Category: Scholarly Article

Article: How Can School Libraries Support Student Wellbeing?

Article: How Can School Libraries Support Student Wellbeing? Evidence and Implications for Further Research

Dr Margaret Merga explores the connection between school libraries and student wellbeing and mental health.

Abstract: Concern about student wellbeing and related mental health is a global issue, and schools are increasingly expected to support student wellbeing. While the focus on libraries and wellbeing in research is more commonly on public libraries, school libraries can also play an important supportive role in this regard. Robust research evidence is needed from school library contexts to support targeted advocacy in order to enhance student wellbeing. This paper explores how school libraries may support student wellbeing by operating as safe spaces for young people, promoting and resourcing mental health and wellbeing initiatives, and supporting and promoting bibliotherapeutic practices and reading for pleasure. It then highlights implications for future research to support the development of a sound, research-supported evidence base for advocacy moving forward.

Read the article on Taylor and Francis Online

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Article: Leading from the Sweet Spot

Article: Leading from the sweet spot: embedding the library and the teacher librarian in your school community

Linking the role of the teacher librarian and student outcomes, this article by Emma Cox and Lori Korodaj explores leadership at a variety of levels and how the teacher librarian role can be embedded into a school community.

This article was first published in ACCESS, Vol. 33, No. 4, November 2019, pp. 14–25. It has been shared here with permission.

Read the article and download the pdf.

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Article: The Impact of Reading for Pleasure and Empowerment

Article: The Impact of reading for pleasure and empowerment

"There is strong evidence that reading for pleasure can increase empathy, improve relationships with others, reduce the symptoms of depression and improve wellbeing throughout life, new research carried out for The Reading Agency has found.

The report, conducted by BOP Consulting and funded by the Peter Sowerby Foundation, brings together a strong and growing body of research that shows how and why reading for pleasure can bring a range of other benefits to individuals and society. There is already strong evidence to show that reading for pleasure plays a vital role in improving educational outcomes. However, in the UK, most children do not read on a daily basis and almost a third of adults don't read for pleasure."

Read the full literature review here.

Read more about The Reading Agency and the article here.

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Article: How Do Librarians in Schools Support Struggling Readers?

Article: How do librarians in schools support struggling readers?

Written by Margaret Kristin Merga

Abstract: While librarians in schools often face significant budgetary cuts, they can play an important role in supporting learning in literacy and literature. However, little is known about the practices that they may employ to this end. Of particular interest is the role of librarians in schools in supporting struggling readers, as these students may be increasingly disadvantaged as they move through the years of schooling. Semi-structured interview data were collected from teacher librarians at 30 schools and analysed to identify practices exercised by teacher librarians that aligned with extant research around supporting struggling readers. Teacher librarians provided support by identifying struggling readers, providing them with age and skill-appropriate materials, undertaking skill scaffolding supporting choice, supporting students with special needs, providing one-to-one matching, promoting access to books, enhancing the social position of books and reading, reading aloud to students, facilitating silent reading, and preparing students for high-stakes literacy testing.

Reference: Margaret Kristin Merga (2019) How do librarians in schools support struggling readers?, English in Education, 53:2, 145-160, DOI: 10.1080/04250494.2018.1558030

Read the article on the Taylor and Francis Online

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Article: Researcher’s Perspective: Is teacher librarianship in crisis in digital environments? An Australian Perspective

Article: Researcher's Perspective: Is teacher librarianship in crisis in digital environments? An Australian perspective

Abstract: "The information environment of a good school library has been undergoing a transformation, powered by technology and trans-media influences in our classrooms. The role of the teacher librarian is to promote books, reading and research, in old ways and new ways, so as to promote conversation and learning. School libraries that adapt to the digital needs of their students and school community not only continue to build a reading culture in the school, but provide the divergence and convergence in media needed to provide the materials for motivation, differentiation, collaboration and connections necessary for 21st century learning. Asking questions about the nature of the current knowledge and skills requirements of a teacher librarian in digital environments, and the ongoing professional development needs is related to digital aspects of the profession is an ongoing iterative process which provides valuable insights into the priorities and points related teacher librarianship and innovation in digital environments."

Read the article on Judith O'Connell's website HeyJude. 

Reference: O’Connell, J. (2014) Researcher's perspective: Is Teacher Librarianship in crisis in digital environments? An Australian perspective.  School Libraries Worldwide. 20(1): 1-19

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Article: Inquiry skills in the Australian Curriculum: A bird’s-eye view

Article: Inquiry skills in the Australian Curriculum: A bird's-eye view

"The Australian Curriculum is a living document, and developing, implementing and evaluating it is a major logistical exercise. Teacher librarians are likely to be the only staff member in the school with a bird’s-eye view of the curriculum."

Abstract: "This paper presents an analysis of inquiry skills in the Australian Curriculum version 6. It juxtaposes the inquiry skills strands in the scope and sequence of Science, History, Geography, Economics and Business, and Civics and Citizenship with the Critical and Creative Thinking and Information and Communication Technology general capabilities. In doing so, it reveals the extent of inquiry skills embedded in the Australian Curriculum and identifies some misalignments and omissions."

Read the article on QUT ePrints

Reference: Lupton, M. (2014) Inquiry skills in the Australian Curriculum v6: A bird’s-eye view, Access, 28(4): 8-29​

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Article: School libraries, teacher-librarians and student outcomes: presenting and using the evidence

Article: School libraries, teacher-librarians and student outcomes: presenting and using the evidence

Abstract: "Evidence is required to ensure the future viability of school libraries and teacher-librarians. Education policy makers and school principals need detailed, reliable evidence to support informed decision-making about school library resourcing and staffing. Teacher-librarians need evidence to guide their professional practice and demonstrate their contribution to student learning outcomes. This review, which arises from recent Australian research (Hughes, 2013), collates international and Australian research about the impacts of school libraries and teacher librarians. It strengthens the evidence base, and recommends how this"

Read the article on the QUT ePrints website

, , &  (2014) School libraries, teacher-librarians and student outcomes : presenting and using the evidence. School Libraries Worldwide, 20(1), pp. 29-50.

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Article: Challenges for teacher librarianship in the 21st century

Article: Challenges for teacher librarianship in the 21st century

In her three-part article, Barabara Combes of Edith Cowan University, investigates the three main challenges faced by the profession of teacher librarianship in the 21st century, technology, time and workload, and status and role.

Read the part one in Issue 66 of SCIS Connections. 

Read the part two in Issue 67 of SCIS Connections. 

Read the part three in Issue 68 of SCIS Connections. 

Reference: Combes, B. (2008) Challenges for teacher librarianship in the 21st century, Part 1 Connections, 67; Part 2 Connections, 68; Part 3 Connections, 69.

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Article: Reviewing the research and evidence: Towards best practices for garnering support for school libraries

Article: Reviewing the research and evidence: Towards best practices for garnering support for school libraries (opens in new tab)

Excerpt: "Though not exclusive to school libraries, concerns about cutting funding to libraries have been common in the popular media in the past few years. For example, during the past few months alone, the American Library Association has given extensive attention to funding issues for school libraries and the need for all types of librarians to be concerned, and to advocate for same.

Despite these reports, few research studies have looked at the context for decisions regarding library funding, and only recently has the construct of interpersonal influence been explored in the decision-making process. However, when these studies are considered in conjunction with evidence from other relevant fields such as public administration, social psychology and economics, patterns begin to emerge."

Reference: Haycock, K. & Stenström, C. (2016). Reviewing the Research and Evidence: Towards Best Practices for Garnering Support for School Libraries. School Libraries Worldwide, 22(1).

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Article: Opportunity knocks: The Australian Curriculum and Guided Inquiry

Article: Opportunity knocks: The Australian Curriculum and Guided Inquiry

Written by Leonne FitzGerald, Lecturer in Teacher Librarianship at Charles Sturt University, this article is about the opportunity provided by the Australian Curriculum to employ an information literacy model such as that provided by Guided Inquiry.

Read the article on the Charles Sturt University Research website.

FitzGerald, L. (2015) Opportunity knocks: The Australian Curriculum and Guided Inquiry Access. 29/2, p. 4-17 .

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