Well, my dear readers, we’ve almost made it to the end of another year. A year full of changes, challenges, successes and wonderful professional learning opportunities to grow the strength and capacity of our school libraries. I hope these professional learning lists have been helpful over the past 12 months. Here’s to another year ahead of wonderful learning together. To finish and start the year, as has become tradition, I am combining the December 2025 and January 2026 list, and taking a break for the summer. But I’ll still be learning, reading, watching and engaging in professional learning, so in case you’d like to do the same, here’s your list of learning opportunities for the two months ahead. Have a wonderful festive season and see you in 2026.
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Webinars
Libraries and Learning Hubs: Collaboration, Care and Community Inquiry – Allyson Bogie, Samantha Solomon and Sarah Sugarman – 2 December 2025 7pm ET
New literacies in the AI era – ISTE+ASCD and All4Ed’s Future Ready Schools with Dr Adam Phyall, Joseph South and Shannon McClintock Miller – 11 December 2025 5pm EST.
Courses
Strategies to re-engage students and foster a culture of reading – School Library Journal. A 1-hour free on-demand mini course.
Behaviour Management in the School Library: Training for Library Staff – CILIP – 10 January 2026 9:30am – 11:30am UK time – £25 members, £35 non-members.
Online and offline library courses for teachers and school librarians, compiled by Joanna Nance-Phillips
Podcasts
Your Kid’s Next Read – recent episodes include 10 Minutes with Helen Dallimore, Books to gift to kids who ‘don’t read’, A Bookmail Blizzard.
School Librarians United – recent episodes include Empowering Student Volunteers and VAASL25.
For the Love of Libraries – a new ALIA Schools podcast. Listen to the trailer.
School Improvement Episode 64: Managing, restocking and refreshing library spaces – Teacher Magazine Jo Earp with Mali Jorm, Tracy Kelly and Madison Dearnaley
Future Ready Podcast – Leading from the Library. Recent episodes include Bringing the community into your library with Lunch and Learns, and A Sense of Place: Future Ready School Libraries
Articles and Blog posts
Why one reading expert says ‘just-right’ books are all wrong – Jull Barshay
ChatGPT for Teachers – (US only at this point)
Keeping literacy alive over the holidays: A free global gift for students and families – Gabrielle Mace
The other half of the equation: Why your librarian may not be ready for curriculum integration – Elizabeth Hutchinson
Keeping the human in the loop: Lessons on AI, ethics, and learning across three conferences – Kay Oddone
Reading with babies and children: top tips and benefits – Australia Reads
Libraries: the frontline warriors in the battle for information equity – Gretchen Gardella
Do kids really stop learning to read and start reading to learn after third grade? – Rebecca Kockler and Kunjan Narechania
The Crucial role of teacher librarians in Australian schools – Serena Bourke
IFLA-UNESCO School Library Manifesto 2025
Top 5 Oliver Reports every school library should use – Softlink
Want more professional learning?
Have a look through last month’s professional learning list.