When I came to my school library in 2018, it was a dump. And I don’t mean that metaphorically. I mean that literally. Once a gorgeous centerpiece of a school built in the 1930s, the library had become a desolate… Read More ›
Advocacy/Leadership
If My Administrators Only Knew
School librarian Kristina Holzweiss recently posted on social media wondering what school librarians wished their administrators knew about their jobs. Admittedly, I have an administration that offers overwhelming support to our school library programming, and it is due to the… Read More ›
LEAD OUT LOUD: Access Defended in the May/June 2022 Issue of Knowledge Quest
School librarians and information professionals unconditionally endorse the power of voice. We personify speaking up, advocating, and sharing our truths. Ensuring our communities are seen and represented is our mission. We are teaching and learning through our school libraries… Read More ›
AASL at ASCD Conference
As a long-time partner in the ASCD Whole Child Initiative, AASL exhibited at the 2022 ASCD Annual Conference: Recharge & Reconnect which was held in Chicago on March 18-21. AASL President Jennisen Lucas, AASL President-Elect Kathy Lester, former AASL Board… Read More ›
(Re)Building A School Library, Part 2: The Newsletter
“Complex Library News” I previously wrote about my efforts to reestablish a library presence for my middle school’s students, starting with a website. Once I had a digital presence put together, the next step was to let folks know about… Read More ›
From Empathy and Virtual Reality to Math Escape Rooms: The Award Winning Work at the Norman North Library!
A Day in the Life of the Norman North Library If you ask us what a typical day at our high school library is like, the answer is always going to be “depends on the day, but it’ll be fun!”… Read More ›
School Librarygrams: Reflect & Recognize!
Let’s Celebrate Our School Librarian Colleagues! Throughout our educational journeys, we all have had mentors and colleagues that have supported us along the way. Whether it was personal interactions, formal mentorships, hearing them speak at conferences, or through a professional… Read More ›
Communicating With Parents Through Newsletters
In 2019, I wrote a blog post explaining how the school librarians in my district advocate for our school library through a monthly newsletter for administrators. While we continue that practice, some of my secondary colleagues and I have also… Read More ›
(Re)Building A School Library, Part 1: The Website
Raising My School Library’s Profile During a renovation a couple years back, my middle school’s library closed, and it never reopened. Students and teachers were told they could access the high school library, which is literally on the opposite end… Read More ›
School Librarians: Together We Are a Force
The past few weeks I’ve been doing some serious reflection on my Professional Learning Network (PLN) and just how much of a force we are when we unite as one. I am the only school librarian at my school, and… Read More ›