What do fashion and environmental science have in common? These are the subjects that current teachers at I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth, Virginia, want new books on: fashion (a subject that some might find trivial) and environmental science (a… Read More ›
When we walk past a glass door on a sunny day our reflection is the first thing we see; when we open that door we see so much more of the world. Throughout my graduate work instructors would reference a… Read More ›
One of my goals is to increase student voice in the library. This has always been a bit of a challenge, since my school serves preschool to second grade. This year, I started the Junior Library Council (JLC) to help… Read More ›
Working with book/material vendors can be stressful if you are socially awkward like my co-librarian and me. For the most part, we’ve been navigating the process by working exclusively with one specific vendor, but I can’t help wondering if we’re missing… Read More ›
In our middle school library, we have a small, but potentially troublesome accessibility issue. We aren’t entirely sure how to resolve it or if we even know what resolution looks like right now. We have a collection of books noncompliant… Read More ›
I’ve had the privilege to work in various styles of school libraries, none of which had wall space for book displays or advertisements. Drawing students into the library at the beginning of the year is one of the easiest ways… Read More ›
It’s May, and in the South, that means we’re gearing up for the end of the school year. While this time of year brings thoughts of summer and a well-deserved break, we all know that the last few weeks of… Read More ›
The current March/April issue of Knowledge Quest focuses on giving “Power to the Pupil: School Libraries and Student Agency.” So…what is student agency and why is it important to our practice as school librarians? These two questions are the propelling force… Read More ›
A second-grade student brought a problem to my attention. He explained that the library collection has only 1 or 2 copies of books on topics that children want to read. He illustrated his point with a poster. It was a portrayal of… Read More ›
Is the book always better than the movie? My spouse prefers nonfiction reading. But when it comes to novels we have a little inside joke, where he says “I’ll wait for the movie.” As a librarian, I want to reply… Read More ›