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TL11.4FALL2004_singles 20 Ontario School Library Association In December 2002, the Mississauga LibrarySystem held a school/public library sympo-sium to brainstorm opportunities for mutu- al cooperation and joint projects. A group of 52 like-minded individuals, representing school boards, public libraries, and academic libraries, decided to target: ◆◆ Curriculum Support: Elementary and Secondary ◆◆ Special Education ◆◆ At-Risk/Remedial Students ◆◆ E.S.L. ◆◆ French Immersion ◆◆ Love of Reading (Literacy) Following the symposium, a steering commit- tee of teacher-librarians and public librarians met to explore ways of working together. This committee was subsequently christened The Library Cooperative (TLC). It quickly became apparent that there were many common bonds within the group. While from very different cul- tures, teacher-librarians and public library librarians shared the same ultimate goals for Ontario students and faced similar challenges meeting those goals. Limited resources . . . ■ The Public Librarian: "I have 32 grade 6 classes in my branch area and they are all doing a project on trading partners. I do not have enough books for everyone to take home, and the reference material is not age- appropriate." ■ The Teacher-Librarian: "In recent years my library funding has been cut so drastical- ly that I have not been able to purchase all the necessary resources to meet the curricu- lum needs of my students and staff." ■ Shared Goal: Enough age appropriate resources for students so they can com- plete their education and realize their potential. Dian Borek Rafaella Baratta Wendy Wade Public Librarians and Teacher-