[Schlib] Celebrating School Libraries Across Canada: An Update

[jagibson at pembinatrails.ca]

The following is a dispatch email from the administrators 
of the following web site.


http://www.manitobaschoollibraries.com/forums/
Your username:      schlib
Your email address: schlib at lists.merlin.mb.ca
------------------------------------------------------------
With the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games permeating our days lately, the spirit of competition and collaboration is upon us! In our School Libraries there are always diverse interests of students, teachers and community members competing for our attention. The challenge of any one day is to carry the balance for all of our interested visitors. The collaboration for learning and the joy of reading is in the community that we create in our spaces and beyond our walls. Communicating this spirit to the 'powers that be'and carrying the eternal flame of Teacher-Librarianship are our games.

This flame burns as a beacon across the provinces. In British Columbia the Teacher-Librarians’ Association is involved in a survey of working and learning conditions and a renewed constitution. There has been a changeover of the Executive; advocacy work continues. Some exciting news is that Alberta Education has a draft copy of new policy on School Libraries ready and vetted by the Assistant Deputy Ministers. Thanks go to Judith Sykes at Alberta Education who has spearheaded this work! Once passed, the challenge may well be the provisions of qualified teacher-librarians across the province. There will be an external committee looking at innovative models and collaboration between public and school librarians. It's a hopeful time! In Manitoba the School Library Association is inaugurating professional development sessions with school libraries across Manitoba, showing how various social networking systems work, such as Skype and Twitter.  On behalf of MSLA, Jo-Anne Gibson, has had published in daily newspapers a letter arguing that Manitoba schools need more teacher-librarians at all levels. The Ontario Library Association is hosting SuperConference 2010, offering much to discover in the learning and passion of librarianship. For those not able to attend, many of the sessions will be represented with digital files uploaded to the conference site, after the end of the month.  (http://www.accessola.com/superconference2010/index.php) In New Brunswick the Education Department is in the process of developing a new three year Technology Plan, which includes the provision of online resources such as WorldBookOnline, EBSCO, and e-Library. Discussions are also taking place regarding upgrading 158 school libraries in the province to an online version of the Follett Library Management System. A concurrent dialogue is being held to consider scenarios of moving school library resources into classrooms and looking to precedents set in other jurisdictions. There are flickers of concern certainly, but advocacy is strong. We all carry the flame together.

To highlight the learning and passion of school libraries around Canada, we are all invited to share a profile of a local facility and program. Derrick Grose, Editor of SLIC, is looking for submissions to be included in the next edition coming out in early March. Attached is a profile submission template, which can also be found at the online journal site. http://www.clatoolbox.ca/casl/slic/ . This is fine way for us to celebrate the sense of occasion, the every day in our school libraries!

Here's to our work and the olympian feat of carrying the torch of school libraries! Please visit our ning to join in the network! http://caslnetwork.ning.com/ Share these sites with colleagues and please do invite others to join CASL as members in our community! http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Membership2

Cindy Matthews
CASL Councillor

 FYI: A wonderful School Library resource, Q Tasks, has now been translated into French. This professional text addresses the development of good questions and critical thinking to begin student research. To read more, check out http://www.cheneliere.ca/main+fr+01_500+Des_questions_pour_apprendre_Enseigner_aux_eleves_a_se_poser_des_questions_et_a_utiliser_adequatement_les_reponses.html?DivisionID=0&ItemID=6379