The Executive of the British Columbia Teacher-Librarians’ Association was a recipient of the inaugural Donald Hamilton School Library Advocacy Award, presented at Canadian School Libraries’ Treasure Mountain Canada Symposium on January 31, 2025. The award citation reads:
To honour the BCTLA Executive’s advocacy actions, noted and applauded in schools in the district, province and across the country, and implemented in a variety of ongoing relevant and timely publications and events. BCTLA Executive created advocacy materials such as “Love Your Teacher-Librarian” colouring sheets and bookmarks to raise awareness among educators, parents, and community stakeholders. BCTLA Executive has been a driving force in fostering advocacy at the provincial level. Through the redesign of a “Working and Learning Conditions (WLC) Survey”, BCTLA Executive sets goals to support variance in findings across the province.
Here we share the acceptance speech from BCTLA President Tammy Le, on behalf of the executive.
On behalf of the British Columbia Teacher-Librarians’ Association executive, it is my profound honor to accept the Inaugural Donald Hamilton School Library Advocacy Award. I want to take this moment to name my team who shares this award with me. Here with me today are Holly Broadland, Doni Gratton, Joseph Jeffery, Serena Mohammed, Lisa Seddon and Sarah Wethered. The remaining members, Marilyn Carr, Devika Chudy, Jennifer Fox, April Hilland, Nicole Hurtubise, Kristie Oxley, and Keely Thornton are back home in BC cheering for us. This recognition is deeply meaningful to us, and we are immensely grateful to Canadian School Libraries.
Our journey began with a simple yet profound inquiry: to better understand the working conditions of teacher-librarians across BC. We already knew anecdotally that teacher-librarians in BC were facing declining working conditions, leading to lower job satisfaction. What we discovered was not only a mystery surrounding what we do in our specialist roles but also a compelling need to advocate for the invaluable contributions teacher-librarians make. This realization became the catalyst for an advocacy campaign aimed at shining a light on the essential work we do.
The findings from our annual Working and Learning Conditions survey continued to underscore the urgent challenges our BCTLA members were facing including reduced collaboration time, increased book challenges, and the alarming erosion of teacher-librarian roles in some districts. These insights fueled our efforts to advocate for systemic change and compliance with collective agreement ratios, ensuring teacher-librarians have the time and resources to fulfill their vital roles effectively.
The results of this work shaped the foundation of our advocacy. Through creative and impactful materials — such as the “Love Your Teacher-Librarian” coloring sheets, posters, and presentations — our message reached educators, parents, and community stakeholders across the province. Distributing these materials at the 2024 British Columbia Teacher Federation’s Annual General Meeting and adapting them for events like the British Columbia Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils Annual General Meeting allowed us to engage with fellow educators, parents, and even the Minister of Education.
These efforts not only raised awareness about the role of teacher-librarians but also inspired other BC Provincial Specialist Associations to pursue similar initiatives, further amplifying the impact of our work.
At its core, the work of the BCTLA executive exemplifies collaboration and equity. We continue to amplify the voices of teacher-librarians across the province, applying for grants to extend our advocacy and addressing gaps in representation and awareness. This spirit of leadership, innovation, and purpose aligns closely with the values celebrated by the Donald Hamilton School Library Advocacy Award.
We are proud to have not only strengthened our own community of practice but also inspired a renewed sense of activism and commitment among teacher-librarians across BC. This award validates our efforts and serves as a reminder that our work matters — not only for the educators and students we serve but for the broader public education system.
We would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Wendy Burch Jones who also received this prestigious award. Wendy has been our Eastern counterpart, an outstanding advocate for teacher-librarians in Ontario, using her powerful voice to champion the importance of libraries and education. Her dedication and impact are inspirational.
To the Awards Committee, thank you for this extraordinary honor. To colleagues in our schools and in the BCTF, to our community supporters, and the entire BCTLA membership, thank you for your passion, dedication, and belief in the power of public school libraries to transform lives. Together, we are building a stronger future for education and for all who learn and teach within it.
Tammy Le is the President of the British Columbia Teacher Librarians’ Association and a Teacher-Librarian at École Salish Secondary in Surrey, B.C. She is also the Past President of the Surrey Chapter of the BCTLA. She has worked alongside members in her association to advocate better working and learning conditions and helped organize several provincial wide conferences to support the professional development of Teacher-Librarians in British Columbia. Tammy has a B.Sc. in Biochemistry and French Literature and a B. Ed. From the University of British Columbia as well as a Diploma in Library Sciences from UBC.