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MSLA President Jen Varney is the Librarian at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School in Cambridge, MA  This past December in the rush of holiday shopping, I spotted a magnet with the quote “Be joyful though you have considered all the facts. - Wendell Berry.” The words resonated with me and I bought it, brought it home, and slipped it into my own stocking (as you do).
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MSLA President Jen Varney is the Librarian at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School in Cambridge, MA Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year! I have high hopes for the coming months. With one year of post-remote learning behind us, I won’t say that we can return to normal, because such a return is not possible, but I do think that routines and momentum will come a little easier.
It is good that our work with students may get easier, too, because there are other aspects of our work that are about to get more difficult. Already we have seen more visible book challenges in Massachusetts during the first six weeks of school than there have been in the last three years, they are appearing in the news, on the MSLA listserv, and in conversations. The challengers are well organized and intent on their mission. MSLA President Jen Varney is the Librarian at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School in Cambridge, MA Well, what a year, huh? As I sit down to write this column and reflect on the past year, I am almost at a loss for words. Welcoming students back into school buildings and into our libraries after 18 months of pandemic disruption would have been more than enough of a challenge. But of course, the universe thought that throwing relentless COVID surges at us would be an added bonus, and hey— how about some book challenges and ominous censorship news coming in from other parts of the country while we’re at it? Educators are feeling more burnt out than ever, and school librarians have every reason to feel this way.
Yet, I find it important as ever to celebrate important successes and strides. MSLA President Jen Varney is the Librarian at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr School in Cambridge, MA. Hello and welcome to a brand new school year! My name is Jen Varney and I am the new MSLA President. I’m looking forward to serving you and making sure that MSLA is all that it can be. As a new school librarian 15(!) years ago, MSLA was a lifeline for me, connecting me to other people that had my job and could answer my questions. It was nice to know that I wasn’t alone.
MSLA President Laura Luker is the Library Teacher at Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School in Hadley, MA. As I write this, I am looking out my window onto a snowy and frigid landscape, longing for warmer weather and the ability to be outside more often. When the pandemic began last spring, I remember thinking to myself “thank goodness we’re not dealing with this in the depths of winter!” At that point, no one would have ever guessed how long it would last and how deeply we’d be affected. However, now that we are in fact dealing with it in the depths of winter I find myself admiring the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. I think it’s helpful to sit back and take stock of two things: first, that we have persevered so well and second, that we have come so far already.
MSLA President Laura Luker is the Library Teacher at Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School in Hadley, MA. Dear colleagues,
When last I wrote to you for the Forum, none of us could have predicted where we’d be today. That was May, and we were winding down a school year. We were finishing up something the likes of which we had never seen before and holding onto that ever-present end of year thought - next year will be better. We had dreams that the pandemic would be winding down and that things would be calmer and saner soon. MSLA President Laura Luker is the Library Teacher at Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School in Hadley, MA. Dear MSLA Members,
I don’t believe I’m overstating things when I say that we are now working through one of the toughest challenges our profession has faced. All educators are being asked to innovate at breakneck pace, exhibit grace and flexibility on a daily basis, and to keep education moving along for our students. School librarians specifically are faced with the task of figuring out how we fit into the bigger distance learning picture, knowing we need to continue to educate the students and adults we consider our patrons despite all the challenges thrown our way. I am proud that we are all doing our best to keep information flowing to those we serve. I’ve seen many of you agonize over how best to get reading material (physical or virtual) into the hands of your students. How to distribute devices to those who might not otherwise have access. How to make sure that students can connect and that teachers have the skills they need. And you’ve done all of this while balancing the needs of your own families, your own communities, and yourselves. MSLA President Laura Luker is the library teacher at Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School in Hadley, MA. Dear Colleagues,
Every year as we near the time of our annual conference, I feel myself getting more and more excited. I look forward each year to our time together - a time to learn, connect, and grow as educators - and I hope you all gain as much from it as I do. This year’s conference theme, We Can Do It: School Libraries Build Strong Communities!, is especially near and dear to my heart given the troubled waters many communities are facing. As we all know, libraries of all kinds serve as a safe haven for people and for free and reliable information, and now more than ever that’s needed. School libraries, however, have an especially sacred charge. We are tasked with helping the children in our communities make sense of the world around them and to become informed and participatory citizens. Youth-led strikes to call attention to climate change and school gun violence come to mind as perfect examples of teenagers working to bring about change and to impact their communities in a positive way. They also highlight the power of an informed citizenry. Greta Thunberg’s message would be nowhere near as powerful without the facts she cites. The March for Our Lives movement depends upon research and knowledge. Somewhere along the line, someone has armed these kids with the skills to do this work. Please join me at this year’s conference. As we immerse ourselves in learning from one another and refreshing our skills, we not only strengthen our own professional community, but we also reaffirm our commitment to lead the students in our charge to become vital members of their communities. Is there anything more important? MSLA President Laura Luker is the library teacher at Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School in Hadley, MA Hello MSLA members, and welcome. As our respective school years get up and running, I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself as the incoming MSLA President. My name is Laura Luker and I’m a K-12 library teacher at the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School in Hadley. This is my tenth year as a library teacher and my fifteenth year as an educator. Prior to working in the library, I was a secondary English and reading teacher, a background which I feel gives me an excellent footing for collaborating with classroom teachers. In my spare time, I foster rescue dogs and dabble in aerial circus arts. I am equally as enthusiastic about running as I am about cake.
Personal details aside, I’d like to convey to each of you how honored I am to have been asked to be President of this organization. I’m passionate about the work we all do each and every day - not only connecting kids with books, but also helping them to be discerning, involved world citizens. I appreciate the opportunity to advocate for our work being recognized by the broader world. MSLA President Carrie Tucker is the Librarian at East Bridgewater Jr/Sr High School. Hello Forum readers,
I’ve been searching for a final president’s message that is both meaningful and from the heart. I hope I found it in Julio. Last week’s highlight by far was attending MSLA’s bookmark awards ceremony at An Unlikely Story, author Jeff Kinney’s book store in Plainville, to celebrate the achievements of happy kids along with their proud families and librarians. Learning that the bookmark committee members, headed by Laura Gardner, achieved perfect teamwork, made the night even better. MSLA President Carrie Tucker is the Librarian at East Bridgewater Jr/Sr High School This spring, as the inevitable senioritis infection takes hold, I’m tempted to join in. The year has been an extraordinary one. My school survived its NEASC decennial accreditation visit last month, and I am ready for kayak time.
Those of us in elementary schools or non-member secondary schools may appreciate a brief background. Every ten years a 16-person team of educators recruited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) descends upon each member school for an intense four-day visit. The team observes instruction; meets with parents, teachers, students, and administrators; reviews curriculum; examines student work; assesses core values; and more. It’s akin to being formally observed as a first-year teacher--for four days straight. MSLA President Anita Cellucci is the Library Teacher at Westborough High School As the MSLA president for the past 2 years, I have learned a lot about other librarians, the challenges that we face as a profession and ways to impact those issues in a positive light. I have enjoyed meeting many of you and working together on larger issues that affect education.
For my final post, I'd like to share more about one way that we can focus on student voice to impact the growth of our students and bring to light the issues that they care about in a way that offers them. As librarians we talk a lot about “safe space” - equity for all students and their individual needs. Providing opportunities for student voice has always been an important mission in my library. This year it manifested in a group slam poem - I coach the slam team with an English teacher. The team competes in the Louder than a Bomb Youth Poetry Festival sponsored by MassLEAP. MSLA President Anita Cellucci is the Library Teacher at Westborough High School  The past few months have offered much to keep up with in the world and libraries are responding in amazing solidarity. One of the reasons that I’ve spent a good chunk of my working life in libraries is the overwhelming energy of inclusiveness. Libraries are for everyone as this artwork from Hafuboti indicates.
MSLA has spent the past several years working toward providing the research and advocacy to support this belief. In the last couple of years that work has been taken on by the Legislative Commission. Over the past year, it has included work on the new Federal Legislation for ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act). You can read about what our committee has been up to here and here. There is more work to be done and it is imperative to answer the call when the call comes for school librarian involvement. Successful Legislative Breakfasts were held this year as in past years at school libraries - getting legislators and community members into your building and libraries is an effective way to demonstrate the difference a library makes in our students lives. There are so many resources at our fingertips and when we join forces we are indeed a force. MSLA President Anita Cellucci is the Library Teacher at Westborough High School Massachusetts School Library Association has developed a committee to work together to ensure that all students benefit from the recent changes to the federal education law (ESSA) that provides for effective school library programs as essential to the education of Massachusetts students. The committee includes the MSLA President, MSLA Executive Director and several other board members, representation from Massachusetts Library System, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, as well as EveryLibrary and Rosen (http://everylibrary.org/rosen-everylibrary-pro-bono-essa/).
Summary of legislation from Congress.gov: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1177 What have we done?
Anita Cellucci is the Teacher Librarian at Westborough High School 
Silence is something I seek daily. This topic has been on my mind a lot as my library gets busier and louder. Instead of a full maker space lab, I am researching ways to bring silence to my library and lab space without interfering with the positive impact of a collaborative learning commons. Silent reading and reflection still hold an important role in my teaching philosophy and in my Bibliotherapy work as a librarian. “We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goeth Another school year begins, and this one is already highly energized. The beginning of the school year invites reflection - What will I try to do differently this year? What can I do to keep grounded in my goals for my professional growth and student learning - but also in my personal growth? This year is no different. An array of new district initiatives combined with two Grants as well as interest from colleagues to collaborate on a broad range of curricula ideas have kept me working long hours this fall. It seems as if this year is already speeding by with great intent. What I find interesting is that every educator I speak with feels the same way about their school start up this year. I’ve heard words such as “whirIwind,” “unsustainable” and “so tired already.” I believe the key to grounding these tensions is not only a balance of reflection, growth, and relevancy - but also an understanding of the needs of our community and how the library plays a central role in sustaining the energy that is needed for a successful school year.
Currently, the different entities within MSLA are thinking about all of the elements of our profession and the tensions that are in our daily work lives. How can we assure that our members are getting the professional support necessary - while having the opportunity to develop skills that will assist with best practice, advocacy, and continuous forward movement in the profession? The MSLA executive board will focus on Advocacy this year. With the addition of our Advocacy Chair, Cathy Collins, we will delve into these topics. We are excited to have Cathy as part of our team. Also, watch for upcoming information on a Twitter Advocacy week with Amy Short - join us for collegial conversation around the topic of advocacy. As the year unfolds new challenges will emerge. I hope that these challenges will push us to move out of our comfort zone and think reflectively about how we are using our position and the library space to bring positive influence into the lives of our colleagues and our students. Are we changing, renewing, and rejuvenating to bring new forward movement, best practice and positive advocacy to our school communities and our professional community? Your opinion matters. Bring your voice to the conversation. Anita Cellucci is the Teacher Librarian at Westborough High School |