By Dr. Marlene Asselin
Three years ago, the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Teacher Librarian Education Program (LIBE) (certificate and diploma) underwent a major revision. The impetus for the program reconceptualization included internationalization of curriculum; foregrounding contemporary views and practices of literacy, learning and education; incorporating the new national school library standards (Leading Learning); and ensuring currency of library and knowledge management theories and technologies.
Under the academic leadership of the LIBE coordinator, Dr. Marlene Asselin, the work was carried out with a team of experienced teacher librarians who were also experienced instructors in the LIBE program (Mr. Alan Cho, Ms. Jennifer Delvecchio., Ms. Moira Ekdahl, Mr. Aaron Mueller, Mr. Gordon Powell). In this way, a larger programmatic vision guided the development of individual courses. This major revision was timely as demand increased dramatically shortly after. There are currently there are 300+ students registered in UBC’s LIBE courses.
Libraries of all types are evolving dramatically in response to globalization; changing concepts of learning, literacy and learning environments; and technology-based developments. In 2014, Canada launched new national standards for school libraries, Leading Learning. These standards were central to forming the content, learning activities, and assignments of each of the revised LIBE courses. The development team also attended to the International Federation of Library Associations’ (IFLA) increasing emphasis on the role of libraries as agents of social and economic development.
In this local and especially international climate, librarians are shifting their primary roles from manager to learners, leaders, promoters and researchers. Libraries are networked to each other (within and between types) and operate as key partners in community development and enrichment in all aspects of life (education, health, environment, family support etc).
School libraries may not be available to students in remote parts of Canada, but community libraries in these locations partner with schools to support teaching and learning. Many of our Canadian librarians choose to work in international contexts where community libraries are the primary learning partner with schools. UBC’s LIBE courses and program were revised to represent these shifts.
As represented in Figure 1, conceptual pillars of the UBC LIBE diploma program are:
- Libraries as physical and digital spaces of literacy and learning in communities
- Librarians as educational leaders (curriculum, literacy, pedagogy, curation/resources)
- Social justice, digital citizenship, critical thinking and equity as core values of libraries
- Learners (including librarians) as inquirers and designers
As shown in Figure 2, Leading Learning standards were carefully integrated into each of the courses both in terms of pedagogy and curriculum. Students actually experience the standards in their own learning, as well as learn how to implement and support them in their professional practice. A few examples are included in the Figure 2.
Please see this article for contributions from my colleagues who instruct the 7 core courses of the LIBE program, as well as others, are providing examples from specific courses on how the courses support Leading Learning standards.
Dr. Marlene Asselin is in the University of British Columbia’s Department of Language and Literacy Education. She coordinates the Teacher Librarian Education program and teaches language, literacy and literature courses in the teacher education program, and in the LLED and Early Childhood Education graduate programs.
Editor’s Note: This article from our Spring 2017 edition provides background into legislative changes in British Columbia affecting teacher-librarian staffing: BC Teacher-Librarians: Looking Back and Moving Forward