Queensborough Middle School teacher-librarian named Librarian of the Year

 

New Westminster, B.C. – Queensborough Middle School’s teacher-librarian Lisa Seddon was named “Librarian of the Year” this month by the BC Teacher-Librarians’ Association (BCTLA) and honoured with a plaque for her outstanding work in the field. She received the Diana Poole Memorial Award at an October 25 ceremony in Victoria.

Seddon was nominated by her New Westminster Secondary School (NWSS) colleague and fellow teacher-librarian, Sarah Wethered, who wanted to spotlight her contributions and believed the efforts deserved recognition.

“Lisa is an amazing educator and friend,” said Wethered. “I believe I have become a better, more thoughtful teacher-librarian through my work with her and New Westminster Schools is a better place because she works here.”

Seddon has worked as QMS’s teacher-librarian for seven years and now temporarily divides her time between the middle school and NWSS. Her work includes an effort to decolonize the QMS non-fiction library catalogue by switching from the Dewey Decimal Classification to a modified version of the Brian Deer Classification. The initiative began in mid-2023 and marks a change to a more flexible and equitable way to organize information and resources at the school’s library. Re-cataloguing the QMS non-fiction collection finished in June of this year.

“It’s been a lot of hard work, but it’s honestly a labour of love,” said Seddon. “I get such a sense of satisfaction when I shelve the books and can put Indigenous content front and centre where it belongs.”

In addition to her teacher-librarian duties at QMS and NWSS, Seddon is vice-president of the BCTLA and has served in its executive for the last six years.

The BCTLA’s Diana Poole Memorial Award is the organization’s highest honour. It recognizes practicing teacher-librarians who make outstanding contributions to teacher-librarianship at and beyond the school level in British Columbia.

According to the award’s criteria, nominated individuals must “demonstrate planning and implementation of a school library program of such exemplary quality that it [serves] as a model and inspiration for others.” Other requirements may include leadership, commitment to professional growth, and/or sharing of ideas and resources.