Librarian or concierge? Does it matter?

Do you ever think about how you fill your school day?  There are days, more than I like, when I feel like the library concierge rather than the school librarian. "Room for two more on computers? Sure, send them down."  "Can we use your space for testing .... class project .... videotaping ..... even painting projects!"  Fill in your own image here.  Sometimes it makes me grumpy, feeling underutilized and without value.  But then I think about it and realize,  these things demonstrate many things about myself and my library space.
The first one, and most important to me, students love to be in my space.  If a class has more students than computers in lab, I know students are chanting, I can go to the library, me too!  I know because these same students find ways to be here throughout the day.  You know the ones, you have them too, they are in several times for several periods daily.  Just yesterday I had a student come in from our satellite school, the Innovative Learning Space and say would you email my teacher and let him know I am sending the morning here studying instead of there?  I do so much better here.  And she did!  What a complement, that this space does give a student confidence and comfort, that this is where they choose to spend their time when they get to choose?  How many of you have those students who stop by your desk everyday just to check in?  I was out sick for two days recently and when I got back I had a young man go out of his way to come in and ask if I felt better.  This was not a student I would say is a regular, but it was one I speak to whenever I see him.  The climate we create is important, it impacts our school and our students.  You never know when one small act of kindness will create a huge impact.
The second thing about my space, teachers know I will be open and accommodating (even if I really don't feel that way!).  I want a filled, busy, productive space. And who knows, maybe if you are nice sharing your space the next time they will share their students, or their project, or, dare I hope, collaborate?  We are different that classroom teachers.  Yes, the media center is our classroom but it is also a community space and so we must juggle both aspects.  Confession, I never could juggle, but in this case I am moving as fast as I can, because I do want this to be "the" place that everyone wants to be in.
One last comment, when I was told that my space would be used  again for testing, the principal said, "Liz, you know I wouldn't take your space if I could help it, it is the heart of the school. But, in the same token, for the kids that have to come in and take this test, they couldn't be in a spot that makes them feel more comfortable and welcomed.  And that is a great way to feel if you are already uncomfortable about the whole testing thing."
So, okay, I am adding concierge in my list of "other duties as assigned."  And I will do it with a smile, and a, "Hi _____, how can I make your life better today?"  

Serendipity! And proms ...

Here is a wonderful case of serendipity; next Thursday is Celebrate Teen Literature Day. A day during National Library Week (April 16, 2015), that is aimed at raising awareness among the general public that young adult literature is a vibrant, growing genre with much to offer today's teens.  Where's the funny coincidence?  I chose that day last fall to have my annual Battle of the Books in my school library with my teenagers (you know, readers of YA literature?!)  I'm not sure if the stars were aligning or I was psychically in tune with ALA or YALSA but there you have it, a great event for teen readers on Teen Literature Day!!   It even goes a little farther with the teen part, I have a committee made up of, you guessed it, teens, who actually make the book selections thus continuing to demonstrate that the YA genres have a strong interest in my small part of the world.  The students who have been reading the 9 books that were chosen for this year have seemed very excited about the choices, so this promises to be an awesome day for YA lit.


More YA lit fun; Speed Dating in the library.  If you work in any way with high school students, then you know that prom season is upon us.  This makes for a great opportunity to talk dating and books.  You can talk about how you want to help them find the perfect date, make all sorts of sly comments, and get everyone excited about this fun time.  I was "matching" my students in the library this week, really for an English assignment, but where's the fun it that, and I had one student tell me he was actually going to take his book to the prom, we'll see, I will be
chaperoning and that will be definitely be a picture worthy coupe if it really happens.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

I have been thinking about this phrase, which we all learning in elementary school - reduce, reuse, and recycle and how it should apply to school libraries today.

Reduce- the attitude, you know, the "but I've always done it this way" or "its my library".  We need to Remind ourselves that ours is not a regular classroom, we really do belong to our community of teachers and learners and must open our doors widely and cheerful (even if it is for testing!)






Reuse - there are lots of things we have stockpiled in our libraries that we can get rid of.  Why not use it to create a Makerspace activity? Take a look here for ideas: https://www.pinterest.com/cari_young/library-makerspaces/

Recycle - or check it out!  Just about anything in our spaces can be checked out if there is a need.  My advocacy thought is that if an item is checked out, someone needs to bring it back and that can begin a conversation that could lead to more use of the media center.

What can you do with 3 R's to improve your library media center/learning commons?  Try something new!

Testing, redux!

After reflecting on the testing situation, and talking with wise friends, I am rethinking testing.  I now think it can be viewed as an opportunity - for solidarity with colleagues, we are all in this together, for demonstrating the spirit of team player, showing administrators we can work and play well with others, and for collaboration experiences.

 

I am always working for more and better collaboration experiences, and I discovered that testing opened that door.  My teachers had less time to cover what needed to be and when I offered to help out and be a part of their teaching some were thrilled.  A second teacher in the room, as I working on embedding myself in classes when the library space was closed.  Once they realized that I wasn't adding more time to their lessons, but supporting their teaching I was welcomed back; this is building that relationship I want.  Sometimes we need to step back and not push our own agenda, just be that extra set of hands.  I am anxiously waiting to see if we progress toward the next step closer to collaboration ...

There are  many resources available, to assist you as you move to a more collaborative environment.  Here is one I really like.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”
― Helen Keller

Back to school, are you ready? I am and here's why

It's that time of year, back to school!  How many of us are ready?  We've read professionally, learned new web 2.0 or technology skills to share, and took advantage of the myriad of PD available, live and online.  If you did, good job; now is the time to figure out how to most effectively share this with your teachers.  Will you have a 10 for tech, a ten minute overview of a new tool you have learned?  Or maybe an enticing email teaser, if you plan with me you will find out about .....?  Maybe you are like me and you are a blitz bomber; just bound in to a planning meeting with "Ooohh, look what I have to share with you!  And, I brought candy!"  Whatever your style, remember it is not really professional development unless you use what you've learned.
Here's one great tool I use: Scoop It (http://www.scoop.it/).  You set up the topics you want searched, and this program culls the Internet for possibilities, puts them together in a magazine-like forum, and delivers it to your email box for you.  You then get to decide what articles/links work for you and you add them to your page.  People can follow you, I think this would be great to collect information for a particular course project.  In the past I have used it for "women in the military" when a student was doing a research project, I have a technology in education page, inquiry in library, and others.  I love that new material is collected and sorted for me; and it also provides a place to save this info so I can find it again!
Any great tools you have discovered this summer? Please share!

Dithering

I always know I am trying to juggle too many things when I start dithering about the less important ones, like, what should I wear tomorrow?  Or stop for gas before work or after?  Well, here is my dithering dilemma for today, what should I put in my school library office to make a good first impression.  Silly, I know, but still ... should I hang my degrees or does that seem pretentious?  Family pictures or not?  My professional books? 
I do know that I will be rotating some of my favorite quotations about education and libraries, and that there will always be a candy jar, and soft music.  I will have the AASL standards at the ready along with our state's common core standards, and any district initiatives. These are non negotiables.
What do you think?  What is non negotiable to you? 
Any suggestions you can give me?

It was a dark and stormy night ...

Some day I will write a story that starts this way, for now Snoopy has nothing to worry about! (Vintage Charlie Brown comic for you youngsters reading this!)  Actually it is early morning, the storms are over, and I am awake, wide awake, and feeling the pressures of getting ready for the start of school.  So I am going to make a list of what needs to be done as I move into the high school experience, and you feel free to add anything I have forgotten.

• Learn my way around the library print collection!  I have used the online Destiny catalog and reports to try and get a sense of what is there and how it circulates, but I still want to go in and touch books and see exactly how the collection is physically arranged.
• Check out the subscription databases!  I have an email in to my Ebsco rep to walk me through what we have already, and what else might be available. Note to self: ask rep about checking the usage of these sites.
• Find out who (teachers) already use the library, and how.  I wonder if I make a quick online survey and email it to staff, will anyone respond? (This is like the tree falling in the woods question.)
• Check, is the library the meeting place or the meeting place?  Does it get used for every meeting in the building and does that either bring people in to use the library or cause the library to be closed to individual and groups?  Other meeting place, do students actually choose to come to the library?  Why or why not.  How can we improve on that?  I want to form a student advisory board with a broad spectrum of students both to support existing users and to encourage those who do not feel welcomed.
• Virtual 24/7 accessibility.  Beyond school databases, what other vehicles are in place to assist students beyond the school day?  What do they really need to help themselves?
• Cutting edge technology tools.  Are the students using cell phones for learning? (Are they allowed?)  Can QR codes help learning and increase interest?  Kindles or nooks? iPods? Anything beyond PowerPoint as a final product?  I have a QR code for the library home page, maybe I will make book marks to pass out that have this link and also a survey for students?  I have started a LiveBinder page, want to create a "virtual book shelf", what other suggestions do you have?
• Building connections.  With staff, students, other high school librarians?  Is there anything that works better than chocolate?
• PLN?  I have found some great blogs by high school folk, and am following some tweeters who talk books with high school themes.  I just need to continue to use these and other resources when the school year is in full swing.
• ??? Everything I have forgotten, that nagging feeling that keeps me awake at night, like tonight!

I will be working on these things in the coming weeks before school starts, and will continue to share my ideas and reflections.  Please feel free to join me by adding your comments and ideas!

Liz

New school year, new opportunities!

One week of school under my belt, and I am still excited about this year! My students are so thrilled to be back in the library media center, even "nagging" their teachers to schedule orientation times with me so that they would be able to begin their flexible check out. What powerful advocates they are, both to their teachers and their parents. In response to that, I plan to extend and enhance that enthusiasm in every way possible.

Here are my goals for this school year:

• I will share the newest technology and Web 2.0 sites available and offer ways to use them to foster inquiry and learning;
• I will use any means at my disposal (book fairs, grant writing, PTO requests, and more) to continually make available new book titles and share them with students both in whole class and individual student situations.
• I will suggest curriculum tie ins to my faculty, and offer to collaborate.
• I will maintain my cheery disposition all day every day even if those around me are not.
• I will find time to professionally develop myself, make time to share with library colleagues, and make time for myself personally!