I have been thinking quite a bit about media literacy for a long time now, and I have noticed that my training and career as a school librarian have really impacted how I consume media. I’m not able to casually… Read More ›
Polarizing Times Political polarization in the US is at an all-time high. A Pew Research Center study tracks partisan differences across ten specific political values. The study shows the partisan gap has more than doubled between 1994 and 2017. The divide… Read More ›
As school librarians, we know that literacy has the power to transform lives because we see that power realized every day in our students. We know it because that power informs our practice, our professional standards, and—as the articles in… Read More ›
For California school libraries, collection development at the district level has been a fond memory. In the late nineties the state funded each district with an amazing $28 per student for library books. Once the funding dried up, library purchases… Read More ›
Two recent Knowledge Quest blog posts have focused on book clubs. Steve Tetreault shared innovative “Digital Solutions to Book Club Issues,” while Ronda Hughes wrote about different types of book clubs and shared fresh ideas for book club activities in… Read More ›
Recently, I was able to attend my state library conference, the MAME Conference, for the first time. While there we heard from speakers like Colby Sharp, John Shu, and author Jewels Rhodes Parker. Needless to say, it was two days… Read More ›
In 2017, I applied to be part of ALA’s inaugural Policy Corps, and honestly, I didn’t think I’d get selected. Although I’d been involved in advocacy locally and had made some fledgling attempts at the state level, I had very… Read More ›
Students now more than ever are accessing television through streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. A large percentage of programs and movies that are popular right now started as novels that we have in our school libraries…. Read More ›
Happy, happy 1st birthday to the National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries! If you were in Phoenix last November, you will remember the standards’ release at the 2017 AASL National Conference. Maybe like me you… Read More ›
I found a small seemingly private room called the Communications Library on a huge college campus in the Midwest. It was tucked in the right corner of an old historical building where glistening concrete floors smelled of Pine Sol. The… Read More ›
Have you tried creating a timeline recently? I did, and what an enlightening experience it was! First, I had to find answers to questions I had about a topic. Then, I evaluated the information to check for accuracy. Finally, I… Read More ›
The Problem During inventory, at the end of my first year as a librarian in a K-5 elementary school, I discovered that I had many easy nonfiction books that had never been checked out. (In this post, “easy“ refers to books… Read More ›
Book clubs have been a staple in school libraries for years. Usually the same few students show up each time, because they genuinely love books. While every school librarian is pleased that they attend, it would be nice to add… Read More ›