NC SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA ASSOCIATION

Sunday 3/15

@ 7pm

NCSLMA President, Lori Munroe 

NCSLMA School Library Media Coordinator of the Year Terry Fernung 

Opening Session

Lori Munroe, President of NCSLMA, will deliver the welcome address at the Winter Tune‑Up and provide an update on current NCSLMA activities and initiatives.  Following the welcome address, School Librarian of the Year Terry Fernung will present the keynote address, "Librarian of the Year: The Magic of the Library."

Monday 3/16

@  5pm 

Laura Warr

Spreading Belonging Like Cheese on School Pizza

We've used monthly Lunch Bunch gatherings to get to know students who don't feel like they have a sense of belonging at our school or don't have an adult they trust, and the kids are making connections with each other, too. Learn about this positive social intervention and how it has been implemented in a few schools in our district! Participants will receive templates for invitations and mid-year list changes, as well as a spreadsheet for tracking invitees and attendance statistics.

Monday 3/16

@ 6pm 

Leslie Taylor 
&

Natalie Shearin

 Monday 3/16

@ 7pm

Angie Headley 

&

Laura  Molinario

Making Yourself Essential: How To Be the Librarian They NEED

This session will focus on the important idea of making yourself and your space essential to your school’s achievement, culture, and overall success in all stakeholders’ eyes! Come and learn, connect, and share about critical elements of building a true culture of reading including lesson planning, collaboration, promotion, relationships (of all types), family engagement, and community outreach! While both presenters are librarians in ES, all ideas are applicable or adaptable for MS and HS.

Tuesday 3/17

@ 5pm

Author: 

Carol Baldwin

Every Family Has a Story: Find the One in Your Own Backyard

In this workshop, author Carol Baldwin will model a library program that utilizes artifacts, genealogical research, neighborhood resources, and interviews to explore personal history. In addition to encouraging students to discover their own story, this program has the potential to partner with community organizations. Middle and high school librarians.

 Tuesday  3/17

@6pm

Ashley  Wilkinson

Putting STEM in Literacy

Explore. Design. Create. Applying the design process and incorporating STEM principles can make any text come to life. Students engage with the text while collaborating. In this session, participants will get hands-on examples of text-driven STEM challenges and leave with numerous resources.

Tuesday 3/17

@ 7pm  

Kim  Gugino

& 

Katie Moose 

National Board Candidates Corner  

 Wednesday 3/18

@ 5pm

Susanne Mullis

Winter Wins: Growing Student Leaders

Join me to explore the value of fostering student leaders who strengthen school culture and community while building skills that transfer to the workforce. Discover how we can learn alongside our students (at any grade level), grow together as leaders, and create lasting impacts beyond the classroom.

 Wednesday 

3/18

@ 6pm 

Sara Ralph 

Reading Radar: 2026 Books That Will Have Students Storming Your Shelves

I will be sharing 2026 titles that are flooding the blogs and social media posts of experts in children’s literature. Attendees will leave the presentation with a list of titles as well as suggestions of who to follow online to discover new titles. Five attendees will win a book of their choice that will be mailed to their home or library.

 Wednesday 3/18

@ 7pm 

Kristy Sartain

The Reluctant Leader: How to tiptoe into leadership and keep yourself sane (AKA don’t do what I did)

Do you want to grow professionally but aren’t sure where to start? We'll explore how to take on leadership roles without feeling overwhelmed. We'll discuss practical strategies for deciding when to say yes to opportunities and when to say no to protect your time and energy. Learn to recognize the signs of burnout and discover the importance of taking time for yourself. Leave this session feeling empowered to take the next step in your professional journey while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

 Thursday 

3/19

@ 5pm

Laura Warr 

Social Media Storytelling

If we don't tell our stories, someone else will. Reach students, parents, staff, and community members where they are - on their phones, outside school hours. Participants will learn basic practices for having an engaging social media presence. They will also receive templates for sharing statistics.

 Thursday 

3/19

@6pm

Reimagine Your Destiny Library Homepage

Using Canva, update your library homepage to be much more user friendly and aesthetically pleasing. Access to Canva is required, so make sure to sign up for your FREE educator account to get the most out of my session. Use of Follett Destiny as your library management system is highly encouraged, but not required.

Thursday 3/19

@ 7pm  

NCSLMA  President

Lori Munroe

NCSLMA Town Hall

with

Author Scott Reintgen 

Scott Reintgen is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of science fiction and fantasy books.He wrote the  Nyxia Trilogy, A Door in the Dark, and The Dragonship Series. His next YA book, Devious Prey, hits shelves March 31, 2026. He began his career as an English and Creative Writing teacher in North Carolina. He strongly believes that every student who steps into the classroom deserves to see themselves, vibrant and victorious and on the page. It’s his hope to encourage a future full of diverse writers.

 Friday 3/20

@ 5pm 

Author 

Carol Baldwin

Forgotten Names and Forgotten Places: Exploring Jim Crow in the Carolinas

In this hands-on workshop, Carol Baldwin, award-winning North Carolina author of Half-Truths, will demonstrate how to use a novel as a bridge to deepen understanding of a time period. After an overview of her novel which takes place in Charlotte in 1950, participants will consider neglected pioneers who broke racial and gender barriers as well as overlooked places where the strategies for Civil rights were being laid. Participants will brainstorm a period newspaper that can nclude articles, editorials, letters to the editor, and advertisements. Middle and High School librarians.

 Friday 3/20

@ 6pm

Rebranding a New Library Space: Weeding, Shifting, & Making It Yours

Participants will learn a practical, step-by-step process to assess, declutter, and reconfigure a library they’ve just inherited. Audience: New or newly assigned school librarians; library staff; administrators interested in space redesign.

 Friday 3/20

@ 7pm

Heather Higginbotham

&

Amy Ralph

NCCBA is Picking up STEAM

It is that time of year again...time for students to read and vote for the North Carolina Children's Book Award. We are going to give you some great STEAM resources to combine with the 12 elementary picture books to make these lessons even more engaging. From buffalo fluff to whale noises galore, we have you covered.

Friday 3/20

@ 8pm