Inspired by the creativity and inventiveness of school library professionals over the past few most difficult years, this edition of 91精选 Journal focuses on the future. From Canadian School Library Day to the wonderful collaborative work at the seventh Treasure Mountain Canada symposium, it is clear that thinking in school libraries is future focused.

In this edition we feature articles coming out of the work of TMC7, highlight 91精选 Award recipients and their contributions, and share our usual full range of inspiring and useful ideas from school library professionals across the country.

This edition of 91精选 Journal is dedicated to the memory of Caroline Freibauer, 1961 鈥� 2022.

Surrey Schools, School District 36, Surrey, British Columbia

as recipient of the Leading Learning Implementation Award 2022

The Leading Learning Implementation Award has been established to recognize, honour, and applaud school districts, provinces, and territories who have developed and/or enhanced their school library learning commons on a systemic basis, founded on the tenets, principles and continuous growth and renewal focus of the five standards of .

91精选 is pleased to announce Surrey Schools, School District 36, Surrey, BC, as recipient of the Leading Learning Implementation Award 2022.

All 125 elementary and secondary schools in Surrey Schools SD36 are staffed by teacher-librarians in library learning commons, implementing the district’s vision of programs that are aligned with Leading Learning standards.

The outstanding work in the district is driven by the vision of libraries as creative and collaborative hubs of learning that promote transliteracy, innovation, and inquiry.

Surrey Schools teacher-librarians strive to create safe places for all members of the school community to embrace and explore their passions, interests and learning needs. They receive strong support from district administrators and principals, who clearly understand the impact of the library learning commons program on student learning.

91精选 is delighted to share highlights of the outstanding, collaborative school library learning commons work in this district. The Surrey Schools webpages linked below show the significant impact that their library learning commons have on student learning.

• Locally Developed Indigenous People Collection and Classification System
• Surrey Schools One: A Surrey Teacher-Librarian Collaboration

• 鈥淎 Place Where Everyone is Someone鈥�: School Goals foundational to LLC Goals
• Building Connection and a Sense of Belonging to Achieve School Goals

• ADST/Science/Literacy Cross Curricular Learning through TL Collaboration
• Social Justice through TL Collaboration
• Locally developed Collaboration Infographic
• Locally Developed Inquiry for Equity Planning & Process Guide

• Student Voice in Collection Development
• School Wide Read 鈥� Collaboration to Ignite Readers
• Elementary and Secondary Diversity Audit
• Surrey Schools Book of the Year Programs for all ages

• Makerspace in the Secondary LLC
• Spaces invite Participatory Learning
• Whole School Participatory Learning through the LLC
• District Wide Pride Poster Contest

These highlights demonstrate the excitement, rigour, and forward development of library learning commons standards in Surrey Schools SD #36. Additionally, teacher-librarians in Surrey Schools SD #36 are lifelong learners themselves; engaged locally, provincially, and nationally in the field of school librarianship. All of this would not be possible without strong support from district administrators and principals 鈥� if Surrey Schools SD#36 Library Learning Commons want to move forward in standards of practice they are supported to do so as their impact on student learning is evident.

Our LLCs are a focal point of our schools. Students from all areas of our community use the library throughout their school day and beyond. It is a hub of activity where students are encouraged to ask questions and work collaboratively. In addition, our Teacher Librarians work with students to identify their areas of passion and then support them on their learning journey. Our Teacher Librarians are also strong supporters of staff development. Teachers from all departments work with the TL to develop projects and guide inquiry. These partnerships help all our teachers improve their practice and grow as professionals. Our Library Learning Commons are a source of pride for the Surrey School District.

James Johnston, Principal, Clayton Heights Secondary, Surrey Schools SD #36

Given that all elementary and secondary schools have library learning commons that are inherently collaborative and student-centred, Surrey鈥檚 teacher-librarians have been critical in leading, adapting and leveraging their spaces to better support reading motivation. In flexible and inviting spaces, they are fostering reading interest by engaging students in hands- on learning opportunities, offering choices, encouraging student voice, and providing process-oriented feedback. In this regard, Surrey鈥檚 teacher-librarians are supporting the district鈥檚 focus area of Literacy. They are 鈥渕aking makers and readers鈥� who cooperate with their peers, problem solve, and think creatively and critically.

Kathy Puharich, Director of Instruction, Surrey Schools SD #36

Surrey teacher-librarians embody the notion of collaborative engagement. Not only do they meet regularly in person and on TEAMs to share their professional expertise with each other, they have taken on pivotal roles in their individual schools, empowering their teachers and students to work together in the enterprise of learning. Surrey TLs are keenly interested in cultivating collections that reflect the community and provide voice for a range of communities such as Indigenous students and LGBTQ+ learners.

Gordon Powell, Retired District Principal (Surrey SD#36), Public Library Trustee (City of Surrey)

Surrey School District has been a leader in implementing changes to transform our libraries to Library Learning Commons (LLC) for the past decade. Over the years, Surrey Schools has exhibited leadership by hosting numerous groups of administrators and teacher-librarians coming from out of district, province, and country. Our schools have opened their doors, sharing our experiences and advice, allowing visitors to spend time touring our LLCs and meeting with our administrators and teacher-librarians. In addition to financial support in the LLC transformation, Surrey Schools has also provided countless hours of release time for teacher-librarians to collaborate on everything from inquiry to technology (i.e., Maker space equipment).

This district has been a huge supporter of forward thinking and 21st Century Learning. Surrey Schools understands the need for a Library Learning Commons to provide for their school communities and has spent time and money to help it come to fruition.

Sheila Hammond Principal, Surrey, SD #36

91精选’s Leading Learning Implementation Award will be presented as part of the Kick-Off Dinner, Friday October 21, in New Westminster, BC.

The 2022 awards will be presented at the Treasure Mountain Canada (TMC7) dinner on Friday October 21 in New Westminster, BC.聽聽

Nomination Deadline:聽Thursday June 30, 2022

Find complete information and nomination forms here.

91精选 is seeking nominations for our two biennial awards, the聽Angela Thacker Memorial Award聽and the聽Leading Learning Implementation Award.

罢丑别听Angela Thacker Memorial Award聽honours teacher-librarians who have made contributions to the profession through publications, productions, research or professional development activities that deal with topics relevant to teacher-librarianship and/or school library learning commons.

罢丑别听Leading Learning Implementation Award聽has been established to recognize, honour and applaud school districts, provinces and territories who have developed and/or enhanced their school library learning commons on a systemic basis, founded on the tenets, principles and continuous growth and renewal focus of the five standards of聽Leading Learning.

The 2022 awards will be presented at the Treasure Mountain Canada (TMC7) dinner on Friday October 21 in New Westminster, BC.聽聽

Nomination Deadline: Thursday June 30, 2022

Find complete information and nomination forms here.

Just one year ago, 91精选 was honoured to present the first ever Leading Learning Implementation Award to the Pembina Trails School Division. The award honours and applauds school districts, provinces and territories who have successfully developed and/or enhanced their school library learning commons on a systemic basis founded on the tenets, principles and continuous growth and renewal focus of the five standards of Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada.

91精选’s Letter of Concern to Manitoba’s Minister of Education re Pembina Trails (March 1, 2021)

Announcement: Pembina Trails SD named as Leading Learning Implementation Award recipient (January 12, 2020)

(As published in 91精选 Journal, Winter 2020)

Pembina Trails School Division
Winnipeg, Manitoba

as recipient of the Leading Learning Implementation Award 2020.

The Leading Learning Implementation Award has been established to recognize, honour and applaud school districts, provinces and territories who have successfully developed and/or enhanced their school library learning commons on a systemic basis founded on the tenets, principles and continuous growth and renewal focus of the five standards of Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada.

Pembina Trails School Division in Winnipeg, Manitoba, has been involved in the creation and implementation of Leading Learning since the idea for a renewed set of Canadian standards for school libraries began in Ottawa at Treasure Mountain Canada 2 in 2012. When the call came to form a Manitoba committee as part of the collaborative cross-country working group tasked with developing the new standards, Pembina Trails School Division鈥檚 employees, students and community members willingly volunteered their time to ensure that Manitoba school libraries were well represented on the national school library level.

In 2014 every school library team in Pembina Trails was asked by the Library Media Consultant to evaluate where their school library fell in each of the Leading Learning five standards and themes. These evaluations helped library staffs understand where they were at, where they wanted to go and how they were going to get there. Due to the work all schools have done with Leading Learning, every school library in Pembina Trails is now called, and functions as, a learning commons. Since 2014, each of the five standards in Leading Learning have served as the foundations from which they operate.

鈥淲ithin the first month of my new role [as Pembina Trails School Division鈥檚 Library Consultant] I presented the concept of the Learning Commons to our administrative community of superintendents, principals, vice-principals and consultants at their monthly meeting. For this presentation I extracted the key concepts, standards of practice and exemplars from the Leading Learning document to help our Pembina Trails administration to re-envision not only their school libraries into a Learning Commons but the role of their teacher-librarians. The 91精选 Leading Learning document played an imperative role in my ability to implement the necessary changes to the mindsets of our school leaders and teacher-librarians to create the participatory and creative spaces we now see in our school division Learning Commons. I found our school teams referring frequently to the live links within the document and using the planning sheets at the back, to guide our thinking and actions in transforming our school libraries to the Learning Commons model. As a division, we planned a series of workshops over the course of that year with our teacher-librarians to elevate their role and embed the ideals and standards of the document into their practice. Now, over 5 years later, I am thrilled with the changes that I have witnessed in our division鈥檚 learning commons. Pembina Trails School Division has embraced the Leading Learning document and continues to work towards the ideal 鈥淟eading鈥� example within the growth stages of the document. As a division moving forward, we recognize and welcome opportunities to work with our school communities, principals and teacher librarians for the success of all learners. I am proud to nominate our school division for this award.鈥�

Heather Eby, Vice Principal, Dalhousie School, Pembina Trails School Division, Winnipeg, MB

As a direct result of the Leading Learning document, school libraries in Pembina Trails have embraced the learning commons model. Collaborations between classroom teachers and teacher-librarians occur on a regular basis, multi-modal literacies are embraced, and learners are driven by their own questions and curiosities led by the library learning commons team. Pembina Trails library learning commons impacts and empowers learners by designing learning opportunities that allow students to become constructors of knowledge, to find their own voices, to become global collaborators seeking justice and environmental stewardship, and to creatively communicate their learning and passions with others.

Pembina Trails School Division library staff members continue to use Leading Learning as a guide for continual improvement. To help guide their practice, every year new teacher-librarians in the division receive a copy of Leading Learning. During the year, every teacher-librarian in Pembina Trails uses Leading Learning to guide their practice based on the theme that the Library Learning Commons Consultant has chosen for that year and the needs of their learning.

鈥淚n the four years that I worked at Pacific Junction School, I saw a remarkable shift from a Library to a Learning Commons.The Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada document was an anchor for the change. Today, Pacific Junction LLC is an established vibrant, collaborative environment that emphasizes student and staff learning through the model of inquiry and exploration. The library collection has a wide and varied selection of quality reading materials, available in a variety of formats. The abundance and variety of physical and technological supplies allow for deep and rich student learning and exploration. Located at the centre of the school, the Library Learning Commons is a beautiful meeting place and the heartbeat of Pacific Junction school.鈥�

Kathy Bru, Principal, Pembina Trails School Division, Winnipeg, MB

91精选 is proud to honour Pembina Trails School Division as the first recipient of the 91精选 Leading Learning Implementation award.

on the Pembina Trails School Division website.

The development of Leading Learning brought together input from every province and territory in the country, and successfully developed standards for growth that are meaningful within this very disparate context. The process of writing the standards was very unique and modeled the benefits of working collaboratively in a networked world.

With the dissolution of CLA in 2016, responsibility for the standards was transferred to 91精选. Leading Learning is a foundational document for the work of 91精选 and is a catalyst for transformations in school libraries in Canada from coast to coast to coast. 91精选 invites schools to join us in celebrating the impact these standards have made in the growth of the learning commons approach in schools and the potential for leading learning for the future.

Celebrating 5 years of Leading Learning Growth:

• was translated into French, , and both are live on the web.
• Since first publication in 2014 hundreds of new See it in Action exemplars have been added to each standard from schools and organizations across the country, keeping the promise that the national standards site would continue to evolve as living documentation of authentic implementation and outreach exemplifying the transformations and innovations of school library learning commons

• is a new addition to Leading Learning providing schools with ideas and tools to help them get the most from the standards document and lead learning for the future. introduces new professional resources from 91精选 that are designed to compliment standards and themes from Leading Learning. is a 91精选 project to support schools in work to build culturally relevant and responsive school library learning commons.The 91精选 Research Toolkit supports school library practitioners as they explore their own practice through research.

Celebrating Implementation Highlights:

• Ministries of Education apply the principles of Leading Learning in designing policies and province wide learning commons approaches:

• Leading Learning is foundational in transformations and long range planning for schools and districts:
  • by Beth Lyons
  • by Kathy Conroy
  • by Goldie Weiser, Heather Wilson & Anita Brooks Kirkland
• Leading Learning is an inspiration for teacher research:
  • BCTLA conduct a three year teacher inquiry and publish an important guide for library transformations in British Columbia schools.
  • 鈥淭o become instructional leaders focusing on reconciliation, it stands to reason that a teacher-librarian鈥檚 journey has to begin with their own learning about Canadian history and Indigenous culture from an Indigenous perspective.鈥� By Jo-Anne Gibson
  • 鈥淗ow students鈥� cultures mesh in the Library Learning Commons and the whole school to create our own unique school culture. Environments, partnerships and your lifelong learning counts!鈥� By Vivianne Fogarty
• Leading Learning is integrated into teacher-librarian training in Canada

Announcing a Celebration Award

The Leading Learning Implementation Award has been established to recognize, honour and applaud school districts, provinces and territories who have successfully developed and/or enhanced their school library learning commons on a systemic basis, founded on the tenets, principles and continuous growth and renewal focus of the five standards of / .

The first presentation of the Leading Learning Implementation Award will take place at 91精选 Treasure Mountain Research Symposium dinner in 2020. For more information, please contact Judith Sykes, Chairperson at judith.sykes[at]shaw.ca.