Advocacy is a single word, but it means so much to the library and librarian profession. As Archibald MacLeish said, “What is more important to a library than anything else–than everything else–is the fact that it exists.” Over the past… Read More ›
school libraries
Makerspaces – To Kit or Not to Kit?
I am lucky enough to serve librarians, teachers, and students in Denver Public Schools, which has a wonderful collection of circulating makerspace kits for librarians and teachers to check out–kind of a “try before you buy” concept that provides a… Read More ›
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 ›
Banned Books Week: Censorship of Books and More
Banned Books Week will be observed September 23-29, 2018. The annual event focuses a spotlight on the never-ending attempts to censor books; however, other types of library resources are also challenged. The non-book censorship attempts may not get as much… 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 ›
Surviving the Wild of Middle School by Making It FUN
Supporting Curriculum and Adding FUN Each year seventh-grade students in my school read two class novels that focus on survival skills and wild terrain. Students read Call of the Wild by Jack London and Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen… Read More ›
Engage with Rights-Free Photos
The Engage Shared Foundation of the AASL National School Library Standards states that it is to “demonstrate safe, legal, and ethical creating and sharing of knowledge products independently while engaging in a community of practice and an interconnected world.” Oftentimes… Read More ›
Advocating for the Library You Want to Become
Three years ago I enrolled in the University of Toronto’s Library Advocacy Unshushed MOOC. The online course description was a simple premise or perhaps a call to arms of “How can we strengthen libraries and librarians in the advancement of… Read More ›
The Importance of Advocacy at the State Level
I joined the Missouri Association of School Librarians (MASL) in 2001 and started taking an active role in the organization in 2004. As a classroom teacher and later as a school librarian, I’ve always believed membership in professional organizations is… Read More ›
Is This Book #1?
Librarians of all grade levels have heard time and time again the age old question, “Is this the first book in the series?” when students and staff are looking through the fiction stacks on their own. We all have lived… Read More ›