Big Things Happening ...

In the news this week --

Budget Finalized --
Cuts Mostly Away from Schools and Classrooms
Learning Services Loses
Consultants, Release Time, and Supplies
Computer Talks Under Way in Schools
Databases to be Axed

What more? We TLs who held hard to the gunwales began to breathe a little easier. Thanks are due to hard-working parents and visionary Trustees, as well as administrators, union leaders, and Management in retaining what we in school libraries know to be an important piece in learning for 21st Century students. Early reports are that school libraries are valued and staffing has been sustained here. There are echoes heard from other school districts that this has not been the case for them.

Then --

NEWS FLASH: A SUPER-RETIREMENT

Whenever I run into our Superintendent, not often but usually in the elevator, I ask, as of a captain, if everything is under control. I am always reassured that, indeed this is the case, yes, the mother-ship is moving forward in capable hands. All systems ahead, The Navigation Team is steering the course straight and true.

I have liked being able to use the analogy of seamanship and navigation, these fitting The Man. I have felt, guided as we have been by a reader of charts and books and maps for education, that from the beginning this voyage would be safe and interesting and planned with the skill of a seaman, yet still offer a sense of adventure in plying the familiar waters. It has suited me better than sports analogies.

I am hopeful our next Navigator will have as great a capacity to read an audience, a context, and a book and to pull the pieces together in ways that make us keen to row together on the journey through the educational seas, sometimes choppy, sometimes calm, but inevitably always a source of inspiration.


On Inquiry, Updates, and Events

From The Critical Thinking Consortium, a book launch of Cyber-bullying by Dr Shaheen Shariff, May 19, 5:30 to 9:00 pm, Vancouver Sun Reading Room:

• We have one more TL Inquiry session and an Inquiry Showcase Event on June 3 here in Room 400 after school. Filming, animoto-ing, writing, mentoring ... all kinds of things are under way. Here's our Inquiry Wiki, should you want to keep up with us as we seek answers to how to identify and share best practices in the field and in the district.
  
• May Updates "The Final Chapter" are also under way. Lovely setting at Kingsford-Smith, Ms Kelly convening. Thanks to the First 9 TLs who came to this season's trial-run. There was interest in the emerging Infolit Benchmarks Project (very much in draft stages).


• Thanks to Kam and Gwen for the Q&A Tea for New TLs at Fleming this last week as well.
  
• VTLA Dinner -- save Monday, June 8, on your calendar. Check for the flyer.
  
• New look for BCTLA Online
  
• Summer Institutes of interest at UBC: EPLT is offering
  
  Interactive White Boards (August 13-17 at Livingstone) -- This is both a Summer Institute (July 13 & 14) & 3-credit course (July 13 - 17) for both beginning and advanced users of Smartboards. Teachers will work on developing literacies, lessons, and learning strategies that can be used in the first weeks of school.
  
  Digital Literacy -- The Use and Benefits of Social Media in the Classroom (July 20-24, 2009; 10:00 am - 3:00 pm; UBC Campus Ponderosa F103) -- 4 day-long workshops to learn how and when to use collaborative tools for writing, discussion, and research.
  
• Courses for Teacher-librarianship >>> check out the programs and options >>> and more on Coquitlam's SD43 TL Courses which has "public" face so we can all access it. Thanks, Heather.
  
• See also the new TLSpecial Wiki page, Conferences Near and Far, for information on international and local professional development opportunities, including details of the Fall BCTLA Conference in Richmond, Olympically themed "Champions of Literacy" with its opening reception to be held with mascots at The Oval.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL LIBRARY SCENE

If you are considering the Italian Grand Tour in conjunction with the 38th Annual IASL Conference for School Libraries around the world to be held in Padua in the late part of the summer:

Here is some updated information on the IASL Workshop Day, Monday, August 31, to be held in Padua , as per attachment of conference package options, sent earlier in the week:

• Dr Carol Kuhlthau and Dr Ross Todd from Rutgers are offering a day-long session (2 workshops) entitled Guided Inquiry. As an IASL member, I will pay $100 CDN (instead of the non-member $185 for the day), that price to include lunch, coffee breaks, materials and certificate of attendance. The Workshops are limited to 50 registrants. I'm keen on framing my Italian certificate.
  
• We here in Canada are IASL Zone A (developed countries) and membership dues enable IASL to promote and support school libraries in developing countries. If you personally join, membership is $60 CDN. Your Association or District can join as well, and name three people who can have the privileges of membership, for $115 CDN. To join, check here.
  

For your information as well, the 75th Annual IFLA Conference is being held August 23-27 in Milan, Italy! That's too much for me but some hardier souls might like to take this in as well. World Library and Information Congress: 75th IFLA General Conference and Assembly "Libraries create futures: Building on cultural heritage" / 23-27 August 2009 / Milan, Italy.

Congratulations are in order!

The TL Scene / Seen:

It's the busy time of year. That's my excuse for slowing down with the posts ... and besides, I need you to catch your breath on the school library roller-coaster ride. We are moving along at quite a clip and it's hard to take it all in.

There are a couple of national awards of interest to Vancouver TLs ... but I am overstepping the official CLA / CASL announcements next week and can only suggest you stay tuned. We remain Haycock's Legacy! By the way, I saw Ken two weekends ago at the BC Librarians' Conference in Burnaby. Look for more Haycock by summer's end.

All kinds of events for the BCTLA are recorded by our President Heather Daly on her BCTLA blog In Circulation. Read, for example, about:

• this year's Distinguished Service Award recipient Coquitlam principal Ross Davidson who supports literacy by making sure his school has a strong school library program with full-time staffing and by continuing his involvement in the partnership of principals and vice-principals whose Hog Wild About Reading motorcycle ride campaign has, for the past nine years, raised funds for Coquitlam's school library collections. Yay, Ross!
  
• our VTLA President Chris Evans' receiving this year's BCTLA Ken Haycock Grant for Professional Development to help defray costs of coming to the 2009 IASL Conference in Italy. Mary's in for sure, and we have three others considering coming.
  
• Michele Farquharson and Chris being elected to the 2009/10 BCTLA Executive, joining me and Sylvia from Vancouver as well as the retired Val H who, when not geo-caching, continues her web-working-wonders for TLs.
  
• this year's TL of the Year, Victoria's Karen Lindsay, our BCTLA second VP, particularly well-known for her work in advocacy for school libraries and for promoting DEAR: Drop Everything and READ.
  
• now retired Richmond TL phenom Judith Kootte who won this year's Val Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award. Judith continues her fine leadership role in learning resources and technology learning with ERAC.
  
• the new BCTLA Position Statement on Book Levelling and School Library Collections which is to be ready next week.

Amazing morning! See you Tuesday for Tea ...

Earlier this week the Churchill school library, a-buzz as ever with herds of students, was filled with rookie TLs, most of whom couldn't be distinguished from the kids. The 30 or so of our newest TL-colleagues were delightful to work with -- I know Maryann, Katharine, and Linda will agree -- and Mark Roberts too, as he has shed his "rookie" mantle after the first year back in our ranks from several years in a classroom. It was crowded but the energy and enthusiasm was fantastic. Thanks also to the VTLA, Kam at Fleming and Gwen in particular, who have identified the need for our new TLs to have the support of seasoned TL colleagues and time to talk. Don't miss their invitation to have tea and share experiences and ask questions ... May 5, Fleming School Library. See you there!

The Final Chapter / May Year-end Update Sessions

Still more than 50 need to sign up for these important in-service sessions to prepare you for the busiest time of year, June, and for what to expect in September. The first session is scheduled for Thursday this week. Sign up online please if you haven't done so. Contact ME if you need help organizing to attend. An important workshop for a number of you will be Bombino's Inventory Basics as well, scheduled for this month.

Very Last Minute Notices

Perhaps if you are checking this and if I finish in time, you will want to rush down to the CWILL Spring Hatching event at the VPL ... that is, if you didn't get the notice sent out earlier this week --- or to the Histori.ca Fair event at the Museum.

On things historical, by the way, I loved every minute of the presentation made by Wes Knapp at the Kitsilano workshop to share the DVD and teaching package for 1907 / Vancouver / 2007. Now every high school has the kit and there are two sets for lending at Media Services. Elementary teachers are using it as well. All this has been funded by the Vancouver Historical Society and is an amazing resource for Vancouver students. Wes and Charlie Hou will be presenting this again in October.


Web 2.0, Part 2: Online Conference June/July

Check here for more Henri/Lee Your SchoolLibrary Pro D, an online conference entitled Information Literacy and Web 2.0. This conference features our own Pat Parungao as a presenter alongside names like Mike Eisenberg of BigSix fame. If you "attended" the last one, there is a discounted price. There is also a group price. Let me know how many will be "coming" to this session which has more presenters and which runs from June 13 to July 5. Let me know ASAP if you are in for this one and I will set about negotiating our participation.


Educators to Watch

Maryann and I spent time together at the annual Fast Forward event which, despite the lack of ERAC participation, continues to provide public and academic librarians, as well as K-12 educators, a chance to pre-view and select DVDs and other related tools and resources for their patrons. I worked alongside Joan from Hamber and Steve from the VSB, as well as two of our French Immersion colleagues. We were all excited about some great programs that had been nixed or missed by the ERAC selection process. Mostly I loved the NFB videostreaming database ... you'll see this at the Update sessions. Oh, and lunch with a guy to watch ...

So we watched DVDs ... and then dashed to a lunch-time talk to hear Assistant Superintendent (West Van) Chris Kennedy's energetic presentation. Well, began, Kennedy, the world needs more librarians in the 21st Century (don't need to worry about hooking this audience) -- kids need to be taught how not to plagiarize, not learn by getting caught by mechanical plagiarism detectors. Using wikispaces as a presentation tool, he talked about the world-class product of our education system that we have here in BC, as evidenced by the PISA tests, measuring 15-year-olds for international comparison, that clearly place us at the top alongside countries like Finland. His District's literacy goals next year will feature Digital Literacy ... how much fun will that be! After the little shot of professional adrenalin to keeps us thinking about how best to work for our teacher-colleagues and with the needs of the children of the 21st Century in mind, we headed back to the viewing tables. Yes, it's all exciting stuff.

Budget Presentations

Kudos to the parents who are Friends of the School Libraries here in Vancouver, for the astounding level of support given to us in the recent budget process. Thank you, Trustees, for your support under the most trying of times, as well. It surely isn't the best part of your leadership role, having to cut the very services, resources, and tools that you know enable and empower our young learners to enter the adult world better able to read, think, learn, and prosper. It's been lean here in public schools for way too long now.


IASL Conference 2009

Planning-for-Padua Update

Are you looking for a great travel opportunity with fantastic company? If you haven't looked at the IASL Conference information, you may want to see what's up for TLs in Italy this summer. And we are so excited we have organized a group tour with our Italian travel consultant, Pre-conference Tour Organizer Francesca della Hastings (as in our Frances). We are pretty close to having a package together that we will send out for your summertime consideration. Vancouver and other TLs, educators, and friends might want to consider the 10-day Tour that brings us to Padua in time for the Workshop Day (August 31) with Dr Ross Todd and Dr Carol Kuhlthau -- I emailed for details which are too follow but they are pleased to hear a group from BC is coming! The Pre-conference Day, September 1, is fully posted. The workshops and papers have been selected so more detail on conference presenters will be coming soon. The actual conference, School Libraries in the Picture: Preparing Pupils for the Future, is September 2-4. Email ME for the information package.

New Issue of Teacher-Librarian, April 2009

This is the Best-of Issue (best fiction, picture books, websites, graphic novels, software, adult books for older teens, and so on) of Teacher Librarian and it includes the BEST from Canada's Resource Links 2008. Two articles I intend to savour: Tips from National School Library Media Program Winners for Success, in "A Recipe for Your School Library," and an article entitled "From Library to Learning Commons: A Metamorphosis." Great Advisory Board here everyone ... includes Ray Doiron, Michele Farquharson, Doug Johnson, Joy McGregor, Marcia Mardis and more. Try the magazine's TLToolkit for great websites.

Inquiry

Project continues. Inquiry TLs are invited for Monday morning to join SLRCCC sub-committee to look at IL Benchmarks and to consider project timeline and products for June. Academic librarians from UBC and SFU will join us for half the meeting. I am looking forward to this. Our TLs showcase so well!