1.4+Knowledge+of+library+and+information+management


 * Knowledge of library and information management**


 * Excellent teacher librarians...**


 * 1.4.1 understand that professionally managed and resourced school libraries are crucial to the achievements of the school community.**
 * 1.4.2 have a rich professional knowledge of national standards for library and information management.**
 * 1.4.3 have a comprehensive understanding of national standards for information retrieval.**

The Head of Information Services is responsible for the overall management of the iCentre at site 1. Although not a qualified teacher librarian, she demonstrates sound knowledge of the national standards for library and information management and is a regular attendee at regional and national school library conferences. Site 2 and site 3 for my SPP are managed by soon-to-be QUT graduates, and this demonstrates the value placed on the teacher librarian by the Headmaster at these schools. My current study has inspired me to encourage my colleague to undertake the Masters of Education in Teacher Librarianship as I am certain this will enhance her professional knowledge and practice as it has mine. It is through the completion of my Masters degree that I have gained competence in the sophisticated process of cataloguing and feel that I am in a better position to make decisions regarding information organisation that will promote easy location and retrieval of resources.

Collection management is a vital part of the role of the teacher librarian. The section on Facilitating Access to Information in Learning for the Future (2005), outlines the minimum standards and factors to to be considered if users are to benefit from developments in technology. Attention should be given to:
 * Acquisiton of resources.
 * Cataloguing and authority control.
 * Circulation of resources.
 * Budgeting and financial management.
 * Reporting and statistics.
 * Searching by author, title, series, subject and keyword (Learning for the Future, 2005).

At Site 1 the teacher librarian provides students with access to print resources through a well maintained catalogue (Oliver) and effective, modern signage in the fiction area. I would like to see a couple of changes made in the non-fiction area, namely the introduction of subject headings or categories to enable students in the junior school to easily locate the frequently used subject areas. There are three touch-screen OPACs that students at site 1 use to access resources. The teacher librarian provides instruction to students beginning from year 2, and this is consolidated every time they use the library.