Several months ago, I came across a video of author Jerry Craft being interviewed by one of his fans for a YouTube series titled “Author Fan Face-Off.” I was instantly hooked and watched 5 more episodes before I knew what… Read More ›
authors
Connecting Authors and Readers via Social Media
Recently my daughter and I finished reading the heavy-hitting, middle-grade novel-in-verse Starfish by Lisa Fipps. My daughter’s words were flowing a mile a minute, the kind that make a librarian’s (and mama’s) heart sing. “This is the best book I’ve… Read More ›
The Deep Impact of Author Visits
From the very beginning of my career as a school librarian, I’ve known that author visits were something I wanted to make available for my students. My school is located near Baton Rouge, home to our Louisiana Book Festival, and… Read More ›
Making the Virtual World a Happier [Reading] Place: Authors and School Librarians Go Hand in Hand
March 13 was the day COVID-19 changed everything for school librarians in my school district. Like other school librarians across the globe, we quickly transitioned from our beloved library spaces to an unknown virtual world. Like the character Lucy in… Read More ›
Using #Bookstagram to Enhance the Library
For the past three years, as I’ve incorporated Google Suite, Canvas, Kahoot, and other interactive digital tools into my library practice, I’ve seen firsthand how technology can benefit my school community. During the quarantine, my technological skills helped me communicate… Read More ›
Missouri Librarians Don’t Let the Quarantine Stop Them
As people who love books, both librarians and authors have found themselves in a similar dilemma during this time of quarantine. How do writers and readers connect when they can’t even leave their homes? While speaking on the phone with… Read More ›
5 Parts of the ALA Annual Conference
Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., for the first time. This was made possible by receiving a professional development stipend from the Library of Michigan. As I reflected on my experience I… Read More ›
5 Things I Love about Author Visits
Each year I am responsible for scheduling the author visit for my school. Preparing for these visits can be a lot of work. There are many factors to consider such as finding the right fit for your audience, budgeting, book… Read More ›
Encouraging the so-called “non-readers”: Fine-tuning book displays
Reaching out to Non-readers As a high school librarian it is important yet challenging to encourage students to read books. This is particularly true for our students who consider themselves non-readers. They are intimated by hardcover books with hundreds of… Read More ›
Diversity in December
December is a festive time of year. Many of us celebrate the holidays with friends and family. Navigating the holidays can be tricky in some school settings. I can remember working in a school where we were banned from saying… Read More ›