1. THOUGHTS AND IDEAS
ON THE ROLE OF THE
LIBRARIAN IN THE PYP
PYP Network PD Presentation, Session 4, Nov 13, 2014
Tanja Galetti

2. The Traditional Role of the
Librarian
“Morris
Lessmore
loved words.
He loved
stories.
He loved
books.”

3. Collection Maintenance &
Development
“Morris tried
to keep the
books in
some sort of
order, but
they always
mixed
themselves
up.”
“Morris found
great
satisfaction in
caring for the
books, gently
fixing those
with fragile
bindings and
unfolding the
dog-eared
pages of
others.”

4. Circulation & Reference
Services
“Morris liked
to share the
books with
others.
Sometimes it
was a
favorite that
everyone
loved, and
other times
he found a
lonely little
volume
whose tale
was seldom
told.”

5. The Role of the Librarian in the
PYP
Nurturing
international-
minded
lifelong
learners and
readers.

6. Outline of this Presentation
The
Framework
The
Application
Possibilities
and
Challenges

7. The Framework

8. IB Programme Standards and
Practices
Programme
standards
and
practices
with
requirement
s for the
Primary
Years
Programme
 Standard A. Philosophy
3c. The school is committed to a
constructivist, inquiry-based approach to
teaching and learning that promotes inquiry
and the development of critical-thinking
skills.
4. The school develops and promotes
international-mindedness and all attributes
of the IB learner profile across the school
community.
7b. The school supports mother tongue and
host country language learning.

9. IB Programme Standards and
Practices
Programme
standards
and
practices
with
requirement
s for the
Primary
Years
Programme
 Standard B2. Resources and support
5. The physical and virtual learning
environments, facilities, resources and
specialized equipment sup- port the
implementation of the programme(s).
6. The library/multimedia/resources play a
central role in the implementation of the
programme(s).
7. The school ensures access to information
on global issues and diverse perspectives.

10. IB Programme Standards and
Practices
Programme
standards
and
practices
with
requirement
s for the
Primary
Years
Programme
 Standard C1. Collaborative planning
1a. The programme of inquiry and all
corresponding unit planners are the product
of sustained collaborative work involving all
the appropriate staff.
3a. There is a systematic approach to
integration of the subject-specific scope and
sequences and the programme of inquiry.

11. IB Programme Standards and
Practices
Programme
standards
and
practices
with
requirement
s for the
Primary
Years
Programme
 Standard C3. Teaching & learning
2a. The school ensures that inquiry is used
across the curriculum and by all teachers.
4. Teaching and learning promotes the
understanding and practice of academic
honesty.
11. Teaching and learning incorporates a range
of resources, including information
technologies.
14a. The school provides environments in which
students work both independently and
collaboratively.

12. My Understanding
Three Main
Roles
1. The
Environment
2. The
Resources
3. The
Teaching
 Providing a safe and welcoming
environment that nurtures students’
curiosity, facilitates inquiry, promotes the
IB Learner Profile, lifelong learning and
reading
 Supporting teachers, students and
parents in teaching and learning through
the provision of resources
 In collaboration with classroom teachers,
helping students acquire the information
literacy skills needed as inquirers, lifelong
learners and readers

13. The Application

14. Providing a safe and welcoming environment that nurtures
students’ curiosity, facilitates inquiry and promotes the IB
Learner Profile, lifelong learning and reading
The Learning Environment

15. The Environment
 Providing and maintaining a comfortable, safe and visually
appealing environment
 Display of and easy access to visually appealing nonfiction books
 Displaying and showcasing (also through read-alouds) literature
promoting the IB Learner Profile and international-mindedness
 Providing easy access to different kinds of information sources
(print and electronic)
 Displaying student questions to signal that questions and
wonderings are valued (Wonder Wall, inquiry journals) and making
time for questions
 Modeling my own curiosity and wonderings

16. Supporting teachers, students and parents in teaching and
learning through the provision of resources
The Resources

17. The Resources
 Continuously developing a collection that promotes international
mindedness and the IB Learner Profile, supports units of inquiry in
particular and inquiry-based teaching and learning in general,
reflects the diversity (learning styles, cultures, beliefs and mother
tongues) and interests of our community
 Involving the community (teachers and students) in the
development of the collection (e.g. Wish List)
 Compiling, curating and providing easy access to print and
electronic resources supporting units of inquiry and promoting the
IB Learner Profile international mindedness, and key concepts
through resource lists
 Providing access to local and global information sources (print,
electronic, people)
 Sharing and providing access to PD online resources (only2clicks,
Twitter/pypchat, blogs)

18. Easy access to all our online resources through the Primary
Portal Page: resources for wondering, inquiring and reading.
A closer look at some of the resources

19. In collaboration with classroom teachers, helping students
acquire the information literacy skills needed as inquirers,
lifelong learner and readers
The Teaching

20. The Teaching
 Collaborating with teachers in teaching the necessary
information literacy skills when and where they are needed,
i.e. during units of inquiry
 Maintaining a combination of fixed and flexible scheduling
(Google doc for planning of fixed weekly class visits; planners
on Atlas for integration of IL skills in UOI)
 Following the same inquiry process when introducing authors
to students in the library
 Through online tutorials and pathfinders helping students in
practicing skills in their own time
 Through detailed blog posts and parent sessions letting
parents in on the skills we teach and the resources we use so
that they can follow up and support the inquiring from home
 Modeling being an inquirer, information seeker and reader

21. Examples of collaboration and integration of information
literacy/inquiry skills across grades (PK1-5)
Examples across the grades

22. Inquiring about the differences between fiction and
nonfiction/informational books.
PK1 – Sharing the Planet

23. Inquiring about call numbers (material arrangement) while
looking for patterns in animal books.
PK2 – How the World Works

24. Sorting and finding answers to questions form the classroom
wonder wall to show that different questions require different
sources of information as well as presenting the three main
information sources: books, Internet, people.
K – Sharing the Planet

25. Inquiry circles about shelters – allowing students to finding
answers to their particular questions while modeling going
through an inquiry cycle.
G1 – Where We Are in Place and Time

26. Inquiring into the library system and organization – inquiry into
material arrangement.
G2 – How We Organize Ourselves

27. Search strategies to find information on body systems
(introducing and using World Book, only2clicks and OPAC).
G3 – Who We Are

28. Search strategies to find information on energy (introducing
and using World Book, only2clicks and OPAC) and how to
record this information in a data gathering grid.
G4 – How the World Works

29. Introducing Kath Murdoch’s inquiry model as a guiding tool for
student inquiries; Using inquiry in teaching and learning of the
concept of plagiarism and citation.
G5 – Where We Are in Place & Time or Exhibition

30. Nurturing a love and passion for reading and books
through inquiry.
Across all grades: Author Inquiries

31. An Example of an Author
Inquiry
G2
Tomie
DePaola
2013-14

32. Inquiry Journals
Recording
our author
inquiries
across
grades

33. Possibilities and Challenges

34. Before we go into the conversation on possibilities and challenges, walk
around the library and reflect on:
- this presentation
- how the situation here is the same/ different from yours
- identify challenges and possibilities for your school and for us here at HKA.
Take a Walk!

35. Challenges
 Time
 Collaboration
 ???

36. Possibilities
 Technology
 ???

37. Stay connected 
tanja.galetti@hkacademy.edu.hk
@tgaletti (Twitter)
http://specialists.hkacademy.edu.hk/library1
http://www.facebook.com/MsTanjaG
THANK YOU!