New school librarian? Help is here!
Truly, library school doesn’t teach you about 95% of what you need to know as a school librarian. So, I’ve decided to dedicate a section of this blog to all the new librarians out there. Please know that the struggle is real. It isn’t you; it’s all of us. We’ve all been there, and we’re here to help.
I’ve included tons of information for school librarians–both newbies and pros–below. But before you read any of that, I recommend new librarians start with this post first. It’s my original new school librarian post, and though I wrote it in 2016, it still rings true for Back-to-School 2020, even with all the COVID-19 mess.
Monthly Library Challenges
April Library Challenge: All About Boom Cards!
Where have Boom Cards been all my life? I’m excited to introduce our April Library Challenge, which is All About Boom Cards! I only just learned about Boom cards myself,
March Challenge: Creating a Video Booktalk
With many schools worldwide closing due to the coronavirus threat, I thought it would be a good idea to dedicate the March Challenge to keeping the library front-and-center for our
Host a Read-A-Thon Fundraiser
Welcome to February! The January Challenge (“Dealing with Difficult Classes in the Library”) was a whopper, so I thought we could do an easier Challenge for February. This month’s challenge
January Library Challenge: Dealing With Difficult Classes
Welcome to January! Since I started teaching in 2001, I have always had a name for the first day back to school after Christmas break. It’s really a terrible name,
Library Genrefication Challenge (Nov+Dec)
It’s November, and our third library challenge is underway! This challenge is a whopper, and because of Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday breaks, I have spread this challenge out over two
Increasing Library Engagement (October Challenge)
Who’s ready for fall? With Halloween, pumpkin spice lattes, and cooler weather, October is my favorite month of the year! For our second Library Monthly Challenge, we’re focusing on increasing library
September Library Challenge
It’s 7:45am, and your library is hoppin-busy. Groups of students are playing Chess, Checkers, and Uno. Some are on the computers working on last night’s homework. Some are sitting at
LIBRARY IDEAS
Six Ways to Use Reading Interest Surveys in Your Library
One of my favorite back-to-school activities is surveying my students about their reading interests, goals, wants, and needs. Though I mostly see the same students from year to year, trends
Five Tips for Using Reading Bingo in Middle School
For librarians and elementary schools, Reading Bingo isn’t a new idea. I’ve seen countless printable Reading Bingo cards online, both free and for sale. When I was at the elementary
Library Lesson Idea: Lunchtime Kahoots
Our school is on a six-day rotating schedule. Every day–1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6–is a different schedule. On Day 4, I have been doing a “Day 4 Kahoot”
Digital Bulletin Boards: 16 Ideas for Library Content
This post about Digital Library Bulletin Boards was originally published in 2015. Back then, I called them “Scrolling PowerPoints.” I know the sample slides are outdated, and they definitely do
Articles for New Librarians
My Year as a Specials Rotation Librarian
My year as an elementary Specials Rotation Librarian nearly ended my library career. I was a Specials librarian for only one year. It was all I could do. The Specials
Entry, Exit, and Checkout Procedures: Middle School
I’ve talked a lot in this series about my eighth graders and how they came roaring down the hall and into the library like a horde of wild animals. On
Library Rules Versus Procedures
The January Library Challenge continues in Week Two! This week, we’re looking at our posted library rules versus our procedures. We’ll start with rules. Do you have library rules? Do
Difficult Class #3: Grade 8 (Texas)
My third difficult class was eighth grade. This was not every eighth grade class, and it seemed to have a lot to do with the teacher’s attitude toward library time.
Difficult Class #2: Grade 5 (Texas)
The second difficult class I had came in the same school year and school as Difficult Class #1 (third grade). While Difficult Class #1 was difficult partly because it was
Difficult Class #1: Grade 3 (Texas)
So what were my three most difficult classes? I’ll describe each class in three different posts (see links below). I’m going to be totally honest in that I didn’t
Why I Openly Discuss Anxiety at School
“Every night I lie in bed The brightest colors fill my head A million dreams are keeping me awake” —The Greatest Showman, “A Million Dreams” It’s 2:23 am, and I
Minimizing the School Library
I am so excited for today’s post because it truly applies to all of us, even if you aren’t into the minimalism stuff. For the past two weeks, I’ve been
First Days of School in a New-To-You Library
Wait…what? Did I miss something? Why is Mrs. ReaderPants posting an article about the first days of school…in the middle of December? As we approach Winter Break, I realized I
How I Manage Student Lunchtime In My Secondary Library
Happy B2S! For the past three years, all my grade 6-12 students have eaten lunch at the same time. They have 50-minutes for lunch, and the students have lots of
So NOT Fine! 9 Reasons Overdue Fines Need To Go Away Forever
“It’s not about the money money money We don’t need your money money money” –“Price Tag” by Jessie J Kameron has an overdue fine of 85 cents. Kameron can’t checkout
Feeling Frazzled? 15 Ideas for High-Interest, Low-Prep Library Centers
Let’s see if this sounds familiar… It’s nearly Christmas break, and you are on your last leg. There simply isn’t enough coffee in the world to keep you going every
Got five minutes? Start your library time with current events…
I am so excited to share this idea today! If you are looking to spice up your library lesson routine, this idea is a must-try! It will work with upper-elementary,
Do you have a Wednesday dress?
How does my family know it’s a Wednesday? Because I’m wearing the Wednesday Dress. Yep, I wear the same dress every Wednesday. I’m not really sure how or why this
Reading Off Library Fines
Do your students have library fines that just sit around, unpaid, for months at at time? These little fines used to drive me and the teachers nuts! How many students
Feeling Stressed About Your Library Computer Lab or Trolley?: 22 Tips to Save Your Sanity
Ah, the bane of my existence. Computer lab and trolley booking. I’ve been in charge of these in my last two schools, and while both have a big advantages for
Defending Pokemon: Five reasons every library needs Pokemon
As part of my 2016 Graphic Novel Challenge , I recently read and reviewed my first Pokemon book. I did this partly because my son loves Pokemon and partly because
Why do college students lack research skills?
In my recent series on common objections to library genrefication, I address the argument that genrefication discourages students from learning to find library resources on their own, which then minimizes
A Child’s Library Bill of Rights
I saw on the news the other day how our nation’s SAT scores have declined significantly in the past few years. According to The Washington Post’s Valerie Strauss “critical reading
BOOKTALKING TIPS
Looking to up-your booktalking game? Here are 31 tips and 10 Don’ts that will help make your booktalks fabulous! I don’t recommend trying to implement a lot of them at once. Pick one or two and give them a try this week!
Jazz Up Your Booktalks: Part III (Tips 21-31)
Do your booktalks excite, with sizzle and pop? Or are they tired and dry, with fizzle and flop? Do students think your talks are cool? Or do they sit there
Jazz Up Your Booktalks: Part II (Tips 11-20)
Last Thursday, I discussed the first 10 of my 31 ways to jazz up your booktalks. Today, we will explore the next ten tips. This week’s tips focus on making
Jazz Up Your Booktalks: 31 Practical Tips (Part 1)
It seems my Thursday posts have morphed into a sort of “how-to” section for newer school librarians. Last week’s post was about how to speed-up the book shelving process. This
Do you booktalk books you haven’t read?
When I was working on my MLIS, I heard over and over that librarians should not booktalk a book they haven’t read. After all, why would students want to read
Tips: Making the Most of Your Booktalks
Most of the librarians I know specialize in one aspect of library that they are especially good at. In my district, we have librarians who are especially awesome at research
RANDOM RANTS
Because sometimes, I just get annoyed with things.
Six Things That Annoy Me About Children’s Book Marketing
Dear publishers, We need to talk. First of all, I love you. You help put the words and ideas of thousands of authors right into my hands. Books have enriched