Teacher professional development and the role of the teacher librarian

Abstract

Recent media coverage focused attention on a perceived "crisis" in Canada's school libraries. Research findings in the U.S. have consistently shown positive relationships between student achievement and the presence of well-staffed and well-stocked school libraries. In Alberta, Canada, the number of qualified teacher-librarians has decreased drastically over the last twenty years. A web-based survey of 170 Alberta elementary teachers, and follow-up telephone interviews with fourteen teachers, revealed that 60% of respondents' schools had no teacher-librarian. As a result, teachers acknowledged a need for increased professional support in selecting materials, planning instructional units, and accessing resources.