A reading resolution

Is anybody else a tad depressed with all the resolutions this time of year? Honestly, I am probably not going to lose that five pounds around my middle, lower my cholesterol, or get up an hour earlier to exercise.

What I can do is resolve to read.

As librarians, I think it's our responsibility to read. Yes, we want to be experts in many areas, but we're likely the best and only reader's advisor in our schools. And a reader's advisor can't just talk about reading, we need to read.

So I propose a resolution that's fairly realistic. Resolve to read 100 books in 2012.

How can we reach this goal? Read a book a week and listen to a book a week.

At two books per week that's about 98 books per year. During holidays and long weekends we can likely read a couple extra books to put us at the 100 mark.

If you always have a book on your smartphone and soak up those wasted minutes in the grocery store line and at soccer practice, a book a week is pretty attainable. Listen to a book while you commute, fold clothes, and walk the dog. Two books a week--done!

Remember to keep a reader's list (see previous post), and at the end of the year it will be great to have actually kept a resolution, and especially one that helps kids by helping you be a great reader's advisor.

People are our brand

You've seen the discussions swirling around.

Books are our brand, says one. No, this limits libraries, says another. Ebooks, 24/7 access, social media, and information are what we're about.

While I agree with both, I think they're incomplete. The best brand for libraries? People!

By meeting the immediate needs of our users, anticipating their future needs, and reaching out to new users, we're living our mission statements.

This means we'll want to provide books in all formats, help our patrons use and produce information, and meet the needs of people no matter when or where they occur.

Are things our brand? Nope. Service is our brand. People are our brand.

Why Twitter? A collaborative project

One of our terrific government teachers is doing an excellent project with his students using Twitter. Kids set up an academic Twitter feed, follow each other and the teacher, and then recommend other credible people/organizations to follow in regard to politics.

This would be a valuable experience in itself, but the teacher has required that the kids balance perspectives in who they follow and give an "elevator speech" to classmates to justify their choices.

This requires kids to evaluate the credibility and authority of their sources and to look for bias, perspective, and point of view. I think this project will have great transfer to their research skills.

This super teacher asked me to collaborate with him on the project, and the following is a mini-lesson I did with his kids to introduce the value of Twitter and how to judge its information credibility. Feel free to use it if you like.
Image from Twitter Tips Central.com

Cool tool... ifttt

I am crazy about ifttt (If This, Then That), a cool new tool shared with me by my tech pal, David Ashby.

This great tool allows you to set up automated "if, then" tasks using Twitter, Facebook, text, email, Diigo, and scores of other services you already use every day. [Note to the folks at ifttt if you're out there: How about Blogger?]

You can set up replies when someone follows you on Twitter, have favorite Tweets emailed to you, and send your RSS feeds to Diigo, to name a few of thousands of possibilities.

Recipes are ifttt tasks that you can make to share with others, and hundreds of recipes are posted for your use on the ifttt site.

Here's a demo video of how ifft works.

For more ideas and tools from David, check out his blog, Tech Tools for Schools.

Changing formats and collection development

Years ago our library collections were in good shape if they were balanced, diverse, and current. Now the issues of formats and access have complicated these tenets in some ways and simplified them in others.

The following are suggestions that feel right for our library, and I’d love to hear from you as to decisions you’re making.

AV to weed now:
VHS tapes
Cassette tapes
Filmstrips (Surely we don’t still have these?)

AV to no longer purchase and weed when they are dated or unused:
DVDs
CDs

Print to weed now:
Reference materials older than five years
Books that meet the MUSTY criteria

Print to no longer purchase and to weed when MUSTY:
Most reference materials (Keep one copy of the most-used ready reference)
Nonfiction “report” books

Materials to purchase as funds allow:
Online databases
Access to streaming video
Fiction and nonfiction downloadable ebooks and audiobooks
Fiction and nonfiction print books of high quality (award winners, starred reviews, etc.)
Fiction and nonfiction print books that are in popular demand

Basically, I see our physical collections getting somewhat smaller (but not disappearing) while our digital collections grow. Our virtual collections provide ubiquitous, 24/7 access, which is something we can’t say for our print volumes that sit behind locked library doors nights, weekends, and holidays.

But because not all our students have digital devices, because our libraries have limited numbers of devices, and because some of our patrons prefer print for a variety of reasons, we should continue to provide vibrant print collections for now, at least.

Formats and access will absolutely continue to change rapidly and challenge our notions of traditional collection development. What do you see around the corner for libraries?

Research in the Digital Age

Below is a one-hour presentation on research that you're welcome to use with your faculty if you'd like. Questions are welcome!



Credits:
PIL InfoLit Dialog, No. 3: Frustrations
Eli Pariser: Beware online "filter bubbles"
7 Billion, National Geographic Magazine

Get your read on, y'all!

It's a great time of year in Texas for finding good books. Over the past year, committees of librarians across the state have been reading the best in newly-published books in order to form the Texas 2 x 2, Bluebonnet, Lone Star, Tayshas, and Maverick reading lists.

Here's a short guide to these lists designed to promote pleasure reading:

Texas 2 x 2 list: 2 year-olds through second grade
(new list not released at the time of this post)

Bluebonnet: third through sixth grades

Lone Star: sixth through eighth grades

Tayshas: ninth through twelfth grades

Maverick: graphic novels for grades sixth through twelve.

Happy reading, y'all.

You can't make this stuff up

Last week eighth graders were in the library looking for biographies for an upcoming project.

"Do you have a book about Anne Frank," one girl asked? "You know, the girl who couldn't see or hear or talk?"

Another student wanted help finding a biography "about someone in World War II." I showed him several, but not finding any he liked, he asked, "What about World War III?"

Deconstructing research

For the first time in several years, I'm a practicing librarian again, which is great. One thing it's done is allow me to see how things are from a student's perspective.

I've realized that kids, even smart, tech-savvy high schoolers, need the research process broken down into steps. It's not enough to throw out a six-step process, show them how to access the databases, and walk around to see if they need help.

Below is a work in progress called Deconstructing the Research Process that I've used with good success for the last couple of classes who have researched in the library. I gave every student a copy with the home use database passwords on the back and very briefly walked the kids through the process, giving examples that applied to their research.

In a perfect world, kids would choose their own topics and this handout would reflect that ownership. It would also be better for the kids for this overview to be chunked into smaller sections and presented at the point of need.

Your comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome! Because the format doesn't hold well here, I'd be happy to email this to you in a Word doc to use with your students.

Deconstructing the Research Process
1. Understand your task—how do I get started?
a. Set deadlines for yourself. When is the project due?
b. Find out what product you will create. Is there a rubric or project sheet to consult?
c. Find out how you will cite your sources.
d. Know what your responsibility is if you are working with a partner or group.
e. Ask how much detail will be needed. What is the scope of the project?
2. Plan for your topic—what do I need/want to learn?
a. Have a clear understanding of who/what your topic is.
b. Gain an overview by reading about your topic in your textbook or on Wikipedia, for example.
c. Look up unfamiliar words while reading the overview.
d. Jot down keywords while you read.
e. Realize why your topic is important.
3. Search for information—where do I find information? (Ask your librarian for tips!)
a. Know the number and type of sources required.
i. Reference or informational books vs. encyclopedia
ii. Database vs. internet
iii. Journal vs. magazine
b. Ask if a specific organizational tool (notecards, graphic organizer, etc.) is required for note taking.
c. Plan search terms by looking at the keywords you jotted down earlier.
d. Search multiple sources of information.
4. Use the information you find—what do I do with the information?
a. Take notes as you search, finishing with one source before moving to the next one.
b. Organize your notes by subtopic, not by source.
c. Write down words and phrases only—this is key to avoiding plagiarism.
d. Collect necessary information to cite your sources.
e. Keep checking what you’ve been asked to find—are you on track?
f. Consider all possible sources of information.
g. Try other keywords and/or other sources until you find all you need.
5. Create a product using the information—how do I present the information?
a. Consult your project sheet again.
i. Who is your audience? What is your purpose?
ii. Double check the requirements for your project.
b. Organize and sequence pertinent information.
i. Discard information that is not relevant.
ii. Set aside information that may not be needed.
c. Cite sources correctly using required format.
d. Use high standards of quality to create your product.
6. Reflect on your process and product—what can I improve?
a. Revise and edit.
b. Get input as needed.
c. Proofread.
d. Finish your product and then publish, present, and share.

For next time, what would you do differently? What have you learned?

In praise of student email

Do your students have school-issued email accounts? If not, are they allowed to access their personal email accounts at school?

Do you encourage students to contact you via your school email if needed?

I hope so on all counts because email can be a powerful tool to help students at the point of need.

Last week I received several emails from students, and all were at night, over the weekend, or on a holiday. These industrious high school kids needed help with database logins, assistance in finding a particular news article, and clarification about when we'd scheduled our book club meeting. One awesome middle schooler emailed to recommend several books she recently read and loved for our new library blog.

If your school doesn't allow student email, I would encourage you to use these and other examples to campaign for this useful tool to expand the reach of your library. It's one more way that you can create a community of readers and learners at your campus.

Fall into the library

It's finally feeling like fall, and you can use this seasonal change for a fun library promotion.  

Invite your students and staff to "fall into the library!"

*Display fall books or suspenseful, scary ones
*Thank teachers for their support with a card and a "bite" of chocolate
*Invite staff and/or parents to "fall into the library" with an open house featuring treats, new books, and a spotlight on available library services
*Host a "Fall into the Library" day with an author visit or technology tailgate which could feature an array of technology tools and how to use them

Please share your ideas as well, and feel free to use this short Animoto video for your own foray into fall!

Creating a community of readers

For me there's nothing more fun than the smile of a kiddo who has read a book and loved it.  And if it's a book that I recommended, that's an amazing feeling.

And creating a community of readers?  Making progress toward that wonderful and lofty goal would probably be enough for most of us to retire happy.

But how can we set the tone for a community of readers at our schools?  How can we create excitement for pleasure reading when many kids think that's an oxymoron?

Let's start with what it's not.

Creating readers is NOT:
*based on rewards
*mandated
*tested
*computerized
*censored
*judgmental
*solitary

And on the positive side...

What do readers need?
*Choice
*Adults to model a love of reading
*Someone to recommend books especially for them
*Time
*A variety of books in many formats
*An opportunity to share what they read

What can we do to set the tone for a community of readers?

*Read what the kids read
*Read a ton
*Have an awesome collection
*Talk to kids about books
*Provide programming that encourages reading
*Know a wide variety of authors to recommend
*Keep a list of what you read

I'd love to hear your ideas for creating readers--please do share! I'll be happy to post them here, along with a list of programs that may encourage reading.

In the meantime, there's a good book and a comfy sofa that's calling my name...

It's a blast!

Start your school year with a blast.  A book blast, that is!  A book blast is simply a campaign to get a book in the hands of every student in your school in a short time.

Send a quick email to the teachers at your school that you have a goal for every student (and teacher!) to have a book by the end of the first week of school.  Too ambitious?  Huge campus?  Maybe you need to tack on a few more days, but if you set the deadline too far out, the sense of urgency is gone, and so is half the fun.

Ask teachers to bring their classes to the library for only 10-15 minutes.  You can warmly greet the students, mingle around, and help with reader's advisory.  No need to set them down for booktalks or a beginning of the year speech about your circulation policies.  It's a book blast!  Simply meet students, help them find a great book, get them checked out and back to class.

If teachers aren't able to bring whole classes, encourage them to send small groups or individuals.  Take a cart of books and a laptop out of the library and bring books to kids!

With you goal of every student quickly jumping in to reading, the first of the year will be a blast!

On being new

Starting this week I'm the new kid again.  After years of being a library administrator in a large public school district, I'm a librarian in a small independent school.  I'm excited about the change and everyone is great, but it's still a little unsettling.

Questions abound.  What the heck do all these acronyms mean?  Am I on this committee? Where is this room located?  What do I wear?

And even more odd, how do I check out books with this different circulation system?  How do I place a hold for a student?  Will teachers want to work with me?  Will kids want to come to the library?

Because I've been in education a few decades (ahem!) and I've been a librarian a couple of these, I'm able to step back and realize it will be ok.  But I have had to talk myself off the ledge a couple of times.

The point of this post?  Find the new person on your campus and show him/her around.  Any insider tips you can offer?  Seek them out at lunch and invite them to go with you (because that icky middle school fear of eating alone has reared its ugly head again for new folks).  Take them under your wing.

The great thing about being new is it's exciting.  How can I grow from this experience?  Who can I learn from this? What can I contribute? 

I once read that in a new job we have 60 days to see things with fresh eyes.  After that, we're part of the system.  While that's kind of comforting to think my anxiety is short term, it's also challenging.  How much can I take in during these two months?  What plans can I set in motion? 

So hey, new kids, we'd better get going. The countdown has started!

Best of luck for a great year!

Is it tomorrow yet?

Our grandsons are here for the Fourth of July weekend, and the younger one (the evil ninja on the right with the hopefully clean underwear on his head) woke up early with a lot on his mind.

"Nan, is it tomorrow yet?  Or it it later?  Because we were supposed to go buy fireworks then!"

Guess what, fellow librarians and educators? It is tomorrow, and it is later. The 21st century is here! Are we ready?

Is your library conducive for collaboration?

The collaboration we learned about in library school involves librarian-to-teacher planning.

But as our curriculums change to keep pace, collaboration is a valued skill for students.  In The Global Achievement Gap, Dr. Tony Wagner, co-director of Harvard's Change Leadership Group, identifies collaboration as one of seven survival skills critical to student success.

What can we do so that our libraries encourage student-to-student collaboration?

1.  Arrange furniture so small groups of students can easily work together.
2.  Allow productive noise.
3.  Work with your tech folks to allow students to bring their own devices.
4.  Establish relationships with students so they feel free to come to the library to work on projects as time allows.
5.  Ensure that the library is open before and after school and during lunch.
6.  Provide materials students may need.  This may range from up-to-date online resources to basic supplies.
7.  If space allows, set up a production lab so students may design and edit projects.  This could be a small office or workroom converted for this purpose.
8.  Collaborate with teachers to encourage projects that are process-based, inquiry-driven, and collaborative in nature.

Because students are social, collaboration is natural to them.  As students work together in our libraries, we may be able to observe skills that will help us improve our collaboration with teachers!

What other suggestions do you have to encourage collaboration among students in your library?

Nurture your (summer) reader

An open letter to parents, grandparents, and caregivers:

Summer is here, and with it comes swimming, vacations, lazy days, and hopefully, reading.

A landmark study reported in SLJ concludes that "...children who read at least six books during the summer maintained or improved their reading skills, while kids who didn't read any saw their skills slip by as much as an entire grade level"(See previous post).

The key to reading (summer or otherwise) is to make it enjoyable. If reading becomes a chore, it can be tedious at best and damaging to your child’s chances of becoming a lifelong reader at worst.

With this in mind, below are some tips for nurturing your reader:

1. Reading isn't just for bedtime.
You’re tired. Your kids are tired. Try setting aside another time when everyone is fresher and less cranky.

2. Allow your kids to choose their own books.
The most important thing is that they like the books they choose. If not, keep looking or ask a librarian for suggestions. Don’t force your taste on kids or make them read books that would be “good for them.”

3. Reading is its own reward.
We don’t need incentives to do pleasurable things, so if you hold up a carrot to get your kids to read, they will think of reading as something they have to be bribed to do.

4. Don’t say reading is important. Show it.
If you don’t read for pleasure, it’s going to be tough for your kids to be readers.

5. Reading aloud isn’t just for little kids.
Go ahead. Don’t be afraid to be goofy. Do the voices!

6. Provide the opportunity for reading.
Turn off the TV. Take books everywhere you go. Listen to audiobooks in the car.

7. Allow all types of reading.
Print books, ebooks, and audiobooks all “count” as reading. Ditto for magazines, comics, and graphic novels.

8. Own books.
Checking books out from the library is great, but nothing beats having a personal copy of favorite books. Give a bookstore gift card for special occasions!

9. Allow your kids the right to quit reading a book if they don’t like it and to re-read a book as many times as they want if they love it.

10. Talk about books with your kids.
Strike up a conversation about what they’re reading, not to test their comprehension, but to show genuine interest.

As summer ends and school begins, I hope you can look back at summer with memories of great vacations, lazy days, and favorite books that you and your child have shared.

An end and a beginning...

Today is bittersweet.  It's my last day as Library Coordinator for Frisco ISD, a job I've held for seven years.  I've been in the district for 11 years, which is forever for me and pretty long in such a fast growth district.

When I was hired as librarian at Staley Middle School in 2001, the district had eight campuses.  When I became coordinator in 2004, we had 21 campuses.  Now there are 49.

And I'm not doing a good job of letting go of our wonderful library program, this great position, and our awesome librarians, who are friends as well. 

But I have an exciting challenge ahead of me.  After 31 years in public education, I'm retiring to accept a wonderful new job.  In August I'll begin as Director of Libraries for Parish Episcopal School in Dallas.  I'll still be a library administrator, which I enjoy, and I will again be a librarian, which I love. 

I'll have a library!  And kids!

So change is in the air for me, and change will be on the horizon for Shelf Consumed as well.  This summer I hope to give it a little facelift.  And I'll keep posting, but maybe from a little different perspective since I'll be a librarian again.  YAY!

When I was seven, I joined Brownies because I wanted a uniform (a life-long goal I've yet to really reach).  We ended each meeting with a little song:  "Make new friends, but keep the old.  One is silver and the other gold." 

This change feels much like that.  Silver and gold!

Rock the vote, y'all!

A librarian friend kindly nominated ShelfConsumed for a Salem Press Library Blog award. If you feel so inclined, I'd love for you to take a second to vote! Thanks, friends!

Wrap up the year in fine form

It's Mid-May already, and time to be thinking about wrapping up your year. 

Even though books may be due soon and many librarians will be completing inventory, do keep the library open if at all possible.  Is it hectic?  Are you busy?  Definitely, but teachers are too, and they don't have the luxury of closing their classrooms. 

Some folks have questioned whether inventory is still needed.  For me it's like balancing your checkbook.  It's not something you look forward to, but when you're done you feel pretty darn good.  And in this case, you're balancing the checkbook for the library, which is a district asset.  If inventorying the entire library feels too overwhelming, next year you may wish to schedule a half day periodically to do it in small sections. 

In addition to inventory, there's a long list of things to accomplish including the following:

1.  Make every effort to get missing, lost, and overdue books rounded up.  This may involve calling parents with a gentle reminder, going to the cafeteria every day to ask kids to go look in their lockers, digging through trash cans during locker cleanout, and enlisting the help of pretty much everyone at your campus.  Some librarians get creative with a competition of some sort.
2.  Encourage teachers to continue to check out books through the last day of school and over the summer.  If teachers have books they're finished with but haven't returned, you could go from room to room and trade books for chocolate.
3.  Fix problems found from inventory.  Mark missing books as lost and catalog books not in the system.  Go ahead and delete items that have been missing more than one year.
4.  Prepare a one-page report for your principal.  Highlight important things that happened in the library this year.  Include stats of how many books circulated, how many classes came to the library, and the number of collaborations completed.  Your purpose for the report?  Showcase how the library impacts student achievement and builds a reading community at your campus.
5.  Let the teachers know how much you appreciate their support.  Put a card in each box with a fun-sized candy bar that reads, "Thanks to your awesome support of the library, we have been able to..."  Fill in the blank with 2-3 great things that you've been able to accomplish with their help. 
6.  Leave the library open as long as possible. Even if you aren't able to circulate books, you can still provide services and programs. Make a book trailer to get kids excited about summer reading. Hold one more book club meeting to talk about what kids are planning to read this summer.

And before you wrap up the year, be sure to take a moment to evaluate. What would you like to change or add next year?  What successes can you celebrate?  It's a great feeling to look back on a job well done!

Sass and Serendipity winner!

WE HAVE A WINNER!

Thank you to everyone who voted! With a 63 percent majority of the vote, Gabby has been identified as the sister with the crossed feet.

Comments I received via email or in person included:

“Purple is a sassy color. White is dreamier.”
“Crossed feet are sassy.”
“The more responsible, no-nonsense sister would have the longer skirt.”
“The crossed feet seem more flirty than sassy.”
“The one with the crossed ankles seems younger.”

I’m amazed at the attention to detail and level of consideration that went into the voting. Again, thank you for your thoughtful analysis.

And to those of you who chose Daphne, don’t feel thwarted! You don’t have to change your view of the cover and can still imagine that the feet belong to her.

I hope all of you will keep a look out for SASS & SERENDIPITY when it debuts July 12 and read it to see if we made the right call.

Extra-special, big-time thanks to Leigh Ann for allowing me to commandeer her amazing blog for a couple of posts, for all that she does for bookish types everywhere, and for just being an all-around great person.

Happy reading!
Jennifer Ziegler

Sass and Serendipity: Take the poll!

Please welcome ShelfConsumed's very first guest blogger, YA author Jennifer Ziegler! 

Jenny is the adorable author of How Not to be Popular, a 2009 Texas Lone Star reading list selection.  Recently a fellow librarian and I ran into her at the TLA conference, and she asked our opinion about the cover of her new book, Sass and Serendipity.  "I love the cover," Jenny remarked, "But I don't know which girl represents Gabby (Sass) and which one is Daphne (Serendipity)."

Since I'm obsessed with the covers of books, I love Jenny's idea of a poll in which you, the readers, get to cast your vote as to which sister is the one in the purple dress with the crossed ankles. 

Let the fun begin!

Jennifer Ziegler writes...
Growing up, I hated having a sister. My sister Amanda spied on me and tattled on me and took my stuff without asking. She even once pulled a knife on me. (It was a round-tipped butter knife and all she did was threaten – but still!)

Amanda and I shared a bedroom from the day our brother Jason was born until the day I left for college. It was tough not having my own space where I could keep my stuff – and my secrets – safe and sound.

Now that we’re both adults, Amanda and I are the best of friends. It’s comforting to have someone who understands you so well … who knows what worries you and what cheers you …who can pick out the perfect gifts and YouTube clips to pass along to you … who can recall the exact face Dad made the day he discovered the petrified piece of something in your brother’s room and then laugh about it with you.

Back when I was sixteen and yelling at Amanda that I wish she’d been taken home from the hospital by a different family – preferably a gypsy family who roamed far away from our house – I never would have guessed that someday I would miss her and want to see her more often. But I do.

My relationship with Amanda was a big source of inspiration for my new novel, SASS & SERENDIPITY, which comes out July 12. The book is about Gabby and Daphne Rivera, two sisters who live in a present-day small Texas town. Gabby is the older one. She is sassy and super-responsible and believes that “true love” is just an excuse for people to go crazy. Daphne, the younger sis, is an optimistic daydreamer who believes that any guy could potentially be “the one.” It was a joy to write and I’m very proud of the results.

One of the last steps in creating a book is the concept for the cover art. As the author, I can have input on the cover, but I don’t design it. Mainly what I do is cross my fingers and hope that the art department at my publishing house will “get” my book and create an image that evokes both the theme and mood of my story. Happily, they did both with this design. In my view, it perfectly captures the classic-meets-modern, silly-meets-romantic, sweet-meets-edgy atmosphere of my novel.

But one detail isn’t clear on the front cover: Whose feet are whose? Do the crossed ankles of the sister in the purple dress belong to Daphne – the one who believes in romance, true love and serendipity? Or do they belong to sassy, dependable, no-nonsense Gabby?

I’ve decided to let readers decide. What do you think? Please cast your vote and help me decide which girl is which.

Help! Who do the crossed feet belong to?

Gabby (SASS) or Daphne (SERENDIPITY)?

QuestionsView Results

Working on your "to don't" list

Other people's "to do" lists fascinate me. Many people simply jot a list of tasks on a legal pad and mark them off when finished. Others have elaborate systems involving color-coded pens, multiple notebooks, and grids.

I quit writing a "to do" list a year or so ago when I realized a) it was depressing, and b) I was spending time on the "to do" list that I could actually be spending "to doing" instead. But that's another post.

You may not be ready to give up your "to do" list, but some management geniuses think you should work on a "to don't" list.

Come again?

In a fantastic piece this week, Daniel Pink draws from the ideas of Tom Peters and Jim Collins to suggest that we could improve our work with a "to don't" or "stop doing" list. Some of my colleagues have been talking about a similar idea of selective abandonment. Selective abandonment!

In other words, what things can you just not do anymore?

*Things that cause you to lose focus (Tom Peters)
*Things that cause you to be busy but not productive (Jim Collins)
*Things that cause you to spend less time doing good work & on the people you care about (Daniel Pink)

In regard to the library, I would also add the following:

*Things that take time away from helping kids and teachers
*Things that serve as a roadblock to kids or that make the library less welcoming
*Things that misplace the focus of the program

Below are a few items that I would encourage you to consider for your "to don't" list:

*Fines (punitive; sends the wrong message; a hassle)
*Overdue notices (ditto)
*Library orientation (wastes valuable time on procedures & stuff kids won't remember)
*Passes & signing in (your administrator may require this, but if not, why do you?)
*Fixed library schedule (ditto)
*Lessons in isolation (i.e. here's how to use the databases for LATER; not how we learn)
*Assigning the task of checking out to library staff (more efficient and empowering to allow kids to cko)

What would you add to the list?

As with goals, lists become real when we write them down. Why not begin your "to don't" list for the library today?

Counting the cost of librarian job losses

Early this morning I received an email from the Texas Association of School Librarians (TASL) listserv.  Carolyn Foote, a high school librarian near Austin, TX, has created a Google map to pinpoint job losses of librarians, library aides, and library directors in Texas.

When I first opened the map this morning, it was basically blank.  This afternoon it is a sea of blue pin points, and I'm sure more will follow.  It is heartbreaking.

It is heartbreaking to consider the hundreds of persons who will be out of work. 
It is heartbreaking to consider the hundreds of schools that will be without library services.
It is heartbreaking to consider how many years it will take to rebound from these cuts.

And most of all, it is heartbreaking to consider the thousands of kids who won't have a librarian. 
Who will hand these kids that one book that turns them into readers for life?
Who will show these kids how to be fluent in this information age?

The cost of these jobs is devastating on so many levels and for so many years to come.

Spring for PoetryTagTime

With the arrival of April, spring and poetry are in the air.  An exciting way to celebrate both is with the very first electronic-only poetry anthology, PoetryTagTime.  In this delightful offering for kids of all ages, 30 poets create new poems in a "tag-you're it" fashion.

Jack Prelutsky, Nikki Grimes, Lee Bennett Hopkins, Douglas Florian, Helen Frost, Jane Yolen, X.J. Kennedy, Paul B. Janeczko, and a host of others share a poem as well as the inspiration from the previous poet that sparked the idea.

The idea for the anthology is the creative work of Dr. Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong, and poetry lovers will want to explore both their sites for fabulous poetry resources.  PoetryTagTime is available on Amazon or bn.com for only .99, and the format looks great on both my iPhone and iPad.

Spring for PoetryTagTime and share a poem and a special moment with your favorite kiddo today.

How to make a parent's day AND advocate for your library in one simple step

Sometimes a simple idea is best.  It's great to have a ton of ideas, but we're busy.  And overwhelmed.  And maybe stressed.  So if we could simplify, I'm betting no one would object.

Yesterday one of our wise librarians shared with me that as things get increasingly harried and fragmented, she copes with these multiple demands by streamlining.  She consciously steps back, identifies what is most important in her library, and then focuses on one or two things.  And because she is wonderful, these one or two things involve helping kids love reading and learning.  When she loses focus, she asks herself if the task at hand relates to her priorities.

Simplify.  Streamline.

In an earlier post I listed ten ideas to advocate for our libraries. In an effort to channel the advice of my smart friend, I'd like to feature one idea that several of our fabulous librarians have implemented.

Make one positive parent call a day. 

It takes only a couple of minutes.  Choose a student that you've had a special interaction with that day or one that may need a little affirmation.  The nervous flutter of calling a parent will dissipate once you find out how amazing it feels to make a parent's day.  And calling home isn't just for the little ones.  There's no age limit on feeling good.

The librarian I mentioned has recently started calling a parent each day with terrific results.  She left a voicemail for one parent at work telling the mom what a great kid her son is and how fun it is to work with him.  The mom called the librarian back and said, "I just wanted to hear you say those nice things about my son one more time.  Would you tell me again?"

"The Mind of a Researcher: Keith Curry Lance," is a great article from the April 2010 issue of Teacher Librarian about the critical role of a librarian. After 20 years of gathering data on the effectiveness of school libraries, Lance notes that the message still isn't being heard.  Why?  Lance feels that when we advocate for our own programs, it often sounds self-serving. 

And who does Lance believe are our best advocates?  Parents.

So today I challenge you to adopt the simple idea of making one positive parent phone call each day.  In this small act of kindness you will make the day of a parent and advocate for your library in one simple step.

And one small action can be powerful. 

If you call one parent a day x 180 days of school, that's 180 parents firmly in your corner.  We have 49 librarians in our district.  If each one would call one parent per day x 180 days, we would have 8,820 parents supporting our library program by the end of the year.

And if every school librarian called one parent every day...

Pass the word.

Cool tool for conference connections

Our great Texas Library Association conference is right around the corner.  Two of the best things about conference are reconnecting with old friends and making new acquaintances of librarians, publishers, and authors.

When you attend TLA or other conferences, be sure to take a stack of business cards to exchange with these folks. You may also want to download a fab app called WorldCard.

WorldCard automatically creates a new contact in your smart phone from a picture that you take of a business card.  Among other useful features is the ability to connect with your contacts on social media sites such as Twitter if that info is provided.

Now that's a cool tool for making conference connections!

Mind your Ps and Qs

A new little quilt shop has recently opened down the street from our neighborhood.  I'm fascinated by this because I didn't realize enough people still quilt to support a new business. 

The name of it is "Mind Your Ps and Qs," which I don't really get either.  If the Q stands for quilt, what's the P stand for?  Is this some quilting expression? 

This started me thinking about the odd expression of minding one's Ps and Qs.  Wikipedia offers several explanations for the saying, but the one that makes most sense to me dates back to the days of printing presses when a printer would need to take care not to mix up the letters p and q when typesetting.  He would literally need to mind his ps and qs.

Of course all roads lead to the library for me, so I quickly started thinking what Ps and Qs librarians might need to mind.

How about these?

Mind your Ps:
Libraries are about people.
Librarians must remain positive, even in tough times.
Patrons (of all ages) are our priority.

Mind your Qs:
Questions are always valued.
Quality trumps quantity.
Be quick to serve with a spirit of helpfulness.

Mind your Ps and Qs, librarians, so our libraries are part of the essential fabric of our schools!

Save the time of the user OR How to email efficiently

We all get tons of email, so I've compiled a few ideas to help us be more efficient.

1. Before you send an email to a group, be sure that it applies to the whole group. If it does not, only email the persons to whom it is applicable.

2. Rarely “reply all.” Instead, reply only to the original recipient or to the person to whom it is applicable.

3. At the risk of being redundant, rarely “reply all.” As Ranganathan says, “Save the time of the user!”

4. Make sure that your subject line matches the email’s content. One subject per email is best.

5. When replying to someone, be sure your reply matches their subject line. If you’re changing the subject, change the subject line.

6. If you have more than one point to make, enumerate for easier reading.

7. Use short paragraphs.

8. Read over your email before you hit send. How’s the tone? Do you have errors? Is your meaning clear?

9.  Bcc yourself if you need a copy.  Keep your inbox cleaned out so it can serve as a "to do" list.

10. If email takes over your day, close it while you're working on other projects and only open it at the beginning of the day, before lunch, and before you leave for the evening.

Tough times? Here we go!

The Superbowl is next week, and the commercials have already started.  One batch of ads features eager guys and gals gearing up for sporting or social events with the rally cry of, "Here we go!"

With all the tough education finance news we're hearing lately, it's time for librarians to gather around a rally cry and forge ahead.

It's not pretty out there.  In Texas, our friends in Austin ISD are facing cuts of 22 secondary librarians.  In Grand Prairie ISD, librarian and tech positions are being combined, leaving these persons to reapply for the "new" jobs which will number about one-third of previous jobs.  Funding for K-12 databases and other valuable library programs is in danger.

In response, listservs have been abuzz. Some librarians have felt the need to complain in this very public venue about a variety of unrelated topics.  We've heard about the hardwood floor in one superintendent's office, how coaches aren't being fired, and how much time our schools spend in state testing. 

None of this is doing our cause any good.  It's uninformed, unprofessional, and unproductive. Sure we're worried and upset, but let's focus our energies on positive action.

Ready?

1.  Send a brief email or make a call to your legislator.  Briefly summarize how librarians make a difference in student achievement.  Need data?  School Libraries Work  is excellent.

2.  Meet with your principal briefly every month.  Bring a one-page sheet to leave with your administrator that focuses on how your library program impacts student achievement (See a trend?)  This may include circulation stats, the number of classes in the library that month, how many times you've collaborated with teachers (formally or informally), and specific examples of research and instruction in the library that helps kids.  Share new ideas.  Enlist support.  Ask for their feedback.

After the meeting, email to thank the administrator for their support and include an electronic copy of your info that may also include pictures of programming and instruction, and links to your blog or other things you want to share. 

A note about meeting with your administrator.  Many librarians have said they skip this meeting because, a) their principal is really busy, b) it makes them uncomfortable, or c) they don't know what to say.  This meeting is critical.  Don't skip this important chance to let your principal know how you make a difference with kids.  Don't assume he/she knows what you do and the impact of your program.

3.  Get to know your teachers.  One of our librarians eats with a different grade level each week.  Another has started a teacher book club.  Ask the ones who really collaborate with you to tell their peers.  Ask the ones you never see what they need.  Provide specific ways you can help in case they can't think of anything!

4.  Involve parents.  Remember when you were a teacher and you called parents occasionally just to say something great about their child?  Do the same as a librarian.  "Hello, Mrs. Smith?  I'm Tim's librarian, and I just wanted you to know what a great reader he is." 

5.  Participate actively in professional library organizations. 

6.  Have a professional web presence.

7.  Volunteer to serve on campus and district-level committees.  Once you're there, be positive and look for opportunities to advocate for libraries.

8.  Serve on curriculum writing-committees for the district and work to ensure that the library/librarian are mentioned specifically in curriculum plans.  For example, the implementation phase could say something like, "Work with your librarian to..."

9.  Be about kids.  Everything you do should focus on helping kids. 

10.  Do more.  Know more.  Be more.

Tough times?  We're ready to face them.  Here we go!

Not quite burned out but crispy around the edges OR how to get back to the job you love

The other day someone said that January is turning into another October, and if you're in the school business I probably don't have to explain what that means.  It's nuts around here!  Take that crazy busy-ness, add in a dose of winter blahs, and you may be feeling a little stressed.

This put me in mind of the fabulous title of a book Sharon Draper has written for teachers, Not Quite Burned Out but Crispy Around the Edges.  Draper came to our community-wide book festival a few years back, and teachers and kids alike loved her.

I also read a great article from the January/February 2011 Library Media Connection a couple of days ago called "Avoiding School Librarian Burnout: Simple Steps to Ensure Your Personal Best."  Author Margaux DelGuidice does an awesome job of offering ideas, and I would encourage you to read what she has to say.

Ditto for "A Refreshing Conversation" by Thomas R. Hoerr in the March 2010 Educational Leadership (Thanks, Carol!)

So with thanks to Draper, DelGuidice, and Hoerr, below are a few tips on coping with burnout:

1.  What do you love about your job?  Choose a couple of things and focus your time and energies on them, especially while you're feeling stressed.

2.  Slow down.  I know.  Like this is going to happen.  But you can start small.  Instead of race walking to the bathroom, walk at a normal pace.  Breathe while walking.

3.  Eat lunch.  Honestly, will it make a giant difference if you eat your sandiwch while standing up? Even on the busiest of days you can take five minutes to sit down, rest your feet, and actually chew your lunch.

4.  Cut down on multi-tasking.  Admittedly this is about as futile as limiting sugar intake, but try multi-tasking only on the little things that don't really matter.  With the important things such as helping a student find a book he will enjoy, focus your full attention.  Both of you will benefit.

5.  Cultivate relationships.  The few seconds it takes to stop and chat with a friendly co-worker will not only lower your blood pressure but could be the basis of a new collaborative effort.

6.  Mix it up!  Do new things OR do old things in new ways.  I have a friend whose new year's resolution is to do 11 new things in 2011.  My dad occasionally writes with his left hand just to work out the other side of his brain.

7.  Put at least one thing on your Stop Doing List.  Really.  Just let it go.

8.  Don't mix work and your free time so much.  Is it a self-imposed deadline?  Go home and complete the task when you're feeling fresher.

9.  If you must take work home or stay late, give yourself a little reward for being so good.  You deserve it!

10.  Step back and remember why you love what you do.  You make a difference!