Posted February 9, 2017
By Heather Moorefield-Lang, assistant professor, School of Library and Information
Science
It’s no secret that regular professional development and training helps school librarians stay at the top of their game. But what happens when providing that kind of preparation becomes a challenge for schools and districts? The answer is to bring workshops and professional development directly to librarians.
Now in its second year, Regional Workshops for School Librarians does just that. The effort is a collaboration among the School of Library and Information Science, the South Carolina Department of Education (DOE) and the South Carolina Association of School Librarians (SCASL).
This year’s workshops run through February and are co-sponsored by the Library of Congress/USC Teaching with Primary Sources Grant and Follett School Solutions. Workshop participants learn about the opportunities for school librarians and classroom teachers to receive training on the civil rights primary resources available through the LOC.
Professional development participants have also received the latest updates from the three partners (SLIS, DOE and SCASL), and they attended sessions on topics such as:
- Best Websites
- Makerspaces
- Becoming a SLIS Intern Mentor
- Resources from the SC State Library
- USC Digital Resources
- DISCUS
- Writing Resources and Activities for School Librarians and Teachers
Workshops have been held across the state in Lexington, Greenville, and Goose Creek, South Carolina. More than 450 school librarians have attended. Presenters included:
- Karen Gavigan: USC SLIS
- Heather Moorefield-Lang: USC SLIS
- Gerry Solomon: USC SLIS
- Pamela Hoppock: SC State Library
- Rebecca Antill: SC State Library
- Patricia Sinclair: SC State Library
- Kate Boyd: SC Digital Libraries
- Regina H. Thurmond: SCDE Office of School Leadership
- Cindy Symonds: SCASL President
- Cathy Jones Stork: SCDE Office of Early Learning and Literacy
- Scott Winburn: Office of General Counsel, SCDE
- Dana Yow: (SC DE Education Oversight Committee)
- Steve Driscoll: SCDE Distributed Leadership
- Jason Smith, David Wendt, and Robert Mackey: Follett School Solutions