To help increase awareness of and deepen understanding around resources offered through WiLS’ Cooperative Purchasing service, we present this new series of stories that highlights how our members and our vendor partners work together to help their communities succeed. In addition, we hope this sparks our members’ creativity around teaching and learning.
Our first article comes from Tim Powers, Regional Director at ClickView, a streaming video platform that supports learning across districts, including Wisconsin’s New London School District and Katie Kovalaske, New London Library Media Specialist. Tim and his team are committed to supporting the school media center as a hub for learning.
The School Library as the Hub of Learning
At this year’s American Association of School Librarians (AASL) conference, I had the privilege of speaking with many school librarians who described their role in an especially powerful way. They see themselves as the conduit between classroom learning and the wider world. From this central position, librarians help teachers extend lessons beyond the page, bring authors and experts into students’ lives, curate meaningful media, and design experiences that make learning tangible.
Just as importantly, the library often serves as the hub of the entire school community. It is the shared space where classrooms connect, ideas circulate, and learning becomes visible across grade levels. In a time when relevance and connection matter more than ever, school librarians are uniquely positioned to bring students, teachers, and experiences together in meaningful ways.
A Wisconsin Librarian’s Perspective: Leading from the Hub
That role comes to life in the work of Katie Kovalaske, Library Media Specialist in Wisconsin’s New London School District.
For Katie, the library is not simply a place students visit. It is the learning hub of the school, where curiosity, collaboration, and connection intersect.
“The library is where learning connects across classrooms. It is where students and teachers come together around ideas, stories, and questions that matter.”
One of the most visible examples of Katie’s leadership is One Book, One School, a whole-school initiative that brings students, staff, and families together around a shared text. What began as a single reading experience grew into a community effort that connected classrooms across grade levels and extended learning beyond the school day. Through shared reading, discussion, and activities, the library became the center point for both learning and community.
Katie also plays a key role in supporting teachers from the library hub. She collaborates with educators to curate resources, build background knowledge for units, and introduce materials that help lessons resonate with students. By working across subjects and grade levels, the library supports instruction throughout the building, not just in one classroom at a time.
Student inquiry and research are another important part of this work. Katie helps students learn how to explore topics thoughtfully by guiding them toward credible sources, encouraging questioning, and supporting deeper understanding. Tools like ClickView can support this process by offering accessible entry points into complex topics, but the focus remains on developing strong research habits and critical thinking skills.
Through this work, the library functions as a hub that connects curriculum, instruction, and student learning. Katie was recently featured as a ClickView Champion for her innovative work and dedication to student success. Read more of her insights, and recognize your inspirational colleagues through the Champion nomination form.
Supporting Libraries as Learning Hubs
Stories like Katie’s reflect what many Wisconsin librarians do every day. They lead from the center of the school, serving as the hub that connects teachers, students, and the wider world. With tools like ClickView, librarians can curate trusted, curriculum-connected media, support teachers with engaging resources, and guide students as they explore ideas more deeply and independently.
Tim works closely with school libraries across Wisconsin in partnership with WiLS. If you would like to learn more about how school libraries are using ClickView to support learning across their buildings, please connect with him at tim.powers@clickvieweducation.com.
