A few years ago a conversation started in my library that was prompted by a student reading Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give. The student in question identified as a person of color, but in our extremely homogeneous community she… Read More ›
Blog Topics
Picture Books and Primary Sources: Samuel Morse, That’s Who! By Tracy Nelson Maurer and El Primo Ramon
Traveling the world, becoming inspired, overcoming obstacles, and changing life as we know it all sound like parts of some amazing movie. They are also parts of the picture book story of Samual Morse, inventor of the telegraph and Morse… Read More ›
Beginnings of a Public Library Partnership
Working together on a common goal is the foundation of any collaboration. Getting young adults excited about reading is an overarching goal school libraries share with public libraries. Combining our efforts to get teens reading is a great way to… Read More ›
The Questions Your Collection Provokes
My son is at an age when he wants the same book read over and over again. I love doing so with books that have a voice, rhyme, or best of all, humor. Titles like Sun: One in a Billion… Read More ›
Four Times to Bail on a Lesson
We have all been there when a lesson falls flat. When your best-laid plans just do not work. Recently, I had a lesson crash and burn. As someone who has been teaching for over twelve years, I am always humbled… Read More ›
Keeping Leadership Fresh
Leadership is at the forefront of what we do as school librarians. Almost every single day, we exemplify leadership. And because we are librarians, we have leadership opportunities that few in the school may see. Through the lens of our… Read More ›
Wakey Wakey! Wakelet in the Library
Wake up! If you have not heard about Wakelet, it’s time to learn. There has been a lot of buzz generated recently about Wakelet. If you are like me, you find all kinds of amazing resources, articles, and ideas floating… Read More ›
It Is All about Relationships
Relationships Matter This year I had a fantastic time at the 2019 AASL National Conference. Conference sessions centered on the National School Library Standards. The general sessions noticeably covered the Include Shared Foundation, and typically, I gravitate toward concurrent sessions… Read More ›
Themes in School Librarianship, Part 3: Companionship
Our Story So Far Back in September, I attended my first library-focused conference, School Library Journal’s Leadership Summit 2019. I had a blast, and learned so much from the amazing speakers and programs. Afterward, as I reflected on the summit,… Read More ›
Spark Change: Using Digital Skills to Share Your Story
I first met Olivia Van Ledtje a few years ago at a very busy Digital Playground amidst the chaos of ISTE’s annual conference. While I had been a fan of Liv (as she’s known by her audience), I was not… Read More ›