Joanna
I wouldn't worry too much. Most of us know what the truth is. I took the
original reference to be to Cheltenham Ladies College ("wild horses
won't drag me to State schools") or something similarly unreal (as was,
incidentally, the mention of "Even in so-call [sic] troubled schools in
Newcastle it was all polished floor-boards"). These are mere figments,
not versions of the real world.
Mark
-----Original Message-----
From: Lis-educ: Library services for education
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Joanna Whitehouse
Sent: 09 March 2007 09:49
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: "Invisibility" of School librarians -
I am a high school librarian and have been for the last 18 months or so.
I can assure you that there is a lot more to the job than looking august
among the books. Whilst I love my job, it is very hard work and anyone
who is looking for a quiet, relaxing little job should stay well clear!
I guess the amount of power a school librarian has within the school
will depend very much on the school, but from my own position and
talking to colleagues in other schools, the job involves a constant
battle for recognition and status. I am probably more qualified than a
lot of the teaching staff in the school, and yet I have been treated (by
some, not all) as a secretary, a personal assistant, a teaching
assistant and general dogsbody and a child minder.
A lot of the rest of the time you are invisible to the rest of the
staff. The nature of the job means that you usually work during the
breaks and lunch times of other staff, so it is easy to be forgotten,
ignored and left alone. The trick is to get out there as much as
possible and make yourself visible. The job of a school librarian is
not for the shy and retiring - you have to be loud and bold and fight
for what you want.
I don't want to put people off - the job can also be very rewarding -
but I wouldn't want anyone to think that it is a "genteel post".
Joanna
On 06/03/07, E.S. Rees <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Yesterday I attended a Careers Service "Consider Teaching" event. The
> last participant (a new teacher) had a Powerpoint slide with "all the
> people one must thank" at school (in order to be "on good terms and
> get their goodwill". Even secretaries were there - but guess who did
> not figure ? (This was pointed out to her).
>
> I thought we were signing on a petition recently, about the essential
> role of the school librarian ? Why then, its invisibility (standard in
> the
> education(al) literature, but surprising when we are supposedly being
> introduced to the State sector and all its worthy components ?)
>
> Is this normal ? While wild horses won't drag me to State schools (the
> people who are employed to persuade us to teach somehow are more
> off-putting than gun-toting students) a genteel post as a school
> librarian sounds just the ticket - I thought they had more power ?
>
> Even in so-call troubled schools in Newcastle it was all polished
> floor-boards, nothing to do but to help people one-to-one, and look
> august - amidst the display racks.
>
> Em
>
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