For many school library staff, professional learning can be a solitary journey. It’s not uncommon to be the only person in your role at a school and opportunities to share ideas or ask questions of others in similar roles can be few and far between.
The new Schools Cataloguing Community of Practice, launched by ALIA and the ALIA Community on Resource Description (ACORD), offers a way to help change that. Created as a free, online and vendor-neutral space, the Community brings together library staff from all kinds of schools to talk cataloguing, share what works and stay up to date with current best practice.
Importantly, it’s open to everyone, regardless of experience level or which library management system you use. This openness is what makes the Community both practical and powerful. It lowers barriers to participation, supports peer-to-peer learning, and offers and opportunity to foster a stronger professional culture among all school library staff. When learning is accessible, informal and ongoing, it becomes easier to develop greater confidence in your own practice.
By bringing people together to discuss real-world challenges, the community also provides a chance to identify and shape what best practice looks like in school libraries today. That kind of collaboration doesn’t just benefit individuals, it helps build a more connected, informed and sustainable profession.
Whether you’re just starting out or have years of experience behind you, the Schools Cataloguing Community of Practice is a welcoming space to connect, reflect and be part of something bigger.
To join the Community of Practice online space, send an email to [email protected], with ‘Schools Cataloguing CoP’ in the subject line. Please include in the body of the email your institution and, if you like, a few words about why you’re interested in joining the group.
