“Complex Library News” I previously wrote about my efforts to reestablish a library presence for my middle school’s students, starting with a website. Once I had a digital presence put together, the next step was to let folks know about… Read More ›
Middle School
Creative Book Displays to Get Students Reading (Part 1)
This post is the first in a series that will focus on book displays in school libraries. When students enter my middle-school library, they come with many different backgrounds and opinions about reading. Some of them are super excited about… Read More ›
Curation and Collaboration Time at #AASL19
For the past three years it has been my pleasure to be a part of the AASL American University Presses Book Selection Committee. This year I will not be able to attend the 2019 AASL National Conference, but a few… Read More ›
Calvert County Public Schools and The Ruth Toor Grant for Strong School Libraries for the WIN!
What makes a strong school library? For me, that question is twofold. Strong school libraries are staffed by strong school librarians and are used utilized by strong learners. This is why I was so excited that our middle school libraries… Read More ›
Pairing Picture Books and Primary Sources: When Washington Crossed the Delaware by Lynne Cheney and Peter M. Fiore
Last month I helped to give a workshop in Lexington, Kentucky, through a grant called Project CHARGE (Civics History through Advanced Research and Geography Education). Over five days, elementary and middle school teachers focused on mid-17th-century history through the adoption… Read More ›
Read Across America in the Middle School
Read Across America is an annual event that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2, the birthday of children’s author Dr. Seuss. Most elementary schools celebrate in a variety of ways, including: Allowing students to… Read More ›
Do Reading Incentive Programs Work to Engage Readers at the Middle Level? A Practitioner’s Prospective.
For the last seven years, I have facilitated a customized student reading incentive program at my school that seeks to reduce the “middle school slide” for readership. This program has been successful in keeping books in students hands and a… Read More ›
Read Alouds in Secondary School Libraries
Students sitting on the carpet in a semi-circle listening to a captivating story is what comes to mind when I think of read alouds. Unfortunately, this is a rare sight in secondary schools; why do we stop reading aloud as… Read More ›
AASL Inspire Collection Development Grant Making Middle School’s Library More Relevant
“YO SOY KINGSBURY,” printed in large block letters, is a favorite T-shirt design among our students and faculty. The literal translation, “I AM KINGSBURY,” reflects the pride we feel for our school. The language choice reflects the pride we feel… Read More ›
3 Ways to Address the Black Lives Matter Movement in Your School Library
With the Black Lives Matter movement front and center in the news this summer, it is heartbreakingly evident we still have a great deal of work to do to heal racial issues in our society. Our students are absorbing… Read More ›