The Canadian Library Association’s Leading Learning Project has been selected to receive the Ontario Library Association President’s Award for Exceptional Achievement at our Super Conference in January 2015. The President’s Award for Exceptional Achievement acknowledges an outstanding action or contribution that has in a major or unique way enhanced or furthered librarianship in Ontario. The selection is at the full discretion of the President of the OLA. Awards are only given if there is something of true historic significance to recognize.

The publication of Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Libraries in Canada is an event of true historic significance. As the document says, “Learners have a right to expect good school libraries in every school in Canada.” Standards can indeed help measure practice, but Leading Learning does much more. By focusing on the needs of the learner, Leading Learning provides a framework for growth. Every school, no matter the status of its library program, can find itself in this framework and decide on tangible steps for improvement. The development of Leading Learning brought together input from every province and territory in the country, and successfully developed standards for growth that are meaningful within this very disparate context. This is a remarkable achievement.

The Royal Society of Canada’s recently released expert panel report on the status and future of Canada’s libraries and archives made recommendations for improving standards for school library programs across the country. It cited Leading Learning and our own guideline document, Together for Learning: School Libraries and the Emergence of the Learning Commons as models for moving forward. In the Ontario context, Leading Learning provides a sympathetic framework for achieving the vision of Together for Learning , and as such, is particularly deserving of an award for enhancing or furthering librarianship in this province. It is also my hope that this award will help to advance the implementation of Leading Learning across the country and advocate for school library programs, particularly in light of the RSC’s recommendations.

Congratulations!

Anita Brooks Kirkland
Consultant, Libraries & Learning
anitabk@bythebrooks.ca

President, Ontario Library Association
www.accessola.org