We have something special for you this Canadian School Library Day. It’s been cooking for a while and it’s ready for the table.

Introducing 91精选’s .

Led by the work of Tracy Krys (Director of Instruction, Abbotsford School District, BC) and Jennifer Casa-Todd (Author, 91精选 Board Member, Social Media Maven), the DML toolbox brings forward our vision for positive focused digital and media literacy. The core idea behind this is to help educators locate resources and understand how to approach digital and media literacy through a positive focused lens, focused on what students Think, Feel and Do with respect to the digital world around them.

This has been a labour of love that has taken over a year to complete. A big thank you to everyone who came to the feedback panel at OLA’s Super Conference in January. That gave us a lot of directions for improvement that has resulted in the toolbox as it stands today.

We have chosen to present it as a live Canva link so that the toolbox can be changed and refined over time as a living document.

On behalf of Tracy, Jennifer, Diana, Cathy, Neil and Lisa we hope you enjoy and find this useful.

Canadian School Library Day celebrates the central role that school libraries play in the education and development of young people.

91精选 applauds the brilliant work that school libraries accomplish every single day across Canada. We invite everyone to shine a light on how learning in the Library Learning Commons is making a difference in their school, and share their accomplishments on Canadian School Library Day.

Canadian School Library Day 2024 celebrates every student鈥檚 right to read, and to see themselves reflected in their reading choices. Over the past two years we have been faced with challenges from people and groups seeking to restrict student鈥檚 reading choices, and calls for schools and libraries to remove books from collections. On Canadian School Library Day we stand up for diversity and for rich reading choices for every student.

Canadian School Library Day for 2023 with be on Monday October 23.

In this “back-to-school” newsletter, 91精选 shares information about the upcoming TMC7 symposium, Canadian School Library Day, I Read Canadian Day, International School Library Month, Canadian Library Month, and Media Literacy Week.

Canadian School Library Day celebrates the central role that school libraries play in the education and development of young people.

91精选 applauds the brilliant work that school libraries accomplish every single day across Canada. We invite everyone to shine a light on how learning in the Library Learning Commons is making a difference in their school, and share their accomplishments on Canadian School Library Day.

Canadian School Library Day is celebrated annually on the fourth Monday of October
Learn more about Canadian School Library Day

The Canadian Federation of Library Associations/ La F茅d茅ration canadienne des associations de biblioth猫ques (–) has proclaimed October as , an annual celebration of libraries, library workers and the services they provide to their users. The proclamation emphasizes the essential part that libraries play in democratic access to knowledge and discovery in Canadian communities, including schools.

October is also (ISLM), an annual celebration of school libraries worldwide. The 2020 theme for ISLM is 鈥淔inding Your Way to Good Health and Well Being鈥�. It is based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #3, 鈥淕ood Health and Well Being鈥�. This year the invites participants to think about and celebrate the link between books, reading, school libraries, good health and well being.

Canadian School Library Day is on Monday October 26, 2020

91精选 is pleased to proclaim Monday October 26 as Canadian School Library Day / Journ茅e nationale des biblioth猫ques scolaires canadiennes (91精选D/JNBSC). 91精选D celebrates the role of school libraries as part of Canadian Library Month and International School Library Month. 91精选D provides an opportunity to celebrate the unique contribution of school libraries to student success and well-being.

The theme of 91精选D 2020 is A Day in the Library Learning Commons. That day will look quite different this year during the pandemic than it ever has before. School library professionals across the country are rising to the challenge of supporting all learners in inventive new ways. 91精选D provides a great opportunity to highlight the unique contribution of the school library and school library professionals.

Celebrate Canadian School Library Day

How are school library professionals supporting learning during the pandemic? Perhaps you are going on the road to classrooms with your curated collection on wheels. You may have been very busy promoting your virtual collection and helping teachers find other online resources. Perhaps you have set up a school virtual library learning commons website to engage students with reading, inquiry and making. Perhaps you are connecting with classes online, with read-alouds or research lessons. You may be holding outdoor inquiry walks, or hosting author visits.

Whatever you are trying out, we want the world to hear.

• Download and share the 91精选D / JNBSC 2020 poster (below) and badge (above) and share them widely, in school newsletters and on the website.
• Use the 91精选 resource Leverage Your LLC: Pandemic Partner for Learning. Lots of ideas here, and a poster to download and share!
• Share your celebrations with the district / province / country / world through social media using the hashtag #91精选D2020

CELEBRATE and SHARE #91精选D2020

91精选 Statement on the Role of School Libraries During the Pandemic
脡nonc茅 sur le r么le des biblioth猫ques scolaires en temps de pand茅mie
Issued by the 91精选 Board of Directors on September 23, 2020

• Promoting the LLC During the Pandemic
• Don’t Stand So Close to Me, by Eric Walters: A purchase by September 30 means a donation to 91精选
• Canadian School Library Day is Monday October 26

• Greetings from the 91精选 Board
• Announcing Canadian School Library Day / Journ茅e nationale des biblioth猫ques scolaires canadiennes 2020
• More opportunities to purchase the Eric Walters eBook, Don’t Stand So Close to Me and raise money for 91精选 with your purchase
• 91精选 Journal Spring 2020 edition
• The Great Canadian Giving Challenge

• A message from the 91精选 Board of Directors
• Postponement of the Eric Walters / 91精选 Summer Lending Project
• 91精选 Journal Spring Edition: New release date
• Announcing the Read Into This podcast
• Professional learning opportunities
• 91精选’s Create Vision 2020 Campaign
• Plans for Canadian School Library Day 2020

#91精选Day2018

It’s here! Monday October 22, 2018 is Canadian School Library Day / Journ茅e nationale des biblioth猫ques scolaires (91精选D). We are celebrating by gathering good news stories from school library associations across the country.

91精选 sponsors 91精选D, and has posted ideas and supports for celebrating the school library learning commons. ()

91精选 is听 also celebrating the release of a new project inspired by the fifth Treasure Mountain Canada Research Symposium and Think Tank (Winnipeg, October 2017),听 Culturally Relevant and Responsive School Library Learning Commons, led by Monica Berra (British Columbia) and Jennifer Brown (Ontario). For details see our or go directly to .听 You will find connections to Leading Learning Standards of Practice,听 and learn more about the context and connect to external resources. You will also find practical planning tools to inspire school library learning commons professionals to lead the way to positive change in their schools.

Rhea Woolgar, BCTLA Coordinator, Advocacy

BC Teacher-Librarians Continue Celebrating and Learning!

In BC teacher-librarians have a lot to celebrate! In November 2016, the British Columbia Teachers鈥� Foundation (BCTF) won their suit against the BC government. As a result class size limits were restored and non-enrolling teacher ratios reverted to levels negotiated before the stripping of the BC teacher鈥檚 contract. For schools in BC, this has meant that access to school libraries and teacher-librarians is being restored!

Despite a summer of many fires and smoke in much of BC, BC teacher-librarians showed their commitment to learning by attending a summer institute on 鈥淭ransformational Storytelling鈥� in Kamloops, BC. This institute focused on the exploration of storytelling strategies, ethno botany and Secwepemc culture and history at the site of the Kamloops Residential School.

On October 19, BCTLA will hold its annual Provincial Specialist Conference. This year鈥檚 conference is in Richmond, BC, and recognizes that Teacher-Librarians are in a time of flux and challenge. The theme of the conference is 鈥�.鈥� Our keynote speaker is Toni Samek, Professor and Chair of the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alberta. She raises awareness about human rights that relate particularly to core library values, information ethics and global information justice such as freedom of thought, freedom of religion, freedom of opinion and expression, right to association, right to peaceful assembly, cultural rights, and the right to education. She will address the inherent tension between intellectual freedom and social responsibility, as it sits underneath many aspects of our work. This keynote goes to the heart of the critical question: what constitutes teacher-librarian work today?

On October 22, 2018 BCTLA is challenging all students and teachers in British Columbia to Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) for 20 minutes.

听听听听

The DEAR challenge began officially in 2008 as an opportunity to celebrate literacy and education. BC teacher-librarians believe that access to good literature, literacy teaching and modeling of reading have contributed to British Columbia鈥檚 high rankings in international literacy. Seeing adults set aside work and business for a few minutes of pleasure reading has sent a powerful message to students – reading can be a priority for all of us!

Since its inception, the DEAR challenge has grown into an international event. Every year new far-flung locations have joined the DEAR challenge. Last year many students in BC participated in the DEAR challenge and were joined by many others. We had reports of a variety of workplaces participating and schools from as far as Kenya and Israel joined the challenge.

听听听听

BCTLA would like to invite you to join the DEAR challenge this year. On October 22, 2018 we would like you to set aside the busyness and business of your day for 20 minutes to 鈥淒rop Everything and Read!鈥�. Do you want to kick it up a notch? Here are some ideas for involving others in the DEAR challenge:

• Invite local MLAs or members of your local government to join the DEAR challenge.
• Make the DEAR challenge a family event. Invite parents/grandparents etc. to join.
• Collaborate with other classes to have older students model reading for younger students.
• Invite local 鈥渉eroes鈥� and 鈥渃elebrities鈥� to join your students in the DEAR challenge.
• Don鈥檛 forget to take pictures and share them out. We use the hashtag #BCTLA_DEAR to celebrate reading and literacy!

The University of British Columbia is hosting a seminar on Oct 22 to celebrate national school library day with a variety of partners for educators and librarians 鈥渢o share information and resources supporting the School Library Learning Commons movement in Canada鈥� and to 鈥渓earn about the Teacher Librarian Education program鈥�. to see information about the event.

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ARPDC through the Calgary Regional Consortium (CRC) is offering a new webinar series focused on the culturally relevant and responsive school library learning commons led by Judith Sykes and Linda Shantz-Keresztes: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action for Education: A Learning Commons Perspective. Webinars will air November 21, 2018 and January 9, February 27, and April 10, 2019. The webinars are free of cost as this learning opportunity is being offered through a grant from Alberta Education. Webinars will feature the CRC Education for Reconciliation Consultant and guests from TMC5 who are leading this work in schools or districts. for more information or to register.

Gaetan Hammond, SSLA President

In Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Library Association had a 鈥淟ibraries Transform鈥� campaign throughout the province. One activity held was a 鈥淏ook Spine Poetry鈥� contest. Several school libraries in the province held family literacy nights to celebrate both Education Week and school libraries.

Manitoba has the unique distinction of being the only province with a government proclamation to celebrate school libraries. In partnership with MSLA, the provincial government has once again declared the fourth Monday of October as Manitoba School Library Day.

In schools across the province students will drop everything and read at 11 am to celebrate the event. It is expected that more than 18,000 students across the province will participate in this fun event celebrating literacy and libraries.

MSLA is also proud to align Manitoba School Library Day with the national celebration of Canadian School Library Day.

听听听听听听

MSLA Update!

October 22, 2018 was a special day for school libraries in Manitoba and across Canada. 13,000 students and staff representing forty schools in Manitoba joined students from the entire country to celebrate the importance of school libraries learning commons in the educational lives of students by Dropping Everything and Reading.

Manitoba School Library Day was proclaimed by the Minister of Education and Training, Hon. Kevin Goertzen, on the fourth Monday in October.听 Initiated by the Manitoba School Library Association, this year鈥檚 theme coincided with the MSLA SAGE conference theme, 鈥淢oving Students from Digital Citizenship to Digital Leadership.鈥� 听The proclamation reinforces the role qualified library learning commons staff play in the information rich age supporting a host of learning in schools including inquiry, literacy, technology and information literacy.听 The government recognizes libraries as active learning centres where access to information, quality resources and innovation are a part of the daily educational practice initiated by school library staffs.

The MSLA would like to thank all schools who registered for their Drop Everything and Read Challenge to celebrate this day.听 The MSLA has been supporting students and educators for over 80 years in the province of Manitoba. Let鈥檚 all work together to ensure that the library learning commons remains at the centre of learning in all schools across Manitoba and Canada.

Kate Johnson-McGregor, OSLA Past-President

This year, OSLA is again encouraging students (and teachers, administrators, parents and other members of the school community) to raise their voices in celebration of school libraries! Responses ask for a first name and last initial and school name, so student privacy is protected and replies are vetted before they are posted online. Some of our favourites include:

• My school library rocks, because of the comfy chairs and quiet areas to work on assignments and picking out great books. Haddissa N. Grade 6 Brant Avenue Public School
• Because it’s big and open and awesome. There is a bunch of computers and laptops and mangas and comics. The librarian rocks and is awesome. Also she provides awesome snacks. There is a garden, and half the wall is windows so there is a lot of sunlight! Also security beeps for unchecked out books. That’s why I think our library rocks. Jimmy X. Grade 9 Monarch Park Collegiate Institute
• We have an annual Battle of the Books between all the neighboring middle schools, organized by the teacher-librarians. Leslie W. Teacher Cedar Hill Middle School
• It’s basically my escape from reality. You can read, dream and nobody minds. Karyssa G. Grade 4 St. Peter and Paul CS
• There is always someone there to help in any way and they have really good resources for research and projects in various subjects. I like the sense of community in the library. Emily R. Grade 12 BCI Library
• It’s a kind place. AJ G. Grade 3 Wilshire Elementary School

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We welcome input from school libraries around the province and across Canada! The Ontario School Library Association can鈥檛 wait to hear why YOUR School Library Rocks!

ASSOCIATION POUR LA PROMOTION DES SERVICES DOCUMENTAIRES SCOLAIRES (APSDS)

Pierre Van Eeckout, APSDS President

The library technicians and librarians of Association pour la promotion des services documentaires scolaires (APSDS) have at heart, among other projects, the transition of Quebec’s French libraries to the new learning commons approach. Slowly, but surely, we are renovating and transforming libraries into more flexible, more inclusive spaces with services geared toward the needs of tomorrow. In this respect, and in the context of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), our members are keen to give their opinion to the important that is developing in Quebec to help renovate schools buildings by using the highest architectural and design standards to ensure that students surroundings are as enriching as possible. Also, APSDS would like to partner in the future with researchers from Laval University in beautiful Quebec City to help and facilitate the development of a guide to promote inclusive and accessible libraries for all.

In another area, this year many schools took advantage of special budgets from the Education Department to buy robots to introduce students to the joy of programming with Scratch, an initiative that is part of program.

As for Canadian School Library Day, it deserves more promotion and visibility in the province of Quebec French Libraries. It would be in everyone interest to celebrate school libraries once a year as a key tool in student academic success. APSDS will devote more energy in the future to this endeavour.

Allison Giggey, P.E.I.T.L.A Secretary/Treasurer

Schools across Prince Edward Island will not only be celebrating Canadian School Library Day on October 22, but will be participating in School Library Week from October 22-26! Teacher-librarians have been working hard to plan various activities that support traditional literacy, digital literacy, and 21st century learning skills. Many school libraries will be hosting local authors to share their work, and others will be hosting full day “curl up and read!” events! There are also all sorts of contests being held, from book-character pumpkin carving to library scavenger hunts. It’s going to be a great week! Follow on Twitter for updates.

Leigh Borden, President, Teacher Librarians of Newfoundland and Labrador (TLNL)

2018-19 is shaping up to be an exciting year for school library learning commons across Newfoundland and Labrador. Following recommendations from the Premier鈥檚 Task Force on Improving Educational Outcomes, the NL government in July released its Education Action Plan which included investments in school libraries and teacher librarians in 40 鈥榩hase 1鈥� K-6 schools, with remaining schools coming on stream over the next three years. Specifically, in schools with over 200 students, a full-time teacher librarian is now in place; in those with 51-200, a half-time position now exists; and, in schools with fewer than 50 students, the teacher librarian allocation remains the same but with added support to ensure optimal utilization of the teacher librarian鈥檚 time. These developments are cause for great optimism and after our first two days of successful professional learning, these teacher librarians are feeling enthusiastic about the year ahead. The Education Action Plan at this point does not address needs related to school libraries in our grade 7-12 schools; it is our hope that this will be addressed in a subsequent phase of the plan.

Teacher librarians across Newfoundland and Labrador are also celebrating this fall the release of our long-awaited curriculum support document. After many years of writing, rewriting, and piloting, the NL Department of Education and Early Childhood Development has published . This document provides guidance for teacher librarians in all schools K-12 and emphasizes many of the elements of the school library learning commons as reflected in Leading Learning. Executive members of Teacher-Librarians of Newfoundland and Labrador (TLNL) have been involved from the start in the development of this important resource and we are very pleased with the finished product. (See the announcement, below.)

In order to grow our membership and to promote school libraries and teacher librarianship in Newfoundland and Labrador, TLNL has announced a 鈥淔ollow Us On Twitter鈥� contest for School Library Month. We have invited NL teacher librarians to follow our Twitter account @TeacherLibNL and tweet pictures of fun and innovative school library learning commons activities to win a tote bag of librarian swag! Additionally, we are planning to organize a series of Skype professional learning sessions over the course of this year so that regardless of location, TLs who want to improve their teaching practice are able to do so! We have an active Twitter community and share lots of great student learning! Follow us for more!

Newfoundland and Labrador Announcement: The Library Learning Commons

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development published, in English, a support document entitled 鈥淓xtending the Classroom: The Library听Learning Commons鈥�. It is with pleasure that we announce that the French translation of this document 鈥淓nrichir la salle de classe : Les carrefours d’apprentissage鈥� is now online on our Ministry website.

You can access this French translation online .

The English document can be accessed on our website .

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Have a wonderful day celebrating the positive contribution of school library programs, everyone, and please share your stories on social media with the hashtag #91精选Day2018

Every child in Canada deserves an excellent school library.