On Libraries – Page 49 – Hilda K. Weisburg

Posted on December 14, 2015December 14, 2015 by hildaweisburg

ON LIBRARIES: Advocacy – Results and Next Steps

On December 10, President Obama signed the ESSA (Every Child Succeeds Act) into law. It was an historic moment, years in the making. We have come close many times, with different variations but at the last moment Congress would keep the bill from coming to the floor. It has finally happened and it took a lot of work to achieve.

A quick review is needed first so you can appreciate how we reached this stage. You are probably familiar with previous laws such as ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act) the first manifestation of which occurred in the early 1970s. NCLB (No Child Left Behind) which replaced the different version of ESEA soon was called No Child Left Untested, and most of you have been dealing with Common Core and the extreme testing which resulted. We now move into a new phase.

In addition to NEA working for a re-authorization of ESEA (which is what the first target was), ALA’s Washington Office, specifically its Office for Library Advocacy has been lobbying to get a bill through that would recognized the importance of school libraries and librarians, trying more than once to get what was then called the SKILLS Act Strengthening Kids’ Interest in Learning and Libraries) passed, without much success.

This was partly our own fault. I kept hearing from people in the Washington Office that Congress pays little attention to our lobbyists unless the message is supported by a strong outpouring of support from voters –like us. Unfortunately, despite sending delegates to Legislative Day in Washington, D.C. and some attending virtually, there really weren’t rousing responses to calls for action.

This time, working along with NEA, and many, many librarians on social networks exhorting others to make calls, and Tweet or email legislators, the message got heard. I suspect in part this was due to the widespread frustrations with Common Core. So, in addition to sending thanks to the Washington Office for a job well-done, and to your legislators if they support the bill, give yourself a pat on the back if you were among those who responded to the call to action. This took more than a village. It took a country.

As with any bill, it isn’t perfect. Compromise is part of the process so you never get everything you want. But we did get libraries written into it. As Washington Dispatch explains the bill includes the Innovative Approaches to Literacy program allowing the Secretary of Education “award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements, on a competitive basis” to promote literacy programs in low-income areas, including “developing and enhancing effective school library programs.” The money can be used both for purchasing library materials and for giving school librarians PD.

Moreover, Title II funds can now be used for “supporting the instructional services provided by effective school library programs.” The part I really like is that the bill “encourages local education agencies to assist schools in developing effective school library programs, in part to help students gain digital skills.” In an Education Week article on the bill, AASL President Leslie Preddy noted that school libraries and librarians as “critical educational partners.”

In essence it means the ball is now in your court. It is now up to you do advocacy work on the building and district level to ensure you have an effective library program. What do you need? Why? What will you be doing? How can the change be measured?

So take time to celebrate an achievement ten years in the making. Then get down to work. If you need it, look to your colleagues in your state association or in your district. Reach out to your PLM for ideas if you need them. Don’t waste this great opportunity. Your students need it.

Posted on December 7, 2015 by hildaweisburg · 1 Comment

ON LIBRARIES: It’s The Law(s)

Most of you learned Ranganathan’s Five Laws of Library Science when you were in library school. You discussed them and have probably since forgotten them. Students in my online graduate course are discovering those laws this week, and as I reviewed them it struck me once again how incredibly relevant they still are and how brilliant and prescient Ranganathan was.

S. R.(Shiyali Ramamrit) Ranganathan and with Melvil Dewey, both born in the 1800’s, can be seen as the creators of librarianship. However, while even non-librarians are familiar with the greatest of Dewey’s contributions (others are the founding of the American Library Association and the originator of Library Journal – did you know Dewey did that?), it’s unlikely that many outside the profession have ever heard of him. In this age of always striving to move forward and be modern and/or relevant, there is something comforting about looking at our roots and discovering unchanging truths.

First Law – Books are for use

This is a reminder that they are not to be hidden away. It repudiates the concept of closed stacks, but for me it also is a caution about restricting students from reading books not on their Lexile level and it suggests that requiring a parental note before a student can borrow a book deemed too sophisticated or more specifically having content that might be challenged is not how librarians should be operating. For me, it’s also a message about weeding. Those dusty titles sitting on your shelves are not being used. Libraries are neither warehouses nor museums. Why are you keeping them?

Second Law – Every book its reader

Libraries need to have something for every user. It means if you have ELL students you need to be looking into getting books in their language. Recognize visually challenged students should have access to books in large-type. As you prepare your orders, do you think about who will be interested in this title? You don’t purchase something merely because it has a good review. In whose hands do you see it? Does it connect to a curricular area? Do you know one or more students who like this author or type of book? Ranganathan used “book” generically. He also meant magazines. Today we should be thinking about e-resources and databases. Who will be served by adding this to the collection?

Third Law – Every reader his book

This may be my favorite of his laws. I personally know someone who was a lifelong nonreader. Quite by accident, she decided to try one of those wildly popular titles everyone was reading and talking about and fell in love. It was the first in a trilogy, so she read all three. And re-read them, and re-read them. Finally she knew the text virtually by heart, and was ready to take a risk and read another in a similar vein. Suddenly she is a voracious reader, proudly announcing to me she got a library card and has been shopping at Barnes and Noble. It is a complete reversal. I travel everywhere with my e-reader and patiently read while waiting my turn to be helped (PERSONAL NOTE OF HORROR: My Nook broke this week – I had to replace it in under 24 hours or risk insanity). Invariably someone tells me they love to read and often trace it back to the one book that got them started. And that is a special role and gift of our profession. We know our users and we know our books. It is our delight and our mission to connect our users with the perfect book for them.

Fourth Law – Save the time of the reader

The purpose of library organization is to do just that – and the work of Ranganathan and Dewey made it possible. However, as we have discussed, there are other thoughts today. The rationale for genre-fying the collection is to save readers’ time. It also means you need to regularly look at you facility and procedures to see if you have any obstacles keeping readers from easy access to what they need and want. School librarians need to remember this law when students ask for assistance. Too many times, we want them to learn to do it for themselves and just give directions to be followed. Yes, they need to learn, but sometimes the need is to get to the answer. You can impart the lesson by going with the student, explaining the steps as you do them.

Fifth Law – The library is a growing organism

Ranganathan recognized that a static library is a dead one. Even in today’s heavily technological world, bookshelves do get filled. In the haste to add more space for computers and other devices, libraries are reducing shelving to a bare minimum. These are crammed with what is being retained, but where will the new print acquisitions go? Certainly there won’t be as many as the past, but they are still being purchased. On a larger level, this law speaks to the constant change libraries undergo as they transform themselves to meet the needs of users and reflect the technological and other changes of society.

I suggest it is time to bring Ranganathan and his five laws to the attention of our users. Print them out in a large, easily read format, frame and hang it in your main area. Put his name and 1931, the year they were published, at the bottom. It is a great explanation of what your program does and why.

As I said, the Third Law is my favorite. Which is yours? Or which challenges you?

Posted on November 30, 2015 by hildaweisburg

ON LIBRARIES – Standard Approach to Leadership

No, this is not about a basic way to be a leader. I meet so many school librarians who feel being a leader is too difficult or too time-consuming or too—add you own reason (for more excuses see my blog October 15 Stories We Tell Ourselves). This is about a very simple way to ease into leadership. And you do need to find a path to leadership because, as I have been saying for some time – Leading isn’t an option—it’s a job requirement.

Standards have become an educational obsession. Many librarians have proven their value by showing how they can help teachers in meeting the Common Core Standards, and the research results consistently show a high correlation between an active library program staffed by a certified school librarian and student performance on high stakes test. By doing so, these librarians have shown the value of their program, but you can use standards to do even more to showcase you as a leader.

And good news – there is a shortcut.

AASL has a Crosswalk between the AASL Standards for the 21^st-Century Learner and the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts, Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Reading Standards for Literacy in Science/Technical Subjects, Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science & Technical Subjects, and Mathematics. In other words—the Common Core standards in all subject areas are matched to the AASL Standards for the 21^st-Century Learner and you can either start with the Common Core standard and find the matching AASL one(s) or start with the AASL standards and get the related Common Core standards.

You can look at your lesson plan and see which AASL standard(s) you are addressing: Standard 1 – Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge: Standard 2 – Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge; Standard 3 – Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society, and/or Standard 4 – Pursue personal and aesthetic growth. When you click on that Standard you find a two column table. The first column lists the indicators for each of the four strands. The second column give the applicable Common Core standard that matches.

Since I am more familiar the AASL Standards than with the specifics of Common Core, this is the way I would begin. I know what AASL Standards I want students to get as the result of a learning opportunity, so I check for the Common Core standard that includes the grade level I am dealing with.

However, if you want to really focus on Common Core, go in that direction. Select the appropriate standard area and click on the grade level. Don’t be alarmed by the many standards for which there is no corresponding AASL Standard. Just keep scrolling down. The empty cells reflect areas not part of the library program. You are not reproducing what happens in the classroom. Your unique role is in providing those components of Common Core which are central to the library program.

Now when you write your lesson plans, do a copy/paste of the matching Common Core and AASL Standards. Not only does this show how you address the needs of students, it also highlights how our national standards are in alignments with Common Core. Once you have done this a few times, make an appointment with your supervisor or principal and show how this crosswalk works.

If you have purchased the 12-copy packet of AASL Standards, give one to the administrator, if not, download them and do the same. Point out what is on the first two pages and then discuss the four strands which are explained on the last page.

How does this make you a leader? It demonstrates you are an instructional partner to teachers. It also highlights your understanding of the importance of standards and how AASL has national presence in developing standards for 21^st century learners. (Do stress the word learners as opposed to students – it focuses on the need to realize we are all learners.)

On a final note – Common Core is slowly moving out of the picture and AASL is in the process of revising the standards which are now eight-years old. This is a fast-moving world and AASL seeks to stay on top of the changes. As a leader in your building you must do the same. Be on the lookout for whatever succeeds Common Core. Something will. Keep checking the AASL website so you are aware of the new standards when they are published. Your students, teachers, and administrators need you to be prepared. That’s how leaders behave.

Posted on November 23, 2015 by hildaweisburg

ON LIBRARIES – You Are Unique

Recognizing that you are unique in your building is essential for establishing you and your program as indispensable to the educational community. No one else in the building has the expertise you bring in working with students, teachers, and administrators. While most of you have heard this before and may even say so to others, far too many of you don’t believe it is true of you personally.

My aim in this blog is to convince you that you are unique because once you believe it you will be communicating your essential contributions in all your interactions. So here is a list of what is done by no one else but you.

Information Literacy – You do this every day, but in discussing it you should always explain the specifics of what the term encompasses. The first component of information literacy is to know when information is needed — and of course students and teachers recognize that most of the time. What they don’t understand is that doing a search — on Google, Wikipedia, or YouTube is far different from doing research. . Finding is not a problem. Finding quality in the sea of information available requires a more complex set of skills and understandings to accurately evaluate it what has been located for accuracy and relevance. Citing what was selected has become far more complex in the digital age. Teachers are generally capable of explaining how to cite print sources, but knowing what and how to cite online databases, websites, videos, audio files, and graphics is less understood. You are the only one teaching students about Creative Commons and how to use it.

Inquiry-based Learning – Technically this and the following ones are all part of Information Literacy but it’s important to separate them so you and others recognize the scope of what you bring to students and to teachers who collaborate or cooperate with you. In the classroom the stress is laid on answers. But answers show only that the content has been learned. Nothing new comes from re-stating what is already known. What is important is taking learning to the next step, to probe deeper by asking significant questions and then searching for answers to those questions. Inquiry-based learning, which is central to the AASL Standards for the 21^st-Century Learner, challenges students to develop questions on a topic, preferably in an area where they have a personal interest, and discover possible solutions. In the process, they frequently have to refine their search, modify and/or add questions. Information Literacy skills are employed, and students are asked to assess what they did and how they did it to learn what worked and what they might do differently next time. While the learning opportunity is usually connected to a classroom unit encompassing state and national standards, it more significantly is building the techniques and skills for lifelong learning in student’s personal lives and future careers.

Technology Integration – You are the one person in the school who keeps current with new technology and the latest resources to be found on websites and apps. You hear it from your colleagues who share their latest “discoveries,” or see a presentation at a library conference or webinar, or search the AASL Best Websites for Teaching and Learning and Best Apps for Teaching and Learning. What you learn you share with teachers and students giving them new ways to organize, share, and present information. When a student does work for one person — the teacher—it means s/he tends to frame it in ways to please that sole reader and lasting learning is lost. In this world we are expected to reach out to colleagues and others using tech resources suited to the targeted audience. A paper meant for the teacher alone is therefore as outdated as an audio cassette. You show students how the tech they love can be used to help them grow academically and personally.

Knowledge Creation – The challenge is not to repeat what is already known, but to build knowledge and create new content. Students should not be expected to do “busy work” with culminating projects that take time – such as dioramas and poster boards or even presentations using current technology—but have no ultimate purpose. Did their research lead them to believe a law should be changed? How can they work to make that happen? Should people be informed about an issue? What tool should they use for it and what information needs to be included? Students of today must be more than information consumers. They must become knowledge creators. The activities occurring in the library are structured so they become true participants in society.

Digital Literacy – A subset of Information Literacy, digital literacy is the ability to find, evaluate, use, communicate, and create across a variety of platforms and formats. It expects students to be “transliterate” which also includes using social and mass media. Digitally literate students understand how to exist safely in cyberspace, are aware of the benefits and how to avoid the dangers.

Global Connections – More and more librarians are connecting their students with others around the country and globe. It is vital for students to become tolerant and understand different cultures and peoples. Working with them from an early age opens minds and builds the understandings necessary for working and living in a global culture.

Literacy Leading to Lifelong Learning – And of course, at the core of what we do is promote reading for pleasure and information. Others teach the skills necessary to read, we provide the environment where students discover the joy in reading unfettered by tests.

Some of you are saying you don’t do all of this. You still do much of it – and no one else does it. Yes, you can possibly do more – but that’s where your work stays exciting and new for you. Keep building your Professional/ Personal Learning Network (see the blog for August 10, How Large Is Your PLN?) and you will find it much easier to add those unique components to your library program.

Don’t sell yourself short. You are unique. Recognize it. Believe it, and be sure to let others know it.

Posted on November 18, 2015November 18, 2015 by hildaweisburg · 1 Comment

ON LIBRARIES: Time To Move On?

Electing to stay in or leave a job is rarely an easy decision, but it can be a vital one for your career. When your passion and enthusiasm are being sapped by what is happening on a daily basis, how well can you do your job? How long will you go to work each day without the joy that first filled you?

I have been exchanging emails with a librarian who is dealing with difficult problems in her district. She is a recent part-time hire but has found both the job responsibilities and relationships are causing a problem. Her principal wants her to teach lessons in the classroom, but when she created a sign-up sheet no one was interested. I suggested direct contact with the teachers first, but as a part-timer she doesn’t get lunch and has no opportunity to meet with teachers.

The principal said if she couldn’t manage to set up some lessons he would transfer or get rid of her. He has also asked for an SGO (Student Growth Outcomes) but she is not yet clear on her responsibilities. There are two other librarians and at this time they are refusing to share lesson plans with her. The younger one has become openly hostile.

Whether or not the librarian made some errors in creating relationships with the other librarians, anything she does now will take twice as long to get results. It is also quite possible that she won’t be able to accomplish much. It’s time to start job hunting.

Another librarian with whom I have spoken has seen her budget cut in half and then completely eliminated. Her part-time clerk has been let go and the position won’t be refilled. Being able to read the handwriting on the wall is a critical but often ignored skill. Even more challenging is acting on it.

There are a number of situations where it is toxic to remain. If you find yourself constantly frustrated by one or more administrators who ignore you completely; if you are now obsessing about how they are creating roadblocks to your program to the extent that you are bringing it home every day; it is time to consider moving on.

Are you in a district with antiquated technology and dusty library books with no hope of a change? Recognize that the situation is keeping you from staying current with the profession. You may want to think about leaving.

But, you argue you have tenure. Jobs are hard to come by. What if the new place doesn’t work out? It’s far easier to deal with the devil you know, and it’s a truism that teachers (and librarians) don’t leave a job voluntarily unless they retire or a spouse is transferred. I have faced that challenge. I was in a district for 22 years. I had built a strong reputation. However, a principal who came on board saw me as competition, feeling too many people turned to me (I was also head building rep for the union) and he wanted to be the absolute boss. My superintendent always seemed to know what was afoot and would run interference. On the day she announced she would retire in two years, I began job hunting. I knew the principal would become the superintendent a few years later, and even the interim would be exceptionally difficult with superintendent gone.

I was fortunate, I found a job within a few weeks. I was at my next district for nine years before retiring and loved every minute of it. I didn’t worry about the loss of tenure, although I did regret losing my sick days. Yes, finding a good opening was easier then, but jobs are opening up again.

If and when you decide to leave – be careful. You never criticize your district or people in it. When you interview for a new position, point to what you want to learn by being in this new district. Suggest that you are looking for more opportunities to create a truly 21^st century library and 21^st century learning experiences for students. Talk about what you want to achieve, not why you want to leave.

There are times when you shouldn’t or truly can’t leave. If you left your previous position less than three years earlier, you need to find a way to stick around a while longer. Employers are wary of those who can’t seem to hold a job. I know someone who stayed in a job because she couldn’t equal her current salary and had two kids in college. That is a sacrifice you make at times. In that situation, when you have a rough day you need to remind yourself why you made that choice.

If you are thinking of leaving, you are in a good position to search for a new one. You have a job which means you interview from strength. Should you hear of an opening that sounds interesting, go for it. Listen to what they tell you in the interview — and what they don’t. If you like it, and they make an offer you can negotiate knowing you don’t have to accept the job.

You want to make a difference for kids. If you are fortunate enough to be in a district where you can give your best, enjoy it. If not, maybe it’s time to move on.

Posted on November 11, 2015 by hildaweisburg

ON LIBRARIES – Reach Out To Collaborate

Collaboration is an important word in librarianship. We all accept that it’s vital in giving students the best possible learning opportunities. Most often, the word is used when we talk about collaborating with teachers. It’s time to think past the school building when developing collaboration.

The easiest bridge to build is with your local public librarians. Are you aware of what programs they are offering? Do they know what you are doing? Is there a way you can work together? In many places the children’s librarian visits the public school to promote a summer reading program, but you can invite them to come in during September for Library Card Sign-up Month. It’s sometimes surprising to discover how many students don’t go to the public library. Talk with the librarian about creating a joint program, possibly a Makerspace and alternate venues. Have the librarian showcase some of your programs and events on their bulletin board and/or website and do the same in return.

If at all possible, try to schedule a field trip to the public library. Even middle and some high school students might be interested to see the “back rooms” to find out how materials get processed and get a chance to speak with the different levels of librarians as well as the clerks. Most public libraries now have a teen section and, of course, they circulate DVDs audio books, and video games. Since their collection is larger than yours, it is good for students to know what’s available. Their online databases also tend to be more extensive and those with library cards can access them from home. The more students become aware of the existence and value of all types of libraries, the more likely they are to become lifelong learners and library advocates.

You can also collaborate with other schools in your district. Some of you run district-wide Battle of the Books contests, but you can also do joint projects with your students working the students from another school using Skype, Google Docs, or other tech to connect. Perhaps their final product can be displayed one night at the public library.

Visits by older students to lower grades can be beneficial to both groups. On Read-Across-America Day, some high school students go to elementary schools to read books to younger ones. I once had a U.S. History project where students had to take a topic, such as the Great Depression, and create a picture book. First we borrowed historical fiction picture books from an elementary school library and discussed how the authors made a complex idea comprehensible to young children. What background knowledge would they lack and need to be informed about in order for the book to make sense? With that understanding, they went to work. They field tested their results by reading their creations to kids in the elementary school.

Consider collaborating with 2 and 4 year colleges in your area. The latest issue of Knowledge Quest, the magazine from AASL has numerous articles dealing with different ways to do this. Field trips, again, acquaint students of the huge jump from a high school to a college library including the size, number of databases, and Library of Congress replacing the familiar Dewey Decimal System.

A visit from a college librarian talking about research projects at the college level is an eye-opener for students. Years ago, a colleague of mine, arranged with a college professor to grade research papers that had already been graded by their teacher. They were stunned when the college grade was returned as it was a full grade lower on average. Check Knowledge Quest for more ideas.

Once you start thinking outside the box—and outside your school—look for ways to involve the community. Is there a Historical Society in your town? Could you come up with a project to collaborate with them? Check to see what is out there, reach out to their contact person (with the knowledge and approval of your administrator) and see what projects you can create together.

Go worldwide. A number of librarians are connecting their students with students in another country. In the August/ September 2014 issue of School Librarian’s Workshop Shannon McClintock Miller explained how she devised a project that had her students making Rainbow Looms and sharing them first with students in an orphanage in India. She found the location in India by tweeting about her project and posting it on her Facebook page.

She and her students created a Banding Together Facebook and Tumblr on the project called Banding. You can find out more about it at Banding Together” project on her Smore

Besides your teachers, with whom can you collaborate? Start thinking.

Posted on November 2, 2015November 2, 2015 by hildaweisburg

ON LIBRARIES – Be a Transformer

Back in February I blogged on how school librarians transform student learning. The idea came from an initiative ALA was developing. It has now blossomed into a campaign. The new website focusing on it, Librarians Transform should be one you check regularly. Also sign up to receive updates.

The campaign, in the words of the website is, “Designed to increase public awareness of the value, impact and services provided by libraries and library professionals, the Libraries Transform campaign will ensure there is one clear, energetic voice for our profession. Showcasing the transformative nature of today’s libraries and elevating the critical role libraries play in the digital age.” Note the emphasis on “one clear … voice.” This means no matter what type of library you are in, you should be using the wording of the campaign. It ensures that people recognize the value of all libraries and come to value what we bring.

I particularly like the large statement on the home page, “Because Transformation is Essential to the Communities We Serve.” Although AASL first focused on how we transform student learning, it’s important to recognize our role in transforming the entire school community. It is a big job, but we are the ones most aware of areas rooted in the past that no longer serve the present. Through our understanding of tech resources we can gently guide others into making changes that will impact everyone within our school and potentially our district.

Immediately below that opening statement is wonderful short video showing, “The ways in which libraries transform are as nuanced and varied as the people they serve. Physical transformations are easy to spot. Transformations in service and scope can be less apparent, but are ever changing. This video is the first of many sharable tools created to spark conversation on the transformed library and library professional.” After you have seen that one, you can look at two others.

If you scroll down, you come to boxes explaining Why Libraries Are Transforming including: Because the World is at Their Fingertips and the World Can Be a Scary Place, Because More Than One-Quarter of U.S. Households Don’t Have an Internet Connection, and Because Employers Want Candidates Who Know the Difference Between Search and Research. (Colleges do as well.)

At the top of the page there are three tabs: Because, Trends, and Toolkit. What I just described is part of Because. If you click on Trends, you see twenty colorful circles each with a trend identified by The Center for the Future of Libraries. Among the ones most related to school librarians are: Digital Natives, Flipped Classroom, Gamification, Maker Movement, and Connected Learning. You might also want to explore Drones, Robots, Unplugged, Sharing Economy, and Privacy Shifting. Or look at all of them.

Each Trend opens with a statement defining what it is. How It’s Developing explores the factors that have combined to make it a trend and how it is evolving. Why It Matters explains what problems it may cause for some people and what librarians can do to help. Since we are librarians, below each trend are links to Notes and Resources.

The last tab, Toolkit, seems to still be under development. However, you can download The Top Ten Ways (and One Bonus!) to Engage with the American Library Association’s Libraries Transform Campaign. You can also download web banners and posters of the opening Because boxes in a variety of sizes.

Watch this video of ALA President Sari Feldman and her “Transform” tour in four Washing D.C. locations http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/libraries-transform-across-dc/

This is a great resource. Do become part of the campaign and enlist the other librarians in your district and state associations to join as well.

Posted on October 26, 2015 by hildaweisburg

ON LIBRARIES: Follow The Leaders

An ongoing challenge of our profession is keeping up with what is happening in technology and education and how they combine to transform teaching and learning. It’s daunting for all of us, but you don’t have to do it alone. Connect to the leaders and quickly identify the trends most likely to impact you and your students. Use this knowledge to determine what and how you will incorporate into your program.

Who are the leaders? It depends on what you are talking about. No one knows everything about school librarianship let alone is an expert in all its facets so you may need more than one.

The easiest place to start is your state association’s listserv. Identify the librarians posting valuable information. What is their strength? Technology? Literacy? Global and digital citizenship? Instruction design?

When these leaders give links to information or answer a question someone posed, bookmark or save it to appropriate folders. You rarely are going to use it immediately, but if you haven’t saved it you won’t be able to find it when you do need it.

Bloggers are another great source for finding information from leaders. My favorites, in alphabetical order, are:

Buffy Hamilton – The Unquiet Librarian – https://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/ – Currently the librarian at Norcross High School in Gwinnett County (GA), her specialty areas include critical literacy, participatory learning and culture, ethnographic studies, critical pedagogy, and writing literacies. Although she brings tremendous erudition to her blog, everything connects to what she is doing with her students. Most recent posts are: Formative Assessments: Our Compass for Understanding Affective, Cognitive, and Physical Aspects of Information Search Processes and Write-Around + See-Think-Wonder + Gallery Walk-Big Group Share=Art Students’ Awesomeness. (Don’t be put off by the title of the first example. Check the post). (Also @buffyjhamilton)

Doug Johnson – Blue Skunk Blog – http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com – He is the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage (MN) Public Schools Director of Technology with a background in teaching K-12. He brings his technology strength and his perspective as an administrator to his blog. Recent posts include: “Why technology is resisted” and “BFTP: What is an authentic question?” (Also @blueskunkblog )

Jennifer LaGarde (aka Library Girl) http://www.librarygirl.net/ – She is Lead School Library Media Coordinator/Digital Teaching and Learning Specialist for New Hanover County Schools in Wilmington, NC Her blog is filled with inspiring ideas to motivate reading. Among her recent posts are: Your Students Need A Reading Champion | Giving Yourself Permission To Read and Learning To Read Alone Is Not Enough. Your Students Need A Reading Champion. (Also Library Girl @jenniferlagarde)

Joyce Valenza http://blogs.slj.com/neverendingsearch/ – Currently at Rutgers School of Communication & Information but, she has a long history as a school librarian and is responsible for #TLChat, TLChat Live, and TL Virtual Café. She has several fields of expertise including social media, unconferences and global participatory culture. Among her recent blog posts are: several where she brings great ideas from other sources and PopBoardz: a media dashboard for instruction and presentation and How to host a hackathon (on the #sljhackathon breakfast) (Also @joycevalenza)

Specifically on Twitter, follow Shannon Miller (TLChat) @shannonmiller and Elissa Malespina @elissamalesphin (TL News Night Live Cohost). Shannon has great global project ideas and Elissa is knowledgeable about augmented reality.

When you attend conferences, (as I suggested in last week’s blog) get the contact information of those who presented what you considered to be great possibilities for your library program. This way you can follow up with questions. They will help you.

And finally, you can also join my School Librarian’s Workshop Facebook group for regular posts from me and others about issues in school librarianship, ideas to share with teachers, or what might be next in technology. On Saturday, I posted something about the possible impact of wearable technology on education.

By picking and choosing what interests you, you can learn quickly what is out there, and make contact with those who can help you, When you bring it to your students and teachers, you are being a leader and making yourself indispensable.

Posted on October 19, 2015 by hildaweisburg

ON LIBRARIES: Are You Getting Full Value from Your Library Associations?

I thought this would be a short blog. I was wrong. This is important to your future as a librarian and the future of the programs for which we are responsible.

Most of you are members of your state association. A good number of you, although it should be much more, are members of ALA/AASL but only a small percentage of you are getting all you can from your membership.

Are you using the resources our state and national associations provide? How often to you check their websites? AASL has a wealth of information and resources—and for most you don’t even need to be a member.

Become an active member. Although AASL has paid staff, and your state association may have some paid positions, the organizations direction an accomplishments are powered by volunteers. Even if for some reason you don’t feel ready to participate at the national level (and they welcome newbies), do contact your state association to find out how you can be of service.

I can hear you saying, “I agree those are great resources and I would really love to be more active, but I haven’t the time.” That’s our favorite response to almost everything. And as I said last week with the stories we tell ourselves, it’s grounded in truth. You don’t have time, but when you recognize it’s a priority in your life, you are willing to make time.

I keep hearing librarians complain about irrelevant PD offered by their district. Although I believe you can always get something from these offerings, AASL has webinars geared specifically to areas you need. Do you sign up for them? AASL also offers e-Academy asynchronous courses lasting only a few weeks on topics of concern to school librarians. I give two six-week e-courses for ALA editions, one based on Being Indispensable and the other on New on the Job. You can’t take advantage of them if you don’t know they exist.

Are you on your state’s listserv? Their Facebook page if they have one? If you are an AASL member you can be on the AASLForum electronic discussion list. It’s a great source for getting and sharing information you need every day on your job. You will also get to recognize the leaders, those who know and use the latest in technology. Because of my presence on my state’s listserv I had a librarian contact me and ask me to mentor her. Of course I did so. Although she is now well on her way to being a leader in her own right, every now and then she still checks in with a question.

Fall conference season is upon us. Several state library associations have already had theirs. In my state, the New Jersey Association of School Librarians will be holding its annual conference from November 15-17, and before that AASL will have its biennial conference November 6-8 in Columbus, Ohio. I will be at both of these. Will you be attending any?

Even if you can’t take professional days to attend the AASL and/or your state conference, it’s worth it to take personal days. When you do, write up a brief report letting your administrator know what you learned and how it will affect what you are doing with students. It shows you are a professional, and what you receive from your time at conference will inspire and rejuvenate you. It’s the best PD you can get.

Looking further down the road, and registration has been open for some time, ALA’s Midwinter conference is in Boston this year from January 8-12. Book now since rates go up after November 12. You needn’t attend the whole conference. Arrive Friday after work and leave on Sunday in time to be back on the job on Monday. There is no official programs at Midwinter, but the exhibits are far more extensive than all but the very largest state conferences. (I am thinking of Texas.)

While there you can sit in during AASL’s All-Committee meeting, which I believe will be on Saturday. Round tables are set up in a very large room for the various AASL committees to meet and conduct business. Guests are welcome. It’s an excellent opportunity to see whether you would like to serve on one. If you find one to your liking, let the chair know to recommend you be appointed to it. You needn’t get to every ALA Annual and Midwinter to serve on a committee. Most of them have virtual members and a lot of business gets done in conference calls and through ALA Connect which is onlne.

I learned to be a leader thanks to my participation in my state association and ALA/AASL. I was nervous when I was asked many years ago to run for president-elect of my state association. When I won, I had to figure out how to plan and run our annual conference. Beyond that, I had to deal with budgets, agendas for meetings, dealing with conflicting views of board members and more. In AASL I learned about long range planning, advocacy, and strategic planning. The latter I also did at the state level. I have been and am on ALA Committees and developed a deeper understanding of how all types of libraries connect and need to support each other.

Each committee, each task taught me more than I ever learned in library school or at my district’s PD offerings. I became a much better librarian and one whom administrators and teachers respected for what I knew and brought to them and students.

Is that enough of a priority for you to consider becoming active?

Posted on October 12, 2015 by hildaweisburg

ON LIBRARIES: The Stories We Tell Ourselves

As librarians we love telling stories. It’s story time at the elementary level, and we delight in entrancing students with tales new and old. In the upper grades, we work hard connecting students to just the right book, knowing that is how we build lifelong readers. We believe in the power of story… the power of fiction…. the power of a lie?

Because there’s another type of story – the ones we tell ourselves. The ones about why we do or don’t do certain things, and like the ones we bring to students, these have power. When our stories are positive, it helps us do great things, but most often we cling to our negative stories.

I am most concerned with the stories you have about being a leader. I have spoken with many librarians who recognize the value of being a leader but know they can’t be one. And they all have a story. Are any of these yours?

I don’t have the time. I have a full schedule. I work in two (or more) schools. I barely have time to breathe on the job. I go home to more work. It’s hard enough for me to complete all my responsibilities. When would I find time to be a leader?

Leaders are born, not made, and I wasn’t born to be a leader. I can tell you countless stories of how I have never been a leader. I was last picked for teams. I was always the nerdy girl (or guy). Whenever I did run for an office, I didn’t get elected.

I can’t talk in front of a large group. Teaching a class of students is not the same as speaking before my colleagues or parent groups. I am really an introvert. If I have to get up before a group, my palms sweat and my voice gets shaky. I don’t sound like a leader, I sound nervous and scared.

Even fairy tales have elements of truth. It’s why we can relate to them, and each of the stories I’ve mentioned above has an element of truth, but like those tales, there is quite a bit of fiction within them. But let’s look more closely and see if it’s all true.

No time: Most of you are very busy, but the fact is in our world no one can find time. You have to make time. Which means look at what you are doing and determine priorities. Yes, you must get your lessons taught but there is much you do within your school day that does not have as a high a priority. Getting every book into the catalog as soon as possible. Checking everything in before the end of the day. You have others depending on your job. Yes, they are important, but making your presence known in the building, leading the way with tech integration, and sending visual quarterly reports to your administrator featuring what students are learning in the library are more important in assuring your program and you are valued. Pick on and add it to your “to-do” list.

Born Leaders: Sure, some people seem to be natural leaders from childhood, but as Shakespeare said, “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” The bottom line is, the need to be a leader has been thrust upon you. You can do it. You have achieved so much in your life by this time, you are more than capable of going those extra steps and taking the risk of stepping out as a leader. Look for a mentor in the field, someone who you see as a leader and ask for advice and help.

Public Speaking: It’s true that in countless surveys people put the fear of public speaking higher than death, but who said leaders must speak in front of large groups? That’s only one aspect of leadership and not everyone needs to do it. Quiet leadership can be equally and sometimes more effective. Be the person who teachers can count on to show them how to use a new tech tool. Help your principal carry out a new administrative directive. When rubrics first erupted on the educational scene, I had a few teachers come to me quietly to ask for help. I had not made one for myself as yet, but they were confident I could help them—and I did. I also worked with the administration when the decision was made to move to block scheduling, getting material for teachers and giving them advice based on my research. That, too, is leadership.

What stories are you telling yourself that keep you from being the leader your student need you to be?

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