Stewardship of Canadian School Libraries’ major projects is the work of dedicated volunteer committees. Each committee works according to its Terms of Reference (TOR), as outlined below.

Committee Terms of Reference: Guidelines and Definitions

Mandate: A general statement on the goal or role of the committee, what it will do and why it was created. The role should be relevant to the work of the board.

Responsibilities: A list of the most critical duties and responsibilities of the committee.

Deliverables: Specific products for which the committee is responsible, with associated timelines.

Composition: The type and number of members required, how members are selected and how the chair is appointed. Specific skill sets or experience required for members.

Resources and Budget: Resources required to meet the various objectives of the committee  – equipment, materials, funds and administrative/technical support.

Procedures: Committee Chairs will organize meeting frequency and procedures (if applicable), details about agendas and minutes (how these will be distributed, available online, who prepares them, etc.), and communication between meetings. Committee Chairs will report current status of deliverables to CSL Board of Directors on an ongoing basis as well as prepare an annual committee report for CSL AGM.

Term of Appointment: Term of appointment for committee members. Terms of appointment should overlap to ensure knowledge transfer and consistency.

Leading Learning / L’Apprentissage en tête Committee

Co-Chairs: Carol Koechlin and Judith Sykes

Website Editor: Lila Armstrong

Mandate: The work of this committee is to ensure that the national standards site continues to evolve as living documentation of authentic implementation and outreach.

Responsibilities: Committee responsibilities include:

  • Researching and updating exemplars
  • Researching and updating Supporting You section
  • Working with provincial associations to develop complementary resources

Deliverables: Deliverables include:

  • Checking links and researching and updating ‘See it in Action’ exemplars – biannual
  • Checking links and researching and updating ‘Supporting You’ section – biannual
  • Checking all document links – annual
  • Updating Bibliography – biannual
  • Development of complementary resources (e.g. Creating a one page information flyer (English and French) and sample letters for provincial associations to use and adapt.)

Composition: Membership is project-based and may involve different task groups working on various projects as required.

Resources and Budget: The committee will apply to CSL Board of directors for committee projects requiring financial support.

Procedures: The Committee Chair will lead committee work and report current status of deliverables to CSL Board of Directors on an ongoing basis as well as prepare an annual committee report for CSL AGM.

Term of Appointment: The committee chair is nominated by the board of directors. Membership is project-based and may involve different task groups working on various projects as required.

CSL Journal Editorial Board

Chair/Editor: Carol Koechlin & Anita Brooks Kirkland

Editorial Board: See full board profiles on the CSL Journal website.

Mandate: The mandate of the editorial board is to contribute to scholarship and professional knowledge about school library learning commons practice in Canada through the development and ongoing publication of this only national publication dedicated to the field.

Responsibilities: Committee responsibilities include:

  • Establishing editorial standards
  • Soliciting / writing articles
  • Reviewing articles for publication
  • Maintaining journal website
  • Establishing website publication standards and guidelines, including metadata and tagging standards
  • Publishing editions / articles on website
  • Maintaining / drawing from SLiC archives
  • Liaising with Communications Committee for featured blog posts and promotion through all channels

Deliverables: The committee will publish three online editions annually: Winter, Spring and Fall.

Composition: The editorial board represents a diversity of school library professionals from different regions of the country, and are connected in professional learning communities. Members have a specific interest in writing and editing.

Resources and Budget: Infrastructure costs for the journal website are covered by the CSL’s operational budget.

Procedures: Editorial procedures to be established by the committee. The committee will apply to CSL Board of directors for committee projects requiring financial support.

Term of Appointment: Varied terms.

CSL Professional Learning / TMC Planning Committee

Co-Chairs: Carol Koechlin & Anita Brooks Kirkland

Mandate: The work of this committee is to plan and facilitate CSL National Professional Learning opportunities and build digital content for sharing on CSL website.

Responsibilities: Committee responsibilities include:

  • Planning TMC Bi-annual Symposium
  • Planning CSL PD events
  • Liaising with Leading Learning committee for website content
  • TMC Website, including transfer of relevant content from Google site and wiki
  • TMC papers/presentation indexing for inclusion on CSL website

Deliverables: Deliverables include:

  • Effective management of all CSL PD events and TMC symposia
  • Checking links and researching and updating CSL Professional Resources – biannual

Composition: Membership is project-based and may involve different task groups working on various projects as required. A special committee is for each TMC: that committee includes the co-chairs of this Professional Learning / TMC Planning committee as well as representatives from provincial/territorial associations co-hosting the event.

Resources and Budget: The committee will establish budgets for each event. Event budgets shall cover all costs, and additional revenue shall contribute to fulfilling the education and research mandate of CSL.

Procedures: Committee Chair will lead committee work and report current status of deliverables to CSL Board of Directors on an ongoing basis as well as prepare an annual committee report for CSL AGM.

Term of Appointment: The committee chair is nominated by the board of directors. Membership is project-based and may involve different task groups working on various projects as required.

Association Liaison Committee

Chair: Judith Sykes

Mandate: The mandate of this committee is to create an effective national network of school library professionals, scholars and supporters by strengthening connections between national, provincial/territorial and local associations.

Responsibilities: Committee responsibilities include:

  • Strengthening the national network of school library associations and organizations
  • Cultivating connections and opportunities for collaboration with provincial/territorial and local associations
  • Creating and/or facilitating opportunities for associations to work together with CSL on specific projects
  • Increasing awareness about school library learning commons practice in the broader education and librarianship communities of practice

Deliverables: Specific deliverables include:

  • Create and maintain a current communications database of associations and officers
  • Organize and facilitate an association President’s Coalition and associated meetings or events
  • Work with the Professional Learning / TMC Planning Committee to seek partnerships for TMC symposiums and develop local planning committees
  • Work with the Professional Learning / TMC Planning Committee to seek input from associations to develop content and seek presenters for CSL’s professional learning offerings
  • Promote Canadian School Library Day / Journée nationale des bibliothèques scolaires canadiennes through associations and coordinate their contribution to CSL’s coverage of the annual event

Composition: TBD

Resources and Budget: The committee will apply to CSL Board of directors for committee projects requiring financial support.

Procedures: Committee Chair will lead committee work and report current status of deliverables to CSL Board of Directors. Committee members will take on specific project work and facilitate communications.

Term of Appointment: TBD.