These tributes to Caroline were published in the September 2022 edition of the Ontario School Library Association’s The Teaching Librarian (Vol. 30, No.1), and are re-published here with permission.
Editor’s Notebook
Kasey Whalley
Editor-in-Chief, The Teaching Librarian
This issue is dedicated in memory of Caroline Freibauer.
The remarkable thing about meeting Caroline was learning just how unassuming and immeasurable her brilliance and kindness were. Walking into the board room of the OLA office to sit on a committee with library technicians, teacher librarians, and teachers to discuss the OSLA by-law language, I was greeted by a slim, brown-haired woman with electric green framed glasses. She was kind, witty, and unequivocally brilliant. She knew libraries and she knew schools, and she encouraged everyone in that room to share their own knowledge, experiences, and ideas for a common goal. She steered without pushing and led without leaving anyone behind. And she did it all with compassion and a keen intelligence that has left a wonderful impact on those who knew her and the wider library world.
I learned quickly (and was reminded often) that Caroline was a beautiful person with boundless enthusiasm and encouragement. Working with her on the Teaching Librarian while she was Editor was a privilege that I cannot even begin to explain. When she first disclosed her illness and asked if anyone from the editorial board would like to step in as interim editor, I reached out to offer my help – I was expecting maybe a co-editor role or advice on ways to support someone else in the role. It was her faith in my skills and her unwavering support that led me to embrace the role of interim editor. I will be forever grateful for her belief in me, and I’ll do my best to publish a magazine that she would (I hope) be proud of.
This entire issue, and many before it, is a testament to the hard work, enthusiasm and pure love of libraries that Caroline brought to the Teaching Librarian as a contributor and as Editor-In-Chief. She was working on this magazine even while ill and curated most of the articles that are featured in this edition, including commissioning an updated version to her remarkable State of the School Library. Her vast professional library network, commitment to advocating and supporting school libraries and incredible journalistic knowledge were crucial to the success of this magazine. When we first spoke about the theme for this edition, we were at the height of the pandemic with many of us still working from home – but Caroline loved the idea of Back@YourLibrary and had hope that we would all be returning to our beloved library spaces. It breaks my heart that she will not be joining us on our return this year.
Language is a beautiful, wonderful tool, but the loss of Caroline is difficult to quantify with consonants and vowels. The tributes that we have included in this edition are but a small snapshot of the incredible legacy that Caroline has left and the immeasurable impact she has had on those who knew her and the wider library world. The Editorial Board and I will miss her leadership, kindness, brilliance and flair. We are grateful for her time as Editor, but we are also just grateful for her; she will be greatly missed.
Caroline, may your heaven be an endless library and your rest be eternally peaceful.
President’s Message
Beth Lyons
President, Ontario School Library Association
As many of you may know, the school library world lost a powerful ally, advocate, spokesperson, collaborator and friend in the summer. In the short time I knew her Caroline Freibauer left an impression on my heart. Her passion for school libraries, for all libraries really, is unmatched in anyone I have met along this journey. During my time with the OSLA council I have been in many meetings with Caroline and she is always quick to jump to support a new idea and to add on to make the idea even better. She had a special way of making you feel like your idea was gold (even if it wasn’t, yet) and she would work to help you process and unpack the idea to make it even better.
Becoming the President of the OSLA Council this past year was a daunting prospect. School libraries have had it rough the past couple of years (decades really) and knowing that you are about to be the face and the voice of something so many people hold dear felt a little scary. Caroline was always there to tell me I was on the right track, to give advice without criticism and to make sure I knew I could count on her for anything.
What made the news of Caroline’s passing more bearable were the friendships and connections I have made on my teacher-librarian journey. Reading the tributes to Caroline posted on Twitter and Facebook from mutual friends. Phone calls and texts with OSLA and CSL connections and sharing memories. So, if you are just starting out on your school library journey or into the thick of it after a few years or hoping one day to be in the school library, my advice to you is to be like Caroline. Join OLA/OSLA. Connect with other school library professionals across the province and Canada. I don’t mean you all have to nominate yourself for a council position (but seriously, think about it) but you can join the #OnLibChats, use the #ONSchoolLibraries or #SchoolLibraryJoy hashtags on Twitter to share your accomplishments, your wonderings, your blunders, your process. You could write or co-write an article for Teaching Librarian magazine or the Canadian School Libraries journal. You could write a paper for Treasure Mountain Canada.
You can connect.
You can advocate.
You can share.
And along the way you will meet amazing people and have the privilege to call them friends. You will learn more than you ever thought possible. You will share your love of libraries and books and stories.
And you will help us keep Caroline’s memory alive.
More Tributes to Caroline
Angela Thompson
Editorial Board Member, The Teaching Librarian
For me, Caroline was a mentor and a friend. She was an inspiration and a cheering section when life handed me a heart-breaking employment reassignment and then, a few years later, a cancer diagnosis of my own. I took to heart her faith that I could beat breast cancer like she did. Her strength helped me find mine. I am grateful for her kindness and her leadership on the editorial team of Teaching Librarian.
Her unwavering dedication to championing librarianship and inquiry of all kinds infused every interaction I had with her over this last decade. I am a better human being because I crossed paths with Caroline for a while on this journey. I will remember her.
Kimberly Senf
Editorial Board Member, The Teaching Librarian
I got to know Caroline through my work on the editorial board of the Teaching Librarian magazine. She welcomed me to the editorial team a few years ago. She was an editor that gave space for new ideas and perspectives, and she always made me feel that my contributions were valued. Caroline and I never got the chance to meet in person. We may have sat in some of the same sessions at Super Conference, but our paths never officially crossed in person. We had made plans to finally meet at the conference, something that unfortunately never happened.
Working with Caroline on the editorial board was a highlight of the past few years. She was diligent in her work to ensure that we produced the best possible publication for school librarians. She brought her distinctive humour and keen eye for new stories to each meeting, and she was so encouraging of new writers. I was often in awe of her ability to turn the magazine around so quickly, and that she could do it all while looking after her own school library. She was certainly a whirlwind of productivity and she cared deeply about the work she was doing. She will be missed.
Mary Doyle
Editorial Board Member, The Teaching Librarian
Caroline and I first bonded over a pen; wonder of wonders, an erasable pen that doesn’t smudge, even if you are left-handed! Next thing I know, speaking of pens led to us writing together for the Teaching Librarian. Caroline was a persuasive recruiter and gave me the opportunity to fulfill one of my longtime career goals. This first encounter happened at the OLA office at the meeting of the OSLA bylaw committee. From the start it was evident that Caroline was passionate about school libraries and held the professionalism and work of all library staff in high regard.
It was always a joy to connect with Caroline, be it at Super Conference, a phone call, or an email from her just to check in. She always showed care and compassion for others regardless of her own challenges. She had style, charisma and class. I feel fortunate to have had such a brave and kind role model in my life.
I recently just bought a new pack of those pens and thought of Caroline. Even though you are gone, remarkable woman, you will not be erased from our memories, and as you encouraged us, we will write on.
Trish Hurley
Editorial Board Member, The Teaching Librarian
I first met Caroline digitally. She was looking for writers and editorial board members for the Teaching Librarian. She was warm, encouraging and enthusiastic about adding a new voice to the magazine. After a few issues, I attended an in-person board meeting downtown Toronto. It was my first time meeting Caroline and again, she was warm, encouraging and enthusiastic – this was most definitely a theme with her. Covid hit, and therefore all subsequent meetings with her were via Zoom. In every meeting, I saw her flair, a very strong vision for the magazine and an infectious personality.
Caroline worked full time, but also dedicated hours upon hours to the Teaching Librarian. These hours were strictly volunteer; from organizing the issue to the writers to the edits. My emails back and forth were numerous, positive, supportive and always enthusiastic about the next issue! After she disclosed her illness, she said in an email, “My goal is to continue with as many of my passions as possible to ensure I live each day to the fullest.” I have read and reread this line a number of times since her passing. May we all take her comment to heart and embrace our passions and truly live each day to the maximum. Caroline, you were a leader full of passion and dedication. I am a better person for knowing you. I will miss you, my friend.
Shelagh Straughan
Columnist, The Teaching Librarian
While I only had the pleasure of knowing Caroline for a couple of years, I very much appreciated her guidance and encouragement in our library advocacy work. She welcomed me to the Teaching Librarian community with the goal of including the voice of independent school libraries. While I was initially a bit intimidated by her wealth of experience, her lovely warm nature quickly made me feel that I had something to share, and I suspect that this championing of others was one of her superpowers. I am grateful to Caroline for allowing this connection to TL and will do my best to honour her spirit through library advocacy.
Anita Brooks Kirkland
Chair, Canadian School Libraries
Caroline was a friend as well as a colleague, and I am devastated by her loss. I first got to know Caroline when she was planning an ambitious Teacher Learning and Leadership Program (TLLP) action research project at her school, and visited several secondary libraries in my board to mine ideas from me and my teacher-librarian colleagues. That was my first taste of Caroline’s approach to learning and leading. Since then we have served on boards together, worked on huge projects, like the CSL Research Toolkit, presented on several occasions at Super Conference in particular, and collaborated on professional publications.
Caroline was a true original thinker. She asked the most salient questions that nobody else had thought of. She loved research and data. She was so curious, and was willing to take risks in the name of deeper learning. Her journalistic expertise elevated our school library publications immeasurably. Caroline was dedicated to libraries and to teacher-librarianship, and the profession is better because of her contribution. But what I will remember the most about Caroline is her kindness, her generosity, and most of all her optimism. Where others would have succumbed to despair, Caroline fought through her illness, writing articles and working on projects when others would have given up. She kept going, as much for us as for herself. I miss Caroline so very much, but am so grateful for having known her. Rest in peace, my dear friend.
Diana Maliszewski
Former Editor-In-Chief, The Teaching Librarian
It was in 2016 that I had the chance to work in depth with Caroline. She applied to be on the editorial board of The Teaching Librarian when I was the editor-in-chief. It was clear that she was tremendously overqualified – she had actual journalism experience – and we very happily welcomed her to the editorial board. She debuted in Volume 24 Issue 1 of TingL.
Caroline was an absolute gift to work with at OSLA. If you had the fortune to be on a committee with Caroline, you knew that work would get done. While she was on the editorial board, she edited efficiently, met deadlines, and knew the best way to get the most out of writers, readers, and everyone involved in the process of putting together a magazine. She introduced a new column in Volume 25 called “Crowd Sourced”, which involved consulting multiple school library professionals for answers to pressing issues. It was for these reasons, and many more, that I felt confident enough to “retire” from running The Teaching Librarian – because Caroline agreed to take over the responsibilities.
Caroline achieved more in her short stint as OSLA editor-in-chief than any other leader. She was the one who helped TingL pivot to an online version and back again. It was under Caroline that there was better representation from more areas of school librarianship present on the editorial board and increased the number of contributors to each issue of the periodical. Volume 27 Issue 1 is a must-read for anyone wishing to understand the status of school libraries in Ontario, with the quantitative and qualitative data to back it up. This is part of the massive legacy she leaves.
Caroline’s funeral was on Saturday, August 6 in Brantford. Beth Lyons, Kate Johnson-McGregor, Alanna King and I attended. It was a testimony to her to see how filled the church was with friends and family gathering to pay tribute to an extraordinary person. One of the final gifts Caroline gave to us, posthumously, was the reason for us to reconnect in-person. COVID and circumstances had separated us, but Caroline got many of us back together again.
Thanks Caroline; we will miss you.