The 2021 NCSLMA Conference is only half a year away! We are excited for the opportunity to Reflect, Refocus, Reconnect, and Rejuvenate as we come back together at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem for our Oct. 7-9 conference.

The call to present is now open on the Events section of the NCSLMA website and we are accepting applications for 45-minute concurrent sessions and 90-minute mini-workshops. Mini-workshops might include hands-on, interactive, and/or tech-based sessions. The call to present closes on Friday, May 14.

The conference website is now live and will be updated regularly with additional information as it becomes available.

Our state is participating in the federally funded grant project called SLIDE: The School Librarian Investigation—Decline or Evolution? (https://libslide.org) The three-year project is examining national data on school librarian employment and how school leaders make the decisions to staff library, learning resources, and instructional technology services for their K-12 students. As a component of the study, a content analysis of school library-related job descriptions and job titles will be conducted to learn if and how roles are changing or morphing with other positions. Keith Curry Lance, RSL Research Group, and Deb Kachel, Antioch University Seattle, the project leaders, are asking for job descriptions or job announcements that are:

 Professional positions related to library, learning resources, and instructional technology for K- 12 students

 Recent or currently in use for school librarians or related positions that may include some or all of the work of a librarian

 Full-time or part-time; may be district or school-level positions

 Must include the name of the school district, city, and state on the job description or announcement

The project is accepting all related job descriptions with various titles. Some examples

of related job titles include:

 Coordinator of information literacy

 Digital literacy teacher

 Educational technology-information literacy specialist

 Information skills and technology teacher

 Learning coach/librarian

 Learning resources specialist

 Library-technology educator

 Teacher librarian-technology coach

 Instructional technology facilitator

Thank you for supporting this important research.

https://forms.gle/XyjtghxZHNRibcf4A

Vote today for the NCYA and NCMiddle Book Awards. 

bit.ly/ncyaba2021

bit.ly/ncmiddle2021

Congratulations to our new

President-Elect - Jen Abel

Piedmont West Director - Amy Ralph

Coastal Director - Sara Levin

Vote now in the 2021 NCSLMA Elections. Click HERE and read the bios of the candidates, then click the Election Link at the top of the page to submit your vote. Voting is open only to registered NCSLMA members. 

Redfin Blog

Keith Curry Lance and Debra E Kachel are proud to announce the launch of the https://libslide.org website. The State Intermediary Survey reports are finished as well and posted on the STATE SURVEYS webpage. Keith and Debra want to thank all of you who participated and provided data for these reports. It is our hope that you find the information useful to promote school library programs in your states and would love to hear how you plan to use the information.

Additionally, please follow our Twitter so you can learn of our latest updates, publications, and conference presentations. @lib­_slide

Watch the recorded ALA Midwinter Conference session from January 23, 2021, as Keith and Deb present the background of the SLIDE project, its methodology, and some preliminary findings. https://libslide.org/presentations

PUBLICATIONS NOW AVAILABLE

Contexts of School Librarian Employment (2021, January 26). https://libslide.org/pubs/contexts.pdf

This report summarizes responses to nine questions asked of school library leaders in all 50 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) to determine state support of school library programs. Questions address standards and guidelines, certification and staffing requirements, and direct funding and provision of statewide e-resources.

Appendix to Contexts of School Librarian Employment (2021, January 26). https://libslide.org/pubs/contextsappendix.pdf

This document is the Survey Monkey report of individual state responses to the State Intermediary Survey. These are the data on which the Contexts report is based. The responses appear in the order received; but, a table of contents page lists states alphabetically and indicates the pages on which their responses appear.

Requirements for School Librarian Employment: A State-by-State Summary (2021, January 27). https://libslide.org/pubs/requirements.pdf

This report summarizes legal requirements for school librarian staffing in the 50 states and D.C.

NCSLMA's first Winter Tune-Up mini-conference is coming!  Join us to recharge your battery and add new tools to your educator toolbox.  We're excited to offer pre-recorded virtual sessions with expert presenters for NCSLMA members beginning at 8:00 am daily, the week of February 22-26. Sessions will last a maximum of one hour, with presenters taking questions via social media platforms- check out details on the Winter Tune-Up Infographic. Each NCSLMA Regional Director will lead a live session after the Tune-Up Week to provide members an opportunity to meet and greet friends and share ideas, concerns, and suggestions. Directors will share links to their sessions with members in their regions. Certificates of Attendance for the Winter Tune-Up and regional sessions will be provided for attendees to submit to their LEAs for renewal credit. Depending on your participation, there are 6 contact hours available. Remember to REGISTER. It's FREE!  Session topics were chosen based on the highest number of votes by NCSLMA members from a poll conducted last fall. Questions? Email robinrhodes@ncslma.org.

Register here for the sessions. 

Congratulations to the following NCSLMA members who have been chosen to participate in the 2021 Leadership Academy! The 2020 Leadership Academy is excited to guide you through this experience and we can't wait to get started!

NCSLMA joined AASL and shared a letter to the Biden transition team stressing how school librarians are an equity-oriented solution to some of the most pressing concerns facing educators at this moment. The letter was co-signed by ALA, the AASL Chapters Coordinating Team, and AASL Chapters. This strong support voiced for the necessity of qualified school librarians is a direct result of your affiliation and membership with AASL.

Great news! NCSLMA has extended the due date for BOB Compliance Forms! The new deadline is November 30, 2020. Remember in order to submit your BOB Compliance Form, your NCSLMA membership must be up-to-date.