Join co-host Beth Lyons as she explores how school library professionals are “leveraging their LLC” using the Canadian School Library graphic as a starting point for discussion. The panel discusses book circulation as we work to keep staff and students safe as we adopt curbside pickup or a delivery model. An important piece of the puzzle is how might school library professionals provide curriculum support due to repeated re-organizations of staff into different assignments, a lack of tech devices as they are being given out to online students and not available to those learning in the face-to-face model. The panel shares how they are creating and curating lists of available resources and making “how-to videos” to support the needs of their community, especially as the virtual library learning commons becomes a more central piece of how the library functions. The current role of various communication tools and how we are getting the needed information to families is considered as many boards look at which tool- Google Classroom/Site, Brightspace, and/or Messenger, can be used as Virtual Learning Environments and the importance of building capacity with these tools in order to best serve the needs of our learners. Finally the panel looks at collection building- what are school library professionals looking to purchase and use to build a rich and diverse collection especially in light of the Ministry report highlighting the anti-Black racism in PDSB and the ongoing societal shift as we open our eyes to the need for these materials.

On a personal note, I want to thank the four educators who joined me to discuss their current roles and goals as we returned to school for the 2020-2021 school year. The emotion and stress attached to all educational roles this year as educators work to pivot to our new reality while still working to support students as best they can is palpable and I am grateful for their trust in sharing their stories. ~Beth

Thanks to our guests:
Jonelle St Aubyn @Ms_St_Aubyn
Dawn Telfer @DawnTelfer
Jess Longthorne @LongthorneJess
Diana Murrell @Murrell_TL

CSL Graphic- https://www.canadianschoollibraries.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/CSL_LeverageYourLLC.pdf
Jonelle St Aubyn mentions “EML” which stands for Empowering Modern Learners from the PDSB.

Books Mentioned
I Will See You Again by Lisa Boivin
The Forgotten Home Child by Genevieve Graham
Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi
The Third Path by Dr. David Tranter, Lori Carson, and Tom Boland
The Last Houseguest by Megan Miranda
I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
We Have Always Been Here by Samra Habib
Mystery authors- Ruth Ware and Mary Kubika

Podcasts Mentioned:
88 Cups of Tea