Teacher-Librarian Program Leads to Interest in School Library Web Sites
Due to my school’s specific needs, the university courses that proved most pertinent
were those on technology instruction, inquiry-based learning and leadership in information
literacy . However, throughout the coursework my general knowledge of library practices was
constantly challenged and extended. I came to better understand my responsibilities as a school
literacy leader in promoting the new information literacies of our 21st century. I could identify
additional areas for future focus in our secondary library program, such as introducing graphic
novels and database resources, and the prospect of a library learning commons as a means for
school improvement.
One of the major features our library lacked was the presence of a school library web
site. A preliminary investigation showed that such a web site, also known as a virtual school
library, could potentially serve as a digital showcase for organizing online databases, curriculum
resources, bibliography information, forms, and for featuring new resources and literature. It
could also serve as a valuable addition to the school library commons model.
Exploring the Nature of School Library Web Sites
During my School Library Information Services and Materials course, University of
Alberta instructor Diane Galloway Solowan encouraged me to further investigate my interest in
establishing a library web site. I began my personal inquiry by searching for practical ‘how to’
information, hoping these suggestions would help me design the ‘perfect’ web presence for our
school library. At first I focused on specific features to include, tips for creating the site and the
commonalities of exemplary websites. As I gathered numerous articles from professional library
journals to learn more about school library web site development, I discovered Pappas’ (2005)
article entitled Inquiry Digital Learning Centers in which she wrote:
School library media center websites can be designed as more than a collection of resources. These websites have great potential to be digital learning centers, providing resources for information and tools that become a scaffold in the process of gathering and using that information. (p. 21)
Reading this passage was a very enlightening moment for me – one of those ‘bolt out of
the blue’ experiences where suddenly a missing piece clicks, shifting thought in a totally new
direction. The concept that a school library web site could evolve beyond a mere passive
collection of useful resources to become an active vehicle furthering the missions of the library
program was an exciting insight and a galvanizing possibility. It caused me to immediately
abandon my broader practical-centered focus and fueled a series of deep recursive explorations
back into existing research on school library web sites.
Through this narrowed lens, I searched widely for specific information on the ways a
teacher-librarian could use a library web site as a learning tool to connect students with quality
resources and also support library instruction. In a secondary school with over 1800 students and
me as the sole teacher-librarian, I was understandably motivated to learn how a virtual school
library could increase my effectiveness, especially in the area of establishing greater information
literacy within the student population.
Another moment of insight, and one that further extended my perception was the
emerging concept of a student-centered approach to developing the virtual school library. Wang
advises that virtual school libraries “ought to be constructed by examining the needs of learners,
their learning priorities, and the mission of the organization” (as cited in Valenza, 2007, p. 216).
This call for end-user involvement led me to establish the Student Library Advisory Council at
my school and to create a school-wide survey tool to identify student needs and interests related
to the library program. As I delved further into the current literature, I also came to appreciate
the importance of having an underlying library mission statement to direct and permeate all
decision-making related to the school web site’s development. This realization caused me to
further backtrack and draft a necessary guiding mission statement for our library with the
assistance and approval of the Library Advisory Council students, teachers and administration.
More Possibilities for Virtual School Libraries
Each new insight gleaned from the literature on virtual school libraries has led to similar
side-trips to investigate new dimensions of the issue, and kept me circling in a holding pattern of
recursive investigation. One challenge was the lack of pertinent research on this relatively new
topic of virtual school libraries. I had to search widely, sometimes applying academic and public
virtual library research studies to a school setting. Direct observations with students in the library
setting confirmed the research findings I uncovered – such as the need for information literacy
instruction for today’s teens. The literature on virtual school libraries contains references to use
of these digital portals as a means to support inquiry learning, encourage critical thinking, plan
collaboratively with teachers and provide an avenue for teacher-librarian leadership. These
articles clarify that the digital school library can also serve as an important intellectual and
cultural venue for the entire secondary school.
Structuring my Investigations about Virtual School Libraries
The inquiry question now guiding my research is: Why might the virtual school library be considered a necessary feature in today’s secondary school program? These secondary questions emerge from an investigation of the professional literature and educational research:
- How can a virtual school library further the learning priorities of today’s school library program?
- In which specific ways can virtual school libraries actively promote library program objectives?
- What considerations make for an exemplary virtual school library?
Through the process of completing this capping paper, I wish to develop a strong
framework of understanding for the future construction of my school’s virtual library. To create
a digital presence that truly reflects and extends the program of the physical library and the needs
of the school community is an ambitious undertaking and requires much pre-thought. The author
A. A. Milne once advised that, “Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that
when you do it, it's not all mixed up.” Having examined numerous examples of virtual school
libraries during this paper – some worthy of international awards and others little more than
cluttered one page bulletins - I prefer to save time and energy by first carefully thinking through
the development process. I am hopeful that this capping paper may encourage other teacher-
librarians to reflect upon their own foundational and organizational priorities in order to construct
web sites that actively promote the information literacy needs of today’s students.
