Author Archives

I am a School Library Coordinator for the New York City Department of Education's Department of Library Services. I plan and deliver workshops, provide on-site instructional and program support to school librarians, coordinate programs, administer grants, and am program coordinator for MyLibraryNYC, a program administered with our three public library systems.

• Summer Reading Decisions

  By Leanne Ellis on 07/05/2022 • ( 0 )

  How do you decide what to buy, watch, or read? How do you choose what to eat or where to travel? Do you rely on crowdsourced reviews on popular sites, or the streaming algorithm?  Do you use specific reviews and… Read More ›

• Digitally Fluent in New York City

  By Leanne Ellis on 06/13/2022 • ( 1 )

  

  What does it mean for our learners to be digitally fluent? I think we’ve got a good definition here in New York City: “Being digitally fluent means our students have the knowledge, strategies, and competencies (inquiry, critical thinking, and problem… Read More ›

• Let the Instruction Begin

  By Leanne Ellis on 05/06/2022 • ( 0 )

  If the last few years have taught us anything, it is this: media literacy needs to be a core subject of student learning. Everyone is Online The pandemic shifted millions of students online for learning, entertainment, and social interactions for… Read More ›

• When detecting threats becomes the threat

  By Leanne Ellis on 04/21/2022 • ( 0 )

  I thought being a responsible democratic citizen meant being informed about what was going on. But I never thought about how informed the everyday citizen should be without feeling depressed and anxious. I realize that’s a discussion we rarely have… Read More ›

• What Does Intellectual Freedom Mean for Collection Development

  By Leanne Ellis on 03/24/2022 • ( 0 )

  Recently, a fellow blogger from NYC, Ashley Hawkins, penned an excellent post about a disturbing trend of school librarians putting graphic novels on “vacation.” Ashley labeled such actions censorship. I agree. And if recent headlines are any indication, this trend… Read More ›

• Forming Words: How Librarians Help Students Learn How to Read

  By Leanne Ellis on 02/16/2022 • ( 0 )

  My five-year-old son loves books. As a school librarian, I would be upset if he didn’t. But he may well grow into an adult who doesn’t love to read. It would sadden me if this were to happen, but let’s… Read More ›

• Turning Obstacles into Action (After Pausing to Acknowledge Things Suck)

  By Leanne Ellis on 01/19/2022 • ( 3 )

  No, this will not be a post where I offer only tips and strategies for having a positive outlook and taking action. I think the issue with too many advice videos, articles, books, talks, etc., is they jump over difficult… Read More ›

• The Next Step in Media Literacy: Decoding

  By Leanne Ellis on 12/14/2021 • ( 0 )

  I think school librarians agree media literacy is a foundational skill for students. Given the exponential growth of digital media, the pandemic-induced increase in screen time, and the less-than-benign motives behind a lot of online content, media literacy is having… Read More ›

• Digital Book Displays

  By Leanne Ellis on 11/17/2021 • ( 0 )

  One of the great things about being a school library coordinator is learning innovative ideas from librarians working in schools. And a recent share on our listserv–that had educators responding with compliments–was a digital book display created in Canva. What… Read More ›

• The Versatility of Information Literacy

  By Leanne Ellis on 10/27/2021 • ( 2 )

  As a school librarian, how often have you found yourself before a class of students without prior knowledge? You may know the students’ grade level, some names, maybe a hint of what they’re studying. But as the sole librarian serving… Read More ›