Agency and action: Reflections on learning from ASLA 2023

In April 2023, school library staff and others who work in and for school libraries came together for the Australian School Library Association’s (ASLA) biennial conference at the Twin Towns Conference and Function Centre in Tweed Heads, NSW, to Navigate the Future. Over three  days, participants engaged with 54 presentations shared by 67 presenters, and while it may be clichéd to say, the energy and collegiality really were palpable. Too often, the ideas and plans inspired during conferences and other professional learning events are quickly subsumed upon our return to work by the sheer busyness of everyday. To combat this, a group of conference participants have come together to write this series of two papers. In the first article, we share our reflections on the knowledge that deeply motivated us during the conference and granted us the agency to implement it in our own school settings. The subsequent article, featured in the December edition of ACCESS, will provide an update on our ongoing efforts to put our ideas into action, outlining the challenges encountered along the way and presenting our future plans for advancement.