To see ourselves as others see us
Monday, May 16, 2011 at 04:59AM When kids go to the mall instead of the library, it's not that the mall won, it's that the library lost.
They (kids) need a librarian more than ever (to figure out creative ways to find and use data). They need a library not at all.
...the people who run this library don't view the combination of access to data and connections to peers as a sidelight--it's the entire point. Seth Godin - The Future of the Library
"O would some power the giftie gie us to see ourselves as others see us", wrote Robert Burns. These lines run so loudly through my mind whenever I read a post that is absolutely dead-on about libraries, but more often than not, written by a non-librarian. Godin's Future of the Library post, echoing so many of the themes of the ECIS Library conference last week, is such a post. Read it, read it, read it.
When I read about school librarians in Los Angles and their interrogations about whether or not they are real teachers, I hear Burns's lines again. While I'm not that concerned about whether librarians take attendance, I certainly am convinced that librarians must own the duties associated with teachers if they want to be regarded (and paid) as such (1, 2, 3). Are we just shrinking in horror that our value is being impugned when we read these stories - or are we actually learning something about ourselves and asking tough questions?
Oh, I've always wondered why librarians work so hard to stay in the ranks of teachers, instead of working toward being considered administrators or directors. Do we have a innate inferiority complex?
http://www.wolverineliberationarmy.com/blog/2010/09/09/enemy-interrogation-the-rubber-match/
Reader Comments (8)
Doug,
After reading your last two sentences, I feel as though I've been slapped in the face! And apparently I needed it.
When AASL decided to call us "school Librarians" instead of "teacher Librarians," I was outraged. I thought of myself as a teacher first and a librarian second .
But you are right, we are also directors and administrators.
I have to agree with Glynda. Your last lines read as demeaning to the vital role we play as teachers (not to mention the scores of teachers we all work with every day). Directors and administrators seem to be one step removed from (and at times ill-informed about) students and their needs. I aspire to leadership roles, but would never want to count myself as another administrator in a school system that is already far too top heavy.
Hmmm, so to see ourselves how others see us, yes, that truly would be a gift. In the case of the school librarians in Los Angeles Unified, I wonder if any of the people who "look into" school libraries that are dynamic, energetic and engaging still "think" they should see a quiet place where the librarian whispers "shhhh" and all patrons sit quietly at tables silently reading their books? Regardless of the stereo types the lawyers who interrogated the LAUSD school librarians had in their heads, no employee or professional should ever be treated in this way.
Rather than having an inferiority complex, I feel school librarians suffer from a case of terminally low expectations. Whenever I encounter a teacher/administrator who expects me to be more than the oft lamented bespectabled shusher of library lore, it’s only because they’ve worked with another school librarian who changed their expectation of what we can/should do. To be honest, I find discussions revolving around whether or not we should be called teacher-librarians, school librarians, media specialists or administrators/directors pedantic and even counterproductive. Rather than worrying about what people call us, I think you (and Seth!) are dead on when you say that we need to be far more concerned about a) how people see us and b) what people EXPECT from us.
Cheers!
j
Doug, regarding your last paragraph, I have had the same thoughts regarding our role in schools. We (librarians) are ready, willing, and able to do so much more than just teach classes, but in most elementary schools we are assigned weekly scheduled classes that fill our days and provide planning time for the classroom teachers. It's not so much the title that limits us as the perception of our role. We have a curriculum resource teacher (CRT) at my school. Notice the word "teacher" in her title. But she does not have scheduled classes; rather, she is free to set her own schedule each day. This allows her to meet with teachers during their planning period, go into classrooms to co-teach lessons with teachers, spend time locating and evaluating resources to share, etc. She attends conferences and presents at faculty meetings. (All things that we see as part of our duties!) She is actually regarded as more of an administrator than a teacher. Why don't we have that same level of respect and authority???
Hi Glynda and Jenn,
In reality we are a hybrid of administrator (we control budgets, supervise personnel, do planning, etc.) and teacher. But the world seems to like black and white, not gray right now.
If the profession does want to consider itself a member of the teaching profession, I think it has to be realistic about what societal expectations are of teachers!
Thanks for your comment,
Doug
Hi Rob,
Did you see or talk to anyone first hand who went through these interviews. Somehow this story just didn't pass the sniff test for me - a little too sensationalistic for good journalism. But then I don't know.
We've been saying "only if people really knew us" for all 30 of the years I've been in the field. I'm beginning to wonder that with librarians, like politicians, 90% are giving the other 10% a bad name. We've done a poor job of policing our own ranks, I'm afraid.
Appreciate the comment and any first hand info you have of the LAU situation.
Doug
Hi Jennifer,
It's up to you to help your administrator set high expectations of you and your program. Do you have yearly goals? Do you have regular meetings? Do you communicate the possibilities and successes. YOU will be the one the librarian who gets your principal with thank!
Doug
Hi Lori,
I can't answer why your CRT has the level of respect and autonomy she/he does. I suspect it is earned, not gifted.
Doug
I couldn't agree more with the last statement. It kind of angers me when I get a look from classroom staff that are surprised that I'm a part of the same union. In my most last building role in public ed I feel like I was a really cheap administrator for a large high school. Like you say above, budgets, coordination, quasi teacher discipline for brining in their own airports that mess up the network, telling staff "no you can't stream Netflix all day long" along with instruction. Most of it isn't really your average teacher stuff...a far cry from young adult lit class in grad school. I think that library/media people like the union protection (whatever is actually left...), and districts don't want to pay more for the services library/media/technology people provide, so we're kind of in collusion against ourselves.
Hi Nathan,
I kinda wonder if schizophrenia might be the downfall of our profession? teachers/administrators, techies/bookies, etc. Maybe if we could agree and focus?
Yeah, that'll happen!
Cynical on the Friday morning. Sorry,
Doug