MSLA Podcast

About MSLA Podcast

The official podcast of the Massachusetts School Library Asssociation.

Publisher

MSLA Podcast

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Jun 2021

Latest episode

9 Apr 2026

Latest episodes

37 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   9 Apr 2026

   One Battle of the Books After Another

   Becky Sniffen, librarian from the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School in Hadley, and Alissa Rosellini, Lower School Librarian at Brimmer and May School in Chestnut Hill, are going to be at the MSLA conference evangelizing Battle of the Books. Both librarians are fostering this program in Massachusetts, bringing their experiences from Oregon and Montreal. The pair hope to bring structure and sustainability to this quiz-show style program, where teams battle at local, and then (eventually, hopefully) regional and statewide levels to, as Alissa puts it, “combine a love of reading and a love of competition.” They’d like your help, too! Becky and Alissa are already thinking of next year’s battles, and if you want to get involved, email Becky at Rsniffen@pvcics.org (mailto:Rsniffen@pvcics.org). Links for those curious: https://www.oregonbattleofthebooks.org/ (https://www.oregonbattleofthebooks.org/) https://www.massbook.org/mass-book-awards/ (https://www.massbook.org/mass-book-awards/) https://www.salemstate.edu/mcba (https://www.salemstate.edu/mcba) https://www.massbook.org/readingchallenge (https://www.massbook.org/readingchallenge) World Read Aloud Day, https://www.litworld.org/world-read-aloud-day (https://www.litworld.org/world-read-aloud-day) https://www.rituhemnani.com/lion-of-the-sky (https://www.rituhemnani.com/lion-of-the-sky) Sora.com (http://sora.com) The Unforgettable Logan Foster, https://www.shawnpeterswrites.com/ (https://www.shawnpeterswrites.com/) https://www.mateenchoicebook.org/ (https://www.mateenchoicebook.org/) https://battleofthebooksgt.org/ (https://battleofthebooksgt.org/) Wrath of the Rain God, https://karlavalenti.com/books/legendarios-book-1/ (https://karlavalenti.com/books/legendarios-book-1/) Duel, https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Duel/Jessixa-Bagley/9781534496545 (https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Duel/Jessixa-Bagley/9781534496545)

2. 

   2 Apr 2026

   “We get caught up in the ‘shoulds’”: Erin Dionne & Andrea Gellerstein

   Wilson Middle School (Natick) Special Education Administrator Andrea Gellerstein and children’s book author Erin Dionne are not only friends, but library advocates! They joined us to discuss ideas professional and personal that can help our practice in school libraries. Erin is presenting at the Mass Reading Conference (https://www.massreading.org/-conference (https://www.massreading.org/-conference)), being held just prior to the MSLA conference and also judged in the MSLA bookmark contest. We discuss genre, AI, educating the next generation of writers and the library’s role in these ideas. Discussed stuff: Montserrat College of Art, Prof. Erin Dionne, https://www.montserrat.edu/staff/erin-dionne/ (https://www.montserrat.edu/staff/erin-dionne/) Kate Messner, Trouble with Heroes Renee Watson’s All the Blues in the Sky The Civil War of Amos Abernathy Michael Leali Special Teams by Fred Bowen History Smashers, Kate Messner Loree Griffin Burns, https://loreeburns.com/ (https://loreeburns.com/) Nancy Costaldo, https://nancycastaldo.com/ (https://nancycastaldo.com/) Melissa Stewart, https://melissa-stewart.com/ (https://melissa-stewart.com/) Brian Lies, https://www.brianlies.com/ (https://www.brianlies.com/) Christine Soontornvat, All 13 https://soontornvat.com/ (https://soontornvat.com/) Christine Soontornvat, Wish in the Dark Christine Soontornvat, Last Mapmaker Erin Dionne, Shiver by the Sea, https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/series/VE6/shiver-by-the-sea/ (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/series/VE6/shiver-by-the-sea/) Stephen King The House with a Clock in Its Walls, John Bellairs Fainth Erin Hicks, Universal Monsters: The Mummy https://www.skybound.com/universal-monsters-the-mummy/comics/issue-1 (https://www.skybound.com/universal-monsters-the-mummy/comics/issue-1) Brian “Smitty” Smith, Meet Ballpoint! https://conskipper.com/transformers-worst-bot-ever-meet-ballpoint-creators-brian-smitty-smith-and-marz-jr-the-conskipper-interview/ (https://conskipper.com/transformers-worst-bot-ever-meet-ballpoint-creators-brian-smitty-smith-and-marz-jr-the-conskipper-interview/) Hunger Games David Kelly, Ballpark Mysteries, https://davidakellybooks.com/books/series/ballpark-mysteries/ (https://davidakellybooks.com/books/series/ballpark-mysteries/) Jarrett Lerner, https://jarrettlerner.com/ (https://jarrettlerner.com/) Anthropic AI Class Action Lawsuit, https://www.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/ (https://www.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/) If Looks Could Kill, Julie Berry https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/If-Looks-Could-Kill/Julie-Berry/9781534470811 (https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/If-Looks-Could-Kill/Julie-Berry/9781534470811) Eli Brown, Oddity, https://www.eli-brown.com/ (https://www.eli-brown.com/) Eli Brown, Mooncussers Justina Ireland, Dread Nation, https://www.harpercollins.com/products/dread-nation-justina-ireland?variant=40827474313250 (https://www.harpercollins.com/products/dread-nation-justina-ireland?variant=40827474313250) Warrior Girl Unearthed, Angeline Boulley, https://angelineboulley.com/ Shrinking, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15677150/ (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15677150/) How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, https://www.netflix.com/title/81758849?fromWatch=true (https://www.netflix.com/title/81758849?fromWatch=true) Derry Girls, https://www.channel4.com/programmes/derry-girls (https://www.channel4.com/programmes/derry-girls)

3. 

   28 Feb 2026

   AASL Presidential Candidate: Heather Thore

   Heather Thore on the campaign trail: join us for a discussion of action research into PBIS, passion for ed tech efficacy, leadership development at the South Carolina Association of School Librarians, and the transparency she hopes to bring to the AASL. Check out the candidate announcement for voting details: https://www.ala.org/news/2025/12/aasl-announces-candidates-2026-election (https://www.ala.org/news/2025/12/aasl-announces-candidates-2026-election). Robert Anderson Middle School https://robertanderson.anderson5.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=3721029&type=d&pREC_ID=2428584 (https://robertanderson.anderson5.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=3721029&type=d&pREC_ID=2428584) SCASL https://www.scasl.net/ (https://www.scasl.net/) SCASL Summer Institute https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kx6KgBVDd8nKI5y6n0ZuQojyFGxbAL3zV1x0093GXEc/edit?tab=t.0 (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kx6KgBVDd8nKI5y6n0ZuQojyFGxbAL3zV1x0093GXEc/edit?tab=t.0) Ozo bots https://ozobot.com/ (https://ozobot.com/) Sphero https://sphero.com/ (https://sphero.com/) 3D Pins ???https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLcOcitdu_g (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLcOcitdu_g) Get Involved Form https://www.ala.org/aboutala/committees/volunteer/frm_vol (https://www.ala.org/aboutala/committees/volunteer/frm_vol) Capella Univeristy https://www.capella.edu/ (https://www.capella.edu/) Positive Behaiovr Intervention and Supports (PBIS) https://www.pbis.org/ (https://www.pbis.org/) North Carolina School Library Media Association (NCSLMA) — https://www.ncslma.org/ (https://www.ncslma.org/) ABC - CLIO Leadership Grant https://www.ala.org/grants/abc-clio-leadership-grant (https://www.ala.org/grants/abc-clio-leadership-grant) Gloria Ladson-Billings https://ed.stanford.edu/about/community/gloria-ladson-billings (https://ed.stanford.edu/about/community/gloria-ladson-billings) Culturally Responsive Learning https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/culturally-responsive-teaching-culturally-responsive-pedagogy/2022/04 (https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/culturally-responsive-teaching-culturally-responsive-pedagogy/2022/04) Trauma Informed Teaching https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/tools-tips/trauma-informed-practices (https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/tools-tips/trauma-informed-practices) Freida McFadden, https://www.freidamcfadden.com/ (https://www.freidamcfadden.com/) Found, https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/found-release-date-news (https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/found-release-date-news)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.