CSL Journal: Winter 2020 Edition

The Winter 2020 edition of the Canadian School Libraries Journal, which I co-edit with Carol Koechlin, was released on Friday March 6.

There are many great articles in this edition. Here are the ones that I wrote or co-wrote.

TMC6: Symposium Synergy

TMC6: Symposium Synergy

TMC is a participatory learning experience designed to bring researchers and practitioners together to discuss and debate current Canadian research and scholarly writing which has an impact on the role of school libraries vis-à-vis educational strategy and transformation. The article written collaboratively with the TMC6 Symposium Planning Committee, summarizes the highlights of the recent TMC6 Symposium and Think Tank, and asks questions to consider as we move forward.

The Eric Walters School Library Summer Lending Project: Are You Ready to Set Your Books Free?

By Anita Brooks Kirkland & Carol Koechlin

Summer Lending Challenge

The article summarizes the research findings from the first Eric Walters Summer Lending Challenge, which took place in the summer of 2019, and looks forward to this year’s challenge.

What emerged very strongly through the research is that losing the opportunity to read to whatever degree is not good for any children. School libraries provide a simple, doable and inexpensive way to make sure that all children have the opportunity to continue reading over the summer or to read more than they would otherwise. School libraries provide access to reading materials, and encourage freedom of choice. A strong theme that emerged through the research was that the fear of book losses which inhibits schools from summer lending are largely unfounded. Students wanted to be trusted, and followed through with their responsibility to return materials in September. Losses incurred through summer lending are minimal, and worth the investment.

School Libraries Celebrate I Read Canadian Day

By Anita Brooks Kirkland

I Read Canadian Day

The first ever I Read Canadian Day, held on February 19, 2020, can only be counted as a spectacular success, and school library professionals played an important role in making this so. On the big day, we followed the #IReadCanadian and #IReadCanadianDay hashtags, which were trending for most of the day! The article re-creates a play-by-play of the day, illustrated with Twitter posts from participants. I Read Canadian Day brings us all together to celebrate all Canadian books. Some remarkable themes emerged as schools celebrated on February 19, summarized in the article.


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