By now, all of us have heard the term fake news. It’s become another overused phrase, insidious in how it sticks like a bad smell. Yet its very stickiness is what makes it such a useful rhetoric device…. Read More ›
literacy
The Blue Bin Project
As I posted in the blog post “Through a District Lens” (June 2018) district-level supervising librarians wear many different hats. Usually we are the ones who are responsible for providing library services to district sites. In my case my office… Read More ›
Hooked at the School Library: On Becoming a Reader
OK. I’ll admit I was not the child who devoured books. In fact, reading books was the least of my interests. Instead I was an only child with a great imagination who spent most of my time with imaginary friends… Read More ›
Feeling Inspired by The Creativity Project
If you have not read the book The Creativity Project, you are missing out! This book was edited by Colby Sharp and published in March 2018. The idea started as an experiment that turned into what most educators would consider… Read More ›
Reddit: A “Lost” Technology Resource
Despite all of the social media platforms out there, it seems like I never hear school librarians talking about Reddit. This site, which bills itself as “the front page of the internet,” has tons of information, features an easy-to-use interface,… Read More ›
Not Your Mother’s School Library: Transformational Thinking and Innovation to Impact Learning for the School Community.
Five years ago, I began my new position as head librarian in a large public high school located in the Midwest. Needless to say, I was excited about all the opportunities and possibilities it would offer. My previous experiences at… Read More ›
3 Ways to Share Your Reading Life with Students
If we expect our students to become lifelong readers, we need to model that in our own lives. There are so many different ways we can share our reading life with students. One-on-one conversations are always ideal, but it can… Read More ›
“The Good Stuff”: Why Arguments about YA Matter
Years ago, after weeks of urging teachers to come to me for student book recommendations, an English teacher dropped by to take me up on my offer. I asked her what kinds of books she wanted for her 8th graders. “Good… Read More ›
Confessions of a Librarian Who Does Everything Wrong
“How do you do inventory if you can’t close the library because you’re letting kids take books out for the summer?” The criticism in the other school librarian’s voice was not even trying to veil itself behind a smile. “I… Read More ›
Something to Celebrate
April is National School Library Month, and that is a great reason to celebrate! But, there’s no reason to wait until almost the end of the school year to have some fun, build community, and promote your library program. “There’s… Read More ›