Author Archives

Margaret Sullivan is a librarian at Rockwood Summit High School and also serves as the Lead Librarian for the Rockwood School District. A past president of the Missouri Association of School Librarians, Margaret's professional interests include advocacy, teacher collaboration, professional development, equity, and YA literature. You can connect with her on Twitter @mm_sullivan.

• Author Visits: An Excellent Way to Create Excitement About Reading

  By Margaret Sullivan on 07/18/2019 • ( 0 )

  

  Author visits are an effective way to get students excited about reading. When students have a chance to see an author in person, they are often able to make some sort of connection with that individual. The two groups of… Read More ›

• Aligning Your Practice to the AASL National Standards: Quick Reflection Activities to Get Started

  By Margaret Sullivan on 05/08/2019 • ( 0 )

  

  When the AASL National School Library Standards were released in late 2017, I was a little nervous. The release coincided with my first year as my district’s lead librarian, so I knew I would be responsible for helping the librarians… Read More ›

• Young Adult Nonfiction: Engaging Titles to Add to Your Collection

  By Margaret Sullivan on 04/11/2019 • ( 1 )

  

  Do you remember when states started adopting the Common Core State Standards? The standards’ emphasis on nonfiction had school librarians scrambling to find “readable” nonfiction as they welcomed the opportunity to help teachers with the shift away from fiction. We… Read More ›

• Five “Must-Have” Google Chrome Extensions

  By Margaret Sullivan on 03/14/2019 • ( 0 )

  

  Last week I spent a few minutes cleaning up the Google Chrome extensions I’ve added to my collection over the past year or so. I must confess that I’m quick to add Chrome apps and extensions that other librarians and… Read More ›

• Your PLN: Source of Inspiration or Thief of Joy?

  By Margaret Sullivan on 02/27/2019 • ( 11 )

  

  Long before Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” The more recent phrase that expresses this idea, especially as it relates to social media, is “Compare and Despair.” When we see pictures of our friends’… Read More ›

• The District Library Newsletter: An Advocacy Tool

  By Margaret Sullivan on 02/01/2019 • ( 0 )

  

  As you plan your advocacy efforts for 2019, don’t forget about your district-level administrators. The decisions they make can have a huge impact on your library and on your district’s library program. Even if they’ve always been supportive of libraries,… Read More ›

• The Monthly STEAM Challenge

  By Margaret Sullivan on 12/12/2018 • ( 4 )

  

  One of the things I’ve struggled with as a high school librarian is makerspaces. At my large suburban high school, students have ample opportunities to take STEM/STEAM-related classes that allow them to create the types of projects they might make… Read More ›

• Why You Should Sponsor a Book Club

  By Margaret Sullivan on 11/14/2018 • ( 4 )

  

  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 ›

• For the Love of Literature: Reading Promotions

  By Margaret Sullivan on 10/15/2018 • ( 0 )

  

  I believe literacy is at the heart of everything we do as school librarians. Students must be able to read in order to effectively inquire, include, collaborate, curate, explore, and engage. And, as we all know, reading promotes lifelong learning…. Read More ›

• Include: Lessons in Civility & Civic Engagement

  By Margaret Sullivan on 09/13/2018 • ( 1 )

  

    Word cloud created with Tagxedo.   Over the summer, Becky, one of my social studies teachers, tagged my co-librarian, Elaine, and me in a Facebook post. Becky was asking for ideas on how to promote civil conversations in her… Read More ›