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Teaching, Vol 8, No. 2 x The Thames Valley Teacher-LibrarianAssociation uses its Professional DevelopmentDay and its annual fall banquet to create ener- gizing, networking events for its members. The librarians' Professional Development Committee takes a year to plan and co-ordinate the thirty sessions that are offered at the mini-conference during the fall board-wide Professional Develop- ment day. Teacher-librarians and interested teachers or administrators choose from some thirty sessions on topics as diverse as On Your Own 2000, TVTLA's new research guide for secondary students to the Potter phenomenon to creating a library web page. Presenters include teacher-librarians, teachers, co- ordinators, Board program staff, commercial ven- dors and staff at the University of Western Ontario. Vendors and other groups display new material and resources as well as offered prizes. More than 300 people took advantage of last fall's program and plan- ning is well underway for the third venture this fall. The Third Annual Thames Valley Teacher Librarian Banquet is used to meet old acquaintances, make new ones, network between elementary and secondary and to share ideas. The elegant dinner this year was pre- pared by the catering students of St. Thomas' Arthur Voaden High School where the event was held. Represen- tatives from the Board, trustees and learning co-ordinators joined us. Tim Gauntley, edi- tor of the OSLA's Information Studies document, currently seconded to the Ministry of Education, provided an entertaining, amusing, reflective and inspiring presentation joining the journeys of teacher-librarians to that of Odysseus. Books, bookmarks, gift certificates, kits and CD-ROMS donated by the vendors that had participated in the mini-conference the week before were prizes. These two events bring together teacher-librari- ans from all four corners of our district and from elementary to secondary. The events give us time for professional development, for networking and socializing, for sharing experiences, for prob- lem solving, and for sharing laughter. This is a winning combination! It enables our teacher-librarians to be a cohesive organization with a voice and a high profile with- in the system. We are a vital asset to education and should be recognized and valued in every school. The teacher-librarians in the Thames Valley District School Board are advocates and because of our vision, our Professional Development Day and Annual Banquet have become significant professional events within our board. n n n PrProfofessional Deessional Devvelopmentelopment with Pizzazzwith Pizzazz and a Mythological Mealand a Mythological Meal by Sharon Weames Thames Valley District School Board The Teaching Librarian Volume 8/No. 2 29 PROFESSIONAL NOTES