My Back-to-School Hacks post from 2015 has been getting a lot of traffic lately (maybe because of the School Library Journal article with a similar title?) so I thought it might be good to write an updated version. A lot has changed for me since 2015 – I’m at a different school (Tampa Prep, where … Read more
Instagram is a fantastic way to connect with students, teachers, parents and community members. You can showcase what is going on in your library, promote a love of reading and feature student work. If you’re new to IG, it can be easy to feel stuck and unsure of what to post. (Check out my previous … Read more
I’ve long used Instagram as a way to reach out to my students. It started back when I first got an iPad through DonorsChoose at my previous library (before I had a personal smartphone). Some of my former students (now adults) still follow that account and keep in touch. When I started at Tampa Prep, … Read more
Back in early 2019, I reorganized the fiction section of my library, categorizing books into genres and labeling them with colored stickers to help students find them. You can read more about the exact process I used back here, and I’ll include more genrefication resources at the end of the post. Since that time, … Read more
When a library design book shows up as available in my local library system, I’m quick to place a hold. So I was excited to see that Collaborative Library Design: From Planning to Impact, had a copy available. This book is what I like to think of as library design eye candy (much like The … Read more
This is my 12th school year as a teacher librarian. That also makes it my 12th year of teaching some type of library orientation to my students. Things have changed a lot over the years – from a pretty boring PowerPoint my first year to having to go to each socially distanced classroom individually … Read more
This is a multiple post series. In Part 1, I gave an overview of what my school has been doing during COVID and how my library’s physical space has adapted. In this post, I’ll be sharing about programs I’ve done to encourage reading, plus collaborations with teachers. For Part 3, I’ll share how we’ve adapted … Read more
To say it’s been an interesting school year so far would be an understatement. This has definitely been the most challenging year of my career. I consider myself lucky to be working at a school that has the resources and leadership to keep us safe. I know that many, many schools have been left … Read more
Banned Books Week is a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness about censorship and the right to read. There’s tons of great banned books activities and displays out there, but many of them work best in-person. Since the pandemic has most schools meeting either virtually or in a hybrid model, students likely won’t be able to … Read more
How to Dream Big With a Library Space Analysis It may seem like an odd time to be reimagining your library space. You might currently have limited access or might not be allowed on campus. If you are having in-person learning, your library might not look like it normally does. To help manage social distancing, … Read more