This asynchronous professional development session introduces participants to Sooth, focusing on creating an account and navigating its essential tools for research and information literacy. This website is available to all educators in the O²CM Region. Through embedded videos and interactive tasks within the Google Form, you will learn how to:

Create a Sooth account using your school email or single sign-on (SSO) Confirm your account and customize basic profile settings Explore key tools to support student research and critical thinking

You will watch short training videos, complete knowledge checks, and complete a hands-on task to apply what you learned. By the end, you will be prepared to guide students and colleagues in using Sooth effectively for inquiry and research.

Book Cafe 2025-2026 Edition: Join the Quest for Exciting New Books!

This year, we are on a mission to uncover and share the best new books for our libraries and classrooms. To streamline the process, each participant will fill out a Google form for every book reviewed, making it easier to focus on crafting insightful reviews. The collected information will be featured on our blog, helping us crowdsource top book recommendations from our region and beyond!

The Details:

• Review one chapter book (over 150 pages) or three picture books to earn 1 credit hour.
• Accumulate up to 16 credit hours from October to May.
• Open to all genres for PreK-12 readers and professional development titles.

Important Notes:

• This is an entirely online and asynchronous course, with no in-person meetings.
• All hours are recorded for district Professional Learning requirements.
• Participants are responsible for procuring their own books.

For questions, contact me at hturner@ocmboces.org.

This EdCamp-style PD is designed for school librarians to move from conversation to implementation. Building on the Fall Conference, we will co-create actionable items-lesson plans, collection development strategies, ENL supports, media literacy, AI integration, and more. Collaborate with your colleagues to share best practices, grow together, and leave with practical tools you can use right away.

This EdCamp-style PD is designed for school librarians to move from conversation to implementation. Building on the Fall Conference, we will co-create actionable items-lesson plans, collection development strategies, ENL supports, media literacy, AI integration, and more. Collaborate with your colleagues to share best practices, grow together, and leave with practical tools you can use right away.

An online introduction to Follett Destiny with an emphasis on how to login and navigate its basic features to do your daily tasks and duties. The agenda is open for questions along the way. This is a zoom meeting. Login information will be sent prior to scheduled day.

These meetings are attended by members of the SLS Advisory Council that have been chosen and elected by the Communication Coordinators committee. The SLS Council advises the School Library System and help create the Plan of Service and approves the SLS budget and Annual Report. All members of the SLS are welcome to attend but only member of the council may vote on recommendations. A zoom link will be sent via email, as well as included in the Google Calendar invite

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming various sectors, including education, and school librarians are uniquely positioned to harness its potential.

Participants in this fully online course will start with basic AI concepts and applications to demystify the technology. School librarians and classroom teachers will then learn to identify how they can collaborate to design curricula incorporating AI literacy ensuring students understand both the benefits and ethical considerations of AI technology while developing critical thinking and digital literacy skills.

Effective AI policies for schools are essential to address privacy concerns, data security, and the ethical use of technology. In the final modules, participants will explore classroom and schoolwide guidelines to ensure that AI tools are used responsibly.

As AI continues to evolve, it will undoubtedly reshape educational landscapes, making it imperative for school librarians and educators to stay ahead of the curve and prepare students to participate actively in a technology-driven world.

Registrants will receive course access and a registration code on the course start date. Stay ahead of the AI curve and help prepare students for a technology-driven world!

The program seeks to support new school librarians both professionally and personally in their efforts to become highly effective educators. Research indicates that student learning depends, in part, on constructing a school culture that fosters growth for students and staff alike. We believe that mentors and mentees will learn and grow together in this process. While we are certain that your district provided you with a mentor teacher (not always a school librarian), we aspire to pair you with a mentor with library experience, knowledge and a passion for our profession. The purpose of this program is to connect librarians across "the borders” of their school districts to learn from and support each other while growing a vibrant professional learning network across the region.

Join us for an exciting day of professional learning as librarians gather around New York State to listen, discuss, and share best practices on programs, projects, and assignments based on the five ALA Core Values of Librarianship!

Discover how Canva is more than just a design tool. It is also a user-friendly platform for creating videos and podcasts. In this session, you will learn how to use Canva's built-in recording studio to produce multimedia content for your school library or classroom. From book trailers and student interviews to podcast episodes and library announcements, you will explore how to script, record, edit, and share. No fancy equipment or advanced skills are needed. This is a great session for educators who want to amplify student voice and promote programs in creative ways.

The SLS Communication Coordinators meetings are designed to be a bridge between the School Library System team and the school librarians in each of the districts and non-public schools that are members of the system. Each district has a designated Communication Coordinator who is required to attend the meetings but all members are welcome to attend.

The SLS Communication Coordinators meetings are designed to be a bridge between the School Library System team and the school librarians in each of the districts and non-public schools that are members of the system. Each district has a designated Communication Coordinator who is required to attend the meetings but all members are welcome to attend. The morning (8:30 am to 11:30 am) will be the meeting and the afternoon will be a professional learning opportunity.

These meetings are attended by members of the SLS Advisory Council that have been chosen and elected by the Communication Coordinators committee. The SLS Council advises the School Library System and help create the Plan of Service and approves the SLS budget and Annual Report. All members of the SLS are welcome to attend but only member of the council may vote on recommendations. A zoom link will be sent via email, as well as included in the Google Calendar invite

The SLS Communication Coordinators meetings are designed to be a bridge between the School Library System team and the school librarians in each of the districts and non-public schools that are members of the system. Each district has a designated Communication Coordinator who is required to attend the meetings but all members are welcome to attend. This is our last meeting of the year that will consist of the CC meeting, as well as a celebration of our retirees, and this years award winners