December 6, 2011, more than 60 educators, authors, publishers, librarians and parents gathered at Hart House, University of Toronto, to discuss:

• the enormous opportunities a properly resourced school library provides to the school, students and teaching staff 
• the positive impacts on EQAO (Ontario educational testing) scores from schools that have a good school library program
• the culture of life long readers and engaged citizens that a school library creates
• how our educational system is creating 'have and have not' schools; some school boards have committed to a robust school library program including budgeting for teacher librarians, library consultants, library technicians, e-resources and book budgets. Others schools have a room with books.
• how parents are largely unaware of the quality of their child's school library program, and how the lack of this program in their school is negatively impacting their education.
• that without qualified professionals to manage a diverse book and e-resource collection, the publishing community is negatively impacted, specifically for acquisitions of Canadian authored books which are crucial for students in understanding our cultural heritage.
• that in order to reverse the trend of the disappearing school library, the library, publishing, educational, and parent community must work together.

This discussion occurred at The Book and Periodical Council Ideas Exchange and was co-hosted by the Ontario Library Association. The event was moderated by award winning author/illustrator, and CBC broadcaster Kevin Sylvester, and the panel included:

Annie Kidder, Executive Director, People for Education

Patsy Aldana, Publisher, Groundwood Books

Diana Maliszewski, Teacher-Librarian, Toronto District School Board.

What can you do to reverse this downward trend? 

Visit the school libraries section of OLA's web site to: 

• Be informed - review the statistics and resources
• Contact your local trustee and parents council to ask about your schools' library program
• Contact the Ontario Library Association with your ideas.