CASL Meeting

Oh God. Why are they meeting so early? Between the four-hour time change and over-stimulating days, I've been having trouble sleeping.

Here are the CASL-PAC reports

John Tooth on Copyright – conversations are going on with various ministers. Nothing terribly solid. Bill C61 died when the election was called. The next will probably not be high on the priorities of the new government.

Access Copyright wanted a tariff to be arrived at by the Copyright Board. Schools are well represented. A copying study was done. The new number is $2.43 per fte will be paid by Ministries/Boards to allow copying for educational purposes. Fair dealing is next on the agenda.

In Alberta, Calgary has hired 5 new t-ls. The are having problems getting trained t-ls. Can’t get into courses fast enough to be up to speed for September.

Saskatchewan is doing all right economically. Has gone to an online journal. There are problems with t-ls in rural areas. (There aren’t any). Wants CASL-PAC to help to avoid replication of effort.

Manitoba got their website up and developed a forum. Wants to remove the necessity of a password. In ordre to open things up a bit, “like BC”. Still does a print journal. Printed a brochure for advocacy. Has a presence on the provincial body regarding literacy with ICT. (There are 214 t-ls in the province, most of them in Winnipeg, but in that board there will be a t-l in every school at least half time in River East/Transcona.)75% of schools have that.

Liz Kerr spoke from the Education Institute with Carol Koechlin (what a thrill to meet her in person!)

The Education Institute is a continuing education program for all library workers. They provide audio, virtual, web conferences, etc on, for example RDA.

Alison Zmuda of The Competent Classroom and High Stakes High School fame will be keynote at the OSLA Super Conference February 24, 2010. She will do a Treasure Mountain session - whatever that is.

The CASL executive encouraged Liz and Carol to bring Ms. Zmuda to the CLA 2010 Conference in Edmonton. They will consider it.

Ontario

Second study came out this year – Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario

Resources – second rollout, this time $10 mil.

Knowledge Ontario continues and now has some resources in French

Together for Learning will be out in time for the annual conference.

Spoke to the complexity of spending these monies effectively. For example, the original deadline was September 8!

Quebec doesn’t really have t-ls. They have techniciens en documentation.

High schools are staffed by anything from an MLIS to a technician to a clerk to a security officer. There was once even a nurse! Libraries are complementary services, and complementary services don’t require pedagogy.

They have money for books through the Plan d’action sur la lecture, they have spaces, but they have no staffing.

Quebec just announced the hiring of 20 teacher-librarians, but they will NOT be in schools, they’ll be co-ordinators.

New Brunswick

The representative knows that there are two t-ls in New Brunswick, but doesn’t know who or where they are.

Library Assistant time has been cut by 50%.

School libraries get $9/fte plus a clerical allocation (library assistants.) from the Ministry

NB is big on technology, but not on staffing.

P.E.I. is doing very well. They have a department of resource-based instruction in the ministry, a t-l is on every curriculum writing committee. Most schools have t-ls. They do not have clerical support.

Incoming president of the teachers’ federation is a t-l.

UPEI just graduated its first cohort in its Masters’ program.

They get $10/fte from the Ministry.

Eight school closures of schools fewer than 100, but no teacher cutbacks.

Nova Scotia and Newfoundland were not represented at the meeting.

Outgoing president Richard Baudry asked the Association to pay attention to succession issues. There are not enough SLAIS and MLIS graduates coming up to replace retirements in the public library sector. The prediction is that they will begin accepting combined degrees such as the MEd in teacher-librarianship offered by U of A and UPEI and even headhunt at schools. I said I doubted that teacher-librarians would be tempted by it since the compensation is so low. I suggested we focus instead on our own succession issues, and encourage all teacher-librarians to guide a few colleagues toward courses.