By Judith Sykes
Canadian School Libraries (CSL) has a national liaison network for school library professionals, scholars and supporters for strengthening connections between national and provincial and territorial associations. Provincial and territorial association presidents and representatives have been invited to bi-annual “Zoom” meetings in fall and spring, commencing in October 2020. Timely information has been shared about school library learning commons (SLLC) developments and issues across the country as well as news about SLLC conferences, events, or resources. CSL liaison meetings demonstrate the strength of the school library community across Canada and how much we can learn and share from each area.
Note: If your province or territory does not have a school library association, CSL welcomes school library representatives that can speak for their area. Contact CSL at info@canadianschoollibraries.ca with your contact information and we will include you in the bi-annual invitations.
The May 2024 Zoom meeting cross country sharing focused on the staffing reductions prevalent in school libraries in most areas, particularly teacher-librarian reductions. Advocacy strategies are being developed to respond to this situation. Such strategies include reaching out to parents in the communities, partnering with other congruent associations or organizations, and arranging meetings or presentations with school boards and ministers of education to create awareness of the critical role that school libraries play in student learning and achievement.
News about professional development events is shared at liaison meetings, with most conferences or events open to participation around the country in person or often virtually. Reflections and write-ups of conferences and events in CSL Journal provide many ideas for SLLC practice, speakers, resources, advocacy and other information.
- The Quebec School Librarians Network (QSLiN), the Libraries Sub-Committee of the Directors of English Education Network (DEAN), held their annual symposium Celebrating Intellectual Freedom in March 2024, for details see the article in the Spring 2024 CSL Journal.
- The 91st L’Association des Bibliothécaires du Québec – Quebec Library Association (ABQLA) conference Can You Hear Me? See event details in this Spring 2024 edition of CSL Journal.
- The re-caps of this year’s Ontario School Library Association (OSLA) at Ontario Library Association (OLA) Super Conference Get Loud! can be found in the Winter 2024 edition of CSL Journal.
- Reflections on the Manitoba School Library Association (MSLA) fall 2023 conference Building Bridges: Spaces, Places, and Possibilities are in CSL Fall 2023 Journal.
- The British Columbia Teacher Librarians’ Association (BCTLA) fall 2023 conference Social Justice League: Teacher Librarian Edition write-up can be found in CSL Journal Fall 2023 edition. BCTLA will hold their annual fall conference in Victoria October 25/24; the theme will be From Pages to Possibilities. Proposals for sessions have been underway and full conference details will be available soon on the BCTLA website.
CSL News:
- To support provincial/territorial advocacy efforts, associations and representatives are encouraged to apply for a CSL Donald Hamilton Grant. To apply see the following, visit the grant page on the CSL website.
- CSL is pleased to announce that the eighth biennial TMC Symposium (TMC8) will take place in Toronto, Ontario on Friday January 31 and Saturday February 1, 2025. The symposium is presented in partnership with the Ontario Library Association (OLA), Ontario School Library Association (OSLA), and The Association of Library Consultants of Ontario (TALCO). CSL is encouraging associations to spread the word and advise members to check out the information on the links of the TMC8 site as the call for papers from across the country is out!
- A forthcoming CSL Digital Literacy Media Project arising from the TMC 7 symposium will begin over the summer of 2024 with representatives from across the country participating on writing and reviewing teams in partnership with Media Smarts organization.
Judith Sykes is a member of the CSL Board of Directors, and chair of the CSL Awards and Grants Committee. Judith also chairs the bi-annual association liaison meetings held by CSL. Judith has been a teacher, teacher-librarian, district school library specialist, and elementary school principal for the Calgary Board of Education in Alberta. She was the provincial school library manager for the Alberta Ministry of Education, leading the School Library Services Initiative 2008-2012. She has published several books about school library practice, including two that deal specifically with action research approaches. Judith was the project coordinator and a contributing writer for Leading Learning: Standards Of Practice For School Library Learning Commons in Canada when it was first published, and continues as co-chair of CSL’s Leading Learning Committee.