By Anita Brooks Kirkland & Carol Koechlin
We are very pleased to share with you the first edition of the CSL Journal for the 2018 – 2019 school year.
We want to congratulate the many school library professionals who took up our challenge to find ways to keep students Reading, Writing and Making over the summer break. We were delighted to read many excellent initiatives posted on social media. Two programs in particular made creative use of social media technologies to engage student participation in summer reading, so we invited these teacher-librarian leaders to share how they achieved their success. We hope you enjoy their stories and begin your planning now for next summer.
How We Ran a Teen Summer Book Club by Janet McLeod
Using Tech and Social Media to Enhance Your Summer Reading Program by Derek Acorn
CSL committees and special work groups were also very busy over the summer break developing new professional resources and supports for advancing school library learning commons. We are especially proud to be able to introduce readers to these projects in this issue.
TMC Feature: Building a Culturally Relevant and Responsive School Library Learning Commons
Leading Learning Feature: Supporting You: Leading Learning as a Catalyst for Change
Check out what’s happening in teaching and learning with technology:
Sandra Bebbington invites high school librarians to explore an online professional school library community who develop and share instructional strategies. Bringing CORA to Canadian High Schools.
We also highlight an article to introduce Flipgrid, one of the technologies featured in the summer reading articles, written by Sarah Murray. Flipgrid: A Modern Tech Tool to Practice the Age Old Art of Speaking.
CSL is always delighted to learn about schools, and even whole districts that have started the shift or are well along on the learning commons journey. In this edition, elementary teacher-librarian Beth Lyons from the Peel District School Board in Ontario shares her 3-Year Plan for Creating a 21st Century Learning Commons. Please keep posting pictures and sharing strategies via social media so we can learn from each other.
Canadian School Libraries: @CdnSchoolLibrar
Leading Learning CSL: @CSL_Learning
We are pleased to introduce a new column in the journal to support your professional learning. Susan Ewing and Judy Chyung from the Professional Library at the Toronto District School Board have prepared reviews of resources to support learning commons transitions and growth. Start the Shift Now: School Libraries as Learning Commons for Whole School Improvement.
And we have much more to celebrate in this publication, including:
Canadian School Library Day 2018
Teacher-Librarian Kate Johnson-McGregor Recognized with School District’s Highest Honour for Staff
Author Interview: In Conversation with Sheree Fitch
Resource Links Highlights: Refugees and Immigrants
And introducing our new International Corner, with this inaugural article featuring school library guidelines.
The Canadian School Libraries Journal continues to thrive and grow, and we are thrilled to be able to offer you the exemplary articles in this Fall 2018 edition. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to ensure ongoing publication of this, the only national journal dedicated to school library practice.
