MSLA 2025 Conference: Full Schedule

9:30am EST

DESE School Librarian Evaluation Rubric Focus Group

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

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

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

1:30pm EST

Using Digital Tools to Create Expert Learners

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

Room 103

This session will focus on integrating digital tools into your instruction to provide an equitable learning environment for a variety of learning and language proficiency levels in the library.

Speakers

Morgan Keohane

Teacher Librarian, Boston Public Schools

My name is Morgan Keohane and I am a Teacher Librarian for Boston Public Schools. I have been at the P.A. Shaw Elementary School in Dorchester, MA since 2014. I have built the school’s library from the ground up and am passionate about providing my students with the skills to analyze... Read More →

Sunday March 2, 2025 1:30pm - 2:20pm EST
Room 103 Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

Technology integration

Audience ES

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

9:30am EST

Research in the Elementary Library - Skills, Projects, Lessons Learned and more!

Monday March 3, 2025 9:30am - 10:20am EST

Room 103

Research with the littles - it can be more than another animal report! Come hear about how I've tackled information literacy with our youngest learners. Come learn from my successes, as well as my failures!

Speakers

Alex Caram

Summer Street School, Lynnfield, Ma

Monday March 3, 2025 9:30am - 10:20am EST
Room 103 Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

Digital & Info literacy

Audience ES

10:30am EST

A Head Start on Building a School-wide Community Reading Program

Monday March 3, 2025 10:30am - 11:20am EST

Room 103

In this session, participants will learn about implementing a One School, One Story program, as well as the challenges and triumphs that such a program can offer. Participants will be invited to share their own experiences and brainstorm ways such a program can provide equitable access to materials and build a stronger community. Benefit from all I have learned and bring your ideas back to your own school library!

Speakers

Dana Gauthier

Librarian, Cambridge Rindge and Latin School

Monday March 3, 2025 10:30am - 11:20am EST
Room 103 Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

Advocacy & community

Audience HS, MS

1:30pm EST

The Decolonial Mindset: Exploring the role of the library

Monday March 3, 2025 1:30pm - 2:20pm EST

Room 103

Explore how your library can begin to approach collection development, classification, and organization around a decolonial mindset. Leave with a better understanding and toolkit to tackling your own scaled projects exploring curricula and space.

Speakers

Jenna Wolf

The Cambridge School of Weston

Monday March 3, 2025 1:30pm - 2:20pm EST
Room 103 Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

Professional learning

Audience HS, MS

2:30pm EST

Integrating Media Literacy into Your Curriculum

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

Room 103

Learn about media decoding and how to use it with students at the elementary level. Our youngest students are engaged with media every day. We can help them to start developing the critical thinking skills they need to understand the media messages to which they are exposed.

Speakers