What Every New Media Specialist Needs to Know These 10 tips can help your career get off to a great start Illustration by Steve Wacksman It’s not easy being a media specialist, especially if you’re new to the profession or you’ve switched schools and you’re suddenly the new kid on the block. Let’s face it, many administrators and teachers don’t understand what we do. And like it or not, we’re still battling that age-old stereotype of the school librarian as a little old lady with a bun who shuffles around shushing people. Take a deep breath! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. It’s In the Bag: Welcome Back to The Library Goodness! In May, I thought it would be fun to welcome the teachers back with a “goody bag” from the library. I have been wanting to do such a gesture of goodwill since I opened the library, but this is the first summer I’ve actually felt I had time to follow through on the goody bag idea. In May, I contacted my GALE representative who graciousy arranged for me to recieve a box of pens, assorted bookmarks, a tension-release “squeegie”, and a pad with sticky notes for bookmarking. For an easy library themed decor to the brown paper bags, I used my Demco book pockets with self-adhesive. Some homemade goodies for the bag include a wordle representing today’s 21st century librarian that I created with friends from my personal learning network on Twitter earlier this year. Last but not least in the goody bag is a sprinkling of Hersey’s milk chocolate kisses! I created 60 today and still have about 40 to go. 1. 2. 3. 4. Like this: Like Loading...
A revised manifesto Thank you all for the kind feedback you offered for my rant a few days back. As I wrote that response, in the back of my mind I considered a few realities: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. It is critical that we demonstrate and share. Back in October, I revised the little Manifesto I worked on a couple of years ago for my VOYA column. Please share, add, or pull it apart in your comments. Manifesto for 21st Century School Librarians My prompt: A couple of summers back a young school librarian, fresh out of library school, asked a very honest question at one of our state retreats: We’re all doing different stuff. Well into the 21st century, it is clear that the concept of modern teacher librarian practice is not clear. What I know for sure is that if the Joyce who graduated from library school in 1976 (and again with a school specialty in 1988), heck, if the Joyce from the 2007/2008 school year, were to visit my library today, she would be stunned by the differences in my/our practice. Reading 1. 2. ● You lead.
Five Tips for New School Librarians – A Guest Post by Cathy Potter | Page in Training January 2012 marks the one year anniversary of when I started my first position as a teacher librarian. In celebration and in way of thanks for all the help I’ve been given in that year, I am hosting a series of posts this month for new teacher librarians. Today’s post is by Cathy Potter. I love getting reading recommendations from her and seeing what is happening in her library. Being a school librarian is a rewarding career. Five Tips for New School Librarians 1) Collaboration is Key! Make connections with librarians at the public library. 2) Read, Read, Read! Listen to your students! Read reviews regularly. A Few of the Kidlit Blogs I Follow:A Fuse #8 Production100 Scope NotesA Year of ReadingBrain Burps (podcast) 3) Create a web presence. 4) Reach out to parents. 5) Develop a support system. Remember to smile and share your love of books and technology. Cathy Potter is a K-5 school librarian in Maine.
The library’s in the bag! | Melbourne High School Library After thinking about how we could promote the library to staff on the first day of our 2015 school year, we decided to greet them with a show bag of library goodies. We wanted to remind staff about existing services and also highlight new features of our contemporary library. Inspired by The Unquiet Librarian’s goody bags, we set about compiling a MHS version. We contacted suppliers, designed informational postcards, created coffee vouchers, bought lollies and began compiling 130 lunchbags! We were very appreciative of our freebies, ClickView pens,Trove bookmarks and AustLit fliers. I created a postcard that promoted what the library can do as well as advertising our libguides, facebook and twitter accounts. A second postcard promoted the responsibilities of each library staff member. To top it off, Tom Gauld, a cartoonist and illustrator from London, granted us permission to use his incredible illustration ‘Library’ on the front of our bags. Like this: Like Loading...
Knowledge Quest | AASL Advice to New Librarians As the school year begins, some of you may be starting as a school librarian for the first time. With my position, I am able to work with new school librarians in my district. Whether the librarians have just a few or many years as a classroom teacher, they step into this new role feeling overwhelmed with the common question, “Where do I begin?” Build Relationships: When I go out and speak to groups and advocate for classroom teachers working with their building librarians, I sometimes hear a comment or two about how they don’t feel comfortable approaching their librarians. Dive into the Content: Grab the curriculum guides for all content areas. Be Patient: When you enter your library, you may want to rearrange the space and make it “your space.” Become Familiar with the Collection: Get to know your collection by walking the shelves. Enjoy the Transition: If you are transitioning from the classroom into the library, there are times when you will wish for the small classroom again.
BHS Media Specialists Honored by South Carolina Association of School Librarians – Millennium Magazine Columbia SC News Education Published on April 10th, 2018 | by Millennium Magazine Staff BLTYEWOOD– The South Carolina Association of School Librarians (SCASL) honored the Blythewood High Library staff for Outstanding School Library Program professionals at the 43rd annual South Carolina Association of School Librarians conference held at the Hyatt Regency in Downtown Greenville, SC. Blythewood High School received the Outstanding School Library Program of the Year Award. This award honors an outstanding program in the state of South Carolina that demonstrates strength in the areas of Foundations, Building the Learning Environment, Teaching and Learning, Building Collaborative Partnerships, Advocacy and Outreach, and Leadership. BHS Media Specialists Crystal Smith and Amy Whitfield are this years’ recipients and received a $2,000 grant for books and $500 monetary award for instructional materials from Gumdrop Books! Former BHS principal Dr. Tags: Blythewood High School
Term Project Hello! Welcome to my final project for Information Technologies for Libraries and Information Agencies. Isn't that a mouthful? We learn about: Library Media Tech Talk: So You Are a New School Librarian... Now What? I remember taking my first school library job in the summer of 2008. When I arrived at the school in July to begin working, I quickly realized I had no idea where to start! Even after doing this job for 7 years, I still have to remind myself what needs to be accomplished in the summer before everyone gets back on campus. I hope this will help you see some of the steps you need to think about as you prepare for a successful school year from the library media center. Most of the July "to-do" list is really all the items that I renew or order during the summer months. The first things I always think of are the periodicals, journals, and newspaper subscriptions we take. For periodical renewals, I have always used a jobber or a subscription service. This is also a good time to find out if there are any subscription databases or online encyclopedias that the previous librarian purchased. We are provided a whole host of online databases and tools through the Arkansas State Library.
Information Skills Lesson Plans Resources for School Librarians - Index Menu for This Page: General Collections of Lesson Plans | The Dewey Decimal System | Reference Books and Web Sites | Worksheets | Research Methods and Reports | Miscellaneous and Holiday Lessons General Collections of Lesson Plans Library Skills Lessons - by Katy Punch on Pinterest Scholastic's Lesson Plans & Reproducibles - Lesson plans for grades K - 12. Many of these are internet based. Check out the language arts section for research skills lessons. Yearly Curriculum for the library Library Lesson Plans - By Jennifer Francis of the Powell County Schools. Introduction to Library Use How to Care for a Library Books - This article from WikiHow includes many good points that you may want to include in your talk on book care. The Dewey Decimal System and the Catalog Huey and Louie Meet Dewey - A lesson plan from Education World. Reference Books and Web Sites All About Words: Dictionary Activities - Dictionary lesson plans from Education World. Up to Top
Book & Media Awards | Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) 2018 ALSC Book & Media Award winners 2018 Award Acceptance Speeches 2017 Book and Media Awards 2017 Award Acceptance Speeches Watch the 2017 Newbery-Caldecott-Wilder Banquet View Reaction Videos from the 2017 Youth Media Award Winners 2016 Book and Media Awards 2016 Award Acceptance Speeches Watch the 2016 Newbery-Caldecott-Wilder Awards Banquet View Reaction Videos from the 2016 Youth Media Award Winners Past Newbery, Caldecott, and Legacy Banquet Acceptance Speeches List with downloads of Newbery, Caldecott and Legacy Award Winning Speeches ALSC fosters values of respect and equality, and therefore accepts media award submissions from all. Frequently Asked Questions Click on the red Publisher Information button for easy, one-stop access to rosters, terms & criteria, submissions process, and more. The ALSC media awards below are announced every January at a Monday morning press conference that takes place during the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting. (Mildred L.) (Robert F.)
*Five laws of library science (Make sure you are aware of these & think about their evolution) The Five laws of library science is a theory proposed by S. R. Ranganathan in 1931, detailing the principles of operating a library system. These laws are: Books are for use.Every reader his / her book.Every book its reader.Save the time of the reader.The library is a growing organism. Overview[edit] First Law: Books are for use[edit] The first law constitutes the basis for the library services. The first law of library science "books are for use" means that books in libraries are not meant to be shut away from its users. Second Law: Every reader his/her book[edit] This law suggests that every member of the community should be able to obtain materials needed. The second law of library science "every reader his/her book" means that librarians serve a wide collection of patrons, acquire literature to fit a vast collection of needs, do not judge what specific patrons choose to read. Third Law: Every book its reader[edit] Fourth Law: Save the time of the reader[edit] Variants[edit] In 2015,B.