The role of the teacher librarian

What an exciting assignment this was and also a daunting one !! I'm sure I didn't think that the TL had a simple set of defined roles, nor was I fully aware of the complexity of our role.
Lamb and Johnson (2008) highlight 3 specific roles of the TL; collaborator, teacher leader and technologist. They emphasise how the TL should be proactive in promoting the unique skills and services we have and can provide. The collection is important but in order to do our job we may be best to try and enlist the help of others. In this example they cited greencoat workers ie: students. I am thinking of this as a viable option in my library. There are many children who love to help and be part of a team. They gravitate to the library anyway. What a great way to build their self esteem and give them a role they can enjoy and make a contribution too. As well as these role L&J discuss the need to stay up to date with technology. By far I feel this is my biggest challenge and one I struggle with at the present. I hope to network with others at our upcoming TL conference and gain some insights into practical ways to do this ... as well as just doing it ... often the slower way but better for me to have a go !! L&J do emphasise that traditional and technology do go hand in hand.In the end I feel L&J see the 3 roles as intertwinned roles.We need to prioritise our roles ... and I have personally found this a learning curve as often the "plan " for the day changes fluidly as it goes on. Initially finding this frustrating, I can know see that one of my main roles is to service the needs of teachers and students. I need to be aware that this will impact my day and that my job is to prioritise the projects that need to be done!