Note: This post was updated to reflect US Copyright Law. Many students are now learning at home due to COVID-19. For my elementary school students, story time is an important and exciting part of the day. How will students hear… Read More ›
Intellectual Freedom
American Dirt: To Read or Not to Read?
Is That the Question? Last month, I was scrolling through Twitter and found Oprah promoting American Dirt. A thriller about immigration that hooked her on the first page? I’m in. I immediately ordered it on Amazon and went back to… Read More ›
Themes in School Librarianship, Part 2: Storytelling (But Not Like You Think!)
Organically Arising Themes Not long ago, I attended the School Library Journal’s Leadership Summit 2019. There were so many interesting speakers, great workshops, and amazing colleagues to learn from and grow with! But I noticed that there were several themes… Read More ›
Intellectual Freedom Was Alive and Well at Midwinter in Seattle
The American Library Association (ALA) held its Midwinter Meeting in Seattle from January 24-29, 2019. As a member of the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee (and a retired school librarian), I’m providing information on the work of the committee as well… Read More ›
Whose Rule?
One characteristic of teachers and librarians is our fondness for structure. There aren’t many of us who like chaos in our jobs or classrooms. When I think about structure and procedures and how I run the school library, I am… Read More ›
Rethinking School Library Fines
How does everyone feel about school library fines for late and lost books? Until recently, I’ve been mostly okay with the concept, especially in middle and high schools, but now I find myself questioning the effectiveness of library fines. Our… Read More ›
Code of Ethics: The Foundation of Our Work
IMPORTANT NOTE: I am in no way supporting the views of organizations that use hate speech or act in any way that is dangerous to others. Several things have happened recently that led me to this post: In the November/December… Read More ›
What should our students know?
At the 2018 School Library Journal Summit in Brooklyn, I had the privilege of hearing George Takei talk about his childhood experiences in Japanese-American Internment Camps during World War II. The talk was timed for his forthcoming graphic novel for… Read More ›
What to Do for Banned Books Week?
Intellectual Freedom and Middle School Students I look forward to September every year, as it’s my opportunity to focus on our freedom to read. Each year I revamp my Banned Books Week presentation to stir in my students a renewed spirit… Read More ›
Teaching Information Literacy in a World of Misinformation
By now, all of us have heard the term fake news. It’s become another overused phrase, insidious in how it sticks like a bad smell. Yet its very stickiness is what makes it such a useful rhetoric device…. Read More ›