Written by Dr Kay Oddone, Director, Linking Learning Advisory
There is something inspiring about looking up at the night sky. On a clear evening, we might see thousands of individual points of light; distant suns scattered across the darkness. On their own, they are beautiful, but they don’t necessarily tell a story. It is only when we begin to draw lines between them, to see the patterns and the shapes they form together, that they become constellations. These constellations have guided travelers and shaped cultures for millennia.
In many ways, the work we do in school libraries is exactly the same. We are surrounded by “stars”; not just amazing people, but resources, pedagogical strategies, student inquiries, and digital tools. But the true value of a school library isn’t found in the individual points; it’s found in the connections we make between them.
At the upcoming National Education Summits in Brisbane and Melbourne, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to explore this metaphor with you: School Libraries as Constellations of Practice.
Recognition, Not Reinvention
As school library professionals, regardless of your role, it is easy to feel the pressure of constant reinvention. We often feel we must always be doing “more” or something “new” to prove our worth.
The idea behind constellations of practice is recognition rather than reinvention. It’s about surfacing the practical, achievable shifts that make your impact visible without leading to burnout (or “going supernova”). You are likely already leading in ways you haven’t fully mapped out yet. By identifying the connections you are creating, and the impacts you are having, you are able to make the meaningful outcomes of your work visible to your whole school community.
The Lens: Mapping Your Impact
To help us map these connections, we will be looking at our practice through a specific lens: the Know-Do-Be model. This leadership framework is also useful as a simple way to reflect on our professional identity and the unique space we occupy in our schools.
During the presentation, we will explore how the three elements of this framework can allow us to recognise how a single point of practice can spark a series of connections that create outcomes that just wouldn’t exist without the expertise and presence of the library team. My hope is that this model will give you a new way to articulate your value and to position your work within the larger picture of the school community.
Looking Beyond Your Horizon
Something we should regularly remind ourselves is that not all constellations can be seen from every location. Your “horizon” is defined by your specific school context—your staff, your students, and your own school community’s needs.
The National Education Summit is an opportunity to step outside our usual vantage points. Over the two days of the conference, you will hear from many colleagues working within their own contexts, sharing the constellations from their own skies.
I would like to invite you to use this conference as an opportunity to look beyond your own horizon. Some of the “stars” you see in another person’s presentation might be exactly what you need to take back and incorporate into your own sky. You might find a new way to approach information literacy, a creative strategy for collaboration, or a fresh perspective on student wellbeing.
A Bright Future Together
My goal for this session is to provide a framework that shapes your interactions for the conference and beyond. I hope that as you sit in sessions and chat over coffee, you aren’t just collecting “to-do” lists, but recognising the brilliance of the work you are already doing.
I am so looking forward to meeting you in Brisbane and Melbourne, hearing your stories, and helping you find the connections that will make your constellations of practice shine. Let’s spend the two days looking up and out, recognising the incredible impact school library professionals have when we link learning to the stars.
I look forward to seeing you at the National Education Summit! In the meantime, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or explore more of my work on my site, Linking Learning.