Most of last week I was at the Ontario Library Association Super Conference, 2013 edition. It was a rather monumental conference for me. I am humbled by the attention I am receiving, but so grateful that the work that I and a band of tireless advocates for school libraries is being recognized.
Ontario School Library Association Award for Special Achievement
OSLA President for 2013, Isabelle Hobbs, nominated me, and presented the award.
I was the recipient of this award from OSLA, “To honour individuals or organizations outside individual schools or school boards which have provided significant support to teacher-librarians and school library information centre development in Ontario through exceptional projects and activities.”
To me the award was affirmation for the innovative work of so many people in OSLA who deeply understand the mission of school libraries in today’s context. As I said in my acceptance speech, “Through our practice, we can put libraries at the core of what our schools are trying to achieve, and advance learning in ways that our colleagues may not have imagined. And we do that by being learners and innovators, and by making opportunities out of the considerable constraints within which we often work. That is what I believe.”
More about the OSLA Award for Special Achievement.
Together for Learning Project: Ontario Library Association President’s Award for Exceptional Achievement
The T4L project was the recipient of this award. If you’ve read anything in this blog then you know about the original document published in 2010, and the subsequent work a large group of us have been doing to realize the dream of T4L as a living document. I was very honoured to be one of a group of people representing the project accepting the award from 2013 OLA President Karen McGrath. Peggy Thomas spoke eloquently for the group that included Larry Moore, Esther Rosenfeld, Bobbie Henley, Diana Malisewski, Carol Koechlin and me.
More about the OLA President’s Award for Exceptional Achievement.
Ontario Library Association Vice-President / President-Elect
Last but certainly not least, I began my term as the Vice-President of the Ontario Library Association. What a tremendous honour to be able to serve this great organization in this way, and what a challenge. I am thrilled to be able to work with President Susanna Hubbard Krimmer, Past-President Karen McGrath, Executive Director Shelagh Paterson, and the entire board.
Oh! And I did participate in a presentation, Research Matters!, and in supporting the T4L Launch and Showcase. What a great conference!
