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

AASL Post: To Teach Makers, We Must Become Makers

To Teach Makers We Must Become Makers // If we want to help teach and support our makers, we must become makers ourselves. By taking on projects, we can learn the design process and develop empathy.

Makerspaces are amazing places. Our students can learn all kinds of new skills. But it behooves us to learn some of those skills ourselves. You certainly don’t have to be an expert in all things to create a makerspace in your library. When I first started creating a makerspace in my library in 2014, I … Read more

AASL Post: A New Year’s Reset for Your Library Program

A New Year's Reset for Your Library Program | Reflect on the past year and make plans to reset and restart in the New Year.

(Note: I’m a bit behind on reposting these here, so please excuse the lateness) January is a popular month for resolutions, detoxes, resets, etc. It’s the perfect time to reflect on the previous year, to look at what went right and what could have been better. Being that it’s also the middle of the school … Read more

AASL Post: How to Weed by the Numbers and Clean Up Your Collection

How to Weed By the Numbers and Clean Up Your Collection | Weeding can be emotional and hard sometimes. We attach so much to books. But if you focus on the data, it can be so much easier to clean out your collection.

I love weeding. A well-curated library collection makes me happy. But weeding can be difficult. We attach a lot of emotion to books. Others don’t understand why anyone would ever want to get rid of books. We have to hide our weeded books for fear of misunderstanding from teachers, parents, students, and administrators. Weeding can … Read more

AASL Post: How to Get Ready for a New Year at Your New School

How to Get Ready for a New Year at Your New School | Starting off a new year at a new-to-you school can be daunting, but it's also an exciting opportunity. Here's five tips to help you prepare.

Starting at a new school can be overwhelming, so it’s good to have a plan. I’ve shared this on social media, but not in an official blog post here.  This year, I will be the new media specialist at Tampa Preparatory, an independent 6-12 school.  It’s my first time at a new-to-me school since I started … Read more

AASL Post: How to Make a Game Plan for Your Next Conference

How to Make a Game Plan for Your Next Conference | Going to a major conference is exciting and thrilling, but it's easy to get overwhelmed and exhausted. If you plan ahead and make a game plan, you're much more likely to have an awesome and successful conference.

Click on over to AASL Knowledge Quest to read the full post, or scroll down to get the summary: Going to a national conference can be exciting and thrilling. Unfortunately, it can also be overwhelming and exhausting. I’ve been to ISTE three times, AASL once, and FETC seven times, so I’ve had to time to … Read more

AASL Post: Why You Should Weed More Than Just Books at the End of the Year

Why You Should Weed More Than Just Books at the End of the Year | The end of the year is a time for reflecting, cleaning up and getting ready for a new school year. It's a great time to re-evaluate not only your collection, but the other physical objects within your library

Click on over to AASL Knowledge Quest to read the full post, or scroll down to read a summary. [W]e can create more space in our library by getting rid of un-needed shelving, tables, and other furniture… [T]he space can feel cleaner and fresher by changing up the decor. But sometimes, making these changes in … Read more