inside the library bag

About

Since 1998 I have been the head librarian at the International School of Tianjin (formerly TEDA International School) in Tianjin, China. During this time our school has gone from 125 students (pre-K through 8) located in the old English Concession area of the city (Wu Da Dao) to a purpose-built school on the outskirts of the city with a new and much larger library space. Over the past 11 years we have continued growing to our current enrollment of approximately 500 students (pre-K through 12), and we are again in the midst of another new construction phase with an even larger library learning space available in the near future.

It’s a dynamic time to be a teacher-librarian, and I thoroughly enjoy the evolving learning challenges as the opportunities in librarianship and information literacy services flourish within both virtual and physical spaces in a wide variety of formats and content.

Observing students who read a variety of literary genres, demonstrate flexibility with a wide use of resources, collaborate with a team, display emotional resilience while persisting in an information search despite challenges, reaffirms some of the ways that our library services provide opportunities to enrich imaginations. The longer I am in this field, I applaud the enormous vitality of the library as a place that provides learners with stories, skills, resources, attitudes, and the tools to sort through the barrage of information, and as an empowering space that helps them learn to process and disseminate information as independent, innovative, and responsible learners.

Working as a teacher-librarian has provided me with numerous leadership roles. Being in the vanguard of our school’s technology and media programs has encouraged me to explore, develop, and actively integrate the best practices of information literacy while instilling clear intellectual property boundaries in learners who largely speak English as another language. Our elementary school has adapted a school-wide inquiry cycle, and our secondary school is establishing solid foundations for approaches to learning.

Numerous professional development opportunities have opened an expansive network of collaborative librarianship. Over the years I have had many invaluable opportunities to keep abreast of the latest methods applied in world-class school libraries. Numerous librarians in the Asian area (Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, and Vietnam) have generously opened their physical libraries and shared conversations on their most effective practices, as well as sharing the strengths and weaknesses of their systems. The abundance of participatory social networking tools such as listservs, blogs, and feeds continues to heighten my awareness and allows me to employ best educational practices.

How we prepare for the future and address models and systems of information acquisition and sharing will determine how well our students will succeed in the constantly developing information landscape. As educators, we need to work to retain methods that are fundamentally effective while remaining open to the possibilities of what the future might present. This requires not only openness but also professional self-development to keep in step with the inevitable changes. The role of the librarian is to lead and guide by providing instruction, learning strategies, and opportunities for learners to find, evaluate, and use information in creative ways, since well-equipped learners will travel new paths that test the current limits of imagination.

Below are two interviews that allow you to get to know me better.

• Interview podcast by Chris Smith of Shambles (Oct 2006).
• Interviewed by Helen Adams as one of the school library media specialists who share tips on taking an overseas job from November 2005,“Have MLS, Will Travel” by Helen R. Adams in American Libraries.