Proposed Title
From Enabling to Empowering: Reconceptualising the Teacher Librarian’s Influence on School Reading Cultures
Supervisors
Principal Supervisor: Dr Kasey Garrison
Co-Supervisor: Associate Professor Mary Carroll
Research
This research investigates the disconnect between adolescent reading skill and will, specifically examining the role of the Teacher Librarian (TL) in bridging this gap. Adopting a Critical Realist paradigm, this mixed-methods case study of three Australian secondary schools moves beyond describing what TLs do to explaining the generative mechanisms of how they exert influence.
Data collected from student and staff surveys, semi-structured interviews, and digital artefacts reveal that TL influence is not through providing access to resources, but a dynamic negotiation mediated by systemic filters, such as time, policy, and curriculum mandates.
The study’s primary contribution is the Conceptual Model of Teacher Librarian Influence, which maps how TLs deploy personal agency and strategic navigate structural constraints. By identifying the Proficient Reader Paradox, where capable students disengage due to environmental pressures, this research argues that the TL acts as a critical Architect of Agency, essential for converting student capability into a sustained lifelong reading habit.
Why I chose Charles Sturt
My journey to this PhD began with my personal, professional struggle to understand and apply the concept and practicalities of evidence-based practice in school libraries. As a practitioner, I questioned how Teacher Librarians could effectively demonstrate their value when so much of our role is influential as opposed to direct impact. This curiosity led to formal research at CSU, where I am now lecturing in the Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship), whilst completing the final stages of my PhD Candidature. Through leading subjects such as Teacher Librarian as Leader (ETL504), I have found a beautiful synergy between my teaching content and my personal research interests, confirming that this was the right environment to support my investigation of the mechanisms of Teacher Librarian influence.
Engagement and Memberships
Membership:
Committees and Groups:
- ALIA Schools
- Library Research Group
Publications
View CRO Profile
Carroll, M., Garrison, K., Oddone, K., & Gagen-Spriggs, K. (n.d.). “I believe in the value of libraries”: Factors impacting collaborations between Australian public and school libraries.
Gagen-Spriggs, K. (2020). An investigation into the reasons students read for pleasure. School Libraries Worldwide, 20(1), 15. https://doi.org/doi:%252010.14265.26.1.009
Gagen-Spriggs, K. (2023a). From the archive: A brief history of school libraries in Australia. Incite, 44(3), 12–14. https://issuu.com/incite_magazine/docs/incite_magazine_volume_44_issue_3
Gagen-Spriggs, K. (2023b). The influence of teacher librarians on reading cultures. Access, 37(3), 7–14.
Gagen-Spriggs, K. (2024a). Book review—Social reading cultures on Booktube, Bookstagram, and Booktok. Access, 38(4), 60–62. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003458616
Gagen-Spriggs, K. (2024b). Creating a reading culture in primary and secondary schools: By M. K. Merga. London: Facet Publishing, 2023. 222 pp. ISBN 9781783306398 (hbk): £111.54. ISBN 9781783306381 (pbk): £55.77. Language and Education, 0(0), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2024.2311141
Gagen-Spriggs, K., & Garrison, K. (2024). Empowering teen readers: The role of the teacher librarian in supporting reading for pleasure. In The Reading Lives of Teens: Research and Practice (1st edn, p. 19). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781032619804-10/empowering-teen-readers-krystal-gagen-spriggs-kasey-garrison
Garrison, K. L., Gagen-Spriggs, K., & Oddone, K. (2025). From Decimal to Dynamic: A Systematic Review of Genrefication in School Libraries. Library Trends, 74(1), 79–106. https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/970678
Oddone, K., Garrison, K., & Gagen-Spriggs, K. (2023). Navigating Generative AI: The Teacher Librarian’s Role in Cultivating Ethical and Critical Practices. Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association, 0(0), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/24750158.2023.2289093
Oddone, K., Garrison, K. L., Gagen-Spriggs, K., Miegle, M., Dearnally, M., Mathur, P., & Burrett, K. (2023). Agency and action: Reflections on learning from ASLA 2023. Access, 37(3), 21–28.
Simon, M., Gagen-Spriggs, K., Oddone, K., & Garrison, K. (2025). Fifty Years of School Library Literature: A Scoping Review with Bibliometric Analysis. Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association, 74(4), 605–630. https://doi.org/10.1080/24750158.2025.2572543
