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.
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.
Over the summer, it became apparent that not only was the pandemic not going to be sufficiently under control for school to start up again in a normal way, but also that things were not becoming calmer and saner. Unrest took over our country in large and small ways. Racial injustices inspired citizens to take to the streets. People insisted that their voices must be heard, even if they had to put their own health at risk to speak out.
Finally, as summer came to a close, it was painfully apparent that there was no playbook for what was happening. We knew it was not business as usual by any stretch of the imagination, but we struggled to make sense of what the business would actually look like on a campus-by-campus basis. We worried for our students, our programs, our libraries, and our own loved ones. We worried for our country, our ideals, and the families we serve.
And yet, as I read the email listserv, attended job-alike groups and professional development sessions, and just talked with members, it was clear to me that we were all still in the fight. Despite the lack of clear plans from our schools and with the guidelines shifting on a daily basis, you still showed up. You offered support to each other as we all worked in the best way we knew how to create a plan to continue to serve professionally. You threw your hats in the ring to form trusting circles in which to challenge your own biases. You sought new technologies, new understandings, and new resources.
I am grateful to belong to this strong community of library educators. I see your determination to keep fighting. I am proud that I am able to fight beside you. Stay strong, stay healthy, and stay safe until we can all be together again!
Sincerely,
Laura Luker
MSLA President
Finally, as summer came to a close, it was painfully apparent that there was no playbook for what was happening. We knew it was not business as usual by any stretch of the imagination, but we struggled to make sense of what the business would actually look like on a campus-by-campus basis. We worried for our students, our programs, our libraries, and our own loved ones. We worried for our country, our ideals, and the families we serve.
And yet, as I read the email listserv, attended job-alike groups and professional development sessions, and just talked with members, it was clear to me that we were all still in the fight. Despite the lack of clear plans from our schools and with the guidelines shifting on a daily basis, you still showed up. You offered support to each other as we all worked in the best way we knew how to create a plan to continue to serve professionally. You threw your hats in the ring to form trusting circles in which to challenge your own biases. You sought new technologies, new understandings, and new resources.
I am grateful to belong to this strong community of library educators. I see your determination to keep fighting. I am proud that I am able to fight beside you. Stay strong, stay healthy, and stay safe until we can all be together again!
Sincerely,
Laura Luker
MSLA President