By Carol Koechlin and Anita Brooks Kirkland
In this winter issue of CSL Journal we hope our readers will be warmed and inspired by the voices of ‘super’ school library champions from coast to coast to coast. As the editorial board worked on submissions and guest writers for this issue it soon became apparent that we were building many connections to support inquiry and discovery learning in the learning commons.
Discover where teaching professionals go for support as they try to improve. Classroom Inquiry’s Secret Weapon: The Teacher-Librarian by Trevor MacKenzie.
Learn how the learning commons spaces can be utilized to set up provocations related to curriculum content, social justice issues, and literacy events that challenge students to think beyond the learning happening in their classroom. It’s magic! Inquiry-Based Learning Provocations by Beth Lyons.
Choose your own professional learning interests in this engaging journey supporting discovery learning through makerspaces. Tinkering with Makerspaces: A Choose-Your-Own-Learning-Path Article by Christopher Hunt.
Add to your repertoire of children’s literature that is sure to engage learners in curiosity and wonder. Resource Links Highlights: Picture Books that Spark Inquiry by Victoria Pennell.
Find professional resources to support your school community in designing inquiry learning experiences. Engaging with Inquiry Approaches by Judy Ameline and Judy Chyung.
Consider this teacher inquiry into how to engage at-risk learners and promote literacy beyond the four walls of the school library by building virtual learning spaces. Virtual Library Learning Commons Inquiry by Lindsay Reid.
Empower learners to be effective questioners. Invest in building a culture of questioning and give students time to play and experiment as they learn how to question. How Do We Nurture Student Questioning? by Carol Koechlin.
Re-Envision school library learning spaces to support the needs of learners and teachers today. The Evolution of the Library by Rebeca Rubio.
Enjoy an inspiring conversation with one of Canada’s ‘super’ authors. Follow Your Passion: Author Highlight, Eric Walters by Kathy Conroy.
Be Inspired by the passion of central school district librarians as they promote literacy and foster lifelong reading. Reading Won’t Save the World, But…, et en français, Lire, ça sauve pas le monde, mais…, by Ariane Régnier.
Reflect on issues of censorship and intellectual freedom in the learning commons. Censorship in Canadian Schools by Richard Beaudry.
Explore and Engage in practitioner research. Learn about the newly-released CSL Research Toolkit, designed to support you as you consider where research fits into your own practice.Announcing the CSL Research Toolkit.
Participate in Treasure Mountain Canada 2020, your opportunity to share your research in practice and delve more deeply into the symposium theme, Participatory Learning in the Library Learning Commons. Get Ready for Treasure Mountain Canada 2020.
CSL Survey – School Library Manifesto
During March 2019, the School Libraries section of IFLA seeks worldwide input as the “IFLA/UNESCO School Library Manifesto (1999)” update process begins. Everyone is invited to make comments however CSL would also like to contribute to the process as your association for school libraries in Canada. We are seeking input through this form which the CSL board will summarize and submit to IFLA.
The CSL board values your contribution, and asks you to participate in our survey no later than March 25, 2020.
Thank You to Departing Editorial Board Members
In its short lifetime, the CSL Journal has developed into a rich a varied publication, making a substantial contribution to professional knowledge about school library learning commons practice in Canada. This is due in no small measure to the excellence of our editorial board. With this edition we say goodbye to two of our strongest founding editorial board members as their lives and careers take them in new directions.
Sandra Bebbington: For the past several years, Sandra Bebbington has been the project manager for two dossiers at the Ministry of Education-English Sector Services (Québec, Canada): Information Literacy and Digital Citizenship. She has also co chaired the Quebec School Librarians Network (QSLiN). With her extensive experience in writing and editing, Sandra’s contributions to CSL Journal were substantial as we worked to establish our new publication. We congratulate Sandra on her new position as a Senior Learning Advisor with the Government of Canada.
Glenn Turner: Glenn Turner recently retired from his position as teacher-librarian at Nepean High School in the Ottawa Carleton District School Board, where he also took a leadership role, chairing the board’s secondary library association. Glenn’s literary experience was a huge benefit to our editorial board. He has been writing for publication since 2001, and his work has appeared in provincial and national journals for school libraries, and in a national Buddhist magazine. Glenn published his first book, Toronto Carrying Place: Rediscovering Toronto’s Most Ancient Trail in 2015. We congratulate Glenn as moves on to a new career with SGI Canada.
Glenn was recently honoured by the Ontario School Library Association’s Teacher-Librarian of the Year Award. His acceptance speech was extremely inspiring, and it seems most fitting to end this column with some of Glenn’s words about the importance of being involved in professional organizations.
“But what my experiences as a teacher, as a teacher-librarian, as a Buddhist have taught me, is that you can win, whatever the odds. So long as you can support your teacher-librarians, so long as you can keep them focused on the importance and the value of what they do every day, so long as you can speak with a united voice, you can win.”
Glenn Turner, January 31, 2019
Support Canadian School Libraries
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- Join our network by subscribing to the CSL Newsletter.
- Tag @CndSchoolLibrar and @CSL_Learning in your tweets.
- Create a link to CSL and Leading Learning on your Virtual Learning Commons sites.
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