I was fortunate enough to be able to get in to St. Louis in time for the Middle School Libraries Tour on Wednesday, October 15th. It was everything I hoped it would be!

An under-construction milk jug igloo created by students at Sperreng Middle School

An under-construction milk jug igloo created by students at Sperreng Middle School

The inside of the under-construction milk jug igloo created by students at Sperreng Middle School. The inside features a soft blanket floor, backrest pillows, LED string lights, and a short rules list for student use.

The inside of the under-construction milk jug igloo created by students at Sperreng Middle School. The inside features a soft blanket floor, backrest pillows, LED string lights, and a short rules list for student use.

Years back, I was able to take advantage of an opportunity through my graduate program to visit a bunch of different school libraries while they were in session. It was an invaluable experience, and one I am happy to take part in now as a host. Getting to see different spaces is always inspiring. Even if the library being visited was physically identical to your own, every librarian has their own twists and takes on how they do what they do. 

Today I was fortunate enough to visit two middle school libraries. Neither was anything like my own. Both offered so many things to think about within my own space!

Adding a description of the tropes of a genre to a section’s genre-identifying sign is simple, but so clever, and potentially extremely useful for students as they browse. Seeing how some physical space issues were dealt with helped me think about my own space’s problems. You can be sure I’m going to cover my ugly columns with color print-outs of book covers, having seen how much it brightened up the space at Sperreng Middle School’s library!

I literally texted my principal as soon as I finished walking through the first library on the tour to tell her I was coming back with a LOT of ideas – and that I would like to annex the classroom next to the library (which may have been a joke, but if she’s not opposed…). 

In addition to walking around some amazing libraries and get inspired, I also had some wonderful conversations with other library tourists. Getting to chat with folks from all over the country about what we were seeing adding yet another dimension to the experience. It also provided even more ideas as we discussed ways we might spin off some of the creativity we saw on display. 

In just a few minutes, I’m heading out to get some dinner with a local librarian – another great opportunity to connect with friends-I-haven’t-met-yet. 

And the conference hasn’t even really started yet! 

I’m looking forward to all the knowledge, inspiration, and connection awaiting over the next several days. 

I hope to see you! And if we don’t get to connect at AASL 2025, I hope we get to soon, ‘cause school librarians are my favorite folks to learn with, and learn from!