I have been wondering something about everyone else since we have begun social distancing. Like many others, I am working from home. I have found that I am busier now than I was before the coronavirus. Is this true for… Read More ›
school librarians
Virtual Summer Reading Challenge
Each year to promote students to read over summer break I create a Summer Reading Challenge board. The summer slide is real, and even with intermediate students they can lose a lot of what they gained as a reader over… Read More ›
7 Ways to Keep Kids Reading Even at a Distance
Even in our remote learning model, I am still working to provide opportunities to support reading for enjoyment. This is a bit more difficult when you cannot see the children you teach regularly, but here are seven ways I, with… Read More ›
Serving Patrons during the Pandemic: Missouri School Librarians Rise to the Challenge, Part I
Three weeks ago, school districts across Missouri began announcing school closures as local government officials issued shelter-in-place orders. Even though many districts were on spring break at the time, school librarians began the work involved with moving their work online…. Read More ›
Remote Learning Lessons PreK to 4th Grade
Let me start by saying I have never been a remote learning teacher before. This is not something that I have taken a class on or claim to be an expert in. Teaching elementary age students in this setting is… Read More ›
The Virtual Heartbeat Is Your School Library
The relevant school library undertaking on everyone’s mind right now is distance library learning. How do you provide resources, assistance, and information to our students and teachers from afar? The state of our global community has plunged us all into… Read More ›
Applications Are Open for the Sara Jaffarian Award
Are you a school librarian who has developed an outstanding humanities program? Do you work with kindergarten through eighth-grade students? Then you are encouraged to apply for the Sara Jaffarian Award. What Is It? The Sara Jaffarian Award is a… Read More ›
Reaching Out for Research Help
Teaching research skills has become a large part of a school librarian’s job description. With the additions of inquiry arches in social studies and science curriculum across the country, our students’ need for research skills has increased dramatically. Inspired by… Read More ›
How School Librarians Can Lead OER Initiatives and Put Their Libraries Back Where They Belong—At the Center of Learning.
After many years of discussion, the use of open educational resources (OER) is beginning to take root in schools and districts. The expanded use of OER content—which includes openly licensed textbooks and courses, as well as additional learning resources such… Read More ›
Advocacy Mindset
Advocacy. It is the job that is not officially part of my job as a high school librarian. It’s a mindset for me. Sometimes I don’t even realize I’m “doing” advocacy because it informs so many aspects of my work…. Read More ›