I've had a lot of new visitors to my site lately, including several brand new librarians. First of all, welcome! I am so glad you are here. I noticed that many of you are asking for things that are already on the site. Here are links to some of my most popular posts: Ten Tips for New Librarians: An article with advice for new elementary ... Continue Reading...
Elementary Librarian's Adopt-A-Shelf Program
Adopt-A-Shelf is something I’ve been considering for my library for some time now. A few weeks ago, several librarians were discussing it on my state’s listserv, so I thought I would start it in my library for the upcoming school year. I’ve been working hard on all the materials so you don’t have to! I’ve created a Powerpoint presentation for ... Continue Reading...
Unsent Letter - Teacher to Parent
Today's post is a follow up to last week's post. This week, I'm saying some things I'd like to say to parents as a teacher. As I mentioned last week, there are two sides to every story, and I'm glad I've been able to experience both perspectives. Both jobs (teacher and parent) are much harder than people recognize. Dear ... Continue Reading...
Unsent Letter - Parent to Teacher
For the first time this year, I'm both a teacher-librarian and a parent of a school-aged child. I think it's really hard to truly understand other people unless you've walked in their shoes for a while. I used to think that parents were unreasonable when it comes to their children in school situations. Since I've had a child of my own, however, I ... Continue Reading...
Are School Libraries Still Necessary?
Lately I've noticed the same question coming up again and again: are school libraries still necessary? It started the other day on my state's listserv. Someone was asking for ideas because their district is going to have only one certified librarian for the entire district during the next school year. Yesterday, I saw the question being asked on ... Continue Reading...
Book Reviews
This week, I received my library's copies of The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. The book received the 2013 Newbery Medal, and I had heard really good things about it, so I was excited to read it. I'll tell you a little secret: I don't always love Newbery winners. I'm very pleased to say that I felt this one was very deserving of the ... Continue Reading...
