SLRI Update

Hello, Members,

Welcome to the new school year! I hope everyone was able to relax and rejuvenate over the summer. SLRI is here to support you, so please email me if you have any ideas, issues and/or projects you’d like the association to consider taking on.

In the next few weeks, you will be receiving a package from SLRI to acknowledge you as a new or renewing member. As part of our membership drive, we are sending members who have renewed or joined since November 2023 information about what we do, a factsheet on the School Libraries Act, and some SLRI swag to enjoy. The drive will run through November 2024. It’s taken a while to complete the membership drive, but we hope you find the packet helpful. Please encourage your colleagues to join if they aren’t members already.

Warmly,

Mary Moen

SLRI President

Courtney Pentland, the past president of AASL (and who spoke at our conference), has awarded every single school librarian with the Crystal Apple Award in recognition of your significant impact on school libraries and students. AASL has created certificate and social media templates for you to edit with your name for you to use. They also have a 3D printer program to print out the award. Spread the word. Share the joy. You deserve recognition. Remember, it is advocacy, not bragging. See this blog post for more information.

SLRI is joining with the Massachusetts School Library Association and the Connecticut Association of School Librarians to create this award sponsored by Rosen Publishing. The winner of the award will receive a certificate and either two sets of books or a one year free subscription to a Rosen database. If anyone is interested in working on this project, please email Mary Moen. Collaborating with the folks at MSLA, CASL and Rosen is fun and inspiring and work.

Based on responses from a survey last June, SLRI members’ indicated a high interest in media literacy professional development. Great news! SLRI is partnering with OLIS, GSLIS and Project Look Sharp's ML3 initiative to offer Empowering All Students Through Media Decoding, an online course for school librarians to bring media literacy education to Rhode Island students. Participants will be trained to teach core library standards and habits of critical thinking about all media messages using a student-centered, curriculum-driven, inquiry-based pedagogical approach for media decoding. Participants will also increase their own media literacy skills and discuss ways school librarians can expand media literacy education in RI. This is a free, online course that will run for nine weeks starting October 1. The phenomenal Wendy Gustavel, school librarian at Rocky Hill Country Day School, will facilitate. Register on the OLIS CE website.

SLRI has many opportunities for volunteers. You can can commit to as little or as much time as you are able to a committee that matches your interests. Please contact Mary Moen if you're interested in joining.

We'd like to thank Audra Williamson for stepping in as Secretary to finish out Marianne Mirando’s term. Marianne retired and moved to Maine - we wish her the best! In addition, we welcome Robin Leone as our new Member Relations Chair.

Awards - administer the application process, coordinate reviews, and facilitate the awarding of the SLRI award winners. Process starts in March and ends in May.

Rosen/Southern NE School Librarian of the Month - collaborate with CASL and MSLA board members to set up the award in Sept - Nov and review applications for RI winners 2 times a year.

Legislative Action - perform grassroots legislative work, including advocating for the School Libraries Act, running letter writing campaigns, testifying at the state house and submitting written testimony.

Conference - help plan and organize the annual RILA conference and facilitate school librarian attendance.

Mentorship - new school librarians benefit from the mentorship of experienced librarians. Consider being a mentor. You can complete a mentorship application here.

Check out our new SLRI merchandise, including clothing, stationery and accessories here. SLRI benefits financially from every sale.

Banned Books Week, September 22-28, 2024

MassCUE Fall Conference, October 16, 2024, Patriot Place, Foxborough, MA

RI Festival of Children's Books and Authors, October 19, 2024, the Lincoln School, Providence, RI

New England Library Association Conference, October 20-22, 2024, Portland, ME

Connecticut Association of School Librarians Conference, October 21, 2024, Southbury, CT

US Media Literacy Week, October 21-25, 2024

Boston Book Festival, October 26, 2024, Boston, MA

Do you have good news to share about your library or work with students and your community? Let SLRI help you spread the word! Please let us know about your great work by using this form.

If you have begun teaching at a new school, please email Robin Leone so she can update our membership list.

We're your Professional Learning Community! Did you know that one of the benefits of your SLRI membership is that you can consult with other members at any time? Whether it's a question about a particular book, a policy or just input from a colleague, you can use the the SLRI listserv to solicit advice from the membership. Just send an email with your question to schlibri@googlegroups.com.

Do you have any ideas on how SLRI can better serve its members? Please contact Mary Moen with any questions, news or ideas you'd like to share.

Email: slri@rilibraries.org
Website: rilibraries.org/slri
Location: Rhode Island
Twitter: @SchLibRI

Background photo by Rodion Kutsaiev on Unsplash