I never could have dreamed that Friday, March 13, 2020, would be the end of “normal” for quite a while. As the school librarian I brainstormed ways to assist students and teachers in my middle school. How can I keep… Read More ›
Technology
Pairing Picture Books and Primary Sources: Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson and Frank Morrison
I had read Monica Clark-Robinson and Frank Morrison’s picture book, Let the Children March, several times since it was released in 2018. The book, based on the 1963 Birmingham Campaign, is an amazing pairing of powerful words and illustrations. It… Read More ›
Involving Staff in Book Promotions in an Online Learning Environment
I miss students coming to the school library asking for a good book to read. We could scan the shelves together to find the “right” one. Once we went to online learning, the library’s social media accounts provided book links… Read More ›
5 Summer Certifications to Add to Your Tech Toolbox
School librarians can be challenged to find professional development that means something and is authentic to our teaching. If I put time and effort into something I want to feel like I gained a skill that improves me somehow. When… Read More ›
The Massachusetts School Library Association Launches Virtual School Librarian Website to Help Educators during School Closures
On March 13, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced that schools would be closed for three weeks beginning March 17. Immediately educators, including certified school librarians, realized the enormous loss of learning that could result from the school closures. Members of… Read More ›
Updating Database Links Web Page
In this time of online learning, the importance of the library web page has increased. We have a library web page that students can access from home and school, but we always counted on the connecting piece of face-to-face learning… Read More ›
Tips for Recording Digital Book Talks
One of the most exciting annual events in my high school library is our March Book Madness Tournament. On Friday, March 13, after weeks spent composing this year’s bracket, I began circulating the room, giving book talks about the contenders…. Read More ›
“The Library Is Open!”: New Jersey Librarians Create Virtual Library
“Librarians are here to help you.” Schools are closed. Libraries are closed. And yet, peoples’ information needs haven’t gone away. If anything, students in particular need more information than ever. And with the rafts of misinformation floating around online, information… Read More ›
It’s Important to Give Grace to Others but Also to Yourself
The past two months have been unusual to say the least. What we consider to be normal, our daily routine, our sense of safety and stability have been challenged in so many ways. The information and guidelines we are receiving… Read More ›
Conferences in a Pandemic
I think about conferences a lot. Anyone who has been a conference chair has a heightened level of appreciation for them. Conferences are yet another thing to add to COVID-19’s current list of casualties. Or are they? Educators are masters… Read More ›