Inaugural ALA School Librarians Conference kicks off Tuesday

Organised in collaboration with the American Library Association (ALA), the conference offers school librarians a valuable opportunity to exchange knowledge, explore best practices in library management, and strengthen their skills to address today’s educational challenges.

Partnerships to foster advanced learning environments
The conference will open with a keynote address by Becky Calzada, President of the American Association of School Librarians and Library Services Coordinator at Leander Independent School District in Texas. Her speech will highlight the role of libraries in enriching educational environments and fostering strong school-based partnerships.

The programme features a series of specialised workshops and sessions. Dr. Margaret Merga, Associate Professor at the University of Notre Dame in Fremantle, Australia, will lead a session on the value of reading for pleasure and its role in cultivating a school reading culture. Dr Elizabeth Burns, Associate Professor in the Department of STEM Education and Professional Studies at Old Dominion University in Virginia, USA, will present tools and strategies for assessing student learning in reading.

Participants will also gain insights from practical case studies on transforming school libraries into dynamic learning spaces, including a session spotlighting the experience of Suncrest Elementary School. Another session, led by Dr Fawzia Gilani-Williams, Director of Children's Creative Enrichment Programmes at the Eid Stories Institute in the UAE, will focus on motivational strategies to engage reluctant readers and inspire a love of books.

Technology, family engagement, and community connection
On the second day, the conference will highlight the use of advanced technologies such as virtual reality, audio reading apps and artificial intelligence to promote reading. Cherity Pennington, Director of Libraries and Media Services at Shawnee Public Schools in Oklahoma, USA, will lead a session on strategies for effective communication with families, emphasising the vital role of parental engagement in supporting children’s learning. 

The programme also includes sessions featuring school librarians from across the UAE, who will share their experiences in fostering a reading culture within their schools. The conference will conclude with a session titled ‘Coming together through associations to empower school librarians’, presented by Becky Calzada.

Knowledge Cafe: Networking and engagement space
An interactive space, the ‘Knowledge Café’, will offer participants the chance to engage with speakers and experts, network, and discuss a range of topics in an informal setting.

The inaugural edition will conclude with the distribution of certificates, highlighting Sharjah’s continued commitment to capacity building in the knowledge sector and its broader efforts to enhance educational and cultural infrastructure within schools.