5 New Back-to-School Hacks for 2023

5 new back-to-school hacks to help you get ready for a new year in your library. Orientations, surveys and more.

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

20+ Ideas for AWESOME Instagram Posts

20+ Ideas for AWESOME Instagram Posts -Here are some great ideas for awesome, engaging Instagram posts that are perfect for your school library IG account.

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

The Power of Instagram to Connect With Students

The Power of Instagram to Connect With Students // Instagram is a powerful tool for connecting with your students and community. Here are some ways to utilize IG.

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

COVID Library Update Part 2: Bringing Books to My Students

COVID Library Update Part 2: Bringing Books to My Students // Since access to our library space is limited this year, I've found creative ways to continue to get books into the hands (and devices) of students.

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

Read This Book: My Pencil Made Me Do It

Read This Book: My Pencil Made Me Do It // Carrie's book is the story of her journey into sketchnoting and how it helped her and her students to grow.

I’ve followed Carrie Baughcum’s work on Twitter and Instagram for awhile.  We briefly met F2F back at ISTE 2016 in Denver.  I’ve loved the positive, upbeat and fun loving tone that she shares in her posts.  So when I heard that she was publishing a book about sketchnoting this past fall, I quickly preordered a … Read more

9 Favorite Tools for Making Awesome Sketchnotes

9 Favorite Tools for Making Awesome Sketchnotes // Here's some of my favorite pens, notebooks, markers and pencils for making physical sketchnotes.

I’ve been using sketchnotes a lot lately as a way to help me focus and retain information with virtual PD.  Here’s a mini-post in case you’d like to know what tools I use for sketchnoting (or were thinking about getting some for yourself.) A quick “note”: I prefer physical sketchnoting.  I know that there’s great … Read more

Virtual PD Hack: Sketchnoting Conference Recordings

Virtual PD Hack: Sketchnoting Conference Recordings // Now that we all have more time for virtual PD, I've discovered a particular hack that's working really well for me: sketchnoting recordings of conferences sessions and webinars.

Virtual PD Hack: Sketchnoting Conference Recordings (and Webinars) Like many other educators around the globe, back in March I quite suddenly found myself teleworking.  As a librarian, I struggled with this, since so much of what I do is about connecting with teachers and students.  I worked at our online student help desk, trained our … Read more

AASL Post: 5 Conference Tips and Tricks from an Overplanner

Having a plan before you go to a big conference can make your experience so much better. Here's some tips from a seasoned overplanner.

I’ve come to realize that I’m an overplanner (my friends are probably rolling their eyes right now). I get this trait from my dad. I love to research places, read articles, make maps, create itineraries. Conferences are one of my favorite ways to learn.  And I’m an overplanner.  When you combine these two things, it … Read more

AASL Post: 4 Ways You Can Get Creative This Summer

4 Ways You Can Get Creative This Summer: Summer break is a great opportunity to pursue creative passions and get inspired for the upcoming school year. Here's some things to try.

Whether you’re already knee-deep into makerspaces or just toying with the idea of maybe adding some LEGOs to your library next year, we can all benefit by making time for creative experiences. Summer is a great time to rest, renew and grow as individuals.  Making time for creative experiences and pursuits is one great way … Read more