There are times when reading a historically based picture book that I cannot help but make comparisons to today. Primary sources can help me focus that comparison. This was the case when reading the picture book A Lady Has the… Read More ›
Collection Development
Can I Buy Half of a Subscription Database?
Beginning with a disclaimer is probably the best way to start off an article about the rising cost of subscription databases. I realize in writing this article many of my peers have no district budgetary support for subscription databases. I… Read More ›
Young Adult Nonfiction: Engaging Titles to Add to Your Collection
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 ›
Weeding without Controversy: Part Two – The Process
Mapping your library A starting point to organize and begin a massive weeding project is to get a feel for the physical space. Some may want to use a computer to draw out the shelving to scale to understand how… Read More ›
Computational Thinking in Your School Library
School and public libraries offer youth formal and informal learning environments, while providing access to a variety of resources. Librarians can introduce students to computational thinking and coding concepts in low-stakes contexts. This month’s post features Dr. Jennifer Moore (associate… Read More ›
One School + One Book = A Love of Reading
Creating a culture for reading is a major part of what it means to be a school librarian. It is also an ongoing effort. There will never come a time when we stop encouraging students to read. One of the… Read More ›
Pairing Picture Books and Primary Sources: The Boo-Boos That Changed the World by Barry Wittenstein
There are times when I read a historically based picture book and hope that I can find great primary sources to accompany it. I felt this way when I read The Boo-Boos That Changed the World written by Barry Wittenstein… Read More ›
Book Fair–Bane or Blessing?
My book fair is coming in a few weeks. I may be in the minority, but it is not my favorite week of the year. Not even close. This is not a reflection at all on the vendor I use… Read More ›
History Club-Curated Film Archive
An archive is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a place in which public records or historical materials (such as documents) are preserved.” The school library is a key space for archived materials in any school. We preserve yearbooks from years past,… Read More ›
Weeding without Controversy: Part One – Why Weed?
The Librarian Who Hates Books Earlier this year my daughter came home from school to tell me about a controversy at her school. The school librarians weeded the collection, and some students became so offended that they took to social… Read More ›