MASL 53 Annual Conference 2026

This session will provide ideas for implementing district-wide and cross-district book battles in your school. Librarians from Kalamazoo and Grand Haven will share how collaborative book battles stretch time, budgets, and staff power across districts. Discover practical tools, shared resources, and creative strategies that make statewide reading competitions more joyful, efficient, and accessible. You will also learn how Ann Arbor Public Schools’ library department transformed the Great Lakes Great Books Award, presented annually by the Michigan Reading Association, into a district-wide book battle accessible to every elementary student. Come to this session to learn how your school can collaborate and have fun with book battles!

This session is for librarians who are done being invisible and ready to be intentional. We’ll dig into how your presence -- not just your collection -- shapes student relationships, staff collaboration, and the overall vibe of your library. The goal? To help you define a persona that’s authentic, recognizable, and sustainable (no fake enthusiasm required), then translate that into small, consistent moves that make you the person students seek out -- not just the place they’re sent. 

This project is designed as a multidisciplinary approach to teaching either the Inter-War Period of the 1920s and 30s; or the immediate post-WWII period of the 1940s and 50s. Within this project, the student reads and breaks down a book of their choice from the time period using skills from their ELA and history classes. Synchronously, the student is learning the content of that time period in their history class. Through learning about the time period, while reading the book, the student is able to use their historical lens to understand how the book reflects the cultural norms, morals, values, fears, and struggles of the time, while simultaneously having said culture reflected within the book. 

Computational thinking is an essential literacy that helps students develop the problem-solving, critical thinking, and creative skills they need to navigate an increasingly complex world. School library media specialists are uniquely positioned to bring these concepts to life through literature, inquiry, and meaningful learning experiences. In this interactive workshop, discover how engaging read-alouds and quality children's literature can become powerful entry points for teaching computational thinking concepts such as decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithms. Through hands-on activities and cross-curricular connections, you'll explore practical strategies for weaving computational thinking into literacy instruction, storytime, research, and maker experiences.

The Michigan eLibrary (MeL) provides every Michigan student and educator with free access to high-quality e-resources that support research, literacy, career exploration, and classroom instruction.  This session will introduce school librarians to MeL’s extensive collection of databases, eBooks, educator resources, and student-friendly tools that support K-12 learning. Participants will learn practical strategies for integrating MeL resources into instruction, reinforcing information literacy skills, and promoting equitable access to trusted information.  Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of the most relevant MeL resources for K-12 settings, ideas for incorporating them into classroom and library instruction, and access to ready‑to‑use promotional and instructional materials.

The focus of this session is source evaluation using the SIFT method. This four-part method was developed by digital literacy expert Mike Caulfield to evaluate online content. When applied across disciplines, it can provide students with useful cross-curricular, consistent skill development to determine if information can be trusted as credible and/or reliable. Students can (and should) use this method even when facing non-academic online content. Attendees will gain ideas about incorporating digital media such as TikTok videos, X posts, Instagram Reels, blog posts, and articles from periodicals. Attendees will walk away with examples, templates for SIFT analysis documents, and an understanding of how to level this type of instruction. 

MASL was a partner with the Michigan Department of Education, MACUL, REMC, Michigan Virtual, and Common Sense Media in developing a set of resources for teaching Artificial Intelligence and Media Literacy.  This session will cover where to find and access these resources and will highlight some of the best resources included.  We will also discuss how school librarians can leverage their expertise in information/media literacy to ensure that Artificial Literacy (AI) considerations are included as our schools begin to adopt AI.

Centering student voice in collection development fosters belonging, strengthens reader engagement, and builds collections that better reflect the communities they serve. Join me to explore a library unit that guides students as they examine their own identities, learn about Bishop's concept of mirrors and windows, evaluate representation within the existing library collection, and recommend new titles for purchase. The unit as a whole is best suited for elementary librarians with regular class time, but the shared resources and strategies are adaptable for any age or group of students.

Spaces with digital fabrication tools support inquiry, design thinking, and real-world problem solving -- core competencies of modern school libraries. This practical session demonstrates how introducing digital fabrication tools in the library aligns directly with AASL School Library Standards, increases student engagement, supports classroom learning goals, and fosters school and community partnerships. Through four real-world project stories, attendees will see concrete examples of curricular integration, community collaboration, and strategies for developing a supportive learning environment for students and adults. Participants will also get a chance to play with some of the tools we use.