I am reminded that January is named for the Roman God Janus, pictured as looking forward and backward. Once we are past our childhood, it seems inevitable that the New Year causes us to reflect on the year gone by…
I am reminded that January is named for the Roman God Janus, pictured as looking forward and backward. Once we are past our childhood, it seems inevitable that the New Year causes us to reflect on the year gone by…
As a member of ASCD, I receive their monthly Education Updates in the mail. Normally, I give it a cursory reading, but the lead article in the December issue, “More than Words: Developing Core Speaking and Listening Skills” made me…
I had the great honor to be asked to guest edit the November/December 2013 issue of Knowledge Quest, the journal of AASL. The theme was Dewey or Don’t We, a pro-con look at a growing practice among school (and public librarians) to go…
I was drawn to librarianship, as most of us were, because I loved (and love) books or, more specifically, a great story. Although my career started many years ago, even then technology in the form of filmstrips was intertwined. As…
With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, I am more mindful than usual of the many gifts in my life for which I feel extremely fortunate. In my first blog post I related how I became a school librarian—a career choice I…
In “A Dream Deferred” also called “Harlem,” Langston Hughes, referring to the lives of African Americans said, What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore– And then…
I planned to begin this post by talking about going to the AASL Conference and Exhibition this coming week in Hartford, Connecticut. I was going to share about “networking” with my friends and colleagues (who are frequently one and the…
I am looking forward to returning home by train after spending the weekend on Cape Cod at a writers’ retreat. It’s not that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy my time this weekend. I was with my daughter, whom you may know…
I am the new generation of “retired.” Nine years ago, I retired from being a high school librarian but – that didn’t mean the end of my working life. I continue writing books for school librarians (the newest School Librarian’s…
I was waiting on line for a book to be autographed while at the recent SLJ Leadership Summit in Austin, Texas and got into a conversation with Elyssa Malespina, an excellent school librarian and occasional contributor to School Librarian’s Workshop. …