Diana Maliszewski was a recipient of the Angela Thacker Memorial Award, presented at Canadian School Libraries’ Treasure Mountain Canada Symposium on January 31, 2025. The award citation reads:
To honour Diana’s expertise and contributions to the field of school libraries, school library learning commons, and teacher-librarianship, noted and applauded in her school, district, province, and country. Diana, known to many through her inspiring blog Monday Molly Musings, excels as a teacher-librarian, conference presenter, editor, teacher-librarianship additional qualifications instructor, and with her work in professional associations.
Here we share Diana’s award acceptance speech.
Thank you all for coming tonight, whether you traveled across town or across the country. It means so much to share this moment with you.
When I sat down to write this speech, I was reminded of tackling my M-Ed capping paper back in 2010 —a journey fueled by praying, drinking, and swearing, (but not necessarily in that order). Back then, I had my husband, James, to help me shape my ideas, and my wonderful colleague, Joanie Proske, to save me from the chaos of APA citations. Fast forward to 2025 and, once again, James has been my sounding board. James, what would I do without you? You’re not just a clever wordsmith and domestic engineer—you’re the steady hand that keeps me grounded and I owe so much of where I am today to your constant support.
But tonight isn’t just about me, or James. I’m thrilled to share the award podium tonight with two exceptional colleagues and dear friends, Wendy Burch Jones and Jennifer Brown. The school library community in Canada is small but mighty, and I’m grateful to have worked alongside so many talented individuals.
Receiving the Angela Thacker Memorial Award puts me in great company. When I look at the list of past recipients — stars like Alanna King, Anita Brooks Kirkland, Carol Koechlin, and Jonelle St. Aubyn — I’m reminded of the profound impact we can have on each other as teacher-librarians. And I’m grateful to Jonelle and Francis Ngo, whose thoughtful nomination brought me here tonight.
Now, when I say “stars,” I don’t mean to suggest anyone belongs on a pedestal. To me, stars aren’t distant figures to be admired from afar; they’re guides. They shine. They light the way and inspire us to do the same. I’d like to share how I’ve tried to “shine” through the acronym S-H-I-N-E:
S is for Share. Sharing is at the heart of what we do as teacher-librarians. I’ve been fortunate to share my experiences and ideas through my blog and in teaching the TL AQs at York and Queen’s. Sharing helps others, yes, but it also strengthens our own practice. It allows us to build connections, to spark ideas, and to grow together as a community.
H is for Help. Helping others is one of the most rewarding parts of this work. I’ve found so much fulfillment in volunteering with MakerEdTO, OSLA and AML, where I’ve met incredible people who’ve expanded my understanding of what’s possible in our field. Helping is reciprocal—it’s in giving that we often gain the most.
I is for Innovate. Innovation doesn’t always mean reinventing the wheel. For me, it means staying curious and being willing to explore—from graphic novels and makerspaces to games-based learning and AI. You don’t have to be an expert; you just have to wonder, tinker, and share what you discover.
N is for Network. Relationships are the cornerstone of what we do. My principal, Troy Sotiroff, who’s here tonight, often says that a successful school is built on positive relationships. He’s absolutely right. Whether it’s mentoring a new teacher-librarian, collaborating with colleagues, or learning from peers, networking helps us lift each other up.
E is for expressing gratitude.
- To the students I’ve had the joy of teaching: you remind me every day why being a teacher-librarian is the best job in the world. It’s a privilege to learn alongside you.
- To my “bosses,” including my principals—especially Troy Sotiroff and Priscilla Yu—and Anna Jupp at York University in the Professional Learning Department: thank you for trusting me, guiding me, and giving me space, freedom and support.
- To the parents and helpers who’ve made our library a welcoming space: thank you for shelving books, supervising book shopping trips, and saying “yes” to projects or tasks that help create an organized oasis for our students. A special thanks to the late Pat McNaughton, a long-time volunteer who donated her time to many school libraries, like mine and the ones run by her daughter, fellow teacher-librarian Kim Davidson, and to my own mother, who once ran my book fairs and loved cleaning the library before dementia took her away from that role. “Ms Mali” and “tidy” are not two ideas that go together very often, so I need this kind of assistance!
- To my colleagues from Agnes Macphail Public School: thank you for sharing this roller-coaster ride that is teaching. Whether it’s conducting Forest of Reading chats, co-planning and co-teaching with me, or offering clubs and teams to our students—you remind me that we’re all part of the same constellation, working together to brighten the path for those we serve.
- To my fellow teacher-librarians and “library-adjacent” friends, too many to mention all by name: if you’ve ever presented a workshop for or with me, shared an idea, or simply inspired me with your work, know that you’re part of the reason I stand here tonight.
- To my mentors — Peggy Thomas, who brought me into OSLA and T4L; my library godmother Carol Koechlin, Neil Andersen, and Carol Arcus from AML; and Gail de Vos and Dianne Oberg from U of A — you’ve each shaped my path in immeasurable ways.
- And, finally, to my family: my beloved James and our kids — Mary and Peter, who are no longer kids but still fill my world with love and pride. You are my foundation, my joy, and my greatest blessing. Love you to the moon and back.
Diana Maliszewski (OCT BA BEd MEd) is the teacher-librarian at Agnes Macphail Public School in the Toronto District School Board and has worked as a school library professional for over twenty-five years. From 2006 – 2018, she was the editor-in-chief of The Teaching Librarian, the official publication of the Ontario School Library Association. Currently, she is the co-Vice President of the Association for Media Literacy and Canada’s representative with the North American and European chapter of UNESCO’s Media and Information Literacy Alliance. Diana developed and still facilitates the Teacher Librarianship Additional Qualification courses for York University and Queen’s University. Diana has been honoured with several awards, such as the Follett International Teacher-Librarian of the Year in 2008, the OLA President’s Award for Exceptional Achievement in 2013, and the CSL Angela Thacker Memorial Award in 2025. Like her friend and co-writer of this TMC paper, Joanie Proske, Diana is a proud graduate of the University of Alberta Teacher-Librarianship via Distance Learning Masters of Education program. She blogs weekly as part of her reflective professional practice at http://mondaymollymusings.blogspot.com.