CONT797: Teacher Librarian Part 1

Course Schedule

Course Description

In Teacher Librarian, Part I, you are introduced to the contemporary Library Learning Commons (LLC) and its growing importance in Ontario schools. The course places the LLC within current Ministry direction, research, and professional standards, highlighting its role as a vibrant space that supports inquiry, literacy, digital learning, collaboration, and student well-being.

The course encourages you to reflect on the purpose and potential of the LLC as a welcoming and inclusive learning environment. Throughout the course, you consider how LLC spaces, collections, and programs can reflect the identities and needs of your school community. Ideas related to equity, accessibility, and culturally responsive practice help shape your understanding of how libraries influence learning and how resources are selected to support diverse learners. You also explore the evolving role of the Teacher-Librarian (TL) in relation to leadership, instructional partnership, resource management, and community connections. Together, these elements provide a strong foundation for thoughtful and responsive TL practice.

What You Will Learn and Do

In this course, you will have the opportunity to

• analyze the purpose, structure, and guiding principles of the contemporary Library Learning Commons (LLC) within Ontario’s educational context
• interpret Ministry of Education policies, OCT standards, and professional frameworks to inform Teacher-Librarian (TL) practice
• evaluate the physical and digital LLC environments using equity, accessibility, human rights, and culturally responsive lenses
• apply research-informed approaches to literacy, inquiry, digital learning, and resource stewardship in the LLC
• assess the inclusiveness and representativeness of LLC collections and programming in relation to diverse learner identities and community needs
• design learning experiences and collaborative partnerships that support student engagement, curriculum goals, and whole-school improvement
• integrate digital citizenship, privacy, copyright, accessibility, and ethical technology considerations into LLC practices
• examine the evolving role of the TL as an instructional partner, leader, and advocate for inclusive learning environments
• reflect on professional identity and growth in relation to the responsibilities and opportunities within TL practice
• synthesize insights from course learning to conduct an evidence-based Inclusion Audit of an LLC and propose recommendations for improvement

Application Requirements

We will use the OCT number you provide during online registration to confirm OCT Membership and undergraduate degree, with qualifications in Primary, Junior, Intermediate or Senior.

Course Materials

Accommodations

Applicants who require accommodations for a specific learning need (e.g., learning disability) within their AQ/ABQ course, should click here for further information and support.

Have a question? Contact us!

Refund Schedule

• If you drop a course by the midpoint of the course, you will receive 100% of your course fee
• If you drop a course after the midpoint, before the end of the course, you will receive 50% of your course fee

For more about our refund policies, visit our Fees & Refunds page.