Knowledge Quest | AASL (Become familiar with!) *New Administrator – Now What? (Hilda K. Weisburg) You just heard the replacement for your principal or your superintendent of schools has been hired. As a leader, you need to be prepared. You don’t wait to see what happens. You go into action mode. At the rate administrators turn over these days this is a common situation. The coming of a new administrator reminds me of the line from Exodus, “Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.” (To keep from the awkward “he/she,” I am using feminine pronouns throughout – although most of the administrators I worked for here male.) Put your research skills to work as soon as you know the name of your new principal or superintendent. The previous school/district website can provide further information as it may have messages from the administrator. Once you have a handle on what to expect, you still need to meet her to ensure she will regard your library program in the best possible light. Before the meeting, review what you found out about the administrator. Like this:
AASL Advocacy Brochures Advocacy Brochure Series Helps School Librarians Speak to Stakeholders Developed and distributed through a grant from the Bound to Stay Bound Books Foundation, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) presents a new advocacy tool to help school librarians generate and guide discussion with stakeholders about quality school library programs. School Library Programs Improve Student Learning is a series of advocacy brochures each designed to speak to a specific stakeholder audience within the school library community, including administrators, policymakers, parents, and teachers. The School Library Programs Improve Student Learning brochure series unfolds AASL’s Standards for the 21st-Century Learner and Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Programs in a way that allows each stakeholder group to visualize a model school library program from their perspective. Downloading and Ordering Interested in customizing your brochure?
How to Create Awesome Book Displays I work full time at a public library, and even though I work in the Adult Reference department, I’m fortunate enough to spend most of my work hours on book-related responsibilities. But if I had to pick an area that takes up the majority of my book-related time, it would be creating displays. Now, for some libraries or book stores, creating displays requires nothing more than printing off a sign and slapping a few marginally-related books on a shelf and calling it a day, but that’s what separates the amateur displays from the awesome ones. Over the last 5+ years, my coworkers and I have devised a set of guidelines that have helped take our displays from good to great, so strap yourselves in while I give you an inside look at how our displays are created. Brainstorming Display Ideas We have 5 different rotating displays that are changed out every 4 weeks or so. Selecting Items for Display – The phrase “hidden gems” should be at the forefront of every display list you put together. Save
Steal This Infographic: Librarians as Tech Leaders SLJ’s May 2011 cover featured the technology survey. Librarians are leading the way in technology use, according to School Library Journal’’s annual technology survey. It’s been a consistent trend, which SLJ has tracked for several years, documenting how librarians use technology and—more importantly—how that use has enhanced teaching and learning across their schools and districts. This year, the magazine has visualized the “proof” in a handy infographic, which is freely available for reuse, printing, and posting (in JPEG and PDF formats). The graphic (below) hits the high points of the 2013 survey. Learning from Rock Star Librarians – School Library Connection Blog This month’s One-Question Survey asked our readers to name the ‘school library rock stars’ who are the biggest influence on their work and what it is that makes these individuals stand out. The resulting word cloud of school library luminaries is certainly fun to view but really not too surprising—much more intriguing are the explanations of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that set these individuals apart. What can we learn from these rock star librarians? This month we asked the question, “What ‘school library rock stars’ are the biggest influence on your work?” The 347 responses identified 174 leaders with an additional 14 general responses (e.g. the students I work with, teachers, other librarians in my school district, etc.). Much more intriguing, on the other hand, are the explanations of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that set these individuals apart as leaders in our field. Aspiring school librarian leaders can use the descriptor headings as action statements.
School Librarians and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) AASL Position Statements Definition for an Effective School Library Program AASL supports the position that an effective school library program has a certified school librarian at the helm, provides personalized learning environments, and offers equitable access to resources to ensure a well-rounded education for every student. Appropriate Staffing for School Libraries AASL supports the position that every student in every school, including independent schools and public charter schools, should have access to an updated school library with a certified school librarian. Instructional Role of the School Librarian AASL supports the position that school librarians are instructors as well as collaborators with fellow educators in the pursuit of student learning in school libraries, classrooms, learning commons, makerspaces, labs, and virtual learning spaces. Role of the School Library Program Preparation of School Librarians Latest Information ESSA Updates on Knowledge Quest Rule Making & Guidance
12 Insta Easy Instagram Library & Literacy Promotion Ideas What’s the point of Instagram and why should you spend your precious time and money on it? Well, don’t worry about the cost, because it’s FREE! So, all you really need is creativity and a few minutes a day to make meaningful, fun, and lasting connections with your community. And with Instagram you get a twofer! Even maybe a threefer, fourfer?! But to be truly effective with those connections using social media, your graphics, caption copy-writing, conversation, and photography skills should strive to be, positive, professional, and on point. Shelfies – The easiest way to share on Instagram is taking the humble shelfie. But most of my teens love to show off their latest book, and even tag themselves in the picture! Using both Instagram stills and up to 60 seconds of video you can easily create engaging book promotions or mini book advertisements using Instagram. Video book promotions can be staged as mini-commercials, trailers, or as book talks. Post-It-Book Reviews #BookDropLife
*And Now We Are 60: SLJ, the profession, and culture from 1954 to today This month marks School Library Journal’s 60th year as an independent magazine—no small feat in this changing media landscape. With ongoing coverage of library news, big-picture issues, practical applications, and reviews, SLJ has worked to become an essential go-to guide for schools and librarians working with young people. As we observe this milestone, we look back at some highlights from the past six decades. In the September 1954 issue of Junior Libraries, a spin-off of Library Journal which became SLJ, educator Nancy Larrick explored a new concept called “individualized reading,” that requires an accessible place where children can browse a wide variety of books and make their own selections. How well they choose depends in part on the way the books are introduced and displayed. “With such a program, learning to read becomes a great adventure whereby children explore the world of books and sample the joys of reading.” The 1950s The 1960s The 1970s The 1980s The 1990s