On Saturday, August 16 the School Librarian’s Workshop Facebook page achieved a major milestone. The 1,000th member joined. Less than a year ago we had just passed the 400 mark. Knowing I am reaching so many librarians (although not all…
On Saturday, August 16 the School Librarian’s Workshop Facebook page achieved a major milestone. The 1,000th member joined. Less than a year ago we had just passed the 400 mark. Knowing I am reaching so many librarians (although not all…
Today the August/ September issue of School Librarian’s Workshop will be emailed to subscribers. It is the 35th volume year. On this major anniversary it seems fitting to look back in time. The first issue appeared on September 1980. It…
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines a paradigm as “a … group of ideas about how something should be done, made, or thought about.” Unconsciously, we approach almost everything in life through a certain mindset. It is why those of us…
As school librarians we know students are our first priority. Most of us recognize that teachers follow close behind. Indeed where flexible scheduling exists, it’s hard to reach students without some connection with teachers. But what about your other stakeholders?…
AASL just changed its Mission Statement to the extremely succinct and very powerful, “The American Association of School Librarians empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning.” It assumes that librarians are and will be leaders and it’s putting its resources…
I have been a voracious reader since I was a young child. Words have always been an important part of my life, so I never thought much about the pictures words were painting in my head. Sure, I knew seeing…
Professional development is not simple for school librarians. Most of the time, what your school and district offer have only a tangential relationship to what you need - and want – to learn. In order to grow professionally, you must…
This past Tuesday, June 19, the American Library Association (ALA) commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Library Bill of Rights, adopted by the association at its Annual Conference in 1939. It still forms the basis of the work done by…
Those of us in education throw around the phrase “21st Century Learning,” and while the phrase resonates with parents and others who want their children to be prepared for their future (or “College and Career Readiness” as the Common Core…
Most school—and public—librarians are committed to libraries being “open” 24/7. Our users can access resources from home or on the go from multiple devices. But we also need to be mindful of another function we serve. Our libraries should be…