Sharjah International Library Conference العربية<

Sharjah School Library Conference “Literacy and Reading Promotion for School Librarians”

(program will be updated and subject to change)

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

9:00 AM 60 Minutes Registration and badge pick up
10:00 AM 30 Minutes Welcome and Keynote

Becky Calzada

Becky Calzada
President, American Association of School Librarians, Library Services Coordinator Leander Independent School District, Texas, U.S.A

10:30 AM 15 Minutes Conference Program and Outcomes
10:45 AM 45 Minutes Everyone is engaged with literacy practices, not reading

Reading for pleasure offers a range of benefits for students' literacy development and maintenance as well numerous other facets related to student learning and wellbeing. This presentation on the 2024 International School Library Workforce Survey from 63 countries, will unpack the evidence on what Reading for Pleasure offers students, contributing to a whole school reading culture. It will explore common barriers experienced by school library professionals seeking to promote Reading for Pleasure and, how they can be overcome.

Dr. Margaret Merga

Dr. Margaret Merga
Associate Professor, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Australia, award winning researcher and author including, Creating a Reading Culture in Primary and Secondary Schools: A Practical Guide.

11:30 AM 30 Minutes Break and Networking
12:00 PM 45 Minutes Assessing Student Reading and Learning

This presentation and session will discuss the important topic of assessment of student reading and learning and provide examples of assessment tools and strategies to measure learner understanding and growth.

Dr. Elizabeth BurnsDr. Elizabeth Burns. Associate Professor, Department of STEM Education & Professional Studies, Old Dominion University, Virginia, U.S.A, author of Assessing Learners: Using the AASL Standards to Measure Competency and Growth

12:45 PM 45 Minutes Lunch
13:30 PM 45 Minutes Breaking Barriers to Collaborate with Teachers, and Administrators, and Students

In 2022, Suncrest Elementary School had a problem: our library was NOT a place that administrators, teachers, and students wanted to visit. In three short years, our library is now considered the “heart” of our school: a place for and by all students, teachers and staff. In summary, teacher/librarian collaborations are up, students (and their families) love the library, and our circulation numbers are soaring! The session will outline effective ways to reach teachers and administrators in order to implement effective reading programs.

Charlotte Chung

Charlotte Chung,
Charlotte Chung, media specialist at Suncrest Elementary School in Morgantown, West Virginia, U.S.A, 2023 Recipient of AASL Innovative Reading Grant

14:15 PM 45 Minutes Poster Sessions
15:00 PM 45 Minutes Once Upon an Emirate: Creative Strategies to Spark Reluctant Readers’ Love for Reading

This session will discuss and share examples of successful ways to reach and encourage students who are reluctant to getting excited about reading, as well as how the Emirate-Centric books connect and provide mirrors where students see themselves.

Dr. Fawzia Gilani-Williams

Dr. Fawzia Gilani-Williams,
Director of Children's Creative Enrichment Programs Eid Stories Institute, UAE

15:45 PM 15 Minutes First Day Wrap-Up

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

9:00 AM 15 Minutes First Day Sharing Session
9:15 AM 45 Minutes Connecting Reading and New Technologies

How can emerging technologies enhance and expand the reading experience? This session explores innovative ways teacher librarians worldwide use digital tools to engage all readers—especially dormant ones. From audiobooks and interactive reading apps like Novel Effect to virtual reality and AI-powered voice-to-text tools, technology is opening new doors to literacy. While the traditional book remains beloved, this workshop will showcase the exciting, complementary ways to harness technology to foster a love of reading for every student.

2016 School Library Journal ‘School Librarian of the Year’ shares ways school librarians are using various technologies to excite and increase reading.

Todd BurlesonTodd Burleson, Media Specialist, Skokie School, Winnetka School District, Illinois, U.S.A

10:00 AM 30 Minutes Break and Networking
10:30 AM 60 Minutes Reading Promotion Lightning Talks from UAE School Librarians

Yasser Muhammad Abdul Muttalib Yasser Muhammad Abdul Muttalib,
Al Majd Model School, Sharjah, UAE.

Jumana HanounJumana Hanoun,
Librarian and UNESCO coordinator

11:30 AM 45 Minutes Connecting and Partnering with Families

Parents are crucial partners in fostering lifelong readers with school librarians. This session looks at challenges and opportunities to partner and engage with parents. It will feature a review of the American Association of School Librarians National Standards Guides for Parents and Guardians.

Cherity PenningtonCherity Pennington, 
Director of Libraries and Media Services, Shawnee Public Schools, Oklahoma, U.S.A

12:15 AM 45 Minutes Lunch
13:00 AM 30 Minutes Coming Together through Associations to Empower School Librarians

Becky Calzada

Becky Calzada,
President, American Association of School Librarians, Library Services Coordinator Leander Independent School District, Texas, U.S.A

13:30 AM 60 Minutes Knowledge Café

An opportunity for one on one and group discussions with experts and colleagues to ask, answer, discuss different issues and challenges going on in libraries.

  1. Supporting reading for pleasure
  2. Assessing Student Reading and Learning
  3. Collaborating with Teachers and Administrators
  4. Reluctant Readers
  5. Connecting Reading and New Technologies
  6. Connecting and Partnering with Families
  7. Empowering School Librarians
14:30 AM 60 Minutes Sharing Session and Next Steps
15:30 AM 30 Minutes Conference Closing and Certificates