43
Appendix “B”
About Me Introduce
yourself!
1. I am a O girl. O boy.
2. I am years old.
3. I am in Grade .
4. I was born in (country).
5. I have lived in Canada for years.
6. I have lived in Ontario for years.
7. I have sisters and brothers.
8. The first language I learned to speak was .
9. The language I speak most often at home is .
10. During this school year, which of the following activities did you do with members of your
family? We went
Sometimes
True/
Mostly Sometimes Mostly
True True False False False
11. For me, schoolwork is easy O O O O O
12. I think school is boring O O O O O
13. I enjoy learning new things at school O O O O O
14. I like school very much. O O O O O
15. I try hard to get good marks. O O O O O
44
16. We are interested in learning about your use of the school library. Since school
started in September this year, what things did you do? Select the circle that
best describes how often you did the activity in the school library.
18. Please tell us any other activities you did in the school library this year?
45
19. Right now, I have books or magazines from the school library at home.
Insert number of books
20. Right now, I have books or magazines from the school library at school.
Insert number of books
21. Please select Yes for each item you used this school year in the school library. Please select
No for each item you did not use this year in the library.
a) Encyclopedia O Yes O No
b) Dictionary or thesaurus O Yes O No
c) Other Reference Books O Yes O No
d) Fiction Books O Yes O No
e) Non-fiction Books O Yes O No
f) Newspaper O Yes O No
g) Magazines O Yes O No
h) Graphic Novels O Yes O No
i) Computer O Yes O No
j) The internet O Yes O No
k) Online Encyclopedia (e.g., Grolier Online) O Yes O No
l) Online Information Database (e.g., EBSCO, Infotrac) O Yes O No
22. What helps you decide the books to borrow? Please fill in the Yes circle for each item that
helps you decide and the No circle for each item that does not help.
46
23. We also would like to learn more about your school librarian. What things does your librarian
do? Check the Yes circle if the librarian does the activity, and the No circle if the librarian did
not do the activity. The school librarian:
34. The single best thing about our school library is:
35. If I could, the one thing I would do to improve our school library would be to:
36. The best way to encourage students to use the library is to:
48
About Me and Reading
Lastly, we want to know more your thoughts about reading. For each question below, please fill in
the circle for the answer that Best describes your thoughts on reading.
Sometimes
True/
Mostly Sometimes Mostly
True True False False False
37. I am a great reader. O O O O O
38. I read more than my friends. O O O O O
39. I enjoy reading in school. O O O O O
40. I enjoy reading at home. O O O O O
41. For me, reading is interesting. O O O O O
42. I like to receive books as presents O O O O O
43. I have a library card for the public library O Yes O No
44. In the past 30 days, I have gone to the public library O Yes O No
46. In the past 30 days, I have used book(s) for school work.
Insert number of books
49. Which of these activities do you think help encourage students to read?
Thank you.
O Reading groups or literature circles O Talking about favourite books
You did a
O Reading games O Choosing books for the library great job!
Websites
http://www.accessola.com/osla/
http://www.peopleforeducation.ca