If you’ve checked into this blog recently you may have noticed a certain dearth of activity. I plead distraction, not inaction. For the past two years a huge portion of my attention has been directed at the formation of a new national organization, Canadian School Libraries (CSL).
Click on this infographic for a summary of CSL’s organizational progress.
Born from the ashes of the dissolution of the Canadian Library Association and following the clear mandate set out by participants in a national survey, CSL has moved forward confidently and aggressively in its short existence. We have now been fully incorporated as a non-profit charitable organization.
CSL’s early accomplishments are impressive. We have published Leading Learning / L’Apprentissage en tête online, partnered with the Manitoba School Library Association to host the fifth Treasure Mountain Canada research symposium, created a vibrant online journal, cultivated partnerships with provincial and territorial associations, and fostered a robust professional learning network with our wide-reaching communications strategy.
Canadian School Libraries is now a member of the Canadian Federation of Library Associations / Fédération canadienne des associations de bibliothèques (CFLA-FCAB) and the International Association of School Librarianship (IASL), extending our voice and influence nationally and internationally.
I am proud to serve as the first Chair of Canadian School Libraries, working with board members Carol Koechlin, Liz Kerr, Judith Sykes, Richard Beaudry, and past board member Jo-Anne Gibson. This is a working board, so expanding on my (volunteer) board description I could add editor, web developer, graphic designer and business manager.
Now that we are established it’s time to add this blog back into my professional priority list. I seem to still have quite a bit to say about all aspects of school library learning commons practice, and look forward to sharing more over the coming weeks and months.
In the meantime, please do visit the CSL website to explore the extensive resources on offer. Please be sure to subscribe to our newsletter.
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