How do you design your library space to work for all participants in your school community? Is it an inclusive space? Is it a student-centred space? Does it “flow” based on how students use the space or is it filled with extra furniture that someone deemed necessary 20 years ago? Let’s talk about your school library learning commons as the third teacher with a Universal Design for Learning lens!

It is easy to feel alone in #libraryland - especially when you may be the only one of your “kind” in the building. Yet there are so many ways to connect to the larger library community outside of your school. Come to this session to find out the myriad of ways - both small and large - that you can connect to other school library professionals in your board, in Ontario, and beyond. And you may also find that connecting is a great way to give back to #libraryland, too. Contributing to our school library community outside of your own school or school board has rich and rewarding benefits. Come and find out where you might find the right fit to connect and contribute!

Are you looking for fresh programming ideas for your school library learning commons? Do you need resources for easy lessons you can do on the fly? Do you need a new way to inspire your staff to engage in partnering or collaboration? Come to this session to hear from a diverse group of school library professionals from across the province as we share inclusive, equity-based ideas that could help transform your school library programming. Let us help you with fresh, innovative ideas collected from colleagues across Ontario and respond to your burning questions with a robust Q&A. 

The Forest of Reading® program presents an opportunity for school library staff to promote and share Canada’s largest reading program which celebrates the love of reading and recognizes exceptional Canadian authors and illustrators. Is this your first time managing the Forest of Reading program or have you run the program a few times and are keen to learn how others manage it? Hear from seasoned school library professionals about how they engage their school communities in this incredible recreational reading program.

This session will provide Super Conference attendees, especially those headed to OLASC for the first time, with the opportunity to learn more about the conference and to ask all their questions! Hear from Super Conference veterans on how to best navigate your Super Conference experience.

Our own OSLA Past-President, Wendy Burch Jones joins fellow members of the Canadian Centre for Free Expression’s Working Group on Schools and Intellectual Freedom to discuss the pressing issues of today. Why are book challenges on the rise in our school libraries? What is our role in defending intellectual freedom? What does the “freedom to read” look like in our Ontario schools? And how do we deal with book challenges in our own school communities? Join us as we tackle these big issues and discuss the pivotal role of school library professionals as they champion our students’ right to read. 

Join Maria Martella (TinLids) and James Saunders (Saunders Books) as they share the newest in Canadian children’s literature. Hear about the latest up and coming authors on their watchlist, the latest to drop in our favourite middle grade series’, and what’s trending in graphic novels, picture books, and non-fictions. A must for all school library professionals working on culturally-relevant and reflective collection development, diversifying their collections, decolonizing their stacks, or indigenizing their shelves. 

Do you have an eco-friendly school library learning commons? Would you like to know what steps you could take to help reduce your carbon-footprint and “green” your space? Join us to discover some interesting and innovative ways to introduce some sustainability strategies into your school library learning commons. Learn about where social justice considerations and curriculum expectations might be used in cross-curricular ecological inquiries. We’ll also share the latest in “green” #kidlit and talk about how you can embed these texts in your library programming to help infuse an eco-friendly message throughout the year. 

This session is designed specifically for teacher-librarians seeking to deepen their understanding of the privacy, security, and broader implications of AI tools in school environments. Participants will explore how to integrate AI safely and ethically into library programming, support students in developing critical AI literacy skills, and model responsible AI use in their own practice. The session will highlight practical examples of how teacher-librarians can use AI for efficiency and creativity while safeguarding student data and aligning with school and district policies. From evaluating AI platforms to establishing use guidelines, this workshop equips library leaders to become trusted guides in the evolving digital landscape. 

How do you use your circulation software to tell a story? The reports and numbers hidden in our software systems can help school library professionals share the incredible work you do - it’s all in the numbers! Take a look at using charts, graphs, infographics to harness circulation data to tell key stakeholders the value of your school library - and you!