Announcing September 2023's Member of the Month, Tracy Blunier. Tracy works at Whitefield Academy in Smyrna, GA. She has been a school librarian for fourteen years.
We asked Tracy some questions about her experience as a school librarian and we would like to share them with you.
What's your favorite thing about your job as a school librarian?
My favorite thing is working one on one with a student and seeing the moment that they understand something. Since I teach the research process, this "ah ha" moment has proven to be the impetus for deeper thinking.
Name one children's book that you couldn't live without in your library.
Anne of Green Gables
Tell us why you decided to join the Elementary Librarian Community. What's your favorite thing about it?
The elementary librarian community isn't just for elementary levels - the skills that are identified and supported can be taught and utilized anywhere from K-12. I'm always going back and seeing what I can tweak, and when I use Elementary Librarian it almost always jumpstarts my thought process. I've been a part of this community since I first became a librarian and I will remain here.
What's the biggest challenge you're currently facing when it comes to your school library?
The biggest challenge is that students have very little desire to read for pleasure. Too much of their time is taken with technology and/or school "stuff" that they don't know how to sit back and enjoy a book. I'd like to see more intentional disconnection from technology and a scheduled time for our middle and upper school students to simply read.
If you could give one piece of advice to a brand new school librarian (or someone considering becoming a school librarian), what would it be?
The best piece of advise that I would give is not change anything your first year - simply sit back and watch your community at work. Take copious notes. Dream big… but wait for the right time to implement a change.
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