I try to be intentional about the communication the school library sends to building staff. If you send too many emails, there is a strong chance the staff will stop reading. I also have noticed our past print newsletters often wind up in the recycling bin.
Taking an idea from our district coordinator, Cristy Bolton, we created newsletters that hang in the staff restrooms. Each month, we create a new newsletter, Library Toilet Paper, with library details and humorous musings.
Typically, we include two short articles promoting school library services in some way. This month, we mention our new virtual reality headsets and how those can be utilized. We also promote creative mini-lessons such as presentation skills and fake news.
The interactive portion includes a word search, crossword puzzle, or sudoku. In February, we included a crossword puzzle with details about the staff. So many teachers followed up excited to see their names or other close colleagues. The following links help us build the interactive item.
To bring humor to the newsletter, we typically find funny memes or Jimmy Fallon’s #hashtag responses. A favorite includes the renaming of favorite book titles. The #VacationFail responses from Jimmy Fallon were entertaining too.
To access additional Library Toilet Paper issues of our newsletter, click to view a Google Drive folder.
How do you distribute information to your classroom teachers creatively (so they will read it)?
Author: Becca Munson
Becca Munson, Librarian, is a National Board Certified Teacher with over 24 years of experience in education. Becca is the Coordinator for Library Systems in the Blue Valley School District. Previously, she was school librarian at Blue Valley West High School. She opened two buildings in Blue Valley and spent some time as an Ed Tech Specialist before returning to libraries. Becca supports over 45 librarians and support staff as they work to fulfill the mission of flexible scheduling, collaboration, and literacy.
Categories: Advocacy/Leadership, Blog Topics
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