by Nicole Hurtubise and Tammy Le
Empowering Voices: The Importance of BC Teacher-Librarians in Union Activism and Advocacy
Abstract
Nicole Hurtubise and Tammy Le focus on the sub-theme of Accountability (How might we help students and staff know what learning is going on in our space and how they can get involved?), exploring the critical role of teacher-librarians in British Columbia’s public education system. They outline the efforts of the British Columbia Teacher-Librarians’ Association (BCTLA) to gather data through a Working and Learning Conditions Survey and to advocate for better support and recognition of teacher-librarians’ contributions to student success. Hurtubise and Le further detail initiatives taken to raise awareness among educators, parents, and the community, culminating in presentations and materials aimed at fostering support for teacher-librarians’ roles in schools.
Nicole Hurtubise is an executive member of the BCTLA and a teacher-librarian at Morgan Elementary in Surrey, BC. She is the current President of the Surrey Chapter of the BCTLA. Nicole is involved in the Surrey Teachers’ Association as a Local Representative to the BCTF and Chair of the Professional Development Committee. Nicole has a B.A. from SFU, M.Ed. in Justice, Law and Ethics in Education from SFU and a Certificate in Teacher-Librarianship from UBC.
Tammy Le is the President of the British Columbia Teacher Librarians’ Association and a teacher-librarian at École Salish Secondary in Surrey, B.C. She is also the Past President of the Surrey Chapter of the BCTLA. She has worked alongside members in her association to advocate better working and learning conditions and helped organize several provincial wide conferences to support the professional development of teacher-librarians in British Columbia. Tammy has a B.Sc. in Biochemistry and French Literature and a B.Ed. From the University of British Columbia as well as a Diploma in Library Sciences from UBC.