#QQML2016 : Collaboration and information literacy in Portuguese school libraries

A final day of liveblogging from the QQML conference. Ana Novo presented on Collaboration and information literacy in Portuguese school libraries. This presentation was based on PhD work (interviews with 20 teacher-librarians) and also work with Masters students (perceptions of 32 Masters students who were teacher-librarians). In Portugal they have to be qualified as teachers as well as librarians to work in schools. Novo identified some of the models that could be used for IL in the classroom e.g. Herring's and Kuhlthau's. She identified that part of the teacher librarian's role was convincing a school's director, teachers etc. that it was worth spending curriculum time on information literacy. Novo said that collaboration with teachers was important, but the teachers had more of an individualistic culture (my class, my pupils...). She cited Montiel-Overall (2005, 2006) as identifying that collaboration can impact school achievement, and Montiel-Overall also proposed 4 models of collaboration (coordination, cooperation, integrated instruction, integrated curriculum).
In the 20 interviews for the PhD study only the first two models were identified (coordination, cooperation). For the 32 Masters students, 12 each were in the first and 2nd model, 2 in the third and 6 were in transition (between 1st and 2nd and between 2nd and 3rd).
The conclusions were that there are difficulties in intergrating IL, with teacher very focused on his/her class.
Masters students had recommended e.g. training and awareness for teachers, flexible opening hours, organisisng events in the library, publicising it in the school newspeper etc.