Michael L. Printz Award Honor National Book Award Longlist Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Golden Kite Award (x2) Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Blue Ribbon Award ALSC Notable Children’s Book Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Publisher’s Weekly Best Young Adult Books Kirkus Best Young Adult Books The Horn Book Fanfare Best Fiction School Library Journal Best Graphic Novels Chicago Public Library Best Teen Graphic Novels The Children’s Book Review Best YA Books International Literacy Association Notable Book for a Global Society Common Sense Media Teen Selection
9:45 – 10:30 – Book signing with Maria van Lieshout sponsored by Every Page Counts coffee break with pastries, sponsor visits, pop-up bookshops open – Upper School Library
10:30 – 12:30 – Morning presentations – All – Upper School Library
10:30 – 11:00 –“Turning Pages, Building Bridges: The Power of Family Book Clubs” (Staci Fox, American School of London)
11:00 – 11:30 – “Maximizing Expert Resources and Author Visits Across the EC – 12 Community” (Lauren Boop and Eileen Kless, Carlucci International School of Lisbon)
11:30 – 12:00 – “Turning the Page: Reigniting Student Engagement with Reading” (Johanna Schooley, Oakhouse School)
12:00 – 12:30 – “Booklists, Who Needs Them?” (Katie Day, Tanglin Trust School, Nadine Bailey, American School of Dubai) – Upper School Library
12:30 – 13:30 – Lunch catered by the International School of Amsterdam Presentations: “Sora Consortiums: Best Practices” (Laura Figurski, OverDrive) – CDLT 1 & CDLT 2
13:30 – 15:30 – Afternoon presentations – All – Upper School Library
13:30 – 14:00 – “Creative Approaches to Wellness Developed and Delivered by Your School Librarian” (Michelle Andis, International School of Florence 14:00 – 14:30 – “Creating a Dynamic Student Librarian Program” (Kate Adams, International Sharing School Taguspark) 14:30 – 15:00 – “Creating a Human Library that Works for an International School” (Farin Mendis, International School of Prague) 15:00 – 15:30 – “Underused to Unmissable: Repositioning the Library as a Dynamic Learning Space for the Whole Community” (Ali Kennedy, TASIS The American School in England) – Upper School Library
15:30 – 16:00 – Coffee and tea break with Dutch stroopwafels, sponsor visits, and pop-up bookshops – Upper School Library
16:00 – 17:00 – ISA library tours hosted by Helle Kirstein, Nathalie Morrissey, and Kim Tyo-Dickerson, International School of Amsterdam (Netherlands) – Early Childhood, Lower School and Upper School Libraries
17:00 – 18:00 – Sponsor Showcase Borrel sponsored by PowerNotes, pop-up bookshops open – Upper School Library
18:00 – 19:30 – *Indonesian Rijsttafel dinner sponsored by Sora– George Jr’s
8:30 – 8:45 – “Crowdsourcing and a Call to Action: Multilingual Collection Development for International Schools” (Helle Kirstein, International School of Amsterdam) 8:45 – 9:15 – “Loose Parts in the Library” (Alicia Baine, British School of Brussels) 9:15 – 9:45 – “Book Connections and Collaborations” (Rebecca Battistoni, Istanbul International Community School) 9:45 – 10:15 – “Ignite the Page: Building a Reading Culture from Elementary to Middle School” (Annie Harris, International Community School Addis Ababa) 10:15 – 10:30 – “Beat the Screen: Combined Print and Audio Solutions for Young Readers” (Nathalie Morrissey, International School of Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Yaroslava Chernusenko, VOX Books) – hands-on session
Middle and High School Presentations (Grade 6/Year 7 – Grade 12/Year 13) – Upper School Library
8:30 – 9:00 – “Supporting Academic Integrity and Research Skills in the Age of AI” (Mary Lawson, International School of Amsterdam) 9:00 – 9:30 – “The Quandary of Navigating AI Ethics, Cognitive Debt, and the Future of Independent Thinking” (Heather Caveney, American Collegiate Institute) 9:30 – 9:45 – “Genrefy on the Fly” (Astrid Krediet, St. Catherine’s British School) 9:45 – 10:00 – “Crowdsourcing and a Call to Action: Multilingual Collection Development for International Schools” (Helle Kirstein, International School of Amsterdam) 10:15 – 10:30 – “How to Run a Parent Book Club” (Astrid Krediet, St. Catherine’s British School)
10:30 – 11:00 – Coffee break with pastries, sponsor visits, pop-up bookshops – Upper School Library
Hands on workshops – Upper School Library and CDLT 1
11:05 – 11:55 – Group 1 “Librarians Are Magic” (Aaron Tyo-Dickerson, International School of The Hague & MagicSchool AI Pioneer) – CDLT 1 / Group 2 “Designing a Research Process Students Can’t Skip” followed by “PowerNotes Demo” (Brenda Brusegard, PowerNotes Director of K-12 Engagement) – Upper School Library
11:55 – 12:05 – Switch workshops
12:05 – 13:00 – Group 2 “Librarians Are Magic” (Aaron Tyo-Dickerson, International School of The Hague & MagicSchool AI Pioneer) – CDLT 1/ Group 2 “Designing a Research Process Students Can’t Skip” followed by “PowerNotes Demo” (Brenda Brusegard, PowerNotes Director of K-12 Engagement) – Upper School Library
13:00 – 13:45 – Lunch sponsored by MagicSchool – sandwiches, salads, and dessert & catered by Small World Catering – George Jr’s
13:45 – 14:00 – 🏆 Drawing for door prizes! Thanks, farewell, and see you next year at ISLE! – Upper School Library
Thursday 19 March 2026 8:30 – 19:30
“Song of a Blackbird : A Literary Architecture and Arts Tour” Special Guest: Author Maria van Lieshout
Registration Details
Inclusions: Expert-led tours, museum entries, morning coffee/tea, and the concluding borrel.
What to Bring: Comfortable walking shoes, rain gear, water bottle, and your ebook copy of Song of a Blackbird.
Note: Lunch at De Plantage is at the participant’s own expense.
Join us as we step off the page and onto the pavement. Tracing the maps and historic sites immortalized in Maria van Lieshout’s award-winning graphic novel, Song of a Blackbird, we will explore Amsterdam’s center of commerce, the Jewish Cultural Quarter, and the Plantage district.
This journey brings to life the novel’s central theme—“Fight hate. Make art.”—as we transition from the visceral history of the Dutch resistance and the Shoah to the vibrant, creative voices of the present day.
Note: Each pre-conference participant has received access to an ebook copy of Song of a Blackbird via ISA Libraries’ Sora Digital Library to read before, during, and after the pre-conference activities. Access began on 23 February and will last through 23 March.
Morning: The Paper Trails of Resistance
08:30 – 09:30 | Coffee & Origins at the Oude Turfmarkt Our day begins at Oude Turfmarkt 127, the former headquarters of De Nederlandsche Bank (Central Bank of the Netherlands). Now home to the Allard Pierson Museum, this site is an important location in the novel. Over coffee at the museum’s cafe, author Maria van Lieshout will share how the bank’s history and its role in the Dutch resistance shaped the world of Blackbird.
09:30 – 10:15 | Inside the “Kantoor”: Herengracht 475 Next we walk to Herengracht 475, the office building featured in the “Kantoor” print. In a rare “step into the novel” moment, we have special permission to go inside to view the ornate painted ceiling and see the door to the original safe used in hiding young Soli in Blackbird.
“I’ve combined a photo of the ceiling of my grandfather’s office on the Herengracht with illustrations. My grandfather worked under this ceiling for 25 years. It’s a ceiling painting inspired by Virgil’s Aeneid. My mother played under it as a little girl, and during the war years, the office served as a meeting place for the resistance, and under this painting, plans were made to sabotage the Nazis. Under the painting, my grandfather said goodbye to his great friend and colleague Frits Nieuwenhuijsen, who was arrested shortly afterward by the Sicherheitsdienst and executed (shot dead) by them” (Illustration Embassy).
Mid-Day: The Weight of Memory
10:15 – 11:00 | Nationaal Holocaust Namenmonument We proceed to the National Holocaust Names Memorial. Here, we spend time among the names and paths that commemorate the 102,000 Jewish victims and 220 Roma and Sinti victims arrested during the German occupation. It is a moment for silent reflection on the scale of loss and the importance of naming the forgotten.
11:00 – 12:00 | Hollandsche Schouwburg A short walk brings us to the Hollandsche Schouwburg. Once a theater, it became a site of deportation and is now a somber memorial. We will visit the site to understand its dual identity as a place of former culture and profound tragedy.
Here is a view of the resistance print of the Hollandsche Schouwburg in Blackbird:
12:00 – 13:15 | Reflection & Lunch at Café-Restaurant de Plantage We pause for lunch and coffee at the elegant Café-Restaurant de Plantage (at participant’s expense). Located in the heart of the Jewish Cultural Quarter, this is a moment to process the morning’s experiences before we shift our focus to the stories of those who fought back.
Afternoon: Defiance and Creative Response
13:45 – 16:00 | The Verzetsmuseum (Dutch Resistance Museum) To allow for an intimate experience, our group will rotate through three curated perspectives of defiance, with echoes of Van Lieshout’s character Emma responding to the Nazi presence at the Hollandsche Schouwburg in 1943:
Resistance Neighborhood Tour: A walking tour exploring the local streets where the resistance lived and worked. “There are many places, buildings and monuments in the vicinity of the museum that remind us of the Second World War: Artis, the former population registry, the Hollandsche Schouwburg, the monument to the artists’ resistance movement, the Auschwitz monument. The museum educators walk with visitors along these places and tell the participants about them.”
Verzetsmuseum Junior: A uniquely guided immersive tour. “The Resistance Museum Junior centres on the stories of four eyewitnesses: Eva, Henk, Jan and Nelly. They were between 9 and 14 years old during the war, the same age group as the target audience of the children’s museum. The four children are the storytellers in the four main themes: persecution, resistance, collaboration and everyday life/adjustments. What was life like for these children during the occupation? What happened to them? What were the choices, problems and dilemmas they faced due to a lack of freedom, persecution and shortages?”
The Netherlands in WWII: An independent exploration of the main exhibit. “Discover the Verzetsmuseum (Dutch Resistance Museum) in the heart of Amsterdam and step back in time to the era of war, dictatorship, persecution and resistance. Here you will uncover the impressive history behind the difficult choices that the Dutch had to make during the dark days of the German occupation in the Second World War.
The museum also sheds light on the significant changes brought about by World War II in the former Dutch colonies of Indonesia, Suriname, and the Dutch Caribbean islands, as well as the aftermath of the war, with stories about decolonization and the lasting impact of the colonial past up to the present day.
More than 130 powerful, personal stories challenge you to reflect on what you would do in these extreme and challenging circumstances. They provide insights into the value of tolerance, freedom, self-determination and democracy.”
16:00 – 17:30 | The Creative Pivot: STRAAT Museum & The IJ We take the metro to Amsterdam Centraal and then go on a scenic ferry crossing over the IJ waterfront, our perspective shifting from the historical to the contemporary. We arrive at the STRAAT Museum, the world’s largest space for street art. Here, we explore how modern creators transform urban canvases into voices of resistance and beauty—the ultimate “Make Art” response.
16:45 – Welcome reception at STRAAT Museum with bubbles and an amuse-bouche
17:45 – 19:30 | The Borrel We conclude our journey at the STRAAT, relaxing with international school librarian colleagues over a traditional Dutch borrel, a drinks and snacks reception in the STRAAT Museum Cafe overlooking the STRAAT graffiti and street art collection. It is the perfect ending to a day of immersive discovery and shared stories before the conference officially begins.
Never forgetting is the foundation; art is the bridge to the future. – ISLE Committee
We are thrilled to welcome Dutch-American author and illustrator Maria van Lieshout as our keynote speaker for the 2026 International School Librarians in Europe Conference. Maria will also be joining us during our pre-conference Song of a Blackbird 🐦⬛ tour of historic Amsterdam as featured in her graphic
ay 1: Morning Presentations
10:30 – 11:00 –“Turning Pages, Building Bridges: The Power of Family Book Clubs” (Staci Fox, American School of London)
In my presentation, I will talk about my new program: The Middle School Family Book Club. I will give a background of why & how I started the program, my book picks, how I set up the evening, how I harnessed parent volunteers, and how I will improve upon the program next year.
11:00 – 11:30 – “Maximizing Expert Resources and Author Visits Across the EC – 12 Community” (Lauren Boop and Eileen Kless, Carlucci International School of Lisbon)
“Engaging students with authentic voices and diverse perspectives transforms library programming and classroom learning. This session explores practical strategies for identifying, booking, and integrating expert resources and author visits into the broader EC-12 community. Participants will discover how to leverage resources and community-based initiatives like the Human Library, student-led thematic programming, and service learning to create meaningful learning experiences that support literacy. We will share real world examples of successful partnerships (including a third visit from 2026 Newberry Medal winner Renée Watson) and how to align visits with instruction to build sustainable programming that supports library engagement. Come learn about how our school:
-Utilizes authors like Renée Watson, Ellen Hagan, and Richard Zimler in our wider school community -Integrates authors from Portugal like Raquel Briosa to support Portuguese language learning -Supports interdisciplinary and project-based learning through the library from STEAM visits from experts, including a marimba builder -Created a Human Library initiative to maximize the experts of our greater community -Empowers students to lead library initiatives for activities like Martin Luther King Jr. Day -Supports thematic programming and service learning for celebrations such as Women’s Day and Earth Day”
11:30 – 12:00 – “Turning the Page: Reigniting Student Engagement with Reading” (Johanna Schooley, Oakhouse School)
Why are fewer students choosing to read for enjoyment—and how can librarians work to turn the trend around? Recent research has shown reading for pleasure has been declining, and many young readers are feeling disconnected from books, stories, and sustained reading experiences. This session takes a closer look at reading engagement trends while digging into the personal, social, and motivational reasons behind the decline—such as time pressures, reading identity, relevance, and past experiences with reading.
This interactive session blends research with real-world practice. Participants will explore how librarians can move beyond simply promoting books to actively connecting readers with stories that matter to them. Rather than a one-size-fits-all solution, the focus will be on honoring choice, curiosity, and personal connection.
A key part of this session is collaboration. Attendees will brainstorm together and share what they are already doing in their own spaces of literacy to spark interest, build relationships with readers, and bring the stories living on library shelves to life. From programming and displays to creative student recommendations and community storytelling, participants will leave with fresh ideas inspired by peers facing similar challenges.
Come ready to talk, listen, share, and experiment—this is a working session focused on practical strategies, creative thinking, and renewed enthusiasm for helping students rediscover the joy, relevance, and power of reading for pleasure.
12:00 – 12:30 – “Booklists, Who Needs Them?” (Katie Day, Tanglin Trust School, Nadine Bailey, American School of Dubai) – Upper School Library
13:30 – 14:00 – “Creative Approaches to Wellness Developed and Delivered by Your School Librarian” (Michelle Andis, International School of Florence
[description pending]
14:00 – 14:30 – “Creating a Dynamic Student Librarian Program” (Kate Adams, International Sharing School Taguspark)
This workshop explores how giving students meaningful roles in the library can actively support the library’s mission. Through tasks like advocating for student needs and promoting a reading culture, student librarians become integral to the library’s outreach, creating peer-to-peer engagement that boosts student involvement in the library’s services. Student librarians, empowered through training and leadership, can also act as advocates for library resources within the school. This can inspire faculty to integrate library services more fully into their curricula, as the student librarians become key voices in how library services contribute to learning and research. In integrating students into the library team, we foster a sense of ownership and agency that is foundational for reshaping library services in a way that is more aligned with student needs.
14:30 – 15:00 – “Creating a Human Library that Works for an International School” (Farin Mendis, International School of Prague)
Inspired by the beautiful idea of The Human Library started in Copenhagen, The Library Hub of the International School of Prague set out to create a Human Library for an international school setting. How could busy teachers serve as “books” to be checked out when they barely have time to go to the bathroom? How could we harness the diversity of our staff and further community to support inquiry – especially for the PYPx, PP & EE? The ISP Library Hub found a solution that worked for them and they are happy to share the idea and resources that they used with other international schools who are interested in launching a similar project.
15:00 – 15:30 – “Underused to Unmissable: Repositioning the Library as a Dynamic Learning Space for the Whole Community” (Ali Kennedy, TASIS The American School in England) – Upper School Library
I aim to present a case study based on my experience of redeveloping my current library. I will talk about the challenge of redeveloping a library that was so underused that most people in the school did not even know we had one. It had a massively dated collection, was unwelcoming and dreary and did not serve the needs of the community. I used the School’s Mission and Values to underpin everything in the strategic development of the space and the results have been clear – increased borrowing, demand for co-teaching, increased access to digital resources and a massive increase in footfall. With this there are new emerging challenges too. Additionally, I worked with the Head of School to develop a standard for school librarians – a rubric that covers all aspects of the job and helps to focus my own professional development. This was non-existent before, and it was difficult to find anything of this kind within the sector in general. Establishing this has confirmed the professional educator status of a school librarian – an essential component in raising the status of the Library in the eyes of the community.
Early Childhood and Lower School Library Presentations
8:30 – 8:45 – “How to Run a Parent Book Club” (Astrid Krediet, St. Catherine’s British School)
This presentation will follow my learning curve on how to run a successful Parent Book Club, including how to overcome certain challenges (reading levels, language barriers, etc.)
8:45 – 9:15 – “Loose Parts in the Library” (Alicia Baine, British School of Brussels)
Our school library has become a dynamic play‑rich environment through the intentional use of loose parts, inviting children to explore stories, language, and ideas with their hands as well as their imaginations. This session will share how loose parts have been embedded in our early years and primary library practice to deepen engagement with texts, support oral language and narrative play and open up inclusive, low‑threshold entry points for reluctant readers, highlighting key routines, examples of practice, and the ways we have worked with staff to shift perceptions of what a library can be.
9:15 – 9:45 – “Book Connections and Collaborations” (Rebecca Battistoni, Istanbul International Community School)
As the new Librarian at IICS this year, I was looking for ways to integrate within the PYP other than just during a weekly “Library Lesson” storytelling or media literacy session. Working with the Grade 1 teachers, I realized that I could harness the students’ inquiries into bookmaking, using actual books in our collection as their jumping off point. This idea began with Grade 1 Research (using nonfiction insect books) and has grown into the Who We Are UoI’s in Grades 2, 3 and 4. Grade 5 will focus on their PYPx journey. At the end of the year, each of the elementary classes will have a published, circulating hardbound book placed in the Library collection showing their collaborative work. Student reading engagement has been high within each grade level, as we are using books to learn vocabulary, using books for their design aspect, and using books as models for the books we then create as a class. It has been a very successful collaborative project with teachers, students, the Digital Learning coach, and Library staff all involved. This presentation will go through the whole process, showing the steps I’ve taken to implement “Book Connections and Collaborations” at IICS. While not necessarily new, or groundbreaking, seeing what is possible might just inspire others to write and publish books with their students!
9:45 – 10:15 – “Ignite the Page: Building a Reading Culture from Elementary to Middle School” (Annie Harris, International Community School Addis Ababa)
This presentation will outline a dynamic strategy for building a robust and sustainable culture of reading that spans the critical developmental years from Elementary to Middle School. This initiative centers the school library as the central hub of learning at any school. Key strategies will be explored, including:
Instructional Relevance: Forging strong partnerships with all classroom teachers—across every subject—to seamlessly integrate the library and literacy resources into both curriculum and extracurricular activities, making reading relevant inside and outside the classroom.
Cultural Infrastructure: Establishing high-impact, school-wide reading initiatives, events, and a warm, flexible library environment to foster intrinsic motivation and joy in reading for every student.
Global Connection: Engaging the school community in widely recognized reading competitions and challenges, such as Book Bowl and the Iris Award, to elevate literacy as a celebrated, competitive, and communal event.
By focusing on environment, integration, and celebration, this framework provides the blueprint for transforming students from compliance-based readers into lifelong, passionate learners.
10:15 – 10:30 – “Beat the Screen: Combined Print and Audio Solutions for Young Readers” (Nathalie Morrissey, International School of Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Yaroslava Chernusenko, VOX Books) – hands-on session
8:30 – 9:00 – “Supporting Academic Integrity and Research Skills in the Age of AI” (Mary Lawson, International School of Amsterdam)
This presentation acknowledges the complexity of this moment and focuses on actionable, library-centered approaches for supporting academic integrity and the ethical use of AI. While a growing body of research highlights the urgent need for AI-related upskilling for both students and educators, particularly around ethical use, there is still limited evidence-based guidance on best practices. This session positions librarians as collaborators and co-learners, working together to share emerging strategies and approaches that are proving effective in practice.
A key component of the session will be structured opportunities for discussion and peer sharing. The goal is to foster connection and a collective effort to support students and faculty through ongoing collaboration rather than isolated solutions.
9:00 – 9:30 – “The Quandary of Navigating AI Ethics, Cognitive Debt, and the Future of Independent Thinking” (Heather Caveney, American Collegiate Institute)
As Generative AI becomes an inescapable fixture in the educational landscape, school librarians face a variety of challenges: the “personalities” of AI tools, the ethical and cognitive risks they pose to our students, knowing when and how to support teachers and students around the use of GAI, and knowing and maintaining the alignment between our own “personal ethics” and the use of such tools.
In this session I will share my personal journey, and struggle, in coming to accept and use GAI tools. I will share how I have been approaching the use of GAI tools with my colleagues, what I have been sharing with students in my lessons, and the real concern I have that the “Field of Education” is not waiting to see what research can support, or not, in regards to the effective use of GAI for learning.
During the second half of the session I want to facilitate a conversation to learn what other librarians are doing and why. How have you navigated the murky ethical waters around GAI? Has your institution invested time and effort into being clear about their ethical stance on GAI, and do they have clear guidance in place for the use of GAI for both teachers and students? Is that guidance supported by research?
To truly “meet the challenge” of this era, librarians must help colleagues not to lose the forest for the trees; we must see past instant content creation to see the ethical and neurological costs of a technology that can lead to metacognitive laziness and a loss of perceived ownership over one’s own work. Please join me for a candid and authentic discussion.
9:30 – 9:45 – “Genrefy on the Fly” (Astrid Krediet, St. Catherine’s British School)
How to reorganise your fiction collection quickly and effectively using minimal preparation whilst still managing library classes. This presentation will give practical strategies.
9:45 – 10:00 – “Case Study Syria: DP Global Studies Source Evaluation Activity” (Kim Tyo-Dickerson, International School of Amsterdam)
10:15 – 10:30 – “Crowdsourcing and a Call to Action: Multilingual Collection Development for International Schools” (Helle Kirstein, International School of Amsterdam)
“Librarians Are Magic” (Aaron Tyo-Dickerson, International School of The Hague & MagicSchool AI Pioneer) – CDLT 1
Ready to transform how you promote your library and engage students? In this interactive session, you’ll discover practical ways to use MagicSchool AI to save time and spark creativity.
What You’ll Learn:
Getting started with MagicSchool and claiming your free three-month Plus account
Creating eye-catching promotions, personalized reading recommendations, and automated workflows
Building custom tools tailored to your library’s needs
Setting up MagicSchool classrooms for student learning
The Hands-On Part: Work in small groups to build real, ready-to-use outputs — program flyers, book lists, or email campaigns — that you can use immediately at your school.
Perfect For: Librarians ready to work smarter and bring innovative tools into their library spaces.
“Designing a Research Process Students Can’t Skip” followed by “PowerNotes Demo” (Brenda Brusegard, PowerNotes Director of K-12 Engagement) – Upper School Library
In an AI-enabled world, generating text is easy, but meaningful research is not. As tools increasingly shortcut writing, the real challenge for schools is ensuring students still engage in inquiry, source evaluation, and synthesis.
This session explores how librarians and educators can intentionally design and manage the research process so that thinking remains visible, scaffolded, and assessable, even when AI tools are part of the landscape. Rather than focusing on detection or prohibition, the session centers on process design, how students move from questions to sources to sense-making, and where that process often disappears.
Participants will examine practical strategies for: -Structuring inquiry so it cannot be bypassed -Making research thinking visible across age levels -Supporting ethical and transparent AI use within research -Using digital tools to document and support the research journey
Attendees will leave with a clear framework for strengthening research instruction, redefining the librarian’s role in an AI world, and designing research experiences that value process over product.
🥇Gold Level Sponsors
“With over 100 years of combined experience in international education and logistics, we understand the challenges educators and librarians face. Whether building diverse libraries, sourcing curriculum-aligned titles, or outfitting classrooms, we deliver effective solutions tailored to your needs. Our global network ensures reliable delivery of hard-to-find and comprehensive collections, managing sourcing, ordering, and shipping to maximize your budget and ease your workload. Let us handle the details so you can focus on supporting your students and fostering a thriving learning environment.”
“The most-loved AI tools for teachers. AI that cuts hours off your week without cutting corners. Less burnout, more breathing room, and the best version of you for your students.”
“PowerNotes is the only tool scientifically designed to help students and professionals create high quality research confidently & efficiently.”
American Association of School Librarians names Sora a 2024 Best Digital Tool for Teaching & Learning!
“Sora provides every student digital access to the right books on any device using their school credentials. As the leading student reading platform for schools, Sora offers the industry’s largest catalog of ebooks, audiobooks, read-alongs, magazines and more for curriculum and choice reading.”
🥉Bronze Level Sponsors
“ePlatform’s eBook collections give your students 24/7 access to an expertly curated collection of titles from leading international and local publishers, matched to your school’s year groups. Built to support both independent reading and classroom learning, it’s a simple way to access a flexible digital library for your whole school.”
“VOX™ Books are the world’s first audio books that live in print books. The permanently attached VOX Reader transforms an ordinary print book into an all-in-one read-along. No need for computers, tablets, or CDs—children simply push a button to listen and read.”
International School of Amsterdam Sportlaan 45 1185 TB Amstelveen The Netherlands https://www.isa.nl/
🌍 Travel
✈️ Airport: Schiphol (easy access via trains from Schiphol, 10 minute ride to Amsterdam Zuid, metro 52, trams 25 and 5 access to hotels)
🚂 Train: Amsterdam Centraal or Amsterdam Zuid (metro 52, trams 25 and 5 access to hotels)
📣 You can travel with your bank card, no need to buy tickets in advance!
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I’m excited to be attending the ISLE Conference — Meeting the Challenge — at the International School of Amsterdam, 19–21 March 2026! 🌍📚 Looking forward to keynote sessions with Maria van Lieshout, practical presentations for international school libraries, and the pre-conference “Song of a Blackbird” literary & art tour. Can’t wait to connect with librarians from across Europe, Africa, and Asia and explore topics from AI and information literacy to multilingual reading cultures. Will I see you there? Register here: https://isleconf.com/ — #ISLEconf
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Heading to ISLE Conference (19–21 Mar 2026) at the International School of Amsterdam! 📚✨ Excited for Maria van Lieshout’s keynote, the Song of a Blackbird tour, and sessions on AI, multilingual libraries & info literacy. Join me: https://isleconf.com/ #ISLEconf
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Ready for Amsterdam! 🐦⬛✈️ I’ll be at the ISLE Conference — “Meeting the Challenge” — 19–21 March 2026 at the International School of Amsterdam. Can’t wait for Maria van Lieshout’s keynote, the Song of a Blackbird literary & art tour, and inspiring sessions on AI, multilingual reading cultures, censorship, and student engagement. Meeting colleagues from 25+ countries — bring on the ideas and connections! Who else is coming? Register: https://isleconf.com/ #ISLEconf #InternationalSchoolLibraries #LibraryLife #EdTech #MultilingualReading #Amsterdam
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I’m attending the ISLE Conference — Meeting the Challenge (19–21 March 2026) at the International School of Amsterdam. I’m looking forward to Maria van Lieshout’s keynote, the pre-conference Song of a Blackbird literary & art tour, and practical sessions addressing AI, information literacy, multilingual libraries, equity, and student reading engagement. This is a great opportunity to connect with international school librarians from across Europe, Africa, and Asia and bring actionable ideas back to our libraries. Will you be there? Register here: https://isleconf.com/ #ISLEconf #SchoolLibraries #InformationLiteracy #EdLeadership
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Excited to share that I’ve been selected as a presenter at the ISLE Conference — Meeting the Challenge — at the International School of Amsterdam, 19–21 March 2026! 🌍📚 I’ll be presenting practical strategies for international school libraries and I’m especially looking forward to Maria van Lieshout’s keynote and the pre-conference “Song of a Blackbird” literary & art tour. Can’t wait to connect with librarians from Europe, Africa, and Asia and discuss AI, information literacy, multilingual reading cultures, and equity in schools. Will I see you there? Register: https://isleconf.com/ — #ISLEconf
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Honored to be selected as a presenter at ISLE Conference (19–21 Mar 2026) in Amsterdam! 🎤📚 Looking forward to sharing library strategies and joining sessions on AI, multilingual libraries & info literacy. Join us: https://isleconf.com/ #ISLEconf
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Big news — I’ve been selected as a presenter at the ISLE Conference: “Meeting the Challenge” in Amsterdam, 19–21 March 2026! 🐦⬛🎤 I’ll be sharing practical ideas for international school libraries alongside inspiring sessions on AI, multilingual reading cultures, censorship, and student engagement. Can’t wait for Maria van Lieshout’s keynote and the Song of a Blackbird literary & art tour. Who else is coming? Register: https://isleconf.com/ #ISLEconf #Presenter #InternationalSchoolLibraries #LibraryLife #EdTech #MultilingualReading #Amsterdam
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I’m pleased to announce I have been selected as a presenter at the ISLE Conference — Meeting the Challenge (19–21 March 2026) at the International School of Amsterdam. I’ll be presenting on practical, evidence-informed strategies for international school libraries and look forward to engaging with colleagues on AI, information literacy, multilingual libraries, equity, and student reading engagement. This conference is an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas with librarians from Europe, Africa, and Asia — hope to see many of you there. Register: https://isleconf.com/ #ISLEconf #SchoolLibraries #InformationLiteracy #EdLeadership #ConferencePresenter
We are thrilled to bring a curated literary experience to the Upper School Library through our partnership with two celebrated local bookstores, The American Book Center and Athenaeum Boekhandel & Nieuwscentrum. Our on-site pop-up shops offer our international colleagues a unique opportunity to browse a collection hand-selected by the ISLE Committee and our local bookselling partners.
Explore a unique selection of Dutch literature in translation for all ages, alongside titles celebrating Dutch characters and culture.
It’s the perfect opportunity to find a hidden gem for your library or your own bookshelf!
Payment: Pin only
When: Friday 20 March – Saturday 21 March 2026
Thank you ABC for sponsoring the ISLE Conference this year by giving every attendee an iconic ABC Booklover tote bag!
Don’t forget to share the book love: #ABCBookloverBag
ABC has been our region’s independent, family-owned, English language bookstore since 1972. ABC is ISA Libraries’ partner for annual holiday book sales, author visits, and The John Adams Institute events. We met our keynote, Maria van Lieshout, through our bookseller partners at ABC!
We are excited to welcome Athenaeum Boekhandel to this year’s ISLE conference. A cornerstone of the Dutch literary landscape since 1966, Athenaeum is renowned for its scholarly focus and vast collection of international titles in multiple languages.
For our ISLE Conference pop-up bookshop in the Upper School Library, our ISA Libraries team has worked with Athenaeum’s expert booksellers to curate a selection of award-winning Dutch children’s literature, including available English translations. We are so pleased to offer our international colleagues a expansive view into #DutchKidLit to take home!
: A Literary Architecture and Arts Tour”
