As a high school librarian, I am blessed with student library assistants each semester. These students are placed in an elective course that I call “Library Leadership.” Primarily, my library assistants do tasks in the library such as reshelving books,… Read More ›
Blog Topics
Finding Joyful Moments
We Choose Our Focus This school year has been like no other. Educators are struggling to figure out what works for themselves and their students amidst unprecedented turmoil. Although the temptation to “doom scroll” beckons, I’m trying to choose wisely…. Read More ›
Making the Virtual World a Happier [Reading] Place: Authors and School Librarians Go Hand in Hand
March 13 was the day COVID-19 changed everything for school librarians in my school district. Like other school librarians across the globe, we quickly transitioned from our beloved library spaces to an unknown virtual world. Like the character Lucy in… Read More ›
AASL21 Is Coming!
The Conference Experience In November of 2019, I attended my very first AASL National Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, and it did not disappoint. I met so many incredible school librarians from across the United States, learned a plethora of ideas… Read More ›
We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident: Learning & Discerning in 2020 & Beyond
As this post “goes to press,” we stand poised at a threshold. The 2020 Presidential Election is nigh. Each election is a tipping point, and this one is no exception. In a year rife with strange days, the possibility of… Read More ›
Winter Is Coming
The Election Storm I am writing this post in the last days of early voting in my state. Next week is election day, and there is so much rhetoric on the news that the election will not be certain for… Read More ›
Turn to Your School Librarian for Leadership in Online Learning
School librarians have many roles, among which are teacher and instructional partner. AASL’s position “The Strategic Leadership Role of School Librarians” notes, “The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) supports the position that full-time certified school librarians provide effective leadership… Read More ›
So Long Google Tour Builder, Hello Google Earth
Using technology tools to discover the world can enhance station rotation models, whole-class activities, and online learning. Google Tour Builder is a popular tool for exploring other locations online. I recently learned that Google Tour Builder will shut down in… Read More ›
Teaching in the Shadow of COVID: Changes and Adaptations
I am finally resigned to the idea that the COVID pandemic will not go away any time soon. It is like an unwanted guest that decided to move in. Initially, I felt we would be back to normal within a… Read More ›
Simplifying Library Resources
Simplicity is something that school librarians, teachers, and students welcome right now. As Julia Hobsbawm, the author of The Simplicity Principle, puts it, “The human desire for simplicity is ancient, and especially evident during times in which society undergoes upheaval”… Read More ›