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==“Leadership begins when an individual has a vision or a dream of “the way it could be" and can inspire others to share this vision or dream. The leader is able to develop the vision because he or she is continually reading, learning and reflecting on new ideas… and analysis are pivotal to the success of this vision.” --by Carol A. Kearney, the first chair of the SLMS Educational Leadership Committee; from her //Curriculum Partner: Redefining the Role of the Library Media Specialist (//Greenwood, 2000), p. 2. ==

Stephen Abram, Buffy Hamilton and Josh Hadro**
 * The 2011 Carol A. Kearney Leadership Retreat, **Think, Create, Share and Grow: Transforming Your School Library Leadership**, was held Aug. 1 & 2 at Cornell and featured library futurist Stephen Abram , the Unquiet Librarian Buffy Hamilton  and SLJ's Josh Hadro <@http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/communityacademiclibraries/887522-419/the_pre-college_life_of_readers.html.csp> who inspired and motivated all there to understand school libraries today, to challenge of the future and to develop personal leadership, taking up the charge to be perceived as an educational leader in your buildings and community.**

Retreat can be found on the SSL (formerly SLMS) web site:[] Or e-mail Sara Kelly Johns, Ed Leadership Chair, at  if you have any questions. == NOTE to Retreat Participants: There will be content rearranged and added on our wiki. For instance, I created a Tech Smackdown page and moved the links there. Feel free to share content, too, to continue our focus on honing our personal leadership skills! You can add text and links as guests but have to join the wiki to upload documents. Please join! SKJ ==

="Your Library IS the Common Core"= == Want another t-shirt? Contact Kelly Wilson at kwilson813@gmail.com by September 1. Please send your name, address, and size (S-3X). Cost will be $10 which will include shipping. **If you will be at NYLA, we will have XL sizes for sale at the SSL booth as well!** ==

Laptop? Netbook? iPad? Smartphone? VERY helpful to have an easy way of accessing the Internet with you to participate most fully!
In a relaxed setting on the Cornell campus, you will participate in a reflective and active day and a half workshop. You will walk out with a list of “The Top 10 School Library Talking Points” on the value of school libraries and librarians that you have helped develop, as well as a Personal [|Leadership] Plan (PLP) in partnership with the presenters as well as school librarians and leaders from around the state who have worked with the AASL and Common Core Standards and assessment of information literacy skills program evaluation instruments (the AASL L4L Planning Guide, the NYSED School Library Media Program Rubric).

You will be perceived as a leader who models the five roles of the school librarian as defined in the AASL //Empowering Learners// program guidelines: Leader, Teacher, Information Specialist, Instructional Partner and Program Administrator (p.17-18).

2011 Retreat Evaluation
@http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/retreatsurvey2010

Announcement: Another SSL/NYLA survey:
With NYLA transitioning their newsletter, //The Bulletin//, to an online format, the SSL (formerly SLMS) Board has begun considering transitioning to our //SLMSGram// (soon to be The //SiSSLer//) to an online format as well. Before we make such a major change to a member benefit, we wanted to get feedback from our membership as to how going digital would effect readership.

Please take a couple of minutes to complete the brief 5 question survey to give us your invaluable input: @http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/69BGLPK


 * Board members**: there will be a separate survey about the meeting being before the Retreat as we did this year or if we should go back to a post-Retreat meeting.

**Who should be there?** School librarians, school library students, School Library System directors, school administrators and teachers, school library supervisors, school library educators.
All affiliates and school library systems are encouraged to have representatives at the Leadership Retreat. //This is a great professional development opportunity, easily turn-keyed to affiliate members.// Affiliate leaders - consider making this your first meeting in the fall.

Registration information can be found on by going to the SSL (formerly SLMS) web site: @http://www.nyla.org/page/slms-leadership-retreat-369.html Or, e-mail Sara Kelly Johns, Ed Leadership Chair, at  if you have any questions.