Library Programs/ Displays Read Local !

   I saw this on a FB post and thought to myself- Why didn't I think of that! It was a book store that was highlighting the local authors and illustrators.

  For the school librarians, I would do a display, a book talk or read out loud to the students.I would make sure they knew who the local authors and illustrators were. In my area,(NEPA and upstate NY Catksills)

  We actually have a lot of authors and illustrators so I could do a lot!  I might highlight / read them according to the level of the books- Picture books for elementary/ Middle,. Ya for upper elementary/ middle and high school.  Nonfiction depending on levels of book / or the content that fits in the curriculum.

  Our local libraries have special sections in each area , that have the local authors, and illustrators. They sometimes host readings of the author with their work.  If they have funding, they also host book signings, readings, and special programs!

 The Toe Snatchers is a delightful book! If I wasn't retired I would read it to all my students! This is a book about the Frools that can be read over and over again! The story is told in rhyme,and is so much fun to read out loud ! Children ages K and up will love listening to and reading this book.

The Frools favorite food is fresh picked human toes. At night they go out looking for toes. In one house, they have quite the adventure in tying to figure out how many toes they each will get. Frool #5 comes up with a plan , and they set about counting the toes. And then they have to figure out how many toes they each will get. But Frools don't go to school, so they have trouble figuring it out.

The illustrations are outstanding and very detailed. The Frools and their surroundings are done in comic style. As you read it over and over , you will find interesting details on each page.

This is a book that parents and children can read over and over and come up smiling every time

This is a book Marileta Robinson wrote and Ron Zalme illustrated. Marileta , prior to retirement was an Editor at Highlights magazine. Ron did the illustrations for "The Timbertoes "(Highlights) and "the Adventures of Spot" ( HighFive)

Going back to work?

 I am officially retired for going on 3 years , but recently have been " helping out ' in my local public library.  They had two people out on medical leave, and now two more staff on vacation. So I am Temporary Manager for a  5 hours a day when I am most needed to cover lunches / dinners. ect. It is a 3 minute commute so it is really a dream to go to work. ( I only ever once before had a 3 minute commute when I worked at my school ( where I went to school)  before it was closed.

So I am getting used to all the circ programs ( which I had done before when I was Branch manager at another location - a 25 minute commute) .  It is great to be where all the books are- I have been going there for my books which I have done for years! And best of all I got to order the children's /ya books which of course is my specialty!

Book Club- Middle School

     I held  the first meeting for both 7th and 8th grade this past week. The students are really interested and ready to read. 

     I put out books that I had multiple copies of , and let the students select what they wanted to read.

  My 7th grades all boys. They selected to read Chains.  ( I love this book) So they are up and running. The 8th graders will be reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian( Alexie)

    Seventh graders will meeting after school. Eight grades during their lunch.

   We are required by administration to take attendance and minutes which we hand in.We set a date for the next meeting which was good. So now I can prepare a mini poster with dates on it to hang around the school. Last year I never thought to schedule the next meeting so I feel super organized.

  I will still announce each month when the book club is over morning announcements. Usually I start announcements about three days ahead of time.

   Does anyone else do Middle School book clubs? I would love to hear from you!

Building Better Libraries- Public Career Centers

 At the Public library level ,building better libraries means  building career centers for patrons. Yes , there may  be books on different careers. But  more importantly at the public level are databases on careers  and staff to assist instruct on its use Adults may not have the background on how to use these. 

  Also at the public level, development in career programs such as college information and application, government agency assistance, resume writing workshops,business/ entrepreneurship  resources and career counselor are just a few programs that could be provided .

   Patrons could use these resources to assist themselves in better positions and better careers,

Building better libraries- career resources

 Libraries both school and public provide valuable resources for career research and job services, At the school level, many middle and high school have career resources, both print and digital, 

There are also countless websites to assist students in determining what career they might  be interesting in There are also book resources oh specific resources ,  Several teachers did  career research  with students . One year when the goal was thinking about careers, our administrator promoted the career resources  in the morning announcements. 

 On our website we had a career section that had career surveys ( to help students figure out what they would like to do and what they would be good at doing) We also had databases and websites  that highlighted careers and what was necessary to enter in the career.

 Career Resources:

CareerQuiz.com - 

https://careerquiz.org/?msclkid=3b3adcedaea11285ac38bc01cc2599ff

 Occupational  outlook

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/

ProQuest\- 

https://www.proquest.com/

Factcite.org

https://www.factcite.com/texis/user/login.html?to=/

Building Better Libraries-II (Books and digital resources)

 Years and Years ago, when we first started with bar-coding and computers, my principal said to me,"We won't need books anymore" And I strongly disagreed with her, saying "Not in my lifetime!"

 And I still feel that way today! Say you want a particular book- do  you just order it online? You could, but say you go to your  library , do they order it and then give it to you? No . But if the library has it you can borrow it for free,  And other patrons can also borrow it.   The book is stored at the library,

If the library does not have the book, then in most cases, they can get it for you on inter library loan.They even track it down for you , if you can't do it yourself. 

 Card holders can borrow digital books to read on their devices( computers, phones, tables)  This is the most basic common goal of the library. Acquiring books and resources that benefit the community of their patrons. A good library system saves money and builds community.

Building better libraries !

  Librarians and Libraries, both public and academic, are the center of building a new future in their schools and communities. We serve as librarians is to promote reading and learning to all users. In our society today is it most important that all continue to learn and grow as technology and information is ever expanding.

  We need to showcase what librarians have to offer . Within the pandemic , I think more and more school and public libraries have done just this.  I am totally amazed and impressed by my local public libraries  and how they have innovated programs and services during this time The dedication to services and information and the connections to the patrons have been outstanding.

  The community has responded to the new online programs and also the way we get books and materials,  I will highlight in future posts about some of the things they are doing. , I also am  searching for ways both public and academic ( schools k- college)  have in the past year to answer the need for more up to date, innovative and exciting ways that libraries can bring their  importance to the whole community .

 What has your library done that is innovative and draws patrons in? If you know of an exciting program , please leave a comment below!

Summer reading!

 What are you doing for your summer reading lists this year? Does your district want a list attached to the website? Is your library open during summer school( if you have it) . I am going to do a little research and see , so let me know what  your school/district does.  In the last district I was in we had to have a list on the website .  

Bookopolis- on line book-site for teachers and students

 

Bookopolis is a wonderful website to assist teachers and students in their love of books and reading. It is used for students in grades 2-7. Bookopolis give new ideas for reading .Students can also connect with other students about what  they are reading.

Students can explore new books, make a bookshelf, recommend books and invite friends to join,

  Teachers and librarians can use Bookopolis to build a team of readers in their classroom and libraries. Students can produce book reviews and they can give book recommendations to their classmates and peers  ( While doing this they are practicing their writing skills  and typing skills)  Students can keep a reading logs online. 

Bookopolis offers badges and  points for students who use Bookopolis to keep book logs, write reviews and report,  and invite friends to use the site. 

Earth Day activities!

     Earth day is Thursday April 22.  Here are a few sites that have activities that engage students and  bring awareness of Earth day and global conservation!

Education. Com

https://www.education.com/resources/earth-day/?msclkid=72ef303863821bc8cebd504f6a6c81cf&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Search%20-%20Spring%20Holidays%20-%20BMM&utm_term=%2Bearth%20%2Bday%20%2Bactivities&utm_content=Earth%20Day

  

  This has some good worksheets and activities for students  to celebrate earth day

Tinkerlab

https://tinkerlab.com/fifty-earth-day-activities/

  Another site using natural materials for students.

Project Learning tree

https://www.plt.org/educator-tips/earth-day-activities/

   Some more interesting activities!

Online story creators

 .https://studentreasures.com/s

Student treasures is an online book creator that student will enjoy. It looks to be fairly straightforward and it is free to create. They do sell classroom books and parents can buy their child's books for  $20.00.

There are many resources for teachers : lesson plans, writing work sheets, and ideas for projects. Check this out!

 https://storybird.com/

  Story bird’s  claim is that anyone can produce visual stories in seconds.  Illustrators and artists around the world have their art work available for use by creators of stories.  Families, student’s & teachers, and authors use story bird to create  & publish their own stories.

  Visitors to the site can read books from their favorite writers. They can create their own stories and share them with friends and families.  Teachers can help their students use Story Bird to have them learn the art of writing and have them produce their own books. (This encourages  reluctant writers and readers) Authors use story bird to give them a growing audience and connect with more readers,

Library Web Page-What is on it?

  I think it is a good idea to periodically check  your Library Web Page. 

1. Are all the links working?  Check the databases or  give student helpers a job and check them. Check other links as well. Sometimes students or teachers may tell you, but more than likely they will just turn to something else on the page or go to Google. 

2. How does the catalog look? is is up to date-sometimes just changing the background if you can , will grab some more attention.

3.If you have a place for comments or questions, check those at least weekly. Or if you have a place for student comments, that needs to be checked.( Glogster, Library Blog, ect)

4. If you have a review section, add reviews weekly. Some catalogs let students review which is a great tool.

5. If you use Google Classroom- make sure it is linking up correctly and looks right.

Wide Open School

 https://wideopenschool.org/  ( Wide Open School) is a new resource provided  by Common Sense Media. It looks to me to be a wonderful site for students, teachers , and parents ,to assist students in learning and growing and furthering their education.

    There are a multitude of learning activities that will work for students.  There is of course, Math, Science, and core school subjects with activity  links- there are also off line activities,  arts and crafts, digital activities,physical fitness,  emotional well being,life skills and virtual field trips. 

     The neat thing is also a  a daily  planning page where a day of activities / lessons are laid out.  They  also provide planning sheets for teachers/ parents/ caregivers to plan their own depending on the student. The plans are based on grade levels so students just pick their grade levels and complete the activities.

   The activities ( games, lessons, ect) are shareable with Google  Classroom , so if you are a teacher you can send specific activities to your student. The plan lays out each day of the week and activities to go with them, The students are even given a screen break and ideas on what to do! 

   I think this site will be invaluable to teachers and parents  working on virtual learning . The activities would also  be doable in the school setting. 

 

StoryJumper.com

  StoryJumper.com  is a great site ! A few years ago I did a very brief post about StoyJumper. It has come to my attention again , so I decided to really look and see what they had to offer.

 

    I think teachers and librarians would really like to use StoryJumper with their students. There  is information on the site for teachers . They give examples of projects for student activities in each subject area.( even Math & Science!!)

   There are also  ideas for different types of writing: nonfiction, expository, collaborative projects, and creative writing ideas. And there is opportunity to use student art work or use the StoryJumper art work.

 Students can have their book published online for free; Of course , there are options for the publication of the book in both hardcover or paperback for a fee.

There is a wide selection of student work,that can be read online, which will also give students a chance for reading and a spark to create their own work,

I 

https://www.storyjumper.com/school

Virtual learning / read aloud ideas

 Here are some sites with read alouds and  ideas for story times. 

Storytime with Ryan & Craig:  These two guys have a ton of  read alouds The site is easy to use . You can also search for specific titles .

Emily Arrow: Librarian Emily Arrow shares singalongs with music and stories on her YouTube channel. This will give you lots to use if you are doing storytimes this is a good place to look for ideas and songs.

Story Time From Space:  This site has  stories from space . Astronauts  read the stories

These may be helpful if you are doing in person or virtual learning. Do you use any others? I am really looking for more for the middle school age level.

Author Presentation for Second graders~

Author Presentation

   This came up on Face book and I thought I would share. As librarian , you get to provide many extras for your students. This was from a time at school when I gave the Second graders a presentation about the story that  had just been published in Highlights. I talked about how I got the idea, how I wrote the story, and then did revisions, I showed them my writers notebook. ( at the time they were working on writing stories and they we keeping a writers note book , so it really fell into place.

  So any time you are asked to do something not on the ordinary, make every attempt/offer to assist This particular event earned me a lot of brownie points with my teachers,

World Read Aloud Day!

     On February  3rd,  there will be a World Read Aloud day with several author volunteers doing a quick virtual read aloud with classrooms around the world to share the joy of reading. 

  Some of the authors are Tracey Baptiste, Debbi Michiko Florence, Hena Khan, Meg Medina, Ellen Oh, Dawn Quigley, Rajanni LaRocca, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, Linda Urban, Anne Ursu,  Kate Messner and  Renee Watson. 

  Each  author will  read a five-minute sneak-preview from one of their upcoming books for readers in grades 3-7.  The whole segment will run about an hour.

 The link to the video will be on Kate Messner’s site and she will post it  a day early so that teachers / librarians can embed in Google Classroom if they want . You could also use it in classrooms or share with parents.

The presentations won’t  be long, Kate’s site has the following information.

• 1-2 minutes: Author introduces himself or herself and talks a little about his or her books.

• 3-5 minutes: Author reads aloud a short picture book, or a short excerpt from a chapter book/novel

• 5-10  minutes: Author answers a few questions from students about reading/writing

• 1-2 minutes: Author book-talks about a couple of  other books they love.

https://katemessner.com

Library bulletin boards for February

 Now it is time to think about February and what to do about the bulletin boards.   Here are some ideas :

We love to Read!- Give pink or red hearts  to students and have the write their favorite books. Students can write I Love...   and give the title and their name. Place on BB with letters of slogan on top in black letters - Can use a light background and heart /scallop edges.❤

Black History Month- Place pictures of famous African Americans . You can number them, Give some clues under each one. Students can use references or online sources to find out . Students can give guesses in to you- At the end of the month, place names under each one.

Tech tie in- Tweet a sweet Book! Give students an enlarged note. Place a cute bird on each side of the BB- Students can write their favorite titles on each note and then placed on the BB.💻

Presidents Day- You  can do this similar to Black History Month.( Use presidents that students do not know) Or you could place some presidents  and have students find little know facts on each person.

Fiction to Film: Scan covers of books that you have in your library that have been made into movies.  Place the slogan in the middle and the covers around. A slogan to add  would be: Have you read these?📺💟💟❤

Quizizz.com- another tool for library and classroom

   Here is another on line tech tool that students, teachers, and librarians will love to use. It is perfect for virtual learning and compatible with Google classroom.

  There is a lesson and quiz creator. But there are also numerous lessons and quizzes already  created that you can use . Some lessons use power point. The Quizzes are self check. 

    There are tutorials to help you set up lessons , which I did not go all the way through, But the steps seem to be easy. Teachers can assign lessons and quizzes. There seems to be a lot of information to assist teachers in using this with their classes.

 

  There are quizzes in English/ Language arts, Math, Science , Social Studies, World languages,

Creative arts, computer skills, and career/ tech education.

Check this out , I think it will be helpful!

https://quizizz.com/teachers?ref=header_tab