Author Archives

I'm a reader, writer, swimmer, and a public middle school librarian. I love all things Italian. I was honored to be Austin ISD's first librarian of the year in 2013.

• How to Reach the Dormant Readers

  By Sara Stevenson on 08/07/2017 • ( 2 )

  

  Dormant vs. Reluctant Readers As with most things Donalyn Miller (a.k.a. The Book Whisperer) writes, I wish I had thought of it. Donalyn Miller prefers the term “dormant” to “reluctant” when discussing kids who don’t or won’t read. “Dormant” reminds… Read More ›

• Should librarians agree to teaching an official class?

  By Sara Stevenson on 06/12/2017 • ( 9 )

  

  My Writing Workshop Often we librarians, being teachers first, are called upon to teach a class in addition to our library work. For me, the opportunity has actually enhanced my library program. I teach an informal Writers Workshop Enrichment program… Read More ›

• Does Meeting Authors Make Us Better Librarians?

  By Sara Stevenson on 05/08/2017 • ( 5 )

  

  Questions for Reflection: Does being an author groupie inform me in a way that makes me a better librarian? Absolutely. When I go to conferences or author readings, or better yet, when I sponsor authors at my school, I get the… Read More ›

• Social Emotional Learning through Reading

  By Sara Stevenson on 04/10/2017 • ( 0 )

  

  Wonder “Wonder is the only beginning of philosophy,” said Socrates, and Wonder by R. J. Palacio was the book we were reading in a book club years ago when I realized that books are the gateway to social emotional learning, a growing… Read More ›

• Perfect Partnership: Public and School Library Collaboration

  By Sara Stevenson on 03/02/2017 • ( 1 )

  

  Breaking Artificial Boundaries As school librarians, we get accustomed to being the only one of our kind on campus and can feel isolated at times. We are teachers but aren’t always considered as such. In order to counter this singular position, reach… Read More ›

• A Maker Family and Tinker Teachers

  By Sara Stevenson on 02/07/2017 • ( 0 )

  

  A Maker Family Meet Wooldridge Elementary librarian Elizabeth Mikeska-Benfield, her husband Patrick, the STEAM and Maker Space coordinator at St. Gabriel’s Catholic School (PreK-8), and their two sons, Memphis (10) and Jackson (8). I met the family when we gathered for  a… Read More ›

• Reading Rock Star Librarian

  By Sara Stevenson on 01/09/2017 • ( 3 )

  

  Introducing Kay Gooch: Austin ISD Librarian One of the reasons I was so excited about being accepted as an AASL blogger is the opportunity to highlight some of my personal librarian heroines. Immediately, I thought of Kay Gooch, our own… Read More ›

• Montessori Makerspace Fusion

  By Sara Stevenson on 12/12/2016 • ( 0 )

  

  Maria Montessori’s Philosophy Re-imagined in the Makerspace Movement Maria Montessori, one of the first female doctors in Italy, created her first school, Casa Dei Bambini, in 1907. She built her educational philosophy from years of study and careful observation of… Read More ›

• Information Literacy Lessons Crucial in a Post-Truth World

  By Sara Stevenson on 11/18/2016 • ( 1 )

  

  Why Librarians Are More Crucial Than Ever In the aftermath of the US presidential election, I’ve been reflecting on what it means to live in a post-truth world. I was shocked to read several accounts explaining that a majority of… Read More ›

• When Politics Becomes Personal: Losing Support Staff

  By Sara Stevenson on 11/04/2016 • ( 4 )

  

  I’ve Been Here Before Sometimes I feel as if my whole professional life has been spent begging. When I worked at a Catholic high school in the 1980s, I mailed letters to all my friends and family asking for donations to… Read More ›