13 April 2005

Standards of professional excellence for teacher-librarians launched

Teacher-librarians have an important role in providing quality information services, which support and enhance the school curriculum. For teacher-librarians to successfully demonstrate their dual professional role in the teaching profession, they needed a methodology and language, which would be credibly received by their teaching colleagues. The result was the creation of Standards of professional excellence for teacher-librarians.

A joint project of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and the Australian School Library Association (ASLA), the development of the Standards of professional excellence for teacher-librarians was strongly informed by moves in other professional associations for educators, which were committed to developing standards for subject teachers. The standards document was further influenced by outcomes of a National Meeting of Professional Educators, held in Canberra in April 2002, which encouraged continuing work on the development of standards as a means to achieve a national consensus on teaching excellence, enhanced student learning outcomes and generally as a method for promoting and enhancing teacher professionalism.

Standards of professional excellence for teacher-librarians describes the professional knowledge, skills and commitment demonstrated by teacher-librarians working at a level of excellence, represents the goals to which all Australian teacher-librarians should aspire, and provides inspiration for quality teaching and ongoing professional practise.

Fran Hinton, former chief executive of the ACT Department of Education, Youth and Family Services, will officially launch the Standards of professional excellence for teacher-librarians after her keynote speech on Wednesday 13 April, at the XIX ASLA Biennial Conference at the National Convention Centre, Canberra. Fran Hinton is widely recognised for her commitment and contribution to the quality of education, and for her leadership role in education policy and management. Fran started her career as secondary teacher and has held senior positions in the school education, higher education and vocational education and training sectors.