Not Just a Place…

teacherlibrarianOn School Library Day, it is important to remember that the School Library is not just a place. More importantly, it is the people who are a part of the School Library who give it life. Everyone who works in the school library, in the physical space, or online, contributes to the vital role of the school library in education.

Thanks to Mia MacMeekin for this wonderful infographic on the role of the Teacher Librarian (left).  Every school needs a Teacher Librarian working with the students, staff, administration, parents and other stakeholders in the success of a school library program. Without a Teacher Librarian, a school library is just another room after all.

 
Source: Mia MacMeekin; Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
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National School Library Day

Today is National School Library Day in Canada. Today we recognize the vital role of School Libraries in education.  The Province of British Columbia has joined in, declaring that today is School Library Day with the following proclamation:

proclamation

SafeTeen

Screen Shot 2013-10-18 at 8.58.52 AM

SafeTeen is a tremendous program that covers a variety of topics including conflict resolution, healthy relationships, bullying, sexual health and more.

Once again we are very pleased to host SafeTeen seminars in the school library.  Grade 8 girls will be attending SafeTeen seminars on October 21, 23 and 24. As such, the room will be closed to all drop-in and study block students, as well as to all male staff.

Why SSR?

source: Professionally Speaking

(Reason #2 of 3,487,659) Many students do not have a regular time in a quiet space at home for uninterrupted reading.  SSR may be the only time and place in the day for many students to have the chance to focus on reading a good book, without all the usual noise, distractions and interruptions. Hopefully many more students have that opportunity at home, too.  But for those that don’t, we need to be sure to give them that opportunity at school!

SafeTeen

Screen Shot 2013-10-18 at 8.58.52 AM

SafeTeen is a tremendous program that covers a variety of topics including conflict resolution, healthy relationships, bullying, sexual health and more.

Once again we are very pleased to host SafeTeen seminars in the school library.  Grade 8 girls will be attending SafeTeen seminars on October 21, 23 and 24. As such, the room will be closed to all drop-in and study block students, as well as to all male staff.

Persons Day

“The  historic decision to include women in the legal definition of “persons” was handed  down by Canada’s highest court of appeal – the Judicial Committee of the Privy  Council of Great Britain – on October 18, 1929. This gave women the right to be  appointed to the Senate of Canada and paved the way for women’s increased  participation in public and political life.” (From Status of Women Canada: Persons Day.)

source: famous5ottawa.ca

It may seem incomprehensible to us that women were not considered to be “persons”, at least under a strict definition of Canadian law prior to 1929.  The “Famous Five” led the fight all the way to the highest courts of the land to include women in the legal definition of “persons.”

“The exclusion of women from all public offices is a relic of days more barbarous than ours. And to those who would ask why the word  “person” should include females, the obvious answer is, why should it  not?”

–Lord Sankey of the Privy Council, 1929 (source)

Today we can celebrate that victory, and the slow but steady change in Canadian society towards equality for women.  We still have a long way to go, and sadly, in much the world, women are still denied equality, a “relic of days  more barbarous than ours.” Persons Day is a chance to celebrate how far we have come, and to reflect on how far we still need to go.

Reading is a Beautiful Thing

DEAR2013Drop Everything & Read is just eleven days away! National School Library Day is Monday, October 28.

As part of the celebration of school libraries, the BCTLA and the BCTF have issued the “DEAR Challenge” to EVERY PERSON in BRITISH COLUMBIA.  All over the province, people are challenged to put down the work, turn off the TV, set aside the iPad,iPod or iPhone, pause the video games–  you get the idea– and just read!

October is International School Library Month and Canadian Library Month. October 28 is National School Library Day.  Be sure to stay posted for news and special events happening to celebrate your school library!

“Reading is a beautiful thing. Today.
Every day.
Read for twenty minutes.”

Olympic Protest

On this day in 1968, one of the most iconic images in Olympic history was captured for all the world to see.  As the US National Anthem played at the medal ceremony for the 200 Metre race at the Mexico City Olympics, American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos, the Gold and Bronze Medalists,  bowed their heads and each raised a single, black gloved fist.  This gesture of protest has come to be known as the “Black Power Salute.” Smith and Carlos shocked many with this Silent Gesture, forcing the world to take note of the struggle against racism in the United States and around the world. The Silver Medalist, Peter Norman of Australia, joined the Americans in wearing an OPHR badge (Olympic Project for Human Rights.)

source: Creative Commons; Wikimedia Commons.

Reaction was very negative in the US and within the Olympic Community, including those who felt that the Olympics was not the place for such an overtly political gesture. Under pressure from the IOC, the men were expelled from the Olympic village and suspended from the US Olympic Team. Both men were forced to return home to heavy criticism and even threats of violence. Very few publicly lauded their courage and their willingness to make such a bold and profound statement, but over time public opinion has shifted dramatically in support for what Smith and Carlos did on the podium in 1968.

For more, check out these links:

World Food Day

source: UN FAO

From the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization:

Today almost 842 million people worldwide are chronically undernourished. Unsustainable models of development are degrading the natural environment, threatening ecosystems and biodiversity that will be needed for our future food supply…

What would a sustainable food system look like? Is it possible to get from here to there? What would need to change to move us in that direction? World Food Day 2013 is an opportunity to explore these and other questions, and help bring about the future we want.

For more on World Food Day, check out these links:

Bartman

source: Bleacher Report

On this day in 2003, the infamous “Bartman Incident” took place at Wrigley Field in Chicago during the National League Championship Series. As much as sport can bring out the best in us, it sometimes can bring out the worst. Lifelong Cubs fan Steve Bartman found himself fearing for his life after his interference in a play late in a Cubs’ playoff game. To learn more about this sad chapter in sports history, check out the amazing documentary, “Catching Hell,” part of an excellent series of sports films called “30 For 30.”  Read more about the Bartman Incident.

Alice Munro Awarded Nobel Prize in Literature

Canadian literary legend Alice Munro has been awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature. She is the first Canadian woman and first Canadian based author to win the award. Munro is considered to be a master of the short story and is often compared to Russian author Anton Chekov. She has previously won the Man Booker Prize, the Giller Prize and the Governor General’s Award.

Come down to the school library to check out some of her books.