School Libraries as Places of Social Engagement
Libraries are important places for social connections in our societies and schools. When I worked in a small public library, many of our older patrons counted on the library to serve a social function....
View ArticleDiverse Perspectives Book Club
I love it when inspiration comes at just the right moment, and I also love how great ideas build on each other. I was catching up on some KQ reading this past summer when I stumbled upon the post by......
View ArticleAdvocacy Toolkit: Library Reports
Get the Word Out! “They won’t know what you’re doing unless you make sure they know. And if you don’t, your job will eventually end up on the chopping block and no one will know why you’re worth...
View ArticleLead Like a Librarian
School librarians are uniquely positioned to be leaders. We see all of our students. (And — shh, don’t say this too loudly to our classroom teacher friends — but nothing that we teach is on a...
View ArticleBuild Your Own Professional Learning Journey
“We’re all learners, and we should be growing ourselves every day. We ask our students to show up every day ready to learn… Yet as adults, how committed are we to that same learning adventure?” –...
View ArticleInquiry Framework: What Makes Sense?
I’m on a quest to refine my teaching to be both student-centered and relevant. This has evolved over time to mean that I talk a lot less now, and put more effort into the design of the learning...
View ArticleBuilding a Reading Community, One Reader at a Time
This spring, one of our 9th graders found a safe spot with us in the Camden Hills Regional High School Library. Erica is a self-proclaimed non-reader. She’s not a member of our Student Library...
View ArticleCollaboration with Choice Novel Studies
English Class: Choose Your Own Book Really? In English class?! We get to choose? Choice Novel Studies (CNS) are beginning to ripple into our high school English department, with great benefits. Our...
View ArticleLearner-Centered Curation
Organization and curation have become educational buzzwords — but as librarians, these concepts have always been near and dear to our hearts! As school librarians, we are accustomed to seeking...
View ArticleData Tells a Story
When I stumbled upon the gorgeous, graphic visualization website Information Is Beautiful, I was lost for an hour. Then I raced to our science department and shared the site with some colleagues,...
View ArticleAdvocacy – Something for Everyone!
I want all school librarians to be advocates for school libraries. It’s not just during budget season, and it’s not just when your job is on the line. That’s too little, too late. It’s not “just one...
View ArticleCo(mmunity)-Constructed Library
We Make Our Library Great. Together. I’m the steward of the school library. It’s my job to make the library a place that reflects our learning community, and responds to the community’s needs. Since...
View ArticleAdvocacy Mindset
Advocacy. It is the job that is not officially part of my job as a high school librarian. It’s a mindset for me. Sometimes I don’t even realize I’m “doing” advocacy because it informs so many aspects...
View Article“Survey Says…”
Four years ago, I gave my first user survey to students. Still new to my position as librarian/technology integrator, I inherited a traditional library that had fallen out of use, and was desperate to...
View ArticleCOVID-19 School Librarianship – Part 1
[Note: This is the first in a series.] MASL Leads As rumors of school closures and transition to remote learning began to circulate in Maine, my Voxer chat started blowing up with voice and text...
View ArticleCOVID-19 School Librarianship – Part 2
[This is a three-part series. Read part 1 here.] Sunday March 15 When I left our MASL virtual meet-up, I felt inspired and energized by my professional community. I was still processing the message...
View ArticleCOVID-19 School Librarianship – Part 3
Proceeds from this shirt support independent booksellers [This is the concluding post in a three-part series. Click here for parts one and two.] At first, there was collective exhaustion and the hope...
View ArticleMaine Library Legislative Day 2020
“Libraries Are Good for Maine!” That was our collective message at Maine’s second Library Legislative Day on February 20, 2020. Librarians representing public, school, university, and special...
View ArticleTake a Deep Breath!
This spring was uncharted territory for everyone. Everything we thought we knew about how to do our complex and multifaceted jobs as educators was called into question. But this isn’t new for us school...
View ArticleData Tells a Story
When I stumbled upon the gorgeous, graphic visualization website Information Is Beautiful, I was lost for an hour. Then I raced to our science department and shared the site with some colleagues,...
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