The Teacher Librarian as a Leader

Dianne McKenzie

Written for course requirements for the M.App. Sc. in TL through Charles Sturt University. 1999. Updated 20 May 2002

The role of the Teacher librarian in a school is a dynamic and unique role as it usually entails the responsibility of running the school library as a head of department, but without the official recognition of being such. The responsibilities includes resource management, customer service, collaborative planning, liason with colleagues, promotion of the library services, keeping abreast of new technology as it pertains to education, teach , motivate, respond, follow policy and instructions, develop policy and procedure and a number of other responsibilities. In effecting these roles, the teacher librarian is both a part of the school body and a leader within the school.The role of the leader is complex and multidimensional (Lashway 1996). There are so many factors which determine a leader, what and how their thoughts, actions, emotions and values combine to meet with different situations and people.The role of the teacher librarian as a leader will be further explored in this paper.

 

Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse (1997) and Hough and Paine (1997) suggest that leaders create circumstances in which people can collaborate and support each other. As part of their role the teacher librarian needs to collaborate with others, being involved in the design, writing and evaluation of the curriculum and linking together related units. (Oberg 1990) The teacher Librarian needs to be able to work with individuals and faculties to design programmes which will enrich student learning in all strands. They also need to work with the students, creating opportunities for team research and instruction, and motivating them to reach their potential as team players.

 

Linked with this requirement is that of having a vision. Vision is a keyword in much of the literature in leadership (Bolman and Deal 1997, Lashway 1997, Burke 1998, Barron 1996). It is the overall picture of the ideal or direction the organisation is to move. The teacher librarian needs to have a vision of how they and the library will work within the school and the community, what would be the ideal situation for this relationship and then design methods of achieving it. The teacher librarian is in a unique position in the school as they see the total picture - how everything works together and, with this perspective thay need to have an ideal to move towards so that growth may occur. A vision is dynamic, allowing for growth and change as one moves closer to the vision becoming a reality. Hogan (1998) states that a part of being a leader with vision is to be able to persuade and motivate people to follow your vision. There are many instances where a teacher librarian may have to use their powers of persuasion - change of policy oor procedure, to innovate new ideas, to help teachers plan in a collaborating planning situation.

 

Roden (1997) suggests that school leaders need to have a working knowledge of what they are leading and making decisions about. Teacher librarians need to be on the cutting edge of technology advances, curriculum design, research processes, and marketing to be able to persuade others to set aside their personal preoccupations to meet tthe vision. Through this knowledge, the teacher librarian can display integrity and gain respect from peers and customers. Roden (1997) also states that a leader of students needs to lead by example - be a leader of actions. This will motivate teachers and students to a clear understanding of the goals and visions they are working towards. The teacher librarian needs to be seen doing what they vocalize and believe in. This again gains respect and credibility. Lashway ( 1996) states that leaders teach through words and actions, as suboordinates take cues from leaders.

 

Kaufman (1997) mentions that good leaders must also be good learners. In the quest for a vision of lifelong learning, the teacher librarian must also be seen to be continually learning for their own personal growth and for discovery of new ideas. (Murphy 1999) As part of this, the process of making mistakes and learning from them needs to be promoted as an essential part of the learning process. The teacher librarian must acknowledge mistakes made, take responsibilty for them, learn from the experience and move on. (Smartleadership 1999) This would nuture a development of learning and promote an atmosphere of inquiry, without fear of reprisal or failure. An important aspect of creativity and improvement.

 

As professionals dealing with change in a fast changing world, the teacher librarian needs to be an innovator and not be afraid of change, but in fact embrace it as an opportunity for growth. (Murphy 1999). They need to create an environment in which creativity and innovative behaviour by others is encouraged and rewarded. (Nolan 1987). The teacher librarian needs to be open to new ideas and accept change as part of the learning process, (Duignan 1996) and at the same time help others to understand this concept, whilst being sympathetic to the emotional risks of doing something new. (Nolan 1987) They need to protect the self esteem of individuals as they learn and experiement, and learn from these new experiences. (Nolan 1987). The teacher librarian needs to bear in mind that others may need more time to adjust to the idea of change (Fullan 1998) and that those who resist do so usually because of perspectives and situations which may not have been percieved earlier. As part of being a change agent, the leader needs to have good problem solving skills, negotiaion and good communication skills as these are essential to help new ideas come to fruition. (Fullan 1998)

 

In much of the literature describing what effective leadership is, relationships and communication are two of the key areas which are continually mentioned. Bolman and Deal (1997) state that leadership is a three way relationship between the leader, the constituent and the concepts, with the constituents and the concepts being the most powerful forces of the relationship. Bulach, Pickett and Booth (1999) state that relationships are the major aspect of leadership, for if there is no one to lead, then there is no leader. Smartleadership mag-ezine (1999) suggests that the greater your relationship with someone, the greater your influence with them. They extend this further by saying that leaders need to know their followers passions, personalities and preoccupations so that the leader can understand each persons ideals, and how the group objectives translate into personal values for each individual. It also allows the leader to influence others with integrity and in a way which uniquely fits the individual, making processes much more personal. Searcy (1998) moves on to to point out that the leader should work at every relationship being intentional, need based, forgiving, flexible, long term, unique, encouraging, necessary co-operative and energizing. The leaders should be sincerely interested in those around them. The teacher librarian has an opportunity to know everyone in the school - all the administrators, teachers, students, support staff and parents. Working with the Samrtleadership principals, the teacher librarian needs to formulate a unique relationship with every person. They can do this by greeting all by name, finding out there name if they do not know it, asking questions about their interests, needs, make small talk with them, use humour. Help people to solve their problems and be interested in their lives. By being personal with each individual the teacher librarians network grows, as this grows so does the teachers perceived integrity and the possibility of influence. Murphy (1999) states that the influence needs to be guided by professional expertise with a moral imperative. As rapport increases, the relationship increases the possibilities of helping people connect with the resources they require - the main role of the teacher librarian.

 

Through the relationships and influence of the teacher librarian, the library takes on a personality, as the leader defines the culture they lead. (Peterson and Deal 1998) If the leader of the library is interested in people, then the library becomes a comfortable, happy place where people want to be and to be involved. If the leader is dynamic, encourasging, flexible, organised and an innovator, it is more than likely that the library service will reflect this. The teacher librarian determines what is on offer in the library, if the teacher librarian is a risk taker then there will be more than the ordinary on offer. (Handbook for school librarians 1996)

 

Trust is an important component of relationships (Hough and Paine 1997). The degree of trust given to leaders is an indication of how leaders are performing with regard to their leadership qualities. (Hogan 1998) Developing trust begins with the leader trusting others, it then takes time and successful actions to earn trust from others, but a trust which cannot be betrayed for fear of losing all credibility, integrity, respect and trust. Through trust, the leader is able to influence others into making decisions and supporting them in new ideas or actions which need to be taken to achieve the vision and goals.

 

Part of being an effective leader is empowering others to make decisions and to help others develop leadership qualities. (Barth 1998, Beare Cladwell and Millikan 1990). The teacher librarian has many opportunities to interact with others and to help them realise their leadership strengths - both in staff and students. One of the interestng findings by Barron (1996) is that a good leader is dispensible. If they have done a good job of empowering others there will be no problems if the leader is absent for a short or long period. The staff and students will be ready to take over as they have confidence in themselves to manage the actions using the behaviours required. They will be empowered to move out of their normal role and take the risk of doing something new. They will have the infrastructure in set in place to make good decisions based on policy, ethics and have the confidence they will make the right decision. As part of this the teacher librarian must then accept the behaviour as an opportunity for growth, if mistakes are made, teach the person responsible to learn from it and move on. The teacher librarians reaction to the behavoiur and decision will determine future behavours by the learner.

 

Bear et al (1990) would place this under building morale, encouraging growth and creativity and involving others in decision making. If others have been in volved in problem solving and decision making previously, they will understand the process and be confident in their own ability. (Chambers 1998) This encourages autonomy in the work place.

 

Part of the decision making process required by the leader is the acceptance of responsibility or accountability for the action taken. The teacher librarian must take responsibility for the decisons if they are to develop trust and be seen as having integrity. The leader also needs to act on ethical and moral grounds, with their behaviour and decisions reflecting their vocalized thoughts and beliefs. This type of behaviour would be relected through their involvement in policy making, whole school procedures, planning for future events and routine behaviour. (Duignan 1996) They need to be aware of the short and long term goals in their decision making, and make decisions based on a balance of these. (Lashway 1996)

 

A good leader is also a good follower, they need to develop the capacity to be directed and guided, be highly motivated and highly disciplined in carrying out responsibilities to completion. To be shown to be reliable and dependable, consistent and committed to completing tasks, whilst at the same being a critical thinker will elevate the influence and percieved integrity in the eyes of the leader of the situation. (Barron 996) The teacher librarian works within a school system where they are not the leader for the overall situation. They must respect the decisons of the head teachers, principals, departments and work within the paradigms set by these leaders. By displaying the qualities mentioned, the teacher librarian will become more influential with these leaders and be seen to have integrity and can be trusted in all aspects of their field. The principals backing of the library and the teacher librarian is essential for effective programs to be implemented and maintained. (Hay and Henri 1995 ) By being an effective follower, the teacher librarian strengthens their leadership position and serves as a role model for those the teacher librarian leads.

 

As a leader, Nolan (1987) suggests to set demanding objectives and stimulate problem solving to discover ways to achieve the apparently impossible. An effective leader is able to solve problems by making the best decision from the known choices. By involving others in the creation of the options and the decision making processes the leader empowers others, educates in the techniques of of problem solving and decision making and acceptance of the consequences. A teacher librarian has much opportunity to help others learn the decision making and problem solving techniques by providing opportunities for students, teachers and administrators in effective utilization of the library resources through creating experiences where the learners need to think about ideas, and create their own approaches to the problem. (Tallman 1995) The environment needs to be designed by the librarian so that resources can be easily discovered or found by the seekers - to empower them further in making decisions on what resources would best suit their needs (Tallman 1995) so they can be independent explorers of information, which then gives them possesion of their own learning. (Cross 1996) A good leader does not solve all the problems, they ensure the problems are solved. (Lashway 1996) The teacher librarian is not the 'slave' of the researchers - they are there to educate and empower others by helping them to solve their own problems.

 

As part of the design of a leadership model , Murphy and Shipman (1999) mention that leaders should lead with people, not through them and the organisation should be made to fit the customer, rather then the customer needing to fit in the environment. The teacher librarian as leader of the library needs to make it user friendly for everyone - from booking a video taping, borrowing resources, assistance in locating resources to the technology available. The teacher lirarian needs to demonstrate the ethic of care to all members of the school community. (Murphy and Shipman 1999). They need to treat their clients as important customers so they will leave satisfied with the service and will want to return. The teacher librarian should be aware of total quality management principals and implement them into the library culture.

 

Communication is a large part of the leadership roles, as without it, there would be no leader. Communication is the basis for relationships and teaching, therefore it is imperative that the TL has a knowledge of communication skills. If the leader of the library is innovative, open to suggestions, has a good rapport with their clients, plan the environment so it is easy to move around, this opens the possibilities for questions and approachability. The teacher librarian needs to have skills in finding out what people really need, and to begin this they need to approach others, initiate contact, show interest , listen and then act on the information they have. The teacher librarian needs to be aware of and sensitive to how their message is recieved, and the climate set with each intervention. (Skow 1996) Irmsher (1996) states that an effective leader will seek first to understand then to be understood. To do this the teacher librarian needs skills in using open ended and focused questions, which draw more infornation from the seeker, and listening skills. Irmsher (1996) mentions that 93% of a message is sent non verbally, so the teacher librarian needs to be aware of their body language, facial expressions, voice tone, personal appearance and how the combination affects messages. It is through communication that relationships are built and credibility is developed. To have a productive rapport with all those you meet is certainly an advantage when needing people for support. Kline ( 1999) mentions that effective productivity depends on effective communication, others mention that if the 'followers' do not respect or trust their leader, they will subversivly and unconsciousley deprive the leader of achieving their goals.(Hogan 1998)

 

Levine and Crow (1993) state that leaders learn through listening and people respond to those who listen. Listening is the most important of all the communication skills as it shows respect for the speaker, their needs and concerns. Levine and Crow (1993) continue by stating that people won't say what they think, nor listen to what you say unless a foundation of genuine trust and shared interest has been laid. Leadership requires patience, listening and mediating. (Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse 1997) The teacher librarian needs to make time to form relationships, to listen to people, to be a sounding board for new ideas.

 

As part of being a good leader, Burke (1997) suggests that being able to diagnose accurately how he or she is affecting and is being affected by followers, and then be able to adjust behaviour accordingly. They need to be attuned to the nature of relationships and be able able to make behavioural adjustments to maintain , if not improve these relationships in order to realize the vision and accomplish the mission. Leadership is contextual in that leaders need to match their style to the situation, taking into account the combined effects of their subordinates and their characteristics, the situation and the culture of the setting.( Church 1998) The teacher librarian needs to have a working knowledge of different techniques of leadership and the practicalities and be able to use them in the appropriate settings.

 

There are anumber of personal characteristics identified in effective leaders - high energy and boundless enthusiasm (Barron1996), flexibility and adaptability, (Burke 1998) organisational diagnosis, (Gehurke 1991) a deep commitment to outcomes moving into a passion. (Bolman and Deal 1997) They need to be honest, sincere, fair, have a clear focus, have established meaning, belief and faith. (Bolman and Deal 1997) Be forgiving, ethical, consistent and predictable, (Hough and Paine 1997) responsible (Beare et al 1990) and to be be aware of weaknesses both in their leadership and personal qualities. (Bulach et al 1998). The teacher librarian, therefore needs to display or develop these characteristics if they wish to become an effective leader within their school and community setting.

 

Leadership creates the future, provides guidance, direction, inspiation and empowers people to realize their own leadership potential. (Barron 1996) The teacher librarian's role is undergoing a huge transformation with many conflicts and challenges arising which need to be addressed if the teacher librarians role is to be maintained as an important component of education for life. It is because of this and the striving for continous improvement that teacher librarians need to be effective leaders, they need to be trusted as key educators, they need to have influence with people to gain support to move forward, they need good interpersonal and communication skills to convey their messages, and they need to be innovative and adaptable to the changes which are occurring. If teacher librarians are to create their future, they need to be leaders in their field.

 

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