I walked into the new school library at Chatham Grove Elementary School for the first time in May 2020. There was so much space! It was incredible! We could host a square dance in between the eighteen double-sided rolling shelves,… Read More ›
Blog Topics
Using Canvas in an Elementary Library
My school has been using Canvas as its learning management system (LMS) for the past three years. At the elementary level, we were using Canvas primarily to communicate with parents. Before last spring, there was limited, if any, curriculum content… Read More ›
Reopening School Libraries: A Plan of Action
The COVID-19 pandemic brings exceptional challenges to school districts nationwide. Do schools reopen to students in-person, online, or as a hybrid model of blended learning? And a decision made one day could change the next. Most importantly, working in a… Read More ›
Staying Connected in Remote Learning
For many of us the feeling of connection in our profession has changed by the new educational world since the pandemic. We aren’t engaging with our students and staff in person, and we don’t have the chance for organic conversations… Read More ›
Developing Inclusive Learners & Citizens: A Call to Action
One year ago, our ALA Emerging Leaders group presented our project, “Developing Inclusive Learners and Citizens Activity Guide.” We had no idea at that time that just a year later our country would be in crisis with nation-wide shutdowns due to… Read More ›
Getting to Know Your School Librarian from a Safe Distance
I am starting a new position in a new school in a new district this fall after working for 16 years in my previous district. With safety guidelines related to the global pandemic, I know that the way I have… Read More ›
Beyond Video Conference Fatigue
Craving In-Person Teaching and Learning More than fifteen years ago, as I was choosing a library science graduate school, my number one priority was that the program be an in-person style plan. At the time, many of the library schools… Read More ›
A One-Page Site for Using and Sharing Creative Works
For many students, much of the 2020-2021 school year will consist of virtual classrooms, digital sources, and blended learning. Distance learning comes with many challenges but even more opportunities. There are opportunities for students to build knowledge as part of… Read More ›
Pump Up The Volume! Boosting the Signal of School Librarians
Underappreciated and Vulnerable “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore!” This line from the 1976 movie Network is spoken by a character who is losing his sanity. And yet, it is a line that continues… Read More ›
Teaching Students to Evaluate Their Reading Lives
As the pandemic rolls on and stress levels remain high among students and parents, schools are beginning the academic year with much uncertainty. Whether classes are online, in person, or a hybrid, they are sure to be overwhelming for students… Read More ›