Category: Library

Thinking about becoming a school librarian? Read this first.

4/24/2017

School librarian -- it's a fantastic job. I feel confident that I, unquestioningly, have the best job in the school (okay, maybe I'm tied for best job with my co-librarian). I love talking to people who are considering a school library media certification and helping to grow our incredible profession.

But I get concerned when I hear that someone wants to be a librarian because they are tired of teaching, because they want a desk job, because it's less work. Because, well, it isn't. Every level is different -- I speak with the voice of a middle school librarian. And I really want you to join this magical field, but I want you to do it for the right reasons.

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BubbleUp Take5: coloring, curation, conversation and more

4/18/2017

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We've just returned from spring break and are heading quickly towards the end of the year. I always feel like I am sprinting a bit more during this time, head down, pushing forward. So, I appreciate this opportunity to focus on a few things (FIVE to be exact) that have engaged me recently, making me think, bring end-of-year life to our library program, and help me slow down just a tiny bit.

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BubbleUp Take5: Top Tips for Starting A Makerspace

3/20/2017

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This past weekend, I had the honor of serving on a panel at the NoVa Maker Educator Meetup, a new part of the annual Maker Faire NoVa. I represented middle school making and spoke along side public educators from elementary school, high school, and higher education; we were joined by maker facilitators from private school, community spaces, the public library, and a children's museum. It was very cool to be part of these conversations, the first of hopefully many more coordinated efforts of this group.

This week's Take5, expands a bit on something I mentioned at the Educator Meetup: getting started. We began planning the Kilmer Library Makerspace a bit over three years ago and these are my top five tips for starting a makerspace.

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A Delicious Literary Treat: Everything you Need to Host a Book Tasting for your Students

2/28/2017

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I've been reading about book tastings for years. I first saw the idea on Buffy Hamilton's blog The Unquiet Librarian in 2011, but I couldn't wrap my brain around how a book tasting differed from speed dating with books, already a tool in my toolbox of ways to share books with students. It simply felt like a different costume for the same activity.

After rolling this lesson out, I can confidentially say that this is now one of my favorite ways to connect kids with books books and I am excited to give you my materials and reflections so you can do it too!

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BubbleUp Take5: 2 from Corey + 3 from Gretchen

1/9/2017

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This week we have a collection of finds across a range of topics from standardized testing to a fun way to use images in instruction, from news literacy to homework, plus a new podcast discovery.

Take five minutes to check out what has sparked our interest this week. We'd love to hear what you've been reading as well!

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Genrefication, or, Making our Library More Reader Friendly

11/22/2016

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Reader friendly and accessible, that's the whole goal of libraries, right? With this in mind, we began to reorganize our fiction collection over the summer, sorting everything bookstore-style into genres such as Fantasy, Science Fiction, Humor, Sports, and so forth. We certainly are not early adopters when it comes to genrefication, but I wanted to share our journey with you.

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You think you know what librarians do? Sorry, but chances are...you're wrong.

10/22/2016

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This week I had the pleasure of participating in the annual Virginia Association of School Librarians conference in Norfolk, Virginia. I'll admit that I was a fish out of water -- the only teacher in a sea of school librarians. Even though I don't know much about the Dewey Decimal system or online catalogs, they made me feel right at home.

As I sat at dinner, listening to their conversation about teaching and learning, I realized that unless you have had the privilege of working in a school over the past decade you may not understand what school librarians actually do. Librarians are not a braggy bunch; so I feel inclined to set the record straight on their behalf. You probably think they spend their entire day shelving and checking out books, while shushing students. It's time to set aside these stereotypes and give librarians their long overdue kudos.

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BubbleUp Take5: Graphic novels, graphic elections, and more!

10/14/2016

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I've been mulling over the importance of teaching graphic novels and our current, crazy Presidential election. I'm dreaming of a world in which our students can continue the art of play beyond the early grades. I'm pondering the life-saving powers of books and libraries, and humming Dylan songs.

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Forward>>

Thinking about becoming a school librarian? Read this first.

BubbleUp Take5: coloring, curation, conversation and more

BubbleUp Take5: Top Tips for Starting A Makerspace

A Delicious Literary Treat: Everything you Need to Host a Book Tasting for your Students

BubbleUp Take5: 2 from Corey + 3 from Gretchen

Genrefication, or, Making our Library More Reader Friendly

You think you know what librarians do? Sorry, but chances are...you're wrong.

BubbleUp Take5: Graphic novels, graphic elections, and more!

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