KisKTE8. Welcome to the library of the 21st century. On a recent Monday morning, the citizens of Kanawha County, West Virginia, came to check out a new chapter in the life of an old institution. After more than two years and $32 million in renovations, downtown Charleston's public library reopened to the public – less a warehouse of books, and more a marketplaces of ideas. Inside, visitors discovered a brand-new cafe, a tool-lending library, and an "idea lab" full of the latest technology. From podcasting booths to computerized sewing machines to augmented reality screens, the facility has been updated for the modern age.
There was an excitement you could see AND hear – which is exactly what the librarians were hoping for. Correspondent Conor Knighton asked, "Are we beyond the age of shushing? " "We're beyond the age of that, yeah! " "I tell you what I'm not seeing here; I'm not seeing a ton of books. " "No! While there are still plenty of books, the redesign allowed the staff to rethink how they were displayed. "It's always like that! " "No! Címlap | A Könyvtárostanárok Egyesületének honlapja. School Libraries & ESSA. ALA | Home - American Library Association. International Association of School Librarianship - Home. Kingárium. Requirements to Become a School Librarian By-State - EveryLibrary Institute. If you are wondering what it takes to become a school librarian, we have compiled a comprehensive guide to state certification requirements with current links.
School librarians are focused on student success and should be a part of every school and all grade levels. Professional or certified school librarians are specifically trained to work with students and have extensive librarian-related experience like research, information literacy, book recommendations, and technology on top of their teaching experience. They work with students and other teachers to ensure that everyone is able to access information in a variety of formats and that reading is integrated across the curriculum. School librarians are leaders within their schools and help develop important skills in students from a young age because they focus on learning outcomes and individual discovery. Your donations funds research that helps fund libraries! Requirements to become a school librarian vary by state. Alabama Alaska. 4 Levels of Collaboration for Teachers and Librarians -
As school librarians, we know that collaboration is a large part of our role. In the AASL National School Library Standards to collaborate is to “work effectively with others to broaden perspectives and work toward common goals.” We also understand that collaboration can take many forms. This year I have been really looking at my lessons to determine their purpose and relevance. My focus has been on asking myself questions, “Is this the best way to teach this lesson?” Or “Does this project truly teach the objective?” In doing so, I have been reflecting on how I work with other teachers in my school. What I have discovered is what I felt was really effective collaboration may still need more time to develop. Recently, I joined the Educational Technology Task Force for my school. A Model This model got me thinking that collaboration could be put into these boxes as well. Sharing Sharing is the level that which collaboration begins.
Cooperation Coordination Integration Resources: Model #1: Order Up: A Monthly Menu for Collaboration - Two years ago, the library switched from a completely fixed schedule to a hybrid model. Students in preschool and kindergarten currently come at a scheduled time each week. First and second grade come for a fifteen-minute weekly check out. All other instruction is incorporated into the first- and second-grade curriculum often in a co-teaching capacity. As you can imagine this was a new way of looking at instruction for most people involved (including me). Although many of my colleagues recognized the potential this of this model, they were not aware of my curriculum objectives or the possible types of projects or lessons we could collaborate on.
Additionally, they were also really, really busy most of the time. The question I had to ask myself was, “What can I do to help make this successful?” The menu contains three to five lessons or projects that mix the library and classroom curriculum. I introduced the menu at the beginning of the school year during a team meeting. Like this: Use your Voice! We Need Accurate Narratives of the School Library -
We need to celebrate school libraries all year long. School Library Month should not be the only time school libraries and school librarians are celebrated. School libraries and school librarians take center stage in April, but we should celebrate and acknowledge the vital work we do all year long. Advocacy is important so we can break down misconceptions. We know that the information being shared about school libraries and school librarians right now is not accurate. A false narrative fueled by hate and fear is being weaponized for political gain.
But, even before this latest assault on school libraries, misconceptions abounded. What we do each day is second nature for us, and it can feel odd to brag about simply doing your job. Do not rely on others to tell your story. If you don’t tell your story, chances are no one else will. We need to encourage those other voices to help us get the word out. Advocacy is never ending. Advocacy is not a one and done thing. Advocacy burnout is real. Best Digital Tools for Teaching & Learning | American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Advocacy Resources – School Libraries & ESSA. Ask Me How School Librarians Ensure Student Success Message Card The Message Card PDF is an example to provide language that may be used to re-create at your state/district level. Print using the template above or request complimentary cards by emailing acline@ala.org. Building Your CoalitionLibrarians are experts at coalition building to enhance student learning; now use those skills to build a broad base of school library supporters and advocates.
Crafting Your Elevator SpeechThis page explains the elements of an elevator speech and offers a specific example relating to ESSA.Additional ESSA Elevator Speech Examples Libraries TransformALA’s national public awareness and advocacy campaign for all types of libraries, the Libraries Transform website offers resources and ideas for using the campaign to promote your own library. School Library Snapshot This personalized infographic helps demonstrate the many ways school librarians support learning. School Library Advocacy: The Time Is Now - Over the past few years, I have cultivated a professional learning network on Twitter of exemplary school librarians from across the world.
One of the biggest lessons I have learned from my PLN is the importance of school library advocacy and the need to constantly advocate for school library programming. I have been inspired by K.C. Boyd and her amazing advocacy efforts for the Washington, D.C., Public School System, Blake Hopper’s work with the Tennessee Association of School Librarians in advocating at the state level, and associations across the country who work tirelessly to show the importance of having a certified school librarian in every school. I constantly advocate for my school library through social media promotion, but after reading articles about national funding cuts to school libraries, I realize I need to do more.
Recently I was fortunate to receive the 2021 School Library Journal School Librarian of the Year Award. Social media can be a huge asset when advocating. Dear School Leaders: 5 Things You Need to Know about Your School Librarian - Recently, I was fortunate to present at the Louisiana Teacher Leader Summit to school, district, and state leaders on the importance of having full-time, certified school librarians at every school. I spoke to the fact that we are one of the only educators that actively teaches every student in the school, and showcased the types of programming school librarians are capable of when fully supported by administration. Many of the school leaders were just not aware that a modern school library involves so much more than just checking out books to students.
On my way out of the conference the following day, two administrators stopped me to let me know that they would be changing things up next school year to allow their school librarians to embed into the classroom and have time for more teacher collaboration. This conversation delighted me and had me reflecting on the top 5 things I could tell school leaders about school librarians. Author: Amanda Jones Like this: Like Loading... Concurrent Session @ #AASL21: Core Values in School Librarianship - There are many wonderful learning opportunities at an AASL national conference, but the true magic is the concurrent sessions. Practicing school librarians and researchers are the experts in our community and having opportunities to learn from the leaders in our field is what makes our profession shine.
I had the pleasure and privilege of seeing the presentation, Core Values Lighting Our Way: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Intellectual Freedom. This session was hosted by Judi Moreillon, Suzanne Sannwald, Erika Long, Julie Stivers and Meg Boisseau Allison. Their presentation was based around their book, “Core Values in School Librarianship,” which was published just this year and edited by Judy Moreillon. The book is a passionate discussion of what should be every librarian’s core values – equity, diversity, inclusion, and intellectual freedom. Erika kicked off the presentation with her thoughts on equity as a matter of social justice. Next up was Julie with her thoughts on diversity. 6 More Games to Play with Elementary Students - In October 2020, I shared a blog called “8 Games to Play Virtually with Elementary Students.” Now that we are back to in-person learning, I have discovered a few additional content-driven games to add to the list.
These are games that you can use to teach a variety of topics and will add movement to a lesson. None of these games takes very long to play and most do not require a lot of materials. These are all games shared and collected from a variety of sources and from many different educators. Here are six games that can be played with elementary students: Never Ending Word For this game, you would show students an image related to the topic or book you are going to discuss. For example, use the picture below from the book Truman by Jean Reidy. Snowball Fight This game does use several sheets of paper, so it may not be a game that everyone loves.
I recently played this game with my junior kindergarten students when learning about book care. Drumming Up a Question Find the Odd One Out. Top Knowledge Quest Blog Posts of 2021 - Can you dedicate 10 minutes out of your busy day to learn and grow as a professional? If so, I encourage you to get in the habit of reading the Knowledge Quest blog.
Here, you’ll find ideas, resources and opportunities from other school librarians. The Knowledge Quest bloggers write about relevant topics to inspire you to take action. Take a look at the most popular Knowledge Quest posts of 2021. Find a topic that speaks to you. 1. 2. 3. 8 Games to Play Virtually with Elementary Students. 4. 5 Kinds of Nonfiction. 5. 6. 7 School Library Changes I Hope Remain Post Pandemic. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 6 Goals for the Library This Year. 17. 18. 19. 12 (Mostly Cheap) Teacher Tricks That Work in an Elementary Library. 20. Take a look at today’s most popular posts on Knowledge Quest. Author: Maureen Schlosser Like this: Like Loading... Categories: Advocacy/Leadership, Blog Topics, Professional Development.
(Re)Building A School Library, Part 1: The Website - Raising My School Library’s Profile During a renovation a couple years back, my middle school’s library closed, and it never reopened. Students and teachers were told they could access the high school library, which is literally on the opposite end of a pretty large campus. Between the physical distance and the pandemic, the middle school has effectively been without access to a library space, or a librarian since 2020. Fortunately, the Supervisor of Libraries in the district realized that the high school librarian had more than enough on his plate working with the high school students and staff.
For the past two months, I’ve been assessing and shuffling and moving behind the scenes. (Re)Building The Website When the previous school librarian retired, the site he was maintaining for the school library also was retired. I’ll admit, I’m having trouble keeping it succinct – there are SO MANY things I want to add! “Books & Reading” “Research” “Media & Information Literacy” “Calming Space”
Concurrent Session @ #AASL21: Core Values in School Librarianship - Társadalmiasítás fogalma – Cselekvő közösségek. A szócikk szerkeszthető (közösségi) változata: Mi a társadalmiasítás? A társadalmiasítás a közösségfejlesztés eredményeinek fontos mutatója. A társadalmiasítás és a közösségfejlesztés párhuzamos folyamatai egymást erősítik, illetve generálják. A közösségfejlesztés folyamatainak, pl. a közösségi részvételen alapuló tervezés és döntéshozás folyamatainak sikerességét jól mutatja a társadalmiasítás elért szintje.
A társadalmi részvétel alapelvei, alapértékei: átláthatóságalázatosságnyitottságmások iránti tiszteletőszinteségmegbízhatóságszavahihetőségrugalmasság A társadalmi részvétel skálája A táblázat bemutatja az öt részvételi szintet és főbb jellemzőit: A társadalmi nyilvánosság szintjének növekedése A táblázat függőleges oszlopának elemei az IAP2 modellje szerint öt társadalmi részvételi szint átgondolása segíti a közösség bevonását a döntéshozatalba. Tájékoztatáskonzultációbevonásegyüttműködésfelhatalmazás A társadalmi részvétel módja Példák, eszközök. Unveiling Our Capes to Advocate for School Libraries - As social norms shift and trends change, once-powerful words can lose their impact and traditional thoughts become outdated. For me, the word advocacy used to evoke a sense of focus, energy, and urgency.
It now has morphed into an ambiguous, almost passive term for me. This is not an indictment of those who continue to embrace the word and do the work; but rather a plea for school librarians to reexamine the language we use and the actions we take to support our colleagues and learning communities. Stagnant thinking and passive action is not beneficial in our new normal. Changes happen when a group has a shared vision, prioritizes efforts, and does the work needed to be successful. Earlier this month, AASL, ALA, and 48 state-level school library associations sent a letter to the Biden-Harris Education Transition Team. Be specific in the ask. Explain your why. One thing is clear: not all learners were equally resourced to confront this year’s challenges. Excerpt from Biden letter: A Year of Thinking Creatively in a Secondary Library - In January of 2021, I had a seed of an idea and a vision for my library that I put down on paper in my application for an AASL Inspire Special Event Grant.
At the time, I was halfway through my first year as a librarian and noticed that my patrons held a traditional view of a school library that focused on quiet, studying, and books. Having recently graduated with a school librarian endorsement and having studied the AASL National School Library Standards, I knew I had lots of work ahead of me to show both students and staff that a school library can be so much more than a quiet place to get books.
My grant application, titled “A Year of Thinking Creatively in a Secondary Library,” highlighted a special project offered in the library each month for an entire year. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to report on the first two months of this year-long process. August The first purchases I made using my AASL grant funds helped to set the tone for this school year. September Beyond. If My Administrators Only Knew - Youtube.