Do We Need a New National School Library Association?

April 5, 2016

Does Canada need a new national association for school libraries?

Building on the discussion paper released in January and the discussion at Treasure Mountain Canada 4, a survey has been put together to get input from the broader community.

Please complete the survey no later than April 30, 2016.

Over the past decade, there have been ever increasing challenges in sustaining a cohesive school library network across Canada. We arrive in 2016 at a point where what remains may cease to exist entirely, with the impending dissolution of the Canadian Library Association (CLA).

The notion of a new national school library association has clearly engaged the group of leaders who have worked so hard to leverage the gains achieved with the publication of Leading Learning and the success of Treasure Mountain Canada. The notion can only morph into a fully-fledged proposal through broader consultation, and with support from the broader community of potential supporters or members.

Initial discussions took place on January 30, 2016 at Treasure Mountain Canada 4. The consensus of that meeting was to put the question to leaders, associations, and the community of school library supporters across the country. A broader base of support may provide the groundwork for proceeding with a formal proposal for a new association.

In order to become more familiar with possibilities presented in this survey, you may choose to read the paper, Toward a New National School Library Association in Canada: The Case, Considerations, and Potential Models, before you answer this questionnaire.

PLEASE COMPLETE THIS SURVEY NO LATER THAN APRIL 30, 2016