BRIEF HISTORY

Judy Bull was a library consultant with the Catholic Education Office, Sydney during the 1980’s. Judy began working for the CEO in 1978, where she joined Kay Lynch, later Edwards, as a library consultant. Kay left the CEO a couple of years later. At the time of joining there were no staff allocations for Teacher Librarians, but the Whitlam Government, before its dismissal, had budgeted to provide funding for resources to primary school libraries. This scheme was continued on by the new government.

In 1980, Sydney CEO appointed Teacher Librarians within the staffing allocations for the first time. There were many people willing to work one day a week as a Teacher Librarian, but unfortunately, none had formal qualifications. Kay produced a set of instructions on everything needed to know to run a school library. They came to be affectionately known as “The blue sheets”. Judy later updated these sheets, but they remained blue.

In 1981, with the assistance of Greta Knudsen, a lecturer at the Catholic Teacher’s College in Literacy and a trained Teacher Librarian, Judy began a series of library training courses. These courses started as two weeks in duration and progressed to three weeks as later courses were run. The courses ceased in 1984, when the majority of people working in Catholic schools at the time had been trained and the Graduate Diploma in Teacher Librarianship at Riverina College of Advanced Education had become established - it began in 1982. Prior to that the only Teacher Librarian course available, where a degree was required for entry, or a Bachelor of Arts, was at Macquarie University, specialising in librarianship.

It was during the second of these courses that Judy conceived the idea of a conference for Teacher Librarians and so the first conference was held at the Hydro Majestic at Medlow Bath in 1984.

Judy continued to work for the CEO in the role of Library Consultant until 1988, when she became the Teacher Librarian at Holy Family School at Menai. Once Judy left the CEO, her position was not continued and there is no longer a Library Consultant. Judy went on to work in school libraries within the Wollongong Diocese until her retirement.

Over the years, Judy contributed much to the role of Teacher Librarians, and it is fitting that an award devoted to continuing professional development and career advancement, is named after her, and is continued on through the TLPLC.

CPTLA

The CPTLA, Catholic Primary Teacher Librarians Association, was thus established to serve Teacher Librarians in the 11 Dioceses in NSW, and continued to organise an annual conference for the benefit of Catholic school teacher librarians up until its conversion to the TLPLC at the conference in 2014.

After investigations by the then-committee and the Armidale Diocesan Director John Mula, it was decided for legal reasons to disband the CPTLA as an association and create a learning community for the same group of interested parties.

CPTLA Goals

The initial goals of the CPTLA were as follows:
To value and support the Teacher Librarian's dual role as Teacher and Librarian.
To provide a channel of communication for Teacher Librarians by raising awareness of issues of significance relating to the profession including children's literature, literacy, technologies and information skills.
To raise awareness of the Association within the educational community through effective communication.

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