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TL 15.2.indd The Teaching Librarian volume 15, no. 2 11 Q: Anything you regret writing and why? She paused for a bit at this, then said, "With respect to my plot and characters, no." She said Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets were transitional books. She had to write them to lay the groundwork for the other things that came later, but rereading them, there are definitely places she'd tighten up in her books. At this point representatives from Raincoast Publishing presented J.K. Rowling with two huge bound books filled with notes collected from Canadian fans during the July release of Deathly Hollows. She seemed genuinely touched. She then left the stage and the crew set up for the next exciting part. Row by row, we audience members were escorted up to receive a free copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows autographed by J.K. Rowling right in front of us. Another worker placed certified holographic stickers inside the book to prove authenticity. As we grateful attendees sheffled off the stage in speechless bliss, it was clear none of us would forget this day. I was amazed at her graciousness, giving up her time and traveling around the world to please her fans. Several attendees discussed ways in which we could truly express our appreciation for her visit, and we felt that making a donation in her name to one of her favourite charities would be a fine place to start. Such a gesture would be a fitting tribute to someone who has made such a difference in the world of children's literature - not to mention in the hearts and mids of her readers, young and old, 900 of whom will never forget October 23rd… the day they met their idol, J.K. Rowling. ❚ eiSPRING 2008EDUCATION INSTITUTEei Learn! Lead! Succeed! The Education Institute is pleased to offer several excellent sessions of interest to the K-12 education community between February and June. The most cost-effective way to participate in sessions is also the best way to encourage professional learning communities within your school or building! Audio and Web conferences are priced by site: that way you can take a session by yourself, or ask several colleagues to join you - for the same price. OSLA Members: $54.00 Non-Members: $74.00 Media Literacy Through Media Production Wednesday February 13th at 4:00 p.m. ET Melissa Jensen, a teacher-librarian with the Simcoe County Board of Education, demonstrates how students can apply their thinking to the creation of media texts using available technologies. Gather junior grade teachers together and find out how many of the media expectations can be covered using these exciting projects. Space Design for 21st Century Library Media Centers Wednesday, February 20th at 4:00 p.m. ET Dr. Steve Baule, a superintendent in a school board near Chicago, walks you through designing library media centers and other technology-rich student spaces. Sample plans and programming documents will be provided. Bring your school administrators and technology contact teachers in for this one! The 21st Century School Librarian Monday, February 25th at 4:00 p.m. ET Dr. Joyce Valenza, a leader in school librarianship, will talk about the new learning environments and how we as librarians can and should be evolving with the times to bring the school library into the forefront of learning for and by our students. Get together with your district teacher-librarians for this dynamic session! Using Audio Books to Engage Struggling Readers Tuesday, February 26th at 4:00 p.m. ET Hillary Wolfe, shows how an extensive listening centre in the library and using audio books can make a big difference for struggling readers. Gather your English teachers, literacy specialists and special needs education teachers together for this one! Walking a Tightrope: Selection vs Censorship Thursday, February 28th at 4:00 p.m. ET Sya VanGeest and Beth McEwan present strategies teacher-librarians and teachers can implement to feel comfortable when making selection decisions when controversial literature is concerned. He Sees/She Sees: How School Libraries Can Foster Gender Equity in Visual Literacy Monday, March 31st at 4:00 p.m. ET Dr. Lesley Farmer explores current gender issues in K-12 visual literacy education, noting cultural and technology perspectives. Learn how school libraries can address this issue in terms of facilities, resources, instruction, and learning activities. Many staff would be interested in this one - including your administrators! The 21st Century School Librarian Wednesday, April 9th at 4:00 p.m. ET Robin Williams shows how to help students create dynamic information spaces using a wide variety of free tools. Instead of hoping students will visit our Web pages, we learn how to insert our information into their worlds. Again - many of our colleagues would enjoy taking this session together! To register or for more information visit www.thepartnership.ca Check out page 54 for Mac Martin's story about seeing J.K. Rowling.