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TL8-3Larry The Teaching Librarian Volume 8/No. 3 31 the TLs in our board. She volunteered with OSLA as a TL mentor and for advocacy initiatives. She is currently sitting as WDHS CBC rep to speak for teacher-librarians as well as for classroom teachers regarding negotiating a collective agreement. Sharon is also the current Chair of the GEDSB Library Subject Association. In these leadership roles, Sharon has understood the need to advocate for teacher-librarianship and school library information centre program. She has worked with other teacher-librarians to make a presentation to our trustees on the role of the teacher-librarian in school library information cen- tres. She presented to her parent council defining what the school library program is about and demonstrating the role of the TL in the school library information centre. Sharon wrote letters to the editors of our local newspapers, advocating for TLs and waking up the community to their con- cerns. In her letter to the Simcoe Reformer, printed on Tuesday, February 27th, she wrote a clear and effective explanation of the importance of teacher- librarians to student learning and rang the warn- ing bell for her community regarding the cutting of teacher-librarian time. She wrote letters to the Liberal Education Critic and Minister Ecker. She provided input to the Toronto Star. Through all of this she advocated regularly on the OSLA listserv, connecting with her professional association and other teacher-librarians across the province. Sharon has recognized that the school library pro- gram and its critical involvement in the develop- ment of literacy needs a higher profile. To high- light this role and to further encourage and sup- port students in their literacy development, she has created the WDHS Library Literacy Award. This award is to be presented to a grade 10 student who has demonstrated the most improvement in reading and writing and who shows commitment to literacy for life-long learning through participa- tion in the school library's recreational reading program or equivalent endeavour and who demonstrates understanding and use of informa- tion literacy and research skills. The award will be presented at the Waterford District High School annual Junior Awards Assembly in the fall. Sharon Armstrong is providing a proactive role model for teacher-librarians in the Grand Erie District School Board but it is one that I feel should be shared provincially. Sharon is making waves in the two areas that I believe are critical to the evolv- ing role of the teacher-librarian: leadership and program. I trust that Sharon will keep making those waves for the sake of those kids she so elo- quently talks about in her letters to the editors. n n n Sandra Hughes is Editor of The Teaching Librarian and a former OSLA President. She is vice-principal of Teeterville Public School outside Brantford. MAKING WAVES An Association is all about sharing. If you have a program or idea or person that needs to be written about in these pages, please contact Cheryl Dinnin at <trains@execulink.com> If your program or idea would be very helpful to members as a workshop, please contact Michelle Regina at <reginam@ycdsb.edu.on.ca> or Rose Dodgson at <rose.dodgson@tdsb.on.ca>