MSLA 2025 Conference: Full Schedule

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7:00am EST

Breakfast & Registration

Sunday March 2, 2025 7:00am - 8:00am EST

Foyer & Terrace

Grab some coffee a bite before things get underway, and pick up your registration badge and information!

Sunday March 2, 2025 7:00am - 8:00am EST
Foyer & Terrace Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

Meal & Social

Audience ES, HS, MS

8:00am EST

Keynote: Kwame Mbalia

Sunday March 2, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am EST

Ballroom (Tiffany)

Description TBD

Speakers

Kwame Mbalia

Author, Author

Kwame is a husband, father, writer, a New York Times bestselling author, and a former pharmaceutical metrologist in that order. His debut middle-grade novel, TRISTAN STRONG PUNCHES A HOLE IN THE SKY, and the sequel TRISTAN STRONG DESTROYS THE WORLD (October 6, 2020) are published... Read More →

Sunday March 2, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am EST
Ballroom (Tiffany) Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

Keynote

Audience MS, HS, ES

9:30am EST

AI and the Re-Search Process

Sunday March 2, 2025 9:30am - 10:20am EST

Room 104

In this session, participants will explore AI tools that help support student research skills, such as generating research questions, selecting sources for readers of varying levels, and discussing citations and copyright law. We will look at tools like ResearchRabbit, Diffit, plagiarism detectors, and some policy considerations for their use.

Speakers

Laurie Taylor

Nashoba Brooks School

Molly Wong

Milton Academy

Sunday March 2, 2025 9:30am - 10:20am EST
Room 104 Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

Digital & Info literacy

Audience MS, HS, ES

9:30am EST

The Great Genrefication Project

Sunday March 2, 2025 9:30am - 10:20am EST

Room 101

Discover how the genrefication project helped me: involve students in the process, create a collection development plan, streamline operations, improve access for ELL and special education students and increase circulation by 14%. Learn from my missteps and discoveries as you consider how genrefication might work for your collection.

Speakers

Jennifer Jones

Library/Media Specialist, Triton Regional High School

Sunday March 2, 2025 9:30am - 10:20am EST
Room 101 Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

Practical tips

Audience MS, HS, ES

9:30am EST

DESE School Librarian Evaluation Rubric Focus Group

Sunday March 2, 2025 9:30am - 10:20am EST

Room 103

DESE has asked MSLA to assist with the creation of a library-specific evaluation rubric. An MSLA task force is currently working on the creation of this rubric. This session will be a focus group with members of the task force. MSLA attendees are invited to give feedback and ideas about what our new evaluation rubric should look like and do. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.

Speakers

Jennifer Varney

Librarian, Cambridge Public Schools

Jennifer Varney (she/her) has been a school librarian for 17 years. She currently works at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School (K-5) in Cambridge, MA. She is the Past President of the Massachusetts School Library Association.

Deborah Lang Froggatt

MSLA Director of Outreach

Sunday March 2, 2025 9:30am - 10:20am EST
Room 103 Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

Professional learning

Audience MS, ES, HS

10:30am EST

Hot Topics in Law for Libraries

Sunday March 2, 2025 10:30am - 11:20am EST

Room 104

This session will cover First Amendment issues facing libraries and also touch on privacy and general legal information using case studies nationally and locally. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of free speech, limited public forums, and how best to manage procedure and policy to work within the law while promoting the library mission. Come with questions!

Speakers

Jennifer Guerin

W.E.B. Du Bois Regional Middle School in Great Barrington, MA.

Andrea Fiorillo

Chair MLA, Intellectual Freedom/Social Responsibilites Commitee, Head of Public Services, Reading Public Library

Tricia London

School Librarian, Abington Middle / High School Library

This is Tricia London’s fourth year at Abington Middle/High Library serving students in grades 5-12. Tricia is also the advisor to the National Honor Society and S.A.M. (the Student Art Magazine.) Prior to working in Abington, she spent 13 years at the Avon Middle High School Library... Read More →

Sunday March 2, 2025 10:30am - 11:20am EST
Room 104 Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

Advocacy & community

Audience MS, ES, HS

10:30am EST

Adapting Media Literacy Education in an Age of Misinformation

Sunday March 2, 2025 10:30am - 11:20am EST

Room 101

For ten years, school librarians in Cambridge have partnered with Instructional Tech Specialists to teach 5th graders how to examine advertising and other media. As social media has exploded, the landscape has changed - but many of the persuasion techniques and critical skills remain the same. Come see sample lessons using humorous media, old and new, that empower a new generation of savvy consumer-creators.

Speakers

Jen Mason Stott

School Librarian, Cambridge Public Schools

Sarah Blout Rosenberg

Cambridge Public Schools

Sunday March 2, 2025 10:30am - 11:20am EST
Room 101 Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

Digital & Info literacy

Audience MS, ES

10:30am EST

Destiny Library Manager - Tips & Tricks

Sunday March 2, 2025 10:30am - 11:20am EST

Room 103

This session is designed for attendees who currently use or are interested in purchasing Destiny Library Manager. Get the most value out of the software by implementing strategies that maximize usage. A range of topics include: creating a library inventory, combining duplicate MARC records, setting up self-checkout, generating a weeding log, tabulating library usage statistics to share with your administrator, and more!

Speakers

Patti Sullivan-hall

Library Media Specialist, Natick Public Schools

Sunday March 2, 2025 10:30am - 11:20am EST
Room 103 Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

Practical tips

Audience MS, ES, HS

11:20am EST

Lunch served

Sunday March 2, 2025 11:20am - 1:30pm EST

Foyer & Terrace

Eat & enjoy.
Buffet Lunch will be served.
Tables are in the Ballroom.

Sunday March 2, 2025 11:20am - 1:30pm EST
Foyer & Terrace Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

Meal & Social

Audience MS, ES, HS

11:20am EST

Visit Vendors

Sunday March 2, 2025 11:20am - 1:30pm EST

Foyer & Terrace

Check out our vendors

Sunday March 2, 2025 11:20am - 1:30pm EST
Foyer & Terrace Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

Vendors

Audience MS, ES, HS

12:30pm EST

Hot Books in 2025

Sunday March 2, 2025 12:30pm - 1:20pm EST

Room 104

Great books to look for this year

Speakers

Bindy Fleischman

Executive Board Member, United States Board on Books for Young People

Bindy Fleischman, School Liaison at Wellesley Books and English teacher at German International School Boston, has been an active member of USBBY since 2002. In that time she has served many of the board committees, including being Massachusetts State Ambassador, chairing the Outstanding... Read More →

Sunday March 2, 2025 12:30pm - 1:20pm EST
Room 104 Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

Vendors

Audience MS, ES, HS

1:30pm EST

School Librarians and Imposter Syndrome: Why We Doubt Ourselves and Why We Shouldn’t!

Sunday March 2, 2025 1:30pm - 2:20pm EST

Room 101

Imposter Syndrome (doubting one’s own skillset, experience, and/or expertise) is pervasive in librarianship. Whether you’re new to the school library or an old pro, chances are good that you’ve experienced imposter syndrome at some point. In this session, we’ll examine some of the reasons why that is. We’ll also break down some reasons why, in actuality, school librarians are equipped to do almost anything! Finally, we’ll start trying to change our mindset about what we are qualified to do and why.

Speakers

Jennifer Varney

Librarian, Cambridge Public Schools

Sunday March 2, 2025 1:30pm - 2:20pm EST
Room 101 Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

Advocacy & community

Audience MS, ES, HS

1:30pm EST

Removing Roadblocks to Reading

Sunday March 2, 2025 1:30pm - 2:20pm EST

Room 104

Many students don't see themselves as readers, they pass by the library doors saying "there's nothing in there for me". There are many privacy compliant tools that can be used with both print and digital books that make them accessible to all readers. This session will just introduce you to a few and crowdsource others so that you can leave with a toolbox full of resources to offer your readers.

Speakers

Barbara Johnson

Librarian, Colchester Public Schools

Information Literacy Coach and Teacher Transitioning to a Gr. 3-5 Library

Sunday March 2, 2025 1:30pm - 2:20pm EST
Room 104 Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

Technology integration

Audience MS, ES, HS

2:30pm EST

Demystifying AI: The Cans, Can'ts, Coulds, and Shoulds

Sunday March 2, 2025 2:30pm - 3:20pm EST

Room 104

What's real? What's hype? How do I keep up?! We'll dive into the current AI boom, exploring how generative models work, current abilities and limitations, hidden human intelligence that keeps things running, and unintended side effects that range from silly mistakes to life-altering consequences.

Speakers

Zak Kolar

Waltham Public Schools

Sunday March 2, 2025 2:30pm - 3:20pm EST
Room 104 Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

Digital & Info literacy

Audience MS, ES, HS

2:30pm EST

Dig into Digital Citizenship for Elementary and Middle School Learners

Sunday March 2, 2025 2:30pm - 3:20pm EST

Room 103

As students become more engaged with technology, the need to raise awareness on on their digital footprint, media balance, and privacy protection can begin during early elementary school all the way through middle school and beyond. Digital citizenship works well when families and schools partner together. Come learn about ways to incorporate digital citizenship in the classroom, with families on what can work for home, and promote overall critical thinking activities that support healthy digital communities.

Speakers

Amy Salinger

Waltham Public schools

Paul Hundley

Waltham Public Schools

Sunday March 2, 2025 2:30pm - 3:20pm EST
Room 103 Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

Digital & Info literacy

Audience MS, ES

2:30pm EST

The Cataloger is "IN"

Sunday March 2, 2025 2:30pm - 3:20pm EST

Room 108/109

TBD

Sunday March 2, 2025 2:30pm - 3:20pm EST
Room 108/109 Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

Practical tips

Audience MS, ES, HS

3:45pm EST

Author Panel & Signing

Sunday March 2, 2025 3:45pm - 5:15pm EST

Ballroom (Tiffany)

Description TBD

Moderators

Bindy Fleischman

Executive Board Member, United States Board on Books for Young People

Speakers

Rob Buyea

Author

Roshani Chokshi

Author

Kate Fussner

Author

Stephanie Seales

Author

Sunday March 2, 2025 3:45pm - 5:15pm EST
Ballroom (Tiffany) Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

Panel

Audience MS, ES, HS

5:00pm EST

Dinner on your own

Sunday March 2, 2025 5:00pm - 7:00pm EST

This time is for you to grab some dinner on your own before the big party starts at 7. Light apps and desserts and drinks will be included, but if you're hungry or just want a break for a couple of hours, there are no planned activities at this time!

Sunday March 2, 2025 5:00pm - 7:00pm EST

Audience ES, MS, HS

7:00pm EST

50th Anniversary Party

Sunday March 2, 2025 7:00pm - 10:00pm EST

Zachariah's

Celebrate & have a good time! Included with admission to either/both days of conference

Sunday March 2, 2025 7:00pm - 10:00pm EST
Zachariah's Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

Meal & Social

Audience MS, ES, HS