Standard: Advancing the Learning Community to Achieve School Goals
Theme: District Administration and District LLC Program Leader Collaborative Role
Growth Phase: Leading
Growth Indicator: District administration and library consultants collaborate with other district, provincial, national education leaders to build LLC capacity.
Saskatchewan Libraries digital site, maintained by Saskatchewan Provincial Library and Literacy Office, fosters a multitype library board featuring digital alliances, electronic resources partnerships, and many other library resources for all ages.
Saskatchewan Libraries. (2020). Home Page. Retrieved from https://mlb.libguides.com/mlb/index
The Manitoba School Library Association (MSLA) declares a quality School Library Learning Commons (SLLC) as an essential right of every child in Canada. The declaration includes an outline of what constitutes an excellent SLLC.
Manitoba School Library Association (MSLA). (2019). Declaration for the Right to a School Library Learning Commons. Retrieved from
The Ontario Ministry of Education recognizes library consultants and coordinators as an association.
The Association of Library Consultants and Coordinators of Ontario (TALCO). 2014. Available: http://www.talcoontario.ca/
The Toronto, Ontario school board sets expectations for library and learning commons practice.
Toronto District School Board. 2014. The library & learning commons K-12. Teaching and learning expected practice series. Toronto District School Board. Available:
https://www.canadianschoollibraries.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/TDSB-Learning-Commons-Expected-Practice.pdf
A new Ontario Ministry site “supporting deeper learning and global competencies in Ontario” features a web page focused on Makerspaces/Learning Commons.
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2017). Innovation in Learning Resource. Retrieved from http://ilr-ria.cforp.ca/ILR/index.html
The Ontario School Library Association (OLA) presents an outstanding page of current key resources for parents to consider regarding their children’s school libraries post-pandemic. Includes three key questions with a downloadable “cheatsheet”, explains school library funding in Ontario, shares templates for letters of support, contains Ontario School Library Association (OSLA) and aligned organizations government correspondence and submissions, advocacy resources, school library research, and current advocacy news. Although Ontario based all other provinces or territories could use this page and many of the resources as a model.
Ontario Library Association (OLA). (2022). Parents: Ask your school principal or school board trustee about your child’s school library. Retrieved from https://accessola.com/school-library-issues/
Canadian School Libraries (CSL) Director Freibauer reports on the Save School Libraries coalition work as shared during a “Voices for School Libraries” panel at OLA Super Conference 2022. The coalition includes a long list of individuals and organizations including booksellers, publishers, authors, librarians, and educators who have banded together to present a united front when advocating for the school library learning commons, highlighting the importance of that broader community support. Includes a link to numerous SLLC advocacy resources as selected by the Super Conference panel.
Freibauer, C. (2022, May 18). Voices for School Libraries: Advocacy Approaches. Canadian School Libraries Journal 6 (2). Retrieved from https://journal.canadianschoollibraries.ca/voices-for-school-libraries-advocacy-approaches/
In this paper three British Columbia district teacher-librarians examine the benefits of dedicated central support for school libraries. Where this kind of professional support is in place it can take on a variety of forms. The writers have researched many districts in British Columbia and shared their positive findings. They document the pivotal function of the district-level TL and why their role should be considered essential staffing within a district.
Fowler, C., Jeffery,J., & MacDonald, S. (2025). The crucial role of district-level teacher-librarians in enhancing
BC’s educational landscape: Advocating for sustained school library leadership. Paper presented at the Treasure Mountain Canada 8 Symposium, Toronto, Canada. https://researcharchive.canadianschoollibraries.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/TMC8_2025_Fowler_Jeffery_MacDonald.pdf
In this paper the President and Executive Member of British Columbia Teacher-Librarians’ Association (BCTLA) focus on exploring the critical role of teacher-librarians in British Columbia’s public education system. They outline the efforts of the British Columbia Teacher-Librarians’ Association (BCTLA) to gather data through a “Working and Learning Conditions Survey” and to advocate for better support and recognition of teacher-librarians’ contributions to student success. They further detail initiatives taken to raise awareness among educators, parents, and the community, culminating in presentations and materials aimed at fostering support for teacher-librarians’ roles in schools.
Hurtubise, N., & Le, T. (2025). Empowering voices: The importance of BC teacher-librarians in union activism and advocacy. Paper presented at the Treasure Mountain Canada 8 Symposium, Toronto, Canada. https://researcharchive.canadianschoollibraries.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/TMC8_2025_Hurtubise_Le.pdf