Ontario Library Association Super Conference 2005 The Library Cooperative Feb. 5, 2005, Session 1017 Dian Borek, Mississauga Library System Gail Richardson, Oakville Public Library Walter Lewis, Halton Hills Public Libary

School-Public Library Symposium Dec Mississauga Library System: 52 attendees from school boards, schools, public and academic libraries   group focus: collaboration, library as a community hub, access and resource sharing.   opportunities brainstormed for mutual cooperation  consensus 6 opportunities.

Opportunities!   Curriculum Support: elementary and secondary   Special Education   At-risk/remedial students   E.S.L   French Immersion   Love of Reading (Literacy) Steering Committee Steering Committee... 

Steering Committee: “The Library Cooperative” School Boards: – –Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, Halton Catholic District School Board, Halton District School Board, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, Peel District School Board Libraries: – –Public: Brampton Library, Brantford Public Library, Burlington Public Library, Caledon Public Library, Halton Hills Public Library, Hamilton Public Library, Kitchener Public Library, Mississauga Library System, Oakville Public Library. – –Academic: University of Toronto Mississauga

“The Library Cooperative” PRIORITY: Curriculum support accessibility: Special Ed./ remedial students, E.S.L., F.I. Love of Reading: fiction links to curriculum Reviewed existing resources : publicly available resource lists, pathfinders, and webliographies tend to be vendor or location specific there is no flexibility or interactivity available little or no quality control, and too much information sources are often out-of-date and links dead Conclusion: No single, dependable, relevant, fully accessible, comprehensive resource currently exists for the Ontario Curriculum.

The idea of a new curriculum resource began to emerge...   a one-place-to-look for local and online resources relevant to the Ontario school curriculum   a customizable database: interactive, dynamic and location specific   User-friendly

Who would use OSCR? students parents teachers teacher-librarians other school library staff public librarians

The Dream curriculum support for all major streams: elementary & secondary intuitive for all users: easy to use able to incorporate cross discipline assignments include local access to electronic resources internet resources : catalogued fiction links to curriculum topics

The Dream The Dream (cont’d...)   Dynamic Resource: limited content, professionally controlled. ability to jump into local Library Catalogues interactive interface with easy-to-use pull- down menus easy to update and give input, share and exchange information   Communication links built in, between–>public librarians –>teachers –>teacher/librarians – >boards–> administrators–> O.L.A–> Ministry

The Dream The Dream (cont’d...)   DB customizable: tagged fields, can be arranged according to local user interface   data input and access not geographically or technology limited accessible for all networks and platforms ability to interact with local networks and catalogues.   Database would be housed on a provincial network

The Reality!   We began to grow: New partners! High School Students as Researchers group Gail Richardson (OPL) and Walter Lewis (HHPL)

New partners...more expertise   the technology exists for our Dream to become a reality!   Objectives were set...   The first Action Plan was developed   Grant applications, funding from partners, articles written, OLA...   Prototypes are being developed and tested

What’s next? Discussion and notes

References