By Jennifer Casa-Todd
At our TMC8 symposium in January, we received a number of professional development (PD) requests. Since we are a Canada-wide, volunteer organization we are hoping that members who are experts in a variety of topics might support learning opportunities for their peers. We have collated the requests into themes (with the help of ChatGPT).
We invite any school librarians who are passionate about and/or have insights, strategies, or success stories to share with your colleagues, to take a look at the topics other school librarians have indicated they would appreciate and contact us to talk about how you might share your expertise with others. In this way, we are hoping to offer professional learning on a wide variety of relevant, timely, and impactful topics.
Below are the big ideas which have been requested. If any of these resonate with you, we’d love to hear from you!
Advocacy & Leadership
Libraries are at the heart of the school, yet we know that our role as school librarians is impacted by budget cuts and other factors seemingly out of our control.
Topics which have been requested include:
- Setting boundaries when being pulled from the library
- Advocating for your program and position
- Responding to censorship and book bans with professionalism and purpose
- Communicating the impact of the LLC to administrators and stakeholders
🤖 Technology & AI Integration
As digital tools evolve, so too must our approach to teaching and learning. Help your peers understand, adopt, and reflect on meaningful use of technology in the Library Learning Commons.
- Topics which have been requested include:
- Using AI tools to support students and educators
- Teaching AI and digital literacy with a critical lens
- Setting up robotics centers to support curriculum areas
- Choosing and using cataloguing and research platforms
- Supporting students with research skills and critical thinking in a digital world
🧠 Instructional Design for Inclusive Learning
The LLC is a unique space to engage learners of all identities and abilities. If you have developed inclusive programs or thoughtful learning experiences, others can benefit from your ideas and approaches.
Topics which have been requested include:
- Designing UDL-based learning experiences in the LLC
- Embedding inclusive learning strategies in library programming
- Curating diverse and representative resources
- Ideas for creating makerspaces or tech hubs for student learning
- Encouraging critical thinking, inquiry-based learning, and maker culture
🤝 Collaboration & Adult Learning
Working with educators is a key part of the teacher librarian role, but many still ask: Where do I begin? Your insights into collaboration as a form of adult learning can help others foster impactful partnerships.
Topics which have been requested include:
- Starting and sustaining staff collaboration
- Understanding adult learning principles in teacher partnerships
- Co-teaching and integrating library programs into the classroom
- New LLC rebuilds: ideas and best practices
📊 Program Evaluation & Data-Informed Practice
Measuring impact is essential to demonstrating the value of the LLC. If you’ve developed ways to collect and use data, consider helping others develop their own strategies for evidence-based growth.
Topics which have been requested include:
- Evaluating the LLC program and setting goals
- Collecting meaningful data to reflect student needs
- Using data to inform future library decision-making
📚 Literacy, Reading & Engagement
Teacher librarians are literacy leaders. From book clubs to read-alouds, you play a vital role in building a culture of reading.
- Topics which have been requested include:
- Fostering a love of reading
- Supporting diverse learning needs through targeted reading strategies
- Promoting inclusive literature and reader representation
- How to include diverse resources
💚 Self-Care, Support & Community
The emotional load of being a library leader can be heavy, especially in times of change. Sharing practices for self-care and mentorship helps sustain our profession and build resilience.
- Topics which have been requested include:
- Wellness and self-care for school librarians
- Building and maintaining a Professional Learning Network (PLN)
- Mental health and SEL awareness
- Mentorship for new and experienced librarians
- Relationship-building within the school and beyond
- Cross-panel librarianship (elementary/secondary) opportunities and collaboration ideas
🗂 Management & Curation
From budgeting to genrefication, many of us are balancing the behind-the-scenes work that keeps the library running smoothly. If you’ve developed effective systems, tips, or tools, please consider sharing them.
Topics which have been requested include:
- Collection development and auditing practices
- Diversifying library classification systems
- Curation strategies and tools
- Genrefying collections to support student access
- Budget planning and resource allocation
- Rebuilding or refreshing new LLC spaces
Ready to Get Involved?
If any of these topics speak to your expertise—or if you have another great idea!—we’d love to hear from you. As a small board, we will be unable to offer learning sessions without your help. Webinars can be solo sessions or co-presented with a colleague. They can be pre-recorded. We are also happy to accept how-to articles for publication in CSL Journal, podcasts, or other ways you want to share your professional expertise. We are happy to support you in shaping your session. Watch our social media channels and our newsletter for more information or contact info@canadianschoolibraries.ca directly with your PD ideas.
Use of Generative AI
AI, specifically ChatGPT, was used to collate the professional development requests into categories. These were then double checked and refined. AI doesn’t have to be scary. Using it responsibly and letting people know how it was used helps inform others on ways they could be using it to enhance, rather than replace their creativity.
Jennifer Casa-Todd, CSL Board Member-at-large
Jennifer Casa-Todd is wife, mom, educator, a former Literacy Consultant, a Google Certified Innovator, and author of several educational publications. Jennifer was nominated for the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence (2024), was the recipient of the YSCPC Teaching Excellence Award (2023), and recipient of the ISTE Digital Citizenship Network Award (2020). She is also an ISTE Community leader, a Google Educator Group leader for Ontario and a Board member for the Canadian School Library Association. Jennifer can currently be found supporting pre-service teachers at Lakehead University (Ontario) or supporting student travel experiences for credit. She is passionate about showing parents, teachers and students how they can use technology and social media positively and productively. Learn more about her at jcasatodd.com