Australia: “Teacher Librarians on Borrowed Time as Pages Turn on Reading Sources”

This article is a useful reminder that the challenges faced by the school librarian/teacher librarian community are global.
From The Age (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia):

Dianne Ruffles has worked in school libraries for 30 years and believes the internet age has only increased the importance of her job. But she fears too many of her peers are working on borrowed time because of funding pressures on schools.
Ms Ruffles is a teacher-librarian, qualified in both professions. She works at Melbourne Grammar School with wide-ranging duties. She teaches history and works alongside fellow teachers to “develop a reading culture” or helps students navigate the pitfalls of Google.
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[Children’s author Alison] Lester says it is short-sighted to believe books are unnecessary in the internet age. “A school librarian can be the captain of the literacy ship; helping students choose the right book, guiding teachers in reading strategies for their students, using the internet to complement books, celebrating reading and getting books into the classroom.”

Read the Complete Article (467 Words)

Filed under: Funding, Libraries, School Libraries