Librarians as Teachers: A Reflection on Practice, Identity, and the TPACK Framework to Enhance Professional Practice

Abstract

ABSTRACT Teaching and librarianship are interrelated. This paper explores the author's experiences and views of working as a librarian in higher education, within the Australian University context. It perceives Australian University libraries and librarianship as aligning with Social Constructivist views on learning. Through drawing on information from professional practice, this paper considers the professional identities of librarians in a third-space paradigm, including in contributing to doctoral supervision. It examines teachers as curators and sees this observation of teaching yielding the view of librarians as teachers explicitly. It touches on the author's new awareness of librarians and their role in supporting assessment for learning. The paper puts forward the author's use of reflective practice to enhance teaching, and shares experiences in using the Technology Pedagogy Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework to ensure reflective practice is focused.