By CSL Journal Editorial Team
Spring catapults us into our busiest time—a rush toward the end of the school year—yet it offers us opportunity for reflection, not only on what has been, but what might be to come.. To sustain our libraries, and ourselves, we must balance what is sustainable, and what needs to change to best support the communities we serve.
How do we continue to sustain our school libraries—and ourselves—through reflection of our pedagogies and practices ?
In this issue, we delve into one aspect of sustainability in the school library learning commons analysing A.I. use through an Indigenous perspective. One of the ways we can sustain library learning commons knowledge is through integrity. We must ensure that our collections—and our students’ use of AI—respects the intellectual and cultural property of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities and not become a new tool to replace the knowledge of Indigenous Senators, Elders and Knowledge Keepers.
In addition, we must move away from “impulse prompting.” Sustainability in the school library means teaching students that every AI query has a carbon footprint. By treating AI as a “precious resource” rather than an infinite learning tool, we protect the very environment we celebrate this season.
Perhaps the most critical “preservation” in the school library learning commons involves self-care. Sustainability is not just about books or batteries; it is about the people who manage them. Sustaining the school library begins with sustaining the librarian. School librarians often feel the pressure to be….every thing and the very best at all we do.
A key part of any educator’s practice is the importance of self reflection. Sometimes, one must take a step back to get the full picture – in order to allow us to take the right step forward – pedagogically, physically and emotionally.
We need to immerse ourselves in the space and analyse every crook and cranny: the bustling world of the makerspace, the quiet of the reading nooks, and the face-to-face connection with the learners. What has worked over the year? What has not? What might we continue to sustain in our pedagogical practice? What might need to be further examined? Where does the balance lie to make the most impact? We need to “check in” on our practices, so we can effectively “check out” what needs to be kept or weeded.
As the editors of CSL, we each had different perspectives on the overarching theme of sustainability for this issue. We would be remiss if we did not also address the pressures facing school library professionals across Canada. Book bans, funding cuts, staffing reductions and more have made the work of sustaining K to 12 library learning commons increasingly challenging. We understand the toll that these challenges are taking on our colleagues. With this reflection on professional wellness and sustainability in mind, we are announcing changes to our future publishing cycle. Starting in fall 2026, Canadian School Libraries Journal will be published twice per year, with Fall (early November) and Spring (Late-March) editions. Revised submission dates and timelines will be updated on our website. We appreciate the work of previous editorial team members in maintaining the original three issues per year. We are excited to gather new and innovative submissions for the 2026 – 2027 school year from school library professionals across the country!
Yours in reading,
Diana, Jenn, & Melanie
The CSLJ Editor Team
Jennifer Brown (she/her) is an elementary teacher in the Peel District School Board in Caledon, Ontario. In her current position she is privileged to be in the combined role of teacher librarian and guidance educator at an established K to 8 school in rural Caledon. Since beginning her teaching career in the late 1990s, Jennifer has been committed to social justice & equity in education. Jenn strives to create a learning environment based on student voice, trust and believing in children to guide their learning. As a Librarianship, ESL, Special Education, and Guidance and Career Education specialist, she actively engages in the ongoing study & implementation of innovative pedagogical practices through the school library learning commons to support & mentor fellow educators & foster student success throughout the entire learning community. Jenn has served as the Ontario School Library Association president, and as a contributor to Canadian School Library publications, OSLA’s The Teaching Librarian Magazine and OLA’s online magazine, Open Shelf. Jenn has extensive experience presenting at various library conferences and workshops throughout Ontario and Quebec, including ETFO Summer Academy, guest speaking at York University Librarianship AQs and much more. Jenn was a recipient of the 2025 Canadian School Libraries Angela Thacker Memorial Award.
Melanie Mulcaster (she/her) is a teacher librarian in the Peel District School Board, and a member of IFLA’s School Library Division. A life long learner and maker, she is passionate about inspiring and empowering modern learners to inquire, discover, connect, innovate and explore. Always messy and always unlearning and relearning how to collaborate with the communities she serves.
Diana Maliszewski (she/her) OCT BA BEd MEd is the teacher-librarian at Agnes Macphail Public School in the Toronto District School Board and has worked as a school library professional for over twenty-five years. From 2006 – 2018, she was the editor-in-chief of The Teaching Librarian, the official publication of the Ontario School Library Association. Currently, she is the co-Vice President of the Association for Media Literacy and Canada’s representative with the North American and European chapter of UNESCO’s Media and Information Literacy Alliance. Diana developed and still facilitates the Teacher Librarianship Additional Qualification courses for York University and Queen’s University. Diana has been honoured with several awards, such as the Follett International Teacher-Librarian of the Year in 2008 and the OLA President’s Award for Exceptional Achievement in 2013. She blogs weekly as part of her reflective professional practice at mondaymollymusings.blogspot.com.