Teacher Librarians: A Cohort for Collaborative Practice and Growth
October 2026 – June 2027
Instructor/Facilitator: Katie Mack, Champlain Valley Union High School Librarian and Allison Vega, South Burlington High School Librarian
AT A GLANCE
What’s in a name?
Librarian? Library Media Specialist? The title alone rarely captures the many “hats” school librarians wear. While each of those roles is valuable, this course will use the term “teacher librarian” to highlight the essential role librarians play as educators within the school community.
As education continues to shift—both locally and nationally—it’s more important than ever for school librarians to position themselves as teaching partners and instructional leaders. We must consistently demonstrate our impact on student learning and advocate for equitable education within our schools.
Of course, every school and grade level presents its own challenges. So how do we balance our ever-growing responsibilities? How do we ensure our vision and expertise are recognized by school leadership?
This course will be structured in such a way that participants will have the opportunity to examine the various instructional roles of librarianship at grade-specific level, reflect upon current practice, and create professional library growth goals to implement in their library setting. Throughout the course participants will create a “teaching portfolio” that includes evidence of goal-setting and execution of library collaboration in each setting: literacy leader, curricular collaborator, and equity coach. Our final meeting will be a chance to share best practices, reflect upon action, and vision for the future.
Course Objectives:
Develop and continuously pursue professional growth goals for library programs.
Identify potential areas in your library program to expand instruction.
Execute plans to implement “librarian as teacher” with the intent to increase visibility and efficacy within the school community.
Reflect and share upon best practices.
Cultivate relational trust, caring, mutual respect, and honesty with individuals and groups as a librarian.
Build a network of librarian collegiality, support, and collaboration.
Location: CVEDC-ESA 150 Kennedy Drive, South Burlington, VT 05403
Dates: October 28, 2026; December 2, 2026; February 3, 2027; April 14, 2027; June 2, 2027
Times: 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. plus 10 hours of online reflection and discussion
Credits: 3 Graduate Credits from Saint Michael’s College
Cost: $1,450 includes book $1,900 includes grad credit and book, Teaching Students to Decode the World by Chris Sperry and Cyndy Scheibe
About the Facilitators:
Katie Mack (she/her) is both a librarian and Social Studies teacher at Champlain Valley Union High School in Hinesburg, Vermont. In these roles, she focuses on partnering with teams and colleagues to advance student-centered learning. Katie co-facilitates CVU’s Harkness Student Leadership Program, which empowers students to lead classroom discussions and fosters a culture of student-driven dialogue. Most recently, her work has focused on helping teachers and students integrate AI into classroom instruction and learning. Her professional presentations include “Project Lit: Let’s Collaborate” and “Subversive Librarianship: Embedding DEI and Social Justice in Libraries.”
Allie Vega (she/her) is the school librarian at South Burlington High School . She has served as a librarian for 16 years in both elementary and high school settings, drawing on her background as a social studies teacher. Allie holds master's degrees in Curriculum and Instruction and in Library and Information Science. In 2020 she was named a Rowland Fellow. Her work centers on increasing access to media literacy instruction and fostering meaningful collaboration with educators and students. She has presented professionally on topics such as “Rethinking ELA Curriculum Through Gholdy Muhammad’s Framework” and “Equity Transformations in Different Vermont Contexts.”