Engaging and empowering school libraries podcast is run by Ruth Maloney, Sabrina Cox and Elizabeth Hutchinson. We are librarians who focus our attention on school library topics. We invite guests to come along and speak on current topics relating to school libraries. Click the link below to listen in. 

Recreational reading. Reading for learning. Reading for life. The school library and school librarian has a vital role to play in supporting pupils to read. Clare Brumpton and Elizabeth Hutchinson look at how they can do this

​Be inspired as Elizabeth Hutchinson shares how school librarians become integral in guiding students' inquiry learning through FOSIL.

I joined Chis Vowles on Teacher Talk Radio to talk about the importance of School Libraries and Librarians. I managed to give Great School Libraries a plug as well as my own favourite Inquiry framework FOSIL. 

Children need a framework a to undertake enquiry-based learning well Elizabeth Hutchinson extols FOSIL and the role of school librarians. 

School librarians do more than help your child find a good book. 

​Radio interview with Voice of Islam drive time show, talking about why school libraries are important. Listen at 1hr 5mins to hear the conversation. 

The school library and school librarian can play a key role in supporting pupils to develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills via inquiry-based learning. Elizabeth Hutchinson and Clare Brumpton break down the six stages of the FOSIL approach

An effective school library can support the whole school. Clare Brumpton and Elizabeth Hutchinson look at how libraries – and librarians – can play a key role in raising standards and improving outcomes

FOSIL Group member Dr Barbara Striping, whose influential work informs the ongoing development of FOSIL, makes the point in E&L Memo 1 | Learning to know and understand through inquiry that “[John] Dewey’s recognition of the need for both content and skills provided solid justification for the role of a school librarian as a teacher of sense-making skills”.

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FOSIL is both a model and a PK-12 (age 4-18) framework of these sense-making skills, along with a growing collection of graphic organizers for developing these skills within the inquiry learning process. More broadly, and through the FOSIL Group, FOSIL is also a collaborative and supportive community of inquiry. Viewed and approached in this way, FOSIL-based inquiry is an effective means for librarians to become instructional partners with their classroom colleagues to the lasting benefit of their students.

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This talk will provide a background to FOSIL, an overview of the model and an exploration of how it works by way of diverse practical examples drawn from content area and extracurricular learning.

Here at the Startup Hub, we love sharing people’s personal experiences of how they build businesses based on their passions.  So when we caught up with Elizabeth Hutchinson, one of our Barclays Eagle Labs Business Accelerator alumni, we just had to tell you her story…  It’s all about testing, learning and developing her business as an independent adviser and trainer for school libraries over the past 18 months.

Like everyone, over the last year, school librarians have had to find ways to adapt to the changing landscape. They have coped brilliantly. But the return to normal will bring back some difficult frustrations, as Elizabeth Hutchinson reports -

Teaching Times 

​How we (SLS Librarians)  have used technology to talk ourselves into the classroom with amazing results. Some we expected and others we didn't. 

With the recent campaign #GreatSchoolLibraries I was asked to write an article about why school libraries are important. UKedchat agreed to publish it. Why do our students need school libraries with professional librarians in them? Read more here. 

The school library and school librarian can play a key role in supporting pupils to develop their media and digital literacy skills, especially when it comes to misinformation and fake news. Elizabeth Hutchinson and Clare Brumpton look at ideas for how they can do this

A thriving school library has myriad benefits for staff and students, says Elizabeth Hutchinson

FOSIL is at its simplest, a model of the inquiry process that is based on the work of Barbara Stripling as reflected in the Empire State Information Fluency Continuum. Because this process emerged from a stance, FOSIL is also a mind set. Because this process is enabled by skills FOSIL is also a PK - 12 (reception to year 13) skill set. Because the skills that constitute this skill set need to be developed systematically and progressively FOSIL is also a tool set for doing so. Finally, because FOSIL is a collaborative inquiry into the nature and practice of inquiry learning, FOSIL is also a growing community of inquiry. This article serves as a brief introduction to and overview of FOSIL. 

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This article was originally published in ACCESS, Volume 35, Issue 2 June, 2021

Inquiry Learning empowers students to become independent learners and critical thinkers. Collaboration between the school librarian and teachers not only provides students access to good quality resources but also introduces them to a set of skills need to engage with the world beyond school. 

Queens New Years Honours takes place at Government House, Guernsey

​In September 2018 I presented at the ResearchEd national conference. Here is the first half of my presentation for those of you who were unable to attend. Do you want to hear what else I shared? Please get in touch...