Library ideas for back to school!

   How can we help students this fall in the library? What if the library is not accessible?  

First of all Encourgare reading and learning

1. If students can not come to the library for books that consider "curbside Pickup" or "Delivery".

     Do a video / zoom ( YouTube or something your school uses)  and explain to student how to do holds on your computer system. Then staff can handle materials  , get them delivered or have them picked up bu the students. 

    Develop a system also ( and explain it ) on how to do returns  to make sure the student knows what to do, 

  ( Make sure teachers and staff also know how to request materials) Do this even if you  open so that if students are really busy they can still get books and resources)

2. Do read alouds. Again if you cant do this in person, set up a video / zoom/ google meet or whatever works . Take time at the end of discuss the book  Set up a program where students can  answer questions or further discuss the book.

3, Promote digital books that you have in the library system. Promote Digital book sites  that have free online reading,   Promote digital resources that you have for classroom use.  Put it on your website, and promote with flyers or anyway you can. 

Getting your teachers to buy into this will help  and give you time to advance the library!

Abby the Librarian

   I keep finding different websites for librarians and just want to share  in case you have not  found then yourselves. Abbythelibraian  is a great site for librarians ( school & Public) who do preschool or Kindergarten lessons or sessions.
    There are routinely Picture book Roundups which I love! She gives us brief summaries and also shows the cover. So if you are looking for  recommendations for new books you will be pleased. Some of the titles are brand new or soon to be released.
   She also gives short reviews of new books for elementary / middle school students . Again a big help for your collection development. She also gives book recommendations for special days and seasons.
   There are several other advantages to this site. Abby gives ideas for programs for preschool/ kindergarten and family reading. So if you need ideas  for story times this is a good place to check out.n There is a link on her site that gives themes    and book lists to go with them.

Wing & Claw: Forest of Wonders- Weekly Reading

  A new series by Linda Sue Park is Wing and Claw: Forest of Wonders  really caught my attention. Raffa, a young apothecary is learning to use the woods gatherings  of leaves and herbs from his Father. He finds a special vine with strong powers. With it he saves a small bat, but the vine leaves the bat with extraordinary powers.
    Raffa continues to experiment with the vine,  but he also wants to warn his cousin  of its power. The cousin and his family have moved to the big city to be apothecaries there.
     Something Raffa discovers  is very upsetting and he needs to  find out the truth about his relatives. This puts him in some danger, This a new series - I can't  wait to read the next one to see what happens!

Reading & Writing Partnership- Librarians and teachers

     School Librarians  make good partners with ELA and reading teachers. Librarians provide oral and silent reading  depending on the grade  level. We  as Librarians provide quality books to help improve reading scores.

   In the context of reading , students often are asked to describe , synthesize, analyze, and critique their  understanding of what they have read. So when librarians provide books, model and share our love of reading, we can motivate and encourage  more student reading.

   Discussions, book clubs, reviews, casual conversation,   and book challenges are all part of the job. We need to read and know the quality books in our collection in order to motivate our students. So big surprise we need to read!

Series list for students!

   The students in my middle school love to read series books. We always are stopping to check what order the titles  should be read. So I am hoping this year to a make " Series" books which will be kept at the  circulation desk.

  In it  will  be Authors name, series name, title of books and the order in which they should be read.
In the future as we purchase new titles and series , we will put numbers on the spine and also try to shelves them in number order.

 Then student can check the  lists and the shelves easily to get the book in the series they want.

Book Review- The Siege Winter

   The Siege Winter , Franklin  , Ariana ( William Morrow, 2015)

    The story of England In the 1140's. Emma , a  very young girl,  is abused by a roaming gang of mercenaries.  Gwil finds her  barely alive and will not leave her to die.

 Together , the two make an odd pair.  Emma dressing as a boy, she learns how to hunt and shoot. She becomes expert at the bow.Gwil becomes aware that the gang ( specifically the monk) who abused her, and is searching for her. Emma had a valued possession she grabbed from him as he was abusing her.

  The two end up at Maud's castle and help her army to protect the siege against Maud's caste.
This is a historical mystery that has many twists  to keep you engaged and interested.

Read it Forward.com

      Readitforward.com is a very interesting and exciting site. It is a great place to discover new books that have just been released . It is also a site where users can 'read it forward" and tell other readers when you discover a books that you absolutely love.

    On Readitforward , you can discover the next best seller even before it is out in books stores and libraries.  Weekly, there are behind the scenes  articles from authors and booksellers.
Also each week,  there is a Read it first giveaway. You can enter for a chance to win an advanced reader copy.

   There are two weekly newsletters that you can subscribe to: Read it forward book giveaways and what we are reading.  Other tabs on the main page to check out are: author essays, your reading life, bonus book content, and most read blog posts.

   Check this out and see if it is for you.
  

Beginning Collaboration

   The first steps of collaboration has a few different names, but the names are not as important as the process.  As a school librarian, how do you begin the first steps towards   teachers seeing  the value of working with you?

   First things first: begin wherever you are!  Here are a few easy ideas to help you get more involved with and working with your staff.

   1.  Attend grade level meetings to see what lessons/units are being done. Take notes!

    2. Offer to pull books and materials for teachers on what they need to supplement their lessons and activities.

   3. Help teachers incorporate various websites and technology that would go along with their units and curriculum.

    4. Volunteer to help the classroom teacher. Give some ideas on how you could help them

    5. Give some ideas on using the library resources that would enhance and extend the curriculum and lessons.

    6.Read the curriculum standards and the state standards or the Common Core  adopted by your state. This way you will know what the teacher is covering. 

    7. Order materials that go along with your schools curriculum.

    8. Use face to face meetings and email to keep in touch with  your teachers.

These are just a few ideas to get you noticed by your teachers. Use these to begin working with your staff.

It's to cold out to be spring! How are you doing on your circulation desk? Do you have all your supplies right at hand where you need them? What about supplies to request holds? Paper, Pencils, pens, notebook? Every system is different-I write down each requested book ( check it out when you are going to order new books) . I also write down each one that I loan. Buy the end of this month, your goal is to have all your supplies that you use regularly within close range and organized at you Circ. desk.
I am going to training today about new updates to our system. So keeping up with all the newest helps on your circ. program is also a must. Whatever system you use, use all the options to make your life easier and your work more efficient.