Laurel McLeod

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Inside OLA: September 16, 2025

It continues to be a lively September here at OLA, so here’s your peek behind the curtain at what’s been happening:

Council Meetings
Six of seven of OLA’s councils met last week to kick off their fall work – with OLBA meeting this week. They reviewed updated terms of reference (we’re keeping governance strong and clear!), talked through this year’s election cycle and award nominations, and continued the always-fun work of choosing their Super Conference Spotlight Speakers.

A turquoise, green, and navy blue graphic for the OLA Blog. Text reads: "Inside OLA."

The Inside Scoop on the 2026 Super Conference Theme

The Ontario Library Association (OLA)’s new Strategic Plan (2025–2028) brings renewed energy and focus to the entire library sector — and for members of the Ontario School Library Association (OSLA), it’s a meaningful call to action. Whether you’re a teacher-librarian or library technician, this plan speaks directly to the challenges you’re facing — and offers a path forward.

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Inside OLA: September 9, 2025

Big week at OLA! The Board is meeting, and all seven of our Councils are pulling up their chairs to plan out their Fall/Winter priorities. On the Board side, we’re also deep in the governance weeds—reviewing policies on executive roles, succession planning, and updating terms of reference for councils and committees. Not flashy stuff, but it’s the scaffolding that keeps OLA standing tall. 

A turquoise, green, and navy blue graphic for the OLA Blog. Text reads: "Inside OLA."

Inside OLA: Welcome to the OLA Blog

Welcome to the new OLA blog. Everything old is new again!

If you’ve ever wondered what happens behind the scenes at the Ontario Library Association—between Super Conferences, Forest of Reading Festivals, statements, committee meetings, and everything else—we’ve created this space for exactly that.

The Ottawa Indie Bookstore Crawl

As school library folks, you’ve likely heard about Canadian Independent Bookstore Day. This annual event has become a callsign for spring, a day in late April that gives us the chance to celebrate local indie bookstores and the Canadian creators that fill their shelves.

View from a Tree Nominee

As a kids’ author, I thought I had seen everything until the Silver Birch Express ceremony. With twenty-five years of school presentations under my belt, I’ve met kids who sheepishly whispered that they liked my books, brash kids who boldly told me they hated reading and everyone in between.

A turquoise, green, and navy blue graphic for the OLA Blog. Text reads: "Inside OLA."

What Our New Strategic Plan Means for OLA Members

The Ontario Library Association (OLA)’s new Strategic Plan (2025–2028) brings renewed energy and focus to the entire library sector — and for members of the Ontario School Library Association (OSLA), it’s a meaningful call to action. Whether you’re a teacher-librarian or library technician, this plan speaks directly to the challenges you’re facing — and offers a path forward.

Library Day at Queen’s Park

Library Day at Queen’s Park November 14-15, 2023​ PHOTO: OLA & FOPL representatives with Hon. Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport and MPP for Hamilton East-Stoney Creek (Nov 2023). On November 14 and 15, 2023, delegates from OLA and FOPL took part in over 20 meetings at Queen’s Park, building awareness about the importance of Ontario’s libraries and the sector’s priority …

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