Librarians: Welcome to the 2025-2026 School Year!

I hope you had a restful and enjoyable summer. As we begin a new academic year, I’m excited to reconnect and share some of the exciting initiatives happening within the School Library System at Southern Westchester BOCES.

This will be my first full school year in this role, and I’m truly looking forward to working alongside you and supporting your work in meaningful ways. Whether through professional development workshops, collaborative planning, or advocacy with school and district leadership, my goal is to ensure that your needs are met and your impact is recognized.

A key priority for me this year is visiting as many school libraries as possible. These visits allow me to better understand your space, observe your teaching in action, and engage in conversation around topics that matter most to you. If I haven’t yet had the opportunity to visit—or even if I have—I would love to schedule time with you. Click here to schedule a visit. During our time together, I welcome the chance to tour your library, observe a lesson, discuss school library issues, or simply connect.

This year, we have a rich lineup of professional learning opportunities available. Workshops are already live in Frontline and include returning user groups for OverDrive, Follett, and OPALS. We’re also partnering with TeachingBooks to highlight the many resources they offer. In addition, I will be facilitating sessions on topics such as media literacy, collection development, artificial intelligence, and more. I encourage you to take part in these offerings throughout the year. Click here to view our one-pager with full offerings and registration links.

Looking ahead to 2026, one of our major initiatives will be updating the SLS Plan of Service for the 2026–2031 cycle. With input from the SLS Council and Communication Coordinators, we will refine our vision and outline key goals that reflect the evolving needs of our libraries. The Plan of Service is a critical, state-required document that ensures our system remains responsive, innovative, and aligned with statewide priorities. View the current Plan of Service here. Once the new plan is approved, I will share it via our listserv and post it on our website for your reference.

Thank you for all that you do as library media specialists. Your expertise, advocacy, and dedication are essential to your school communities—now more than ever. Your work truly matters, and I am honored to support you in it.

Wishing you a successful and inspiring school year ahead.