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TL 10.1q 28 Ontario School Library Association JJoo--AAnnnnee LLaaFFoorrttyy:: TTeeaacchheerr--LLiibbrraarriiaann ooff tthhee YYeeaarr,, CCSSLLAA Interview by Dianne Clipsham For the series profiling key people in school libraries in Ontario, The Teaching Librarian asked the winner of the Canadian School Library Association's 2002 Teacher-Librarian of the Year Award, Jo-Anne LaForty, a few questions. TL: How did you get involved in school libraries in the first place? JL: As a child, I remember my elementary school library (Brown Public School in Toronto) vividly and being excited about the rows of books in that room. I also recall being taken to the Deer Park Public Library with my school class; libraries have been my home ever since. After graduating with an hon- ours BA in English, I contemplated a MLS program and even got accepted at Western, but the call to teaching was stronger. I did my Pre-service education at Queen's University Faculty of Education, where I became inspired to become a teacher-librarian by Larry Moore. TL: For how long have you been involved in libraries, and in what capacities? JL: When I graduated, almost 25 years ago, I became Head of the Uxbridge High School Library in my first year of teaching (unusual circumstances) where I insisted on teaching classes in the library much to the surprise of the staff. After Uxbridge, I was Head of Library at O'Neill Collegiate in Oshawa for over 12 years.