NSALT Conference October 2014

NSALT Conference held at Fairview Junior High, Provincial Inservice Day, October 24 2014.

1. OCTOBER 24, 2014 TERRI MILTON, LIBRARIAN, MSVU
National Standards for School Libraries in
Canada :
A CLA Voices for School Libraries Project :
Background and Update
Presented to the NS Association of Library Technicians

2. <OR>
What is a Learning Commons?

3. INTRODUCTION

4. AGENDA
NATIONAL STANDARDS PROJECT: BACKGROUND
NATIONAL STANDARDS PROJECT: WRITING PROCESS
THE E-BOOK “LEADING LEARNING”
WHAT IS A LEARNING COMMONS?
THOUGHTS and FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Q&A

5. NATIONAL STANDARDS PROJECT: BACKGROUND
•2003: Achieving Information Literacy is published
by the Canadian Association of School Libraries
•2004: CASL/ATLC win the International Association
of School Libraries (IASL) Commendation Award for
an outstanding and innovative publication.
•2006: Reprinted
•2012: CLA Conference and Treasure Mountain II
Proposal for new school library standards to reflect:
“changing landscapes in education and the
entire library community. With the myriad new
technologies available to students of all ages,
and the current changes to school curricula it is
now encumbent [sic] on the school library
community to develop new national school
library standards for Canada” (National Project:
Background).

6. NATIONAL STANDARDS PROJECT: BACKGROUND
2012: CLA Executive Council approves proposal by Voices for School
Libraries (formerly CASL) and the CLA School Libraries Advisory
Committee. National Co-chairs: Judith Sykes, School Library Ser­vices
Man­ager for Alberta Edu­ca­tion (to 2012) and Carol Koechlin,
Educational Consultant on Learning Commons
2012 (October): Invitations to participate sent to Provinces/Territories,
particularly school library associations. Ray Fernandes, [then] Department
of Education and Early Childhood Development (DoE), is contacted to
gather a NS writing committee.
(note: Ray does not represent DoE on the committee.)
2013 (January): Provincial groups formed. Nova Scotia’s members:
Education Media Librarian – Ray Fernandes (Co-chair)
Consultant, Library Services (HRSB) – Donna Gillespie
School Library Coordinator (CBVRSB) – Carmelita Shea
School Library Coordinator (CCRSB) – Jolene Shaw
Library Technician (HRSB) – Erica Smith
Library Technician (TCRSB) – Pam Nickerson Sanford
School Librarian (CCRSB) – Myrna Allen
Public Librarian (CBRL) – Faye MacDougall
Curriculum Resource Centre Coordinator (MSVU – Faculty of Education) – Terri Milton (Co-chair)
School Library Consultant (ret’d) - Jessica MacLennan

7. NATIONAL STANDARDS PROJECT: WRITING PROCESS
Phase I: The Work of Committees / Getting
Started
(January – May 2013)
Task One: Discussion Starters
Task Two: Exploring the Principles
Task Three: Completing the Template

8. NATIONAL STANDARDS PROJECT: THE MODEL
Principles of Effective School Library Learning Commons
Principle 1 Facilitating Collaborative Engagement to Cultivate/Empower
a Community of Learners
Principle 2 Advancing the Learning Community to Achieve School Goals
Principle 3 Cultivating Effective Instructional Design to Co-plan, Teach
and Assess Learning
Principle 4 Fostering Literacy to Empower Life-Long Learners
Principle 5 Designing Learning Environments to Support Participatory
Learning

9. NATIONAL STANDARDS PROJECT: WRITING PROCESS
Phase II: Filling out the details
(September 2013 – November 2013)
Regional Committee Response to the Development of
Growth Indicators for Each Principle

10. P
NATIONAL STANDARDS PROJECT: WRITING PROCESS
Phase III: Finalizing the document
(January – March 2014)
All committee responses were collated by the CLA to
prepare for publication

11. THE E-BOOK PUBLICATION
http://clatoolbox.ca/casl/slic/llsop.html
Launch:
Friday May 30 2014 CLA Conference (Victoria).

12. WHAT IS A LEARNING COMMONS?
“a whole school approach to building a participatory
learning community…”
“physical and virtual collaborative learning hub of the
school…”
“Reading thrives, learning literacies and technology
competencies evolve, and critical thinking, creativity,
innovation and playing to learn are nourished.”
Leading Learning, p. 5

13. WHAT IS A LEARNING COMMONS?
“This means basically an open learning area with
access to technology and access to wireless internet.”
“A learning hub providing programs that infuse
collaborative technology tools and virtual spaces into
learning experiences.”
“Learning experiences are developed to engage
learners in creative expression and communication.”
Leading Learning, pp. 6-20

14. THOUGHTS & FUTURE DIRECTIONS
“The School Community, as individuals and as
a collective body, has a role to play in shaping
the Library Learning Commons and utilizing its potential
for school improvement.”
Leading Learning, p. 22
<BUT>
It starts with the school library specialist.

15. THOUGHTS & FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Recognition of expertise.
Adequate staffing.
Training.
Working (leading) technology.
School community.
Board level support.
Provincial acknowledgement.
Advocacy.
Regional networking.
Associations?

16. Q&A
Thank you for your time today!

17. Q&A
The Leading Learning document:
http://clatoolbox.ca/casl/slic/llsop.html

18. CONTACT ME
Terri Milton
Liaison Librarian for Education and Child &
Youth Study
Outreach & Promotion Librarian
Mount Saint Vincent University Library
Halifax, NS, B3M 2J6
Phone: + 1-902-457-6526
Fax: + 1-902-457-6445
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.msvu.ca/library