The Brave Little Librarian

Defending libraries, the freedom to read, and even the right to information overload. Checkout my Teachers Pay Teachers Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Brave-Little-Librarian

[bravelittlelibrarian]

How to Survive Your First Year as a School Librarian

Yesterday, I reposted my musing of the first two weeks of school from my first year as a school librarian. Now, I am reposting my musings regarding what I learned from the experience of my first year.

It was a hectic first year in which I learned a lot, but of course, still, have a lot to learn.

I want to begin by listing a few of the major challenges I had during my first year, as well as, some knowledge I feel I have gained. The list is as follows:

*Teachers have a different professional and educational outlook, do not fight this, learn to compromise. This difference does not mean to compromise your values, just try and align them with the teachers, so each side benefits in some way.

*As a school librarian, you deal with every staff member, you will not get along with all of them and may clash with some.

*Being new, it was difficult to get new and fresh ideas accepted.

*You are not superhuman, and you will make mistakes and probably not accomplish everything you would like to. Don’t be too hard on yourself.

*Kids will be kids, and your great lesson plans, activities, and ideas may not go as planned.

*Having unlimited book checkout is an excellent notion, but it proves very challenging without an aid and results in many lost books.

*Students sometimes are so trained to look for “on level” books that they have no idea how to find books otherwise or even know what they are interested in.

*Collaboration with every teacher may not be possible, strive to collaborate with as many as you can, but don’t beat yourself up if some teachers are not willing to collaborate.

*Continually going over expectations and library procedures throughout the year, week after week is the best way for students to remember them.

*Don’t be afraid to ask for volunteers for book fairs, or just daily library tasks. Also, do not forget to show appreciation.

*Teaching students how the library is organized and encouraging them to find books on their own using call number is beneficial to you and the students.

*Keep informed on children’s literature!

*20 minutes may not be long enough for an entire class to find books they are interested in and check them out.

*Remember to stick to your library policies and consequences for bad behavior. Also, do not forget to reward helpful students and good behavior.

*A Read-aloud should include books you enjoy too, have fun with these! Do not be self-conscious.

*Pace library times for classes, trying to fit all classes library times into a few days results in some very stressful few days. Spread out open library times and class library times throughout the week.

*Seek to have a healthy relationship with your principal, they should be your ally.

I am sure there is more I could say, I just cannot think of more off the top of my head right now.

So this is my first post of hopefully a regular continuation of posts. I plan on spending the rest of my summer creating lesson plans and relaxing before the chaos begins again in August. If you want to access my created resources and materials, you can look at:

Library Book Care - https://youtu.be/nRMRMeBzfTA

Kids Internet Safety Tips - https://youtu.be/HIEmDJHnt6o

The Brave Little Librarian - https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Brave-Little-Librarian

Reference

Image - https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-wearing-blue-black-jacket-standing-near-gray-bookshelf-203237/

[bravelittlelibrarian]

"Twas the First Days of School" ~ Reflections of a School Librarian

In honor of the first few days of the 2017-2018 school year, here are some musings I wrote about my first two weeks as an elementary school librarian in 2014.

The first 13 days of school are over… the first 13 days of my career have been conquered and oh wow were those 13 days full of excitement, nerves, drama, fears, laughs, firsts, and most of all fun, joy, and satisfaction.

Here it is, I am what I set out to be, a school librarian. So far, it is everything I had hoped, and I am thoroughly enjoying it. So let’s have the breakdown of the first few weeks on the job…

I haven’t posted in a long time, and part of that is because the two weeks before school began were filled with professional development and setting up my library. Earlier this summer I posted “A good library is at the heart of the school. ~ Alan Gibbons” which discussed the optimal school library set up. I had a good idea of what I needed and wanted in my library, but when it actually came down to trying to do what I wanted, it was harder than I had anticipated. Though my library was spacious, I had trouble trying to include all of my library “spaces.” My library has a lot of tables… Six large rectangular tables and five small round tables. Also, some of the shelves that I wanted to put along the walls in the back corner had shelves on both sides and so could not be placed along the walls. Hence, a lot of floor space was already taken up by furniture, so there weren't many options for creating individual activity spaces.  I ended up moving the free-standing shelves in the fiction section off of an angle which created more room and allowed me to make the storytime and every one reader section larger and really give the whole library a larger appearance. Additionally, I arranged the tables, so the larger tables were close to the SmartBoard and presentation area and the smaller tables more towards the front. If you can tell from the pictures, I was able to create a few library spaces including the circulation area, storytime area, small group and large group instruction areas, a presentation area, computer area, and a quiet reading and listening area.

The approach I attempted to take for decor and signage was a ReggioEmilia environment. I want the environment to feel natural and organic, and I tried to use more natural colors and materials. There is not a great deal of natural light in the library, and so I wanted to bring the outdoors into the library, that was the inspiration for the storytime area.

There is still plenty I want to do to the environment, such as adding lamps to allow different lighting and some real plants for the tops of shelves. I also want to get a rocking chair for story time. Overall, I am happy with the way it turned out.

For the first week and a half of school, the library was not open to students. During this time I attempted to organize my office and the teacher resource room, process new books, put library binding on new books, plan a library orientation schedule for classes, sort out a library schedule for the rest of the year, plan activities for the upcoming Scholastic Book Fair, secure volunteers for the book fair, and learn the financial aspect of the position. Whoa. Well, I did not get my office or the teacher resource room fully organized, and I did not get library binding on all the new books. However, the other tasks were mostly accomplished.

Let me give you a breakdown of what my principal, vice principal, and I came up with for the library schedule. So those in the school library profession know the importance of a flexible schedule, and I have discussed this before on the blog, so a flexible schedule is ultimately what I was trying to accomplish. A flexible library schedule works best, however, when there is more than one person in the library, such as a librarian and a library aid. Since I do not have an aid, we compromised for a mixed schedule that I hope will work. I will have set 20 minutes class checkout times from 8:50 am to 1:40 pm each Monday and Friday. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday will be open flex hours which can be used for collaboration or open checkout. Additionally, each morning from 7:40 am to 8:05 am and each afternoon from 1:40 pm to 2:20 pm will be open checkout.

Last week was the first week I had the kiddos in the library, and it was very thrilling! I had each class from PreK to 5th for 30 minutes for an intro library orientation lesson. Each grade had slightly different activities, but each grade made their very own library cards. The library cards were decorated with crayons, colored pencils, stickers, and even some duct tape and topped off with each students’ individual barcode. The kids LOVED this activity, and it was great to see how creative they are. Our library schedule is a bit different right now until after the Scholastic Book Fair which is coming up, so Friday was the first day of open checkout. Let me just preface this… I never realized how vital a library aid was until that day! Books were checked out continually from the time school started till it closed. I only had visitors from 3rd, 4th, and 5th and I still circulated 429 books that day… though I am new at this, I feel as though that is pretty dang awesome!

So that concludes all the positive experiences of the first 13 days… but there were also some issues that came up, i.e. book fair drama! When I entered this position, I was informed by my predecessor that the Scholastic Book Fair was already in place and set to go for September 5-12. Scholastic also contacted me, and we went through many steps to get the book fair ball rolling. On Wednesday, August 27th, I received an email from accounting which stated that the book fair could not take place on those dates since the school board had not received the request for fundraising before the August board meeting and would therefore not be reviewed and approved until September 8. Of course, this was a shock and a huge road block… I had already told the faculty and students the dates, already lined up volunteers, and had just printed 600 flyers with front and back English and Spanish information to send to parents. Anyway, luckily Scholastic allowed the dates to be pushed back a week, and the volunteers all agreed to the later dates. I also learned a valuable lesson about making sure all my bases are covered and not assuming things are taken care of without checking into them myself.

So I handled my first crisis and also handled my first week of students… I feel more confident each day but also each day realize more and more what I want and need to do in my library. This year will be a learning process, but I know I am already making an impact. I have implemented unlimited book checkout with the kiddos and got rid of fines… the kids have expressed their joy at more access to books and I hope that these best practices policies will reap many benefits, there are some concerns with no fines and unlimited checkouts, but I am thinking positive.

[bravelittlelibrarian]

A good library is at the heart of the school.

Alan Gibbons

A heart is a muscular organ which rhythmically pumps blood throughout a network of arteries and veins to the body. Thus, think about school libraries within this concept. The school library is a strong structure which continually supplies and contributes to information and knowledge throughout a network of resources, materials, technologies, services, programs, workshops, and lessons to students, classroom teachers, administrators, and parents.

Wow… a good school library has big shoes to fill. The accomplishment of this goal not only has to do with the library “place” but also the librarians. However, this post focuses on the library “place.” I put the place in quotes because a place does not refer solely to the physical, but also digital. While school libraries of today need also have a strong digital “place,” this discussion focuses on physical place.

Learning about the components of 21st Century school library has been a wonderfully exciting and eye-opening experience for me. The school libraries of today differ vastly from my K-12 libraries. Just as with public libraries and academic libraries, the school library is far from a “storehouse of books.” The quintessential school library now includes spaces designated for quiet reading, listening, or viewing; computing, whether wireless or otherwise; collection organization, storage, and distribution; teacher resources, instructional and professional; equipment storage and maintenance; independent, group, or collaborative learning and working; instruction; and conferences and planning. Did I miss anything? Oh! What about spaces for gaming, fitness, and Makerspaces?!? Ok, now I am getting a bit too carried away!, or am I? The point I am making is that school libraries are multifaceted and should have spaces for multifaceted activities and learning. But really, how many school librarians get to build or redesign their library completely from the ground up? Probably not many (but if I ever got the chance, I’d be set! My uncle is a cabinet builder and my aunt an interior designer)…  But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t continually work on improving and updating our physical library place and spaces!

My LIS 5283 Library Administration peers and I viewed several school library tours online, something I recommend doing for ideas and found many factors that we believed were essential to an effective and efficient 21st Century school library including:

Openness. Don’t overcrowd your library, clutter is a nuisance and can inhibit library users.

Displays and signage. “Market” books to students’ appeals and interests through dynamic displays. Signage can help students feel less overwhelmed when trying to find resources and materials.  

Furniture. Try and have a variety of furniture that is easy to move, comfortable, and attractive.

Color and lighting. School libraries with bright, warm colors and natural light from windows create an inviting and friendly atmosphere.  

Technology. School libraries may be one of the few or only opportunities some students have to interact with technology, the school library should, therefore, provide technology appropriate for 21st Century skills.

A user-friendly layout.  The students and school staff should be able to navigate the library and its resources and materials independently and successfully.

Ease of access. It shouldn’t be a struggle to find information in the school library.

Supports curriculum. The school library materials, resources, technologies, staff, and programs should advance and contribute to the overall curriculum.

Flexible spaces and hours.  The library isn’t just ours as librarians,  first and foremost it belongs to the students and their needs. So if they need extra time for homework help that extends beyond the school day, we need to provide it. The school library’s time and space need to be flexible to meet the changing and diverse needs of students.

Aesthetically pleasing.  Who likes dark, drab, and dirty environments besides zombies?! Creating visually appealing libraries is important… of course, not at the expense of function, but in coordination with function.  

Different task zones. The library serves a diversity of students and thus need to offer areas for different tasks for diverse student interests and needs.

Room to grow. Libraries and schools are not stagnate, neither are librarians, students, or teachers, so the library needs to have room to grow and change, the school library is a dynamic character.

Adequate shelving. Are there enough shelves for the library’s resources, so the shelves are not overly crowded? Are the shelves easily movable? Are the free-standing shelves counter height? Are the shelves at the elementary library short enough that students can take materials off the shelves independently?

Circulation Desk. Is the circulation desk easily identifiable? Located in a convenient area?  

Every library is different. Not every library will have the same budget, space, or needs. Consider the best practices when rearranging or reimagine your library, but keep in mind your particular situation and needs.

Some of these factors overlap and encompass one another. Also, here are some other resources on library facilities:

The Library: Beating Heart Of The School

Divine Design: How To Create The 21st-Century School Library Of Your Dreams

10 Steps to a Better Library Interior

*Quote from: Gibbons, Alan. March 2013. “The Library: Beating Heart Of The School.” thegaurdian. http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2013/mar/22/love-your-library-school-alan-gibbons. (Accessed May 18, 2014).

[bravelittlelibrarian]

Elementary School Librarian Interview

This week I was asked by three different future school librarians in my school district to answer a few questions for a graduate assignment, I decided to include these issues and answers in a post, enjoy and let me know your answers to these questions:

1.            What are some of the ways you raise money and/or resources for your library?

               Really, the Scholastic Book Fairs are the only way I raise money for the library. This is only my second year, but grants are another great way I plan on using in the future to raise funds and/or resources for the library.  

2.            What are the challenges you face when advocating for your library? How have you overcome them?

I would say the biggest challenge in advocacy is showing that the school library is essential to the school, the learning community, and to the students’ growth as information users in a knowledge society. I try to overcome these challenges by staying current on the library profession, as well as, research that supports school libraries. Blogging is another advocacy outreach I do in my spare time. Also, I try to create a learning environment in my library that will over time, eventually speak for itself if terms of the importance and relevance of school libraries.

3.            In what ways do you advocate for your library?

I am vocal when it comes to the library and the importance of the library. I would say the biggest way I advocate is word of mouth, in conversations, through my blog, and any other forms of communication. I support this advocacy by staying current on library literature and other happenings within the profession.

4.            Who do you see as your stakeholders and how do you involve them?

I see the students, parents, teachers, administrators, and community all as stakeholders to the library. I engage students in creating lessons and a culture that encourages a positive association with the library, as well as, having lessons that support current issues such as Banned Books Week. I involve parents and the community by requesting for volunteers, allowing parents and those in the community to check out library books, having special family events for the Scholastic Books Fairs, and having the library open one day a week during the summer. I try to involve teachers through communication and creating lessons that benefit their curriculum. Finally, I include administrators through communication and providing them with current school library related literature and research. I also involve all stakeholders during the Scholastic Book Fairs by doing an All of Books fund in which stakeholders donate money to buy books for students in our school. I purchase the books, and administration, with the input of teachers, select students to give the books too.

5.            What issues are important to you regarding your library?

Issues that are important to me regarding the library include funding, appropriate administrative support, personal support, and above all, creating an environment in which students can explore their reading interests with confidence. I do not support restricting students’ book choices based on exact reading levels, or with teachers telling students, they cannot check out certain books. I also do not support placing reading levels on library books as I feel it is a violation of the students’ confidentiality. Another important issue has a flex schedule. Right now I am in a totally fixed schedule in which classes come once a week, I am also in a specials rotation with kinder and 1st. Having a flex schedule means lessons can be scheduled and students can come to the library for their information needs whenever desired. However, because of the fixed schedule, I have this year, there is no time for open library and these activities to take place.

6.            Of your colleagues, who do you believe are your biggest advocates? Why?

I would say my biggest advocates are the other media specialists in the district. I feel this way because there are no other colleagues who understand the role and the struggles of a school library media specialist.

7.            How do you promote collaboration with the classroom teachers in your school?

I promote collaboration with classroom teachers in my school by developing lessons that support their curriculum. After, I let the teachers know that I have created a lesson that may be useful and ask when an appropriate time to give that lesson would be. I have found out that just letting teachers know that I would like to collaborate is not enough. I have to look at grade level curriculum maps and see what areas I can help with and create lessons. Then, collaboration is much more likely to happen.  

8.            How does the administration support your library program at your school?

I do have some administration support for my library program, but it isn’t as much as I would like. My administration is always there for a listening ear, but that is usually all.

9.            What do you do to promote your school library to the community?

I promote the school library to the community by requesting volunteers, having family and community events during the Scholastic Book Fairs, and by having the library open one day a week during the summer.  

10.          In what ways are your students advocates for the library?

The students are advocates for the library through word of mouth. The students are excited each week to the library. Also, they are excited when new books come in and when we have Scholastic Book Fairs. I hope to influence more library advocacy from students this year by bringing more awareness to Banned Books Week and the Right to School Libraries.

[bravelittlelibrarian]

How to Create a LiveBoard That Will Enhance Information Circulation in Your Business

During the last few months, I have been fortunate enough to help my uncle, a small business owner, with some special projects such as building a company website, creating business cards, and recently, developing an “LCI LiveBoard.”

The LCI LiveBoard isn’t to be confused with LiveBoard: RealTime Whiteboard app, however, there are some similarities. The essence of the LCI LiveBoard is a presentation, projected on a screen or displayed on a monitor, that pulls live real-time data from various places, thus providing employees with valuable and necessary information throughout the day while they work. My uncle’s business, LCI, is a cabinetry company. However, I believe a real-time data liveboard like the one we created for his business would be beneficial to many organizations including schools. The LCI LiveBoard pulls real-time information from various documents stored on the company’s shared network L: Drive, as well as, different websites. What do I mean by real-time? When the documents or sites linked to the presentation are updated or changed, that new data or changes are instantly displayed on the liveboard presentation. Think of the possibilities for using this technology in a classroom setting, faculty setting, or school-wide setting.

For this post, I would like to walk through the steps we used to create the LCI LiveBoard.

The presentation software used for the LCI LiveBoard is Microsoft PowerPoint. I created a master slide which included the LCI logo. Information for the presentation needed to pull from Excel and the Internet.

To pull live information from a website, I found and downloaded the PowerPoint add-in LiveSlides found here. This add-in allows the user to embed any website into either PowerPoint or Keynote. According to the LiveSlides FAQ, the add-in “LiveSlides adds Chrome browser capabilities to PowerPoint, but removes the look and feel of a browser window.” The add-in is incredibly user-friendly and works with many sites. We used LiveSlides to embed a weather radar and a Google Calendar. Both of which will update in real-time.  

To pull live data from an Excel sheet, the cells that contained the needed data were selected and copied. These cells are then linked to a PowerPoint slide; this is done by doing a Special Paste, not Paste, but Special Paste. A command box will come up, select Microsoft Excel Worksheet Object and Paste link. By choosing the Paste link the PowerPoint slide “creates a shortcut to the source file so that changes to the source file will be reflected in your presentation,” (Microsoft 2016) thus, live data. Additionally, the Excel notebook from which the Excel sheet cells come from needs to belong to a shared notebook. For more information on this, click here.

Next, we needed the presentation to play, loop automatically, and update data each presentation cycle. Doing this task required installing an additional add-in and creating a VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) macro code, the programming language of Microsoft Office programs. To do this, first, make sure the Developer tab is displayed in the PowerPoint ribbon. For information on how to do this, click here.

To execute automatic macros at various events in the PowerPoint presentation, we downloaded the AutoEvents Add-in from OfficeTips, available here. Once enabling the add-in, you can set macro execution for several events.

To cause the linked Excel data to update when the PowerPoint presentation loops, we needed to create a VBA macro code. After some research, we discovered the following code that worked:

Sub UpdateLink ()

ActivePresentation.UpdateLinks

End Sub

Sub OnSlideShowPageChange (ByVal SSW As SlideShowWindow)

‘

‘ AUTO UPDATE OF OLE LINKS MARCO

‘

   If SSW.View.CurrentShowPositions = 6 Then

       ActivePresentation.UpdateLinks

   End If

End Sub (Stackoverflow 2012)

MadeWithCode.com

Thanks to Stack Overflow Community for this code, the reference for where we found this code is available here. In the line of code reading If SSW.View.CurrentShowPositions = 6 Then the number 6 was the number of slides we wanted the links to be updated after. Therefore, this number would be different depending on the number of slides in a presentation.

Finally, we downloaded ShowPoint, available here. ShowPoint will automatically start a presentation on a computer monitor or tv screen. Additionally, when starting ShowPoint, it will automatically look for updates from the source file presentation, again, allowing real-time live data display.

We plan on experimenting more with the LCI LiveBoard; I feel as though the possibilities are endless and I am excited to see how the same concept can be used in the education setting.

Yours Truly, LeNae

P.S. Don't forget to subscribe to my exclusive monthly newsletter. Also, let's be dear friends! Follow me on all my social media. Also, leave a comment below; I'd love to hear from you.

Image credits IvoryMix and Graphic created on Canva

References

LiveSlides. 2016. “FAQ”. Accessed September 29, 2016. https://www.liveslides.com/faq.

Microsoft. 2016. “Paste Special.” Accessed September 29, 2016. https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Paste-Special-e03db6c7-8295-4529-957d-16ac8a778719.

Stack Overflow Community. 2012. “Linked Excel Object in Powerpoint wont update when showing in slideshow.” Accessed September 29, 2016. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11662108/linked-excel-object-in-powerpoint-wont-update-when-showing-in-slideshow.

https://www.madewithcode.com

[bravelittlelibrarian]

Non-Library Jobs for Librarians, Part 1

“I will prepare and some day my chance will come.” ― Abraham Lincoln

This post was first published in May 2014, it is a good reminder, however.

— I started my new job today! Yup, I am a document and records manager for a plumbing company. So what did I do on the first day on the job? Besides the basic housework of starting a new job, I ascertained what aspects of the business they wanted organizing and how it would be best to organize it. We decided upon using Microsoft Access to create a company database. So today I began outlining entities and attributes and defining relationships which I compiled into an entity-relationship diagram (ERD). I also set the company up with a Google Drive account because the office manager and co-owner want the ability to access and edit documents and records from various computers in different locations. Finally, I discussed the importance and implementation of a company record retention schedule. Overall, it was a productive day.

As I left for the day, I recalled a particular discussion post by a fellow library school peer in which she stated her confusion regarding why the course LIS 5063 Information and Communication Technology was required for an MLIS degree. In this class, we were required to create an ERD and design a database which she believed was useless. Interestingly, the first job I have to post my MLIS degree requires me to complete both tasks! Just because the degree is labeled “Library and Information Science” doesn’t mean that those who graduate with this degree are required to work only in a library. As the co-owner and office manager of the plumbing business told me today, “All companies need a librarian.” WOW!!! She gets it!!!! Hello, MLIS graduates are information professionals and last I checked information does not exist only in libraries.

Let’s consider the overall goals and objectives of the University of Oklahoma’s School of Library and Information Science where I graduated:

Upon completion of the program, the student will be able to:  

1. Understand the global context of information systems in culture and society. 2. Explore and analyze information needs within various organizational contexts. 3. Develop appropriate and effective approaches to satisfying information needs of diverse organizations. 4. Enable use of information needed for individual and organizational success (2013-2014, 5).

There is not one instance of the word “library.” So, the moral of the story is to learn everything you can and take and appreciate each learning experience and opportunity. Even if you do not think you may use the information or skill, you may and should we put a limit on the skills and knowledge we acquire? Though this is not the path I want to pursue in my profession, it is a place to start, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity.

Here are a few resources that discuss nonlibrary positions and careers for MLIS graduates:

61 Non-Librarian Jobs for LIS Grads

Is a Master’s Degree in Library Science a Poor Investment? A Counter Perspective to Forbes Magazine

Information/Library Sciences: What can I do with this graduate degree?

Yours Truly, LeNae

P.S. Don't forget to subscribe to get updates whenever I post. Also, leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you.

Resource

The University of Oklahoma School of Library and Information Science. 2013-2014. Graduate Student Handbook. http://slis.ou.edu/Websites/slis/images/PDFs/APP/StudentHandbook-2013-2014-2.pdf. (Accessed May 20, 2014).

[bravelittlelibrarian]

Stop Searching For Perfectionism

"Perfectionism is self-abuse of the highest order.” ― Anne Wilson Schaef

Let's just say the epiphany I had when first writing this post on May 23, 2014, was easier said that done. Seeking perfectionism in the various hats of a school librarian was one of the major contributions to the seed of cynicism I feel with the condition of school libraries in my state. It is important to remember that we can only do so much. So, give it all the passion you have under the circumstances thrown at you such as low budgets, inadequate staffing, extra duties, and lackluster support, and always, keep being an advocate for school libraries and, most importantly, your students.

— Is perfectionism a blessing or a curse? I would agree that it is both. Just as Tris discovers in The Divergent series by Veronica Roth, all seemingly “honorable”  attributes can become perverted.

I am a perfectionist… though it has gotten me such rewards as valedictorian in high school, summa cume laude as an undergrad, and a 4.0 GPA in grad school, it has also given me such trials as discouragement, disappointment, stress, self-contempt, and fatigue. So, I need a balance; I need to be able to do the best I can and be accepting of that. And guess what? My best today can always improve tomorrow, in other words, I will probably not be at my optimal best immediately with every task I begin. I do not have to accomplish every goal right away, and just because I did not accomplish a goal within the time I expected myself too, it is not a failure. I am only a failure if I give up as my uncle pointed out to me a few days ago.

Have you ever noticed that when life tries to teach you a lesson, there are signs of the lesson everywhere? Obviously, a higher power is trying to teach me a lesson on this topic because I have been suffering from the negatives of my perfectionism this week and apart from my family’s advice, I found some this morning on my Tumblr feed - You Don’t Have to Do All the Things to be an Awesome Librarian. Really. The Sequel., by Ginger Williams. After reading this uplifting and realistic blog post, I read Ginger Williams initial blog post on this topic - You Don’t Have to Do All the Things to be an Awesome Librarian. Really., by Ginger Williams. If you’re a perfectionist, a borderline perfectionist, or even if you do not consider yourself a perfectionist, I encourage you to READ THESE BLOG POSTS!!! It is cheaper than therapy.

Anyway, Ginger has a goldmine of a blog, and the advice from these posts will be a needed daily reminder as I continue in my professional career. And finally, here is an elevating quote to bring this post around from Debbie Downer status to Little Mary Sunshine status:  

“The renowned seventh-century Zen master Seng-tsan taught that true freedom is being “without anxiety about imperfection.” ― Tara Brach, Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha

[bravelittlelibrarian]

Science, Muffins, and the Library

First published on May 26, 2014. I plan on creating a Teachers Pay Teachers product following this lesson idea in the future. Oh!, Speaking of library lessons, if you haven't already, go check out The Brave Little Librarian, my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

In the summer course I am taking, LIS 5283 School Library Administration, a recent discussion board, prompted my peers and me to brainstorm lesson or activity ideas that align with both CCSS and AASL Standards. Ok, I do not have a degree in education, so lesson and activity plan formulation are new and unnatural to me, but I am a naturally creative and imaginative person. So, I just need to figure out how to reign my creative thinking towards the educational route.  . . Right?

One of the best ways to improve skills is through experience (there is that important concept again!). So even though I am not currently working in a school library, I can still gain experience creating standards-aligned lessons and activities. I can also gain experience by observing and learning from lessons and activities created by others. So here is my first attempt at a standards-aligned lesson and activity. This lesson and activity cater to the apply of instructional partner and are intended to be co-taught and co-assessed. Also, to step a little toe outside my comfort zone (which is one of the best ways to gain confidence and challenge oneself!), this lesson deals in one of the content areas I am least knowledgeable in, science.

Science, Muffins, and the Library

A co-instructional activity idea between the school library media specialist and a science teacher for grades 6-8 that I thought of involves one of my favorite pastimes, baking! This activity applies to Standard CC6-8RS/TS3 Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks in Reading Standards Literacy in Science/Technology. It applies to the AASL Standards 1.1.1 Follow an inquiry-based process in seeking knowledge in curricular subjects and make the real-world connection for using this process in own life;  1.2.1 Display initiative and engagement by posing questions and investigating the answers beyond the collection of superficial facts; 1.2.5 Demonstrate adaptability by changing the inquiry focus, questions, resources, or strategies when necessary to achieve success; 1.4.1 Monitor own information-seeking processes for effectiveness and progress, and adapt as necessary; 1.4.3 Monitor gathered information and assess for gaps or weaknesses.

So, the context, instruction guidance and knowledge building portion of the lesson/activity are about the chemical reactions of acids and bases and how these relate to leavening agents in baking. This context functions as the “opening” of inquiry-based learning and applies to the remembering and understanding levels of Bloom’s taxonomy. In groups, students will select a baked good - loaves of bread, cookies, cakes, scones, pastries, for example - and explore leavening methods for the selected baked good type. Various media resources to discover this information will be provided by the librarian. These steps function as the “immerse” and “explore” steps in inquiry-based learning and apply to the understanding level of Bloom’s taxonomy. Various recipes will be provided that do not list the baked goods’ leavening agents. Next, the students will formulate a hypothesis for what leavening agent would be the best for the recipe their group selects and follow “precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments” to bake a baked good with the leavening agent of choice. This activity utilizes “identify,” “gather,” and “create” of inquiry-based learning and the applying level of Bloom’s taxonomy. Students will then analyze and evaluate their own and the other groups’ baked good results. Those baked goods that were not a success will be analyzed for why, will be re-hypothesized, and will be re-baked as a whole class group. Once the students have a grasp on the topic of leavening and following both the scientific method and recipe instructions, the groups will attempt to create their recipes. This part of the lesson encompasses the “evaluating” and “sharing” portion of inquiry-based learning and the creating level of Bloom. Throughout the process, the librarian will integrate technologies by having the groups document and report their steps, findings, and new recipes on an online blog which will also include digital pictures taken and uploaded by the groups. Hopefully, other students from around the Internet will find the blog, use the recipes, and leave comments so the students will see how they are part of a global knowledge-building community.

So there you have it! This activity/lesson would probably take a week or more. It would also probably be messy and maybe hard to coordinate, but I think it would be well worth it and very fun for students, and me of course!

[bravelittlelibrarian]

Review > Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Midnight Visitor

Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Midnight Visitor by Donald J. Sobol My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sobol, Donald J. 1977. Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Midnight Visitor. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Ten-year-old self-proclaimed detective Leroy Brown aka “Encyclopedia,” is the best-kept secret behind Idaville’s pristine police record. Encyclopedia’s love of reading and knack for information details aid him as he helps the Idaville chief of police, aka his dad, solve the neighborhood’s mysteries including a case surrounding a kidnapped millionaire!

This book is great for beginning readers. The book is shorter, and the vocabulary is both simple and challenging enough for young readers. The book allows beginning readers the opportunity for independent reading but is also conducive to a shared reading experience with adults or other children. One aspect that I think is perfect for beginning readers is that the book consists of 10 short mysteries that children can try and solve on their own. The illustrations and text both give clues to answer each mystery and allow the beginning reader to gain confidence and improve their reading comprehension skill set in a fun way.

[bravelittlelibrarian]

What does a Teacher Librarian really do? Ask a TL!

VTS_01_1.VOB (by kgonzalez6626)

Uploaded on Mar 20, 2010

What does a Teacher Librarian really do? Ask a TL!

*Used for educational and nonprofit purposes only

So today is the first day of my summer course, LIS 5283 School Library Admin!

Being a bit unfamiliar (understatement, completely incognizant) with school libraries, this course is going to be just what the doctor ordered providing me with a confidence boost as I begin my career journey.

Anyway, the course instructor posted this video and I wanted to share it because I think it is great!

Do you think this portrays an accurate representation of a school library media specialist? Are there any aspects of a school library media specialist that you feel were not portrayed in this video? Leave a comment below.

[bravelittlelibrarian]

Stereotypes do exist, but we have to walk through them.

Forest Whitaker

Closely associated with body image are stereotype regarding how one "should" look.  I discovered an interesting article titled “Would You Date a Vegetarian or Vegan?” and was immediately drawn to the similarities that both vegetarians/vegans and librarians face regarding stereotypes. The article opens with the following statement:

“Quick, picture a bunch of vegans.”

So, I urge you to do this… I am going to make an assumption here based on my experiences, and the chances are that many people who are not vegans would picture something like …  

Hippies and/or tree huggers

Scrawny and skinny people

Pasty looking, people

Judgmental snobs

Now, think about what many people not in the field of library science would picture when asked to “Quick, picture a bunch of librarians.” Maybe people imagine,

“Sexy” librarians

Frumpy librarians

Unfriendly librarians

Old lady librarians

Timid and/or introverted librarians

While no doubt, in reality, some of these stereotypes exist or how would the stereotypes have developed, but the truth is both groups consist of highly diverse people.  Proof, check out the Tumblr blog This is What a Librarian Looks Like and also the Tumblr blog What Vegans Look Like.

So why do these stereotypes exist? And do they do harm? Does the old assumption that librarians are sticklers and libraries are quiet, dusty places cause potential patrons to turn away? Does the presumption that vegans are self-righteous, judgmental, and that vegan food tastes like cardboard cause the veg-curious and omnivores to turn away?  

Each person who belongs to either of these groups can combat stereotypes and maybe we should.  On this topic, check out a few of these resources:

Librarians and Libraries

You Don’t Look Like a Librarian

Association of College and Research Libraries - The Librarian Stereotype: Deconstructing Presentations and Perceptions of Information Work

Nicole Pagowsky and Erica DeFrain - Ice Ice Baby: Are Librarian Stereotypes Freezing Us out of Instruction?

Katy Shaw - Buns on the Run: Changing the Stereotype of the Female Librarian

News.com.au - Breaking the stereotypes: A humble model, a fun librarian, and a reliable tradie reveal all

Vegetarians and Vegans

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s Food for Thought Podcast Episode 152 - Being a “Joyful Vegan.”

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s Food for Thought Podcast Episode 111 - Living Among Meat-Eaters - Part I

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s Food for Thought Podcast Episode 89 - Living Among Meat-Eaters - Part II

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s Food for Thought Podcast Episode 40 - Disagreement is not Disrespect

Alysson Thewes - The Vegan Health Nut: Breaking the Stereotypes

Alexandra Caspero - Building a Healthy Vegetarian Meal: Myths and Facts

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics - Vegetarian Diets

[bravelittlelibrarian]

A Tale of Two Classifications: Dewey or BISAC?

Dewey or Dew We Not?

After researching this topic, I am not comfortable to prepare a statement that definitively answers my feelings regarding the question of Dewey or genre. So I will just state my various thoughts on the matter. First, what do I like about Dewey? Well as reported by Jennifer Rowley and Richard Hartley (2008) the DDC is the most widely used library classification system in the world (207); thus, students knowing the DDC will know how to use a vast number of different libraries globally. Additionally, Bruce A. Sullivan (2010) explains that genre classification is not practical for libraries relying on copy cataloging and a shared catalog to find equivalent titles when they are classified on a topic and not a call number. Essentially, Sullivan expresses the concern that genre classification is not efficient for finding specific library resources with precision.

More and more, though, I am for genre classification because as Pauline Haass Public Library Director Kathy Klager states, “Why should you have to teach someone how to use a library?”(Ambrosius 2012). Genre classification has been found to be more conducive to browsing which McGreath and Trucker’s (2008) research found that more library users are doing (18-19). I actually do like the idea of Book Industry Standards and Communications (BISAC), a classification scheme more like that of a bookstore (Lynch and Mulero). BISAC is a list of subject descriptors characterized by a nine-character alphanumeric code, three alphabetic characters followed by six numeric characters, under 52 main sections (BISG 2012).  Anyway, school libraries are there first and foremost for the students and so must adapt and change to fit the needs and interests of our students. The goal is not to make our students learn the DDC… it is to get them to the library for reading and learning and ultimately to form life-long learning habits. If genre classification accomplishes this and DDC does not what more is there to consider?

So yes there is more to consider. What about the online catalog and MARC data, what about interoperability between school libraries, what about students’ future successes in a college library, future professional library, public library, or special library? Alright, so the online catalog and MARC data… well, let’s say that we decide to classify our books according to BISAC which follows ONIX metadata standards as opposed to the DDC follow MARC metadata standards. To help interoperability and online catalogs of school libraries that may opt for BISAC, OCLC has created a Mapping ONIX to MARC crosswalk. So what about the students’ future success in libraries if their school library chooses a genre classification such as BISAC over the traditional DDC? Well, we have already stated that the majority of libraries globally use DDC. Most college libraries nationally use the Library of Congress Classification (LCC). So why are we not insisting that school libraries use LCC if that is what most college libraries use if the concern if college preparedness? Ok, so future library success and information literacy. I think there is a better chance of ensuring both future library success and information literacy if students begin to see the intrinsic value in the library and develop life-long learning and reading habits not if they learn the DDC. So again if genre classification will motivate and interest more students to come and utilize our school libraries, I think that is a win. If we can cultivate that motivation and interest in the library, information, and reading, I believe that it will prepare students to overcome challenges they may face to information access. I do not believe students will suddenly lose motivation and interest when they visit other libraries that classify using the DDC, LCC, or something else. Also, we shouldn’t base our decision on what will happen if our students visit another library that classifies differently because the only library that we know for sure our students are visiting is our own! Hence, we need to make our libraries experiences ones that cultivate life-long learning and reading interests because really it is these early interests that affect students’ futures.

Thus, overall I am for doing what is right for your school library and your students’ needs and interests. Each school library serves a distinct group of students, and we need to find a classification system that benefits our unique students best for ensuring future life-long learning and reading habits.

Yours Truly, LeNae

P.S. Don't forget to subscribe to get updates whenever I post. Also, leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you. 

References

Ambrosius, Andy. 2012. “Libraries Rethinking the Dewey Decimal System.” SussexPatch. News Release, January 12. http://sussex.patch.com/articles/libraries-ditching-or-doctoring-the-dewey-decimal-system?dispatches.

Book Industry Study Group (BISG). Accessed November 11, 2012. “BISAC Subject Headings: Tutorial and FAQ.” http://www.bisg.org/what-we-do-0-47-bisac-subject-headingstutorial-and-faq.php.

Lynch, Sarah N., and Eugene Mulero. 2007. “Dewey? At This Library With a Very Different Outlook, They Don’t.” The New York Times. July 14. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/14/us/14dewey.html?_r=1&. 

McGreath, Kerry, and Jennifer Trucker. 2008. “Dewey No More.” Texas Library Journal 84 (1): 18-19.

Rowley, Jennifer, and Richard Hartley. 2008. Organizing Knowledge: An Introduction to Managing Access to Information. 4th ed. Farnham, UK: Ashgate.

 Sullivan, Bruce A. 2010. “A Librarian’s Dilemma: Three Articles in Consideration of DDC and its Utility in Public Libraries.” LIS New: Librarian News. February 25. http://lisnews.org/librarian%E2%80%99sdilemmathreearticlesconsiderationddcanditsutilitypubliclibraries.

Image - https://pixabay.com/en/bookcase-books-data-education-1845888/

[bravelittlelibrarian]

Having Fun With Colorful Maidens, Monks, and Millers’ Sons

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!” is very deserving of the Newberry award. It is a truly original book, and I especially like the way that the author uses poems written from the perspective of the villagers to teach us about daily life in a medieval estate. It is a clever approach to the subject matter, having members of the village tell us about their lives in poems, and I think it would work well with children. They’re learning about medieval life but may not even realize it, because the presented information is in an original and fun way. Life in a medieval village is quite different from life today. During the Middle Ages, survival was a struggle, and children were expected to help from the moment they could walk. Instead of attending school or playing with friends, the children in the medieval village worked (see “Lowdy”, “Nelly”, or “Edgar”). Still, the poems reveal many similarities between the lives of children in “Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!” and children today. Timeless is the pain felt when a parent is sharp-tongued such as the Miller’s son feels. Timeless is the love of a child's pet, such as Mogg and her cow or Alice and her sheep. The feelings of jealousy, such as Barbary towards the lord’s daughter, and crushes, like Taggot feels, are also timeless. These similarities help children relate to the characters in the book though they are from a different time. Though life has gotten much easier since medieval times, many of the struggles of growing up have remained the same.

I think upper-level elementary students and middle school students could have a lot of fun with this book. It would be entertaining to use the book as the author originally intended— as a series of monologues for students to act out. An entire unit of medieval life could be created, using the book as the basis. Students could be assigned a character, research more about their character’s position in the village, and then dress up and act out their part for the class and present what they learned. It would be a different approach to learning about the subject, and hopefully, the kids would have a great time while learning!

Search WorldCat for local library copies here

Purchase this book from: Amazon Barnes and Noble

FTC Disclosure

In all transparency, the above links are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Only products that I have used first hand and that I fully believe in and support have affiliate links. If you choose to use the affiliate links, I will receive a small commission. My posts are not in any way sponsored. All opinions expressed are my own.

[bravelittlelibrarian]

How to Rock You Interview: School Librarian

Summer is just around the corner. And for hopeful new teachers, librarians, etc. this means time to snag a job for fall. 

I have completed my summer course, started an ALA Copyright for Teachers and Librarians course, taken my library media specialist alternative teaching certificate test, and am now scrambling to begin the next phase of my life which I am extremely excited about. Guess what?! I am officially an elementary school librarian.

I am overjoyed, nervous, energized, cautious, confident, unsure, idealistic, and realistic; so yes, I am all over the place! And I will blog about my new experience all along the way.

However, this post, though a bit overdue, is about interviewing. To say I was panicky about interviewing is an understatement… which eye do I look at, I can’t focus on both… what if several people are interviewing me at once. I am fresh out of school, how will I even know what to talk about… what if they ask me about the experience, I don’t have any experience… what if I can’t think of anything to say? I probably had, even more, anxieties that I cannot recall at this moment. But not surprisingly, when it came down to sitting in front of interviewers and talking about something I am zealous about, the anxieties went away.  I left my interviews feeling satisfied, and that is a great feeling. And it turned out the interviewee before I was interviewing as a Kindergarten teacher! Anyway, I wanted to share a few tips I gathered from my experience:

1. Dress comfortably, but appropriately.

2. Leave with plenty of time to find your interview location and utilize a map or GPS.

3. Bring a copy of your resume.

4. Bring a list of questions you would like information on library aids, volunteers, budget, schedule, extra duties, technology, etc.

5. Eat and use the restroom before your interview.

6. Take time before your interview for a spiritual moment. Do whatever it is you do pray, meditate, say a mantra, etc. A spiritual moment helps calm the nerves.

7. Prep talk yourself. Just as coaches prep talk their players before a game or competition, prep talks instill confidence.

8. DO NOT COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHER INTERVIEWEES! You are your person with unique capabilities and skills. Embrace and capitalize on your uniqueness and strengths.

9.  Keep eye contact, and don’t worry about “which eye do I look at, I can’t focus on both” it happens naturally.

10. The classic, remember a firm handshake.

11. Speak up. Think before you speak and speak firmly and slowly.

12. Answer honestly.

13. Smile and look engaged, no actually be engaged!

14. And last, a friend of mine gave me this tip, and it is worth mentioning, “Somewhat assume you are the person they will pick!”

15. Have fun, enjoy the experience, grow from it, and learn from it.

16. Remember to thank the interviewers for the opportunity at the completion of the interview, even if you do not think it went well. End with positive communication.

Now, some of the questions I was asked include:

Tell me about yourself?

What is the most important role of the school librarian?

Where do you see yourself in five years?

What is your favorite children’s book?

How do you feel you could integrate STEM?

What was the hardest criticism you have had?

How would you promote community-wide reading?

What would a library be like in which you were the librarian of?

How would you encourage collaboration with new and experienced teachers?

How would you handle a teacher showing a movie for entertainment purposes?

How would you handle a student cursing loudly in the library?

What would you do if the phone was ringing, a student needed help, and a class was entering for book checkouts all at the same time?

How would you partner with other librarians in the district?

How would you promote information literacy?

Here are also a few additional resources on interviewing:

Mr. Library Dude - Library Interview Questions

Elementary Librarian - Elementary Librarian Interview Questions

Job-Interview-Site.com - Librarian: Interview Questions for Librarians With Answers

Ace the Interview » Public Libraries Online

The Spirited Librarian - Preparing for a Library Job Interview

Hiring Librarians - Your Monthly-ish Reminder: Interview Questions Repository

The Florida State University College of Communication and Information - Sample Interview Questions

American Library Association - “Cover Letter and Resume Tips to Get an Interview” A FREE WEBINAR!

Most Common Interview Mistakes - The Balance

[bravelittlelibrarian]

Reflections > Digital Divide, Lack of Certified Librarians ’a National Crisis'

Panelists spoke at the National Press Club about how educators and librarians can respond to the “second wave of the digital divide.”

I first wrote this post in May 2014, I would like to repost this for my reflection purposes.

So as I mentioned in the “What to do after graduation” post that I am planning on obtaining school library media specialist certification this summer, needless to say, I am again reminded that this is the correct move for me. I adored learning. Information overload is something I seek out, and I find enjoyment in constructing search syntax to ransack through various databases, but these temperaments weren’t always so; not until I learned how to manage and examine information and that wasn’t until the final two years of my undergrad and not fully until library school. My K-12 school did not employ a certified librarian; in fact, the librarians were not even certified, teachers. I went to college wholly unprepared in the library and digital information literacy.

Now I fully can understand what the lack of certified school librarians means. I do not need to explain the impacts that information and knowledge have had on my life and continually have in my life; all those in the library and information field can contest for these impacts. Now my life’s mission (did I not say I am starry-eyed?) is to empower and enrich the lives of others with through information and knowledge literacy which is increasingly dominated in a digital environment.

Looking at the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), little to no references to digital literacy and skills are made. Further, the few instances of digital literacy mentioned are in the remark to middle and high school not elementary. So if there is a scant emphasis on digital literacy in the CCSS, and schools across the nation are limited on certified school librarians, where will students receive digital literacy instruction? Barnwell(2012) states “While the common core addresses some of the above [digital literacy] skills, its guidance is far too vague, especially for those teachers who are uncomfortable with new technologies.” Also, why would digital literacy be postponed until the middle and high school grades? I see countless elementary age children using smartphones and tablets regularly!

Throughout library school, I encountered numerous people who chided my decision to enter the library profession. “There is no work in libraries,” “There won’t even be libraries much longer because everything is moving to the digital environment,” “No one needs librarians they have Google"… Just a few days ago when I enthusiastically posted a picture of my graduation robes and hood on Instagram I received a comment stating, “is being a librarian really that hard to where you have to go to grad school?” followed by “I just didn’t know it was that much more. Figured it was just knowing your books and filing.” So my thoughts are that either these people are already expert digital information navigators, that they are not expert digital information pilots and thus do not understand the rich amount of information they are probably not accessing in their searches, or that they do not understand the library profession at all or the role of libraries. Also, it seems these commenters assume that everyone knows how to navigate a digital environment and has access to digital resources. Of course, this is simply not true. Just because someone is a Generation Y or Z member does not mean that they are born into this world with digital literacy skills or in a technology rich environment. As a member of Generation Y, my experiences support this truth.

What I have observed in my short time in the field of LIS (just two years of library school) is that librarians are unsung heroes and maybe librarians have enjoyed this position in the past. However, it seems this quietness of our skills, abilities, and significance has been to our detriment. It was just happenstance that I discovered the field of LIS and sought to pursue it. Are we missing out on recruiting passionate, knowledgeable, and useful minds to other areas? Are we doing enough to let our communities and government that we are an essential aspect of our nation’s future? I will take pleasure in the challenges that people present me when questioning my chosen profession. I will proudly flaunt my “librarian” and use it to the best of my abilities to empower and enrich the lives of others. I am more determined than ever to learn and grow this summer and receive my school library media specialist certification, bring it on…

[bravelittlelibrarian]

“I’m sorry, but I don’t get it. If we’re suppose to ignore everything that’s wrong with our lives, then I can’t see how we’ll ever make things right.” ~ A.S. King, Please Ignore Vera Dietz I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. The novel deals with many challenging topics such as overcoming poverty, shame, violence, addiction, and ignorance but ultimately leaves the reader filled with a sense of hope and mercy. Checkout this review and more on the blog, link on the bio!

[cruvcio]

The Houses as Studyblrs  [click to enlarge // info ⚡  insp]