April checklist

Information overload? These are the most important DLL things to know to stay on track: 

• Is this a renewal year for your license? Make sure to check your CEUs now. 

• End-of-year reporting instructions will be released in April. Reports must be completed before the school year concludes. 

School Libraries in the United States: A History

This April, Library Media Services is kicking off our 50 Years of Library Joy celebration as a reflection of the WCPSS celebration of our 50 years since the merger of the Raleigh City Schools and the Wake County Schools, a moment in time that put us on the path to equitable, diverse collections that meet the needs of ALL of our students and the multitudes of their identities. 

As we have moments of reflection to better understand our history as it informs our present and future, it’s just as possible to reach farther back to better understand and “to get through this thing called life,” school library life. You just have to know that Prince was probably a library kid. Check out this blog from the American Library Association that takes us back to 1740 with  Ben Franklin recommending school libraries as a key element in the ideal academy. “We takin’ it back to the old school…Whoomp! There it is.” - Kendra 

Congratulations, Stacey Fraley, 2026 School Library Media Coordinator of the Year!

On March 25, Library Media Services announced the 2026 School Library Media Coordinator of the Year, Stacey Fraley of Mills Park Middle. We’re thrilled to celebrate Stacey and the AMAZING work she does. The Celebration of Teaching Excellence was a lovely event at which district leaders, Board members, and other teachers were all able to hear about the excellence of all three of our finalists–Stacey, Allie Pyles, and Monica Huff. Check out Stacey’s feature story! 

Marketing for School Library Month

Sanderson High School Librarians, Liz Dotts and Alex Baucom, offered this  amazing professional learning opportunity to their staff. This could be  easily adapted for your situation as a beautiful marketing tool for you as an instructional leader. Thank you to Liz and Alex for sharing this and creating a template of their slides. To view a video of their staff participating, follow them on Instagram @sandersonmediacenter.

Other marking ideas to celebrate Library Joy for School Library Month: 

• Post on your social media with this template shared by Mollee from KY Library Leader, James Allen

• Share your data with your admin, staff, and/or families

• Celebrate National Library Week (April 19th-April 25th)

• Use ideas & graphics created by NCSLMA’s Jennifer Long for 2025

Try a suggestion from our crowdsourced marketing strategies document 

Library Joy

It’s School Library Month, and we hope you are finding your Library JOY! We would love for you to share the joy happening in your library. For now, we got things started with a bit of “then” and “now,” our recently honored librarians, a community celebration, and a fun book reveal. 

Celebrate National Poetry Month in April

In honor of National Poetry Month in 2026, we have compiled resources for you to use with teachers, students, and families as well as to inform your library programming and instruction. While we encourage activities, lessons, and resources inclusive of poetry throughout the year, we take this opportunity to celebrate and learn. 

AI Digest

Check out recent news, articles, and other information about AI. 

• District AI Guidance 

  • Published on the Tech Toolkit. 

  • Share freely; feedback is welcome. 

  • Of note, the district will not support AI detection tools.

  • AI is not considered an author, artist, or musician (the Supreme Court has recently refused to hear Thaler vs. Perlmutter denying AI-generated works intellectual property protection).

• How Teens Use and View AI

• AI will make me dumber if I let it. So I made a "helmet."

We would like to invite all librarians to join us for our final AI Sandbox on April 23rd at 8am or 1pm. Paul Cancellieri, teacher at Mills Park Middle School and author of “50 AI Prompts for Teachers: Enhancing Your Practice with Generative Technology,” will be joining us to have a Q & A on his book and his  NCTIES presentation (note the zones on slide 21, his examples and use of gems, and the anticipated staff dialogues). You won’t want to miss this expert teacher and AI leader. 

Elementary Circulation Project - We Recorded a Podcast!

At the end of March, Susan and Kendra were interviewed for the Data Lit podcast, created by the Data, Research, and Accountability department. In this episode, we talk about the work we’ve been doing to examine what the data says about elementary library circulation practices and their impact on students' engagement with the library. Listen now!

News from Human Resources - Transfer Window

If you are contemplating a potential move to a different school in 2026-27, note that the Transfer Application opened on March 2 and closes on May 8. 

Professional Learning Notes

• April 30th: Last day to complete all asynchronous courses and any asynchronous coursework for virtual PLCs 

• August 3rd: Bridging to the Wolfpack: Building Research-Ready Students (primarily for HS librarians)

Thank you to Becky Ashley, Tammy Weller, and Erika Henderson for organizing the August 3rd  session which will take place at Hunt Library in collaboration with the NC State Librarians. Fill out this form if you are interested in attending and giving feedback so this session might be most useful for you in helping to bridge the research skills gap from high school to college.

For more professional learning opportunities offered by the NCDPI, check out Mollee Holloman’s newsletter here.