Question 5: Recently, the School Librarian of the Year in the UK responded to winning the title/prize with this statement: "You can take away my library, but please do not remove my position". What does this say to you about the value of the TL, and the value of the position?

What this says to me is that the role of the TL is not about the physical space of a library nor is it about just the physical books. The role of the TL is about helping students access, evaluate, and use information in any form. Physical resources can be replaced with digital resources and it does nothing to diminish the need for the TL. In fact it only increases the need for the TL, as the resources become more and more vast and more skill is required on the part of the student in learning how to utilize it. The role of the TL is to create information literate individuals. Connecting students with information is an extremely important role for a TL. As Riedling states, “at a deeper level that information is required to satisfy a basic cognitive need.” (Riedling, 2005, p. 4). People mistakenly link Librarians only with books and not with what they represent. Books represent information and before the digital age, books were one of the main ways people gathered information. Times are changing but the focus is still the same. It is about connecting students with information. Teaching them how to access information, evaluate information, and use information.

Riedling, A. (2005). Reference SkillsFor the School Library Media Specialist: Tools and Tips, 2^nd Edition. Ohio: Linworth Publishing, Inc.