The Angela Thacker Memorial Award was established in 2001 in memory of Angela Thacker; teacher-librarian, library coordinator, and school library colleague, mentor, leader and advocate who served the Association for Teacher-Librarianship in Canada (ATLC) and the Canada School Library Association (CSLA) in many capacities. This award honours teacher-librarians who have made contributions to the profession through publications, productions, research or professional development activities that deal with topics relevant to teacher-librarianship and/or school library learning commons.
The CSL Angela Thacker Memorial Award is presented bi-annually at the CSL Treasure Mountain Canada Research Symposium dinner with an engraved plaque and complementary registration to TMC. We are pleased to publish the acceptance speeches from the three recipients of this prestigious award for 2020, Alison Bodner, Alanna King, and Sarah Wethered.
Alison Bodner, Pembina Trails School Division, Winnipeg, Manitoba
I would like to begin by saying what an incredible honour it is to be one of the recipients of the Canadian School Libraries Angela Thacker Memorial Award. I’d also like to congratulate my fellow recipients Alanna King and Sarah Wethered.
My career as a teacher-librarian has been a joy that I’m grateful for every single day. It has allowed me the opportunity to touch the lives of many students by opening their world to the wonder of reading. Nothing is more exciting than having a student come to the library learning commons and share their enthusiasm for reading.
The teacher-librarian role is multifaceted and continues to adapt to our increasingly complex world. There is a lot of talk today about 21st Century Learning skills but they’ve always been at the core of what school libraries are about. Collaboration is central to what we do and we do this at many different levels. The library learning commons is now a place where students both consume and produce information in an increasingly digital age. It helps students navigate and determine what is real and what is not. We are at the forefront of many initiatives such as the makerspace movement, coding and computational skills and STEAM challenges which promotes collaboration, cooperation, communication, critical thinking, and creativity.
This award would not be possible without the inspiration and support I have received from my many mentors and colleagues over the years. Early on in my career, I was encouraged to become involved in some of the many library organizations such as the (MYRCA) Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice Award, I Love to Read events, Canadian Images Canadienne, and of course, The Manitoba School Library Association. These experiences provided so many opportunities for networking and collaboration and they definitely helped shape my library program and the learning opportunities I’m able to provide for my students. I encourage everyone to take the initiative to get involved in these types of organizations, and not shy away from offering others mentorship and professional development. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t been offered those opportunities.
I’d like to thank my Library Learning Commons Consultant, Jo-Anne Gibson, for being part of the team that nominated me for this award.
Jo-Anne is a gifted leader and has been an amazing mentor to me over the years. You may not realize this but Jo-Anne, along with Vivianne Fogarty, represented Manitoba on the cross-country working group that helped developed the standards of practice for the Leading Learning document. It’s also no surprise that Jo-Anne is a previous recipient of this award.
I’d also like to thank my remarkable Administrative Team of Doug Jonasson and Jane Rowland, who were also part of the team that nominated me for this award. I am deeply grateful for their recognition and the value they place on the Library Learning Commons Program at our school. The inclusion of 21st Century Learning Skills in our school plan is just one of the many ways they support our library program.
I’m very fortunate to work in a school division that recognizes the important role the teacher-librarian and the library learning commons plays in the education of our students. When Heather Eby, our former Library Consultant, presented the Leading Learning document they embraced it immediately. It is very fitting that Pembina Trails School Division is the inaugural recipient of the Leading Learning Implementation Award.
I’m thrilled that Jo-Anne Gibson and Niki Card, our MSLA President are both here to share this special occasion with me.
Finally, I’d like to thank the Canada School Libraries and Treasure Mountain for hosting this amazing event.
Once again, thank you to everyone who has helped me achieve this accomplishment, and thank you for being my travelling companions along my teacher-librarian journey.
Alanna King, Upper Grand District School Board, Ontario
I am extremely honoured and grateful for this award. I have to also say that I’m very surprised that my nominators, Lisa Unger, Diana Maliszewski and Kate McGregor with the help of my husband Tim King were able to keep this a secret because I’m the type of person who generally doesn’t like surprises. 2019 has been full of them for me.
On January 25, we entered the New Year and this year is the year of the Rat. Now you may not have known this but I was born in the Year of the Rat on February 29, 1972. 2019, Year of the Pig goes something like this: I was sailing along in Orangeville as 5/6 teacher-librarian 1/6 online English when I was diagnosed with uterine cancer on May 3. A month later while I was off in June, I was given an administrative transfer to Fergus, 7 minutes from home but with 2 online English and 4 face to face English. I had requested a transfer to be closer to home but I had to say goodbye to my lovely learning commons. I haven’t taught full English since 2003. Full hysterectomy in July, I’m experiencing surgical menopause and I hit some crippling anxiety and my doctor says: you’re not ready to teach yet. Now some people might go to bed for the next 8 months but it’s just not in my nature to be still. So when the International Federation of Libraries said we need a keynote speaker in Buenos Aires I dropped my Netflix binge-watching, hopped out of my recliner and went to Argentina for 4 days in September. I returned to teaching with one online course November 9. My car got hit by a snow plough two weeks ago, I won a national award for teacher-librarianship the next day and last week….I found out that my LTD claim was denied. There’s probably some sort of a Scandinavian word for ‘winning something once you’re no longer able to fulfill the role’ which I need to use right now, but then I’d need another term to describe the fact that I will continue to pursue advocacy for school libraries even though I’m no longer a teacher-librarian. How many people in this room believe in the value of school libraries but aren’t currently working in a school library? (Woot woots) Right. We need to start a club.
One of the hardest lessons I have had to learn in recovery is to prioritize As part of this, my OT, Aamir told me to write as much as I needed to see what my top values in life are. Aamir asked me: What gets me out of bed in the morning? I came up with two words: Vision and Equity. Each day I believe that the world can be a better place and that we need to start that process by making sure that each person has a shot at making a difference for themselves. My chosen medium is words. My attachment to words and communication is obsessive to the point where you might even say I share a trait with my son Max called hyperlexia.
As a teacher of drama, English, and media arts before becoming a teacher-librarian, I brought these skills to my new role. I have always had a passion for participatory experiences both in person and online that deepen learning. A great deal of my work since 2009 has been to expand the education system’s understanding of transliteracy, which is how we navigate all media types. Working in the school library allowed me to see the entire curriculum as interlinked and I have tried to create possibilities wherever subjects overlap and intersect. Education systems all over the world are recognizing the importance of school libraries as places where students can develop critical and creative approaches to learning challenges. Much of the work that I’ve done is to advocate for educational reform would do best to start with qualified teacher-librarians as leaders of learning, and models of possibility. In Upper Grand DSB, we are primed for this work as our board values qualified staff in these places, and we need to continue to value our library staff and spaces as essential to learning, despite the challenges that we may be facing with funding and staffing. School libraries are safe spaces for students to learn, experiment and grow and they are reliable places to innovate or learn in non-traditional ways. Through collaboration and cross-curricular thinking, school libraries can also be the hub of design-thinking transformation for staff and students.
I believe that the work I’ve done is happening all over the world. I’m just really into sharing this work through my blog, presentations and volunteerism. I learn as much from my network as I give back. As Canadians poised in our privilege to lead global innovation, I also feel it is my honour and obligation to share my work. One of my favourite movies of all time is called Strictly Ballroom by Baz Luhrman and in it we are taught that A life lived in fear is a life half-lived. I battle every day with fear and distraction getting in the way of my creativity. Every time I am faced with a new opportunity and my introvert hesitates, I push myself to say yes and to see what comes of it. Now this pattern of saying yes has gotten me into some deep water in the past, but I’m slowly learning to just tread water… I’m learning to prioritize.
Thank you to my nominators and to Canadian School Libraries who together always amplify my voice.
Sarah Wethered, New Westminster School Division, British Columbia
I must admit that I am very uncomfortable being singled out for this award because all of my accomplishments have been the result of teamwork. While I often play a leadership role, I truly believe that mine is only one voice and all accolades should go to the entire team. I am incredibly thankful to the selection committee for choosing me, however there are many people who have made this award possible.
Firstly, my dear friend, Kristie Oxley, district teacher-librarian, BCTLA president, and New Westminster Teachers’ Union second vice president for nominating me. I really respect Kristie so the fact she nominated me makes it even more special.
The New Westminster Teacher-Librarians’ Association for their continuous support and encouragement, especially my teaching partner, Jenny Chang and Lisa Seddon who provided letters of support for my nomination. This group of hard working, intelligent women are a pleasure to work with and we always celebrate each other’s successes.
The staff of New Westminster Secondary School, my home for the last 20 years, for their support of me and our library program. I am honoured to work with such an amazing group of dedicated educators, under the leadership of our current principal Murray McLeod.
The BCTLA executive for welcoming me into their fold two years ago when I became vice president, and for helping me find my voice on a provincial level.
The NWTU executive for providing me with many leadership opportunities over the last 17 years. I currently serve as first vice president. Special thanks to our current president, Eric Young, who has always believed in my abilities, even when I haven’t.
Kathleen Erickson, teacher-librarian at Quamichan Middle School in Duncan, BC for inspiring me to become a teacher-librarian and Don Hamilton, UVic librarian for pointing me in the right direction.
My UofA graduate advisors, Dr. Dianne Oberg and Dr. Jennifer Branch-Mueller for taking a very green teacher-librarian and putting me on the path of success.
My friends who took the time to send lovely messages of support when I announced I was to receive this award. They have created a place for me to go when I need a pick me up when think I’m really bad at my job. For example after I have had 8 blocks of grade 9s in my library and I might have lost my temper.
My family — my parents, Matt and Sheila, my sister Linda and her husband Chris, my niece Kalika and her husband Chad, and my nephew James — for their unconditional love and support of me, even though I strongly suspect they have no idea what it is I do all day.
And finally, my husband of almost 25 years, Jason Harp. We met 6 weeks into my teaching career and he’s been along for the entire wild ride. He encouraged me to do my UBC diploma and then my UofA masters degree. He is supportive of my extra interests and is understanding when this sometimes means not being able to spend time with him. He understands my need to fill our home with books and tolerates the fact that I have more yarn than one woman could ever knit and more Fluevogs than one woman should own. I would not be here today if I did not have his constant love and encouragement.
I am deeply honoured to have received this award and I’m truly humbled by it. Thank you.
