Library reports? Fun? I know, they are a real drag to compile, and not so much fun to read, but creating library reports to inform stakeholders of how effective your program is one of the most important things you can do to advocate for your program!
Challenge
I challenge all of us to have fun creating our reports this school year and share monthly reports with each other through AASL’s social media platforms, adding #libraryreports to the post. We can inspire each other, offer tips along the way, and keep the momentum going!
Digital Storytelling Tools for Gathering Evidence
iTalk: This is a free, intuitive app for the iPhone that does a great job with recording sound. An iTalk recording can be shared to an email account, Dropbox, and SoundCloud. Have the iTalk app ready when asking children what they are doing and why it is important!
Vine: If you haven’t used Vine with your smartphone yet, give it a try! The results can be hilarious! Check this one out that I made of an egg drop challenge our library did with a first grade class. Click on the Vine and unlock the mute so you can hear the children counting and laughing when the egg falls. So cute!
https://vine.co/v/eA1wwxTJiqV
Camera: Any camera will do! A smartphone is the easiest to carry, but an iPad or a digital camera will work, too. Just make sure to take pictures every day. Too busy to record? Hand over the camera to a student and let them record the learning. You’ll get a whole new perspective of what is happening in your library!
Digital Tools for Sharing Library Reports
Storify: If you enjoy gathering snippets of online conversations and creating a story out of it, Storify is the way to go. Storify is a free, online tool that aggregates topics and discussions that can be found on different social networking platforms. You can drag and drop the stories you like onto a blank slate and add your thoughts to the aggregated content. I think I’ll use Storify for my first report to share our Summer Reading Program discussion through #raponsummerslide.
Haiku Deck: Haiku Deck offers a free version to create a digital story with a slideshow using a few words and pictures. With Haiku Deck, you will be able to create a story during lunch and share it with the world in no time! It’s that easy to use! Here is an example of a Haiku Deck I created to remind children of our routines.
Storehouse: Storehouse is for our visual friends who love telling stories with their pictures. Storehouse is a free app for the iPhone and iPad, and it now offers a way to make your digital story private. Many creative photographers use this site, so if you don’t think you’ll ever use Storehouse, but you enjoy looking at gorgeous photos, you should download this app and enjoy a free digital art show! This app is not suitable for children 12 and under to use as some content may be inappropriate for that age group. I have created monthly library reports with Storehouse, and I really enjoyed it! Here is an example:
Colchester Elementary School Library Media Center Monthly Report
Examples of Library Reports from Other Librarians
Barbara Johnson from Jack Jackter Intermediate School created her annual report using easel.ly
Rebecca Buerkett from L.P. Quinn Elementary School shared her report using Animoto
Donna Zecha from the Hopkinton School District Libraries informs stakeholders with her digital newsletter.
What digital storytelling tools have you used to share your library reports? Which tools did you have the most fun with?
Author: Maureen Schlosser
Author: Lessons Inspired by Picture Books for Primary Grades and Social and Emotional Learning for Picture Book Readers published by ALA Editions
Blogger: https://LibraryLessonsWithBooks.com
Skillshare Teacher: https://skl.sh/3a852D5
Categories: Blog Topics, Technology
Here is the annual report I made for the junior high library I work for last spring!
http://youtu.be/AG0MDHnM2rk
I used Animoto, taking pictures from my Twitter account and information from my monthly newsletters to tie it all together. I wanted something that would be appealing to admin, teachers, and community members. It was important to me that it would tie into Iowa’s Vision for School Libraries, and be a balance of statistics and illustrated points.
For monthly newsletters, I type up 1-2 pages in a word processing app, then upload to Flipsnack to make them into an interactive “ebook.”
I love the Flipsnack idea! Is there a big learning curve with Flipsnack?
I can see that you can upload InDesign files to it, which is way cool.
Would you be willing to share your Flipsnack?