Research on flexible access to school libraries
last updated 11 August, 2002
Haycock (1996) replicated van Deusen and Tallman's U.S. research in Canada. He found that teacher-librarians in schools with flexible and mixed library schedules engaged in more coooperative planning and teaching; incorporating information skills, and planned more frequently and for longer periods of time. 'Typically the teacher-librarian on a fixed schedule spent 0-5 minutes planning with the teacher, on a mixed schedule 6-29 minutes and on a flexible schedule more than 30 minutes.' The more time spent planning, the more the teacher-librarian was involved in identification of objectives, planning of activities, collaborative teaching and assessment of student work. Teacher-librarians who were trained in cooperative planning and teaching engaged in more collaboration than those who were not. 49% of the schools had flexible schedules and 33% had mixed schedules. More collaborative units were developed where the principal expected collaboration.

Hodson (1978) and Nolan (1989) found that students themselves believed that their flexibly scheduled library was more useful in their schoolwork than students in schools with fixed schedules.

Kuhlthau (1993) surveyed teacher-librarians across Canada, the United States and Sweden who were implementing a process approach to information skills over two years. In programs that stalled, rarely was there enough time for students to work through the process. Another factor was poorly designed tasks. Many assignments were 'added on', rather than being an essential component of the unit. In successful programs there was a strong team approach to instruction, time spent planning, assessing and designing activities, guiding of students in all stages of the process, and major emphasis on activities at the beginning of the process. Mini-lessons were developed and taught as the need arose, rather than using extensive, artificial lessons that offered too much at the wrong time.

The  Library Power project was a national U.S. initiative involving 700 schools in 19 school districts, insisting on cooperative planning and teaching and flexible scheduling of the library. Results indicated there were

McGregor (2000) interviewed six principals in U.S. elementary schools where flexible scheduling had been successfully implemented. They associated flexible scheduling with meaningful access when needed, curriculum integration, collaboration, flexibility and adaptability, and/or with availability of the teacher-librarian as a valuable resource. They saw flexible scheduling as providing a better opportunity for curriculum support. They saw students having more opportunities, being more excited about the rich experiences they encountered in the library, and becoming more independent. They described their libraries as a  'hub of learning', a place that is learner centred.

Putnam (1996) found in Alaska that with flexible scheduling, a teacher-librarian performed more instructional consulting, being closer to the flow of the teacher’s instruction.

Shannon (2000) examined theory and research from the literature of educational change to provide a framework for implementation of a flexible access library program (mandated by the Library Power initiative) as an educational innovation. Fullan's key factors were beneficial: communication, support, professional development, adequate resources, and school climate. Participants described how the program evolved over time. Teachers commented that it was much easier to involve children in research projects with flexible blocks of time available.

Tallman (1995?) found that flexible scheduling was an essential ingredient facilitating collaborative partnerships between teachers and teacher-librarians. The principal’s expectations for team planning among teachers was a key ingredient for encouraging involvement of teacher-librarians. Grade planning meetings involving the teacher-librarian allowed for the integration of content areas in a holistic way, and could help shape a whole school commitment to information literacy.

Tallman and Van Deusen (1993) found that flexible scheduling related positively to the occurrence of instructional consultation. In one study it was found that the teacher-librarian most likely to be involved in the curriculum has a flexible or mixed schedule in which team planning occurs. With this scheduling, information skills were integrated more often.  In 1994 Van Deusen and Tallman found that more consultation occurred between teachers and teacher-librarians in schools with flexible scheduling or mixed scheduling. Where there was either flexible or mixed scheduling combined with a collaborative planning culture, teacher-librarians reported more instances of gathering materials, identifying objectives, planning teaching and learning activities, tracking the collection, and evaluating the collection.

Turner and Martin (1979) found that rigid scheduling could prevent teacher-librarians from working with teachers.

Van Deusen (1996) found that flexible or mixed scheduling in elementary schools had a positive relationship to individual assistance to students, provision of electronic support for teachers, and consultation work performed for teachers.


Haycock, Ken The impact of scheduling on cooperative programming and teaching  and information skills instruction. presented at the International Association of School Librarianship Annual Conference 1996.

Haycock, Ken, 'Research in teacher-librarianship and the institutionalization of change', in 23rd Annual Conference, International Association of School Librarianship, Selected Papers, School of Library and Information Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, 1994 pp 94-103

Hodson, Y.D. Values and functions of the school media centre as perceived by fourth and sixth grade students and their teachers in compared school settings. Ph.D. dissertation; State University of New York at Buffalo, 1978

Kuhlthau, Carol C. (1993), "Implementing a process approach to information skills: a study identifying indicators of success in library media programs" School Library Media Quarterly, Fall, pp.11-18

Kuhlthau, Carol Information search process: a summary of research and implications for school library media programs  SLMQ 1/18 1989

Library Power project; Executive summary http://www.wallacefunds.org/frames/frameseteducation_grant.htm

McGregor, Joy H. 'Implementing flexible scheduling in elementary libraries' Unleash the power! Knowledge - technology - Diversity. Papers presented at the third international forum on research in school librarianship. Seattle: International Association of School Librarianship, 2000

Nolan, J.P. A comparison of two methods of instruction in library research skills for elementary school students. Ph.D. dissertation; Temple University, 1989

Putnam, Eleonor 'The instructional consultant role of the elementary schoolk library media specialist and the effects of program scheduling on its practice.' School Library Media Quarterly 25/1 1996 http://www.ala.org/aasl/SLMR/slmr_resources/select_putnam.html

Shannon, Donna 'Tracking the transition to a flexible access program in two Library Powere elementary schools.' School Library Media Quarterly 24/3 2000

Tallman, Julie ‘Curriculum consultation; strengthening activity through multiple-content area units’ in School Library Media Quarterly. Fall, 1995

Turner, Philip and Martin, N.N.  Environmental and personal factors affecting instructional development by the Media Professional at the K-12 level (Bethesda, Md.: ERIC Document reproduction service, ED 172 796, 1979

van Deusen, J. D. 'The effects of fixed versus flexible scheduling on curriculum involvement and skills integration in elementary school library media programs.'  School Library Media Quarterly, 21, 1993 pp. 173-182

van Deusen, J. D. & Tallman, J. 'The impact of scheduling on curriculum consultation and information skills instruction: The 1993-1994 AASL/Highsmith Research Award Study Part one.' School Library Media Quarterly, 23, 17-25 1994  http://www.ala.org/aasl/SLMR/slmr_resources/select_vandeusen21.html

van Deusen, J.D.  'An analysis of the time use of elementary school library media specialists and factors that influence it.'  School Library Media Quarterly 2/24 1996 http://www.ala.org/aasl/SLMR/slmr_resources/select_vandeusen.html

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