SLASA School Library Association of SA

For Principals

This page provides ready reference links to key documents and information to assist school leaders address issues related to staffing, resourcing and managing their school's library and information service. The priority for all schools is to ensure that ‘school library and information programs and services are integral to the goals of the school and the aims of the school curriculum.
(ALIA / ASLA joint statement on library and information services in schools, 2003).

Policy Statement on Library and Information Services in Schools
Teacher Librarian Role Statement: School leaders are encouraged to support their teacher librarians to develop clear role statements, reflecting their dual role as both teachers and information specialists. SLASA developed this comprehensive role statement in 2003 to highlight the diverse elements of the teacher librarian role, and it has been widely adopted nationally. This role statement can be adapted to suit the level of responsibility of the teacher librarian. When fulfilling all aspects of the role, the qualified teacher librarian is operating at a leadership level.; Download in PDF (56 KB) and Word (53 KB)
DECS Staffing allocation: PDF (68 KB) Word (48 KB); The DECS formula used to determine the allocation of teacher librarian time.
Staffing of School Library Resource Centres Policy: PDF (21 KB)
This policy was endorsed by the Australian Education Union SA branch on March 2004.
Statement on Teacher Librarians in Australia: Describes the educational significance of school library resource services and teacher librarians in Australian Schools.
Standards of Professional Excellence for Teacher Librarians: This statement describes the professional knowledge, skills and commitment demonstrated by teacher librarians working at a level of excellence.
Teacher librarian job description: Word (22 KB); Outlines some key considerations to incorporate in a teacher librarian job description. It is desirable that a person appointed to a Teacher Librarian position has Teacher Librarianship qualifications.
Library support officer role - recruitment example (DECS): Word (25 KB); Outlines the possible tasks a person may be expected to undertake in a library support officer's role.

Value of School Libraries in Learning - Articles and Research

School libraries and achievement in Ontario: Several international studies have demonstrated links between student achievement and the presence of professionally managed, well-resourced and accessible school libraries.
Support for school libraries by principals: Hartzell, Gary ‘Why should principals support school libraries?’
Support for teacher librarians by principals: Spence, Sue 2005 ‘Teacher librarians, an under utilised asset in schools’ in Curriculum Leadership Vol. 3, Issue 14.