Tag: school libraries

302: School Libraries Supporting Students with Hidden Needs and Talents by Karla Collins

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Steve chats with Karla Bame Collins, author of School Libraries Supporting Students with Hidden Needs and Talents: From ADHD to Vision Impairment, about her focus on supporting students with diverse and often invisible needs, practical strategies for making school libraries more inclusive, universal design for learning, and the importance of building supportive networks within schools and the broader library community.

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Together, librarians and specialists can create experiences to reach all learners in their buildings, including those with hidden needs and talents.

While school librarians are experts at collaborating with classroom teachers, too often they overlook the specialists in their buildings as key collaborative partners.

Focusing on the many specialists who work with students, Karla Bame Collins provides information about their roles and responsibilities and discusses how school librarians can collaborate to improve learning for all students, including those with hidden needs, disabilities, and talents that are not easily detected and may go undiagnosed. Because librarians work with every student, but may not always be informed about each student’s particular needs, it’s important for them to know whom in the school to turn to for information. Librarians will gain ideas for working with students to provide the best possible learning environment for each.

This practical book looks at the whole school library environment-collection, instruction, space, and programming-and offers many ideas for librarians to collaborate with other educators and specialists for the good of all students.

SHOW NOTES:

School Libraries Supporting Students with Hidden Needs and Talents: From ADHD to Vision Impairment

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279: Revolutionize Youth Book Clubs by Stacy Brown

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Steve chats with Stacy Brown, Director of Innovation and Professional Learning at The Davis Academy and author of Revolutionize Youth Book Clubs, about her extensive experience overseeing library and technology programs, how and why she established numerous book clubs for students, parents, and faculty, and her advice on creating successful book clubs, including how to engage reluctant readers.

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Learn to facilitate modern book clubs devoted to elevating the reading experience through active engagement, resulting in long-term commitment to book club events.

How do you get the kids in your library to read? The benefits of reading are plentiful, especially for youth – it improves vocabulary, helps them become more empathetic and inclusive, and expands exposure to academic opportunities. In an age of digital distractions, book clubs can be a catalyst for encouraging youth to prioritize reading.

These tried and tested strategies help even reluctant readers develop a love of reading through book club participation. Author Stacy Brown, who has facilitated book clubs for more than twenty years, shows you how to build active engagement through hands-on activities, reflective discussions, and theme-related tips and tricks, even in the face of time and budget constraints. Learn how to attract participants, brand and market your book clubs, and keep attendees returning for more. You’ll be changing the world – one book club at a time.

Stacy Brown is the Director of Innovation and Professional Learning at The Davis Academy in Atlanta, GA, USA, where she previously worked as the 21st-Century Learning Coordinator.

SHOW NOTES:

Revolutionize Youth Book Clubs: Strategies for Meaningful and Fun Reading Experiences
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275: Library 2035, with Sandra Hirsh

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Steve chats with Sandra Hirsh, editor of Library 2035: Imagining the Next Generation of Libraries, about her journey into the field of librarianship, insights into the critical role libraries will play in the coming years, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and why she retains an optimistic outlook on libraries despite the challenges they face.

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Building on the success and impact of Library 2020: Today’s Leading Visionaries Describe Tomorrow’s Library by Joseph Janes, Library 2035: Imagining the Next Generation of Libraries updates, expands upon, and broadens the discussions on the future of libraries and the ways in which they transform information services to best serve their communities.Library 2035 explores the lessons learned over the past decade and forecasts the opportunities, strengths, and challenges for libraries in the future. Contributors including R. David Lankes, Kelvin Watson, Annie Norman, Miguel Figueroa, and Nicole Cooke, along with 25 other library leaders, were asked to describe the “library of 2035” in whatever way they wanted. Their responses to this question will inspire, provoke, challenge, and expand our thinking about the role and importance of libraries in the future. Library leaders, LIS students and faculty will find this book particularly meaningful and useful as we grapple with what the future of libraries and the profession will be.

Sandra Hirsh is associate dean for academics in the College of Information, Data and Society at San José State University. Before this, she served as professor and director of the SJSU School of Information and worked at HP Labs, Microsoft, and LinkedIn. She actively contributes to library and information science professional associations and has previously served as president of two international associations: the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) and the Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T). She holds a bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. from UCLA and an MLIS degree from the University of Michigan. She is a second-generation librarian and she is passionate about the important role that libraries play in our society.

SHOW NOTES:

Library 2035: Imagining the Next Generation of Libraries
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273: Chicago Teachers Union Negotiations, with Nora Wiltse

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Guest host Troy Swanson chats with Nora Wiltse, school librarian at Chicago Public Schools, about the current state of librarians in Chicago Public Schools, the impactful role that librarians play in education, her involvement with the Chicago Teachers Union’s efforts in advocating for better resources and support for schools, including through collective bargaining, and CTU’s broader social justice initiatives.

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Nora Wiltse has been a school librarian with Chicago Public Schools since 2003. After 20 years in K to 8th grade elementary schools, she now works at King College Prep High School in the Kenwood neighborhood. Since 2012, Nora has advocated against the rapid loss of librarians in the Chicago Public Schools district. She is the chair of the Chicago Teachers Union Librarian Committee and a member of the 2024 contract bargaining team. Nora hopes to gain more job security for all librarians, as well as more librarian positions, in the next union contract.  You can email her at norawiltse@gmail.com. You can follow CTU’s Librarian Committee on Instagram or X @ctulibrarians. 

Troy A. Swanson is Teaching & Learning Librarian and Library Department Chair at Moraine Valley Community College. Troy is the author or editor of several books and articles including his book Knowledge as a Feeling: How Neuroscience and Psychology Impact Human Information Behavior was published by Rowman & Littlefield. His Ph.D. research focused on the management of technology policy in higher education. He served on ACRL’s Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education Task Force which issued the Framework for Information Literacy in 2016.  Over his tenure as a librarian and educator, Troy has won his campus’ Master Teacher and Innovation of the Year awards, as well as the Proquest Innovation in College Librarianship award from ACRL. Additionally, he serves as Legislative Chair for Cook County College Teachers Union which serves 5,000 community college employees.

SHOW NOTES:

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271: That Librarian by Amanda Jones

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Steve chats with Amanda Jones, school librarian and author of That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America, about her path to librarianship, her harrowing experience after speaking out against censorship at a public library board meeting and the aftermath, and her determination to stand up for what’s right.

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Amanda Jones has been an educator for 22 years and is the President of the Louisiana Association of School Librarians. She was the 2021 School Library Journal Co-Librarian of the Year, 2021 Library Journal Mover & Shaker, and 2020 Louisiana School Librarian of the Year. Amanda is a sought-after keynote speaker at national and international conferences. Amanda co-founded the Livingston Parish Library Alliance to defeat censorship attempts in her community and is a founding member of the Louisiana Citizens Against Censorship, which fights against censorship efforts across the state. She lives in Livingston Parish, Louisiana.

SHOW NOTES:

That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America
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259: Literature and Primary Sources: The Perfect Pairing for Student Learning

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Steve chats with Tom Bober and Rebecca Newland, authors of Literature and Primary Sources: The Perfect Pairing for Student Learning, about their time working at the Library of Congress, why primary sources are important, how librarians and teachers can better collaborate, and how today’s digital media will become tomorrow’s shoeboxes full of photos.

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Tom Bober is an elementary librarian in Clayton, Missouri, USA; a former teacher in residence at the Library of Congress, a member of the Teachers Advisory Board at the National Portrait Gallery, and a 2018 Library Journal Mover and Shaker.

Rebecca Newland is a high school librarian in Fairfax County, Virginia, USA. She is a former Teacher in Residence at the Library of Congress where she specialized in creating resources for teachers to bring primary sources into the English Language Arts classroom and libraries. She contributes regularly to the blog of the Poetry and Literature Center at the Library of Congress is the author of Engaging Students with Library of Congress Primary Sources in the ELA Classroom with NCTE and the Library of Congress.

SHOW NOTES:

Literature and Primary Sources: The Perfect Pairing for Student Learning [affiliate link]

248: Elevating the School Library

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Steve chats with Susan D. Ballard and Sara Kelly Johns, authors of Elevating the School Library, about why developing a brand is important for school libraries, how to separate your personal brand from your organizational brand (including who does it right), and why it’s important to do this work proactively.

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What is your school library’s brand? This book will help school librarians improve their practice and strengthen their influence within their learning communities, increasing positive perceptions of school libraries through developing a brand in alignment with the AASL Standards.

Sara Kelly Johns (l.), Susan D. Ballard (r.)

A former Director of Library, Media and Technology, Susan D. Ballard guided her district to AASL National School Library of the Year Award recognition. She has served as an adjunct professor and lecturer in various school librarian preparation programs, published numerous articles in professional and scholarly journals and edited and contributed to several books. A Past-President of AASL, the New Hampshire School Library Media Association, and the New England School Library Association, Susan served on the Standards and Guidelines Editorial Board for the National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries. 

Sara Kelly Johns, an online instructor at the Syracuse University iSchool and a long-time school librarian, is a past president of AASL, the New York Library Association (NYLA), and the Section of School Librarians of NYLA. She received the NYLA Lifetime Achievement Award and the first AASL Social Media Superstar Advocacy Ambassador Award. Active in ALA Council and ALA committees, Johns was a member of the Implementation Task Force for the National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries. She has written articles for several school library publications and contributed chapters for various books.

SHOW NOTES:

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Elevating the School Library

203: Core Values in School Librarianship by Judi Moreillon

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Steve chats with Judi Moreillon, editor of Core Values in School Librarianship: Responding with Commitment and Courage, about why equity, diversity, inclusion, and intellectual freedom are core values for school librarians, the work of her contributors, and why this is her last book.

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Judi Moreillon, PhD, is an editor, author, literacies and libraries consultant, and a former school librarian educator. She began teaching preservice school librarians in 1995. Her research and publications focus on school librarian leadership and classroom teacher – school librarian instructional partnerships. A former classroom teacher, literacy coach, and classroom teacher educator, Judi served as a collaborating school librarian at all three instructional levels. She is the editor of Core Values in School Librarianship: Responding with Commitment and Courage (Libraries Unlimited 2021) and the author of four other professional books for school librarians and four books for children and families. She earned the 2019 Scholastic Publishing Award. Judi currently serves on the Advisory Council for the SLIDE research project and as co-chair of the Teacher Librarian Division of the Arizona Library Association. She earned both an MLS and a PhD in education at the University of Arizona. Judi’s homepage is storytrail.com. She blogs at schoollibrarianleadership.com and tweets @CactusWoman.

Today’s show is brought to you by Syndetics Unbound, from ProQuest and LibraryThing. Syndetics Unbound helps public and academic libraries enrich their catalogs and discovery systems with high-interest elements, including cover images, summaries, author profiles, similar books, reviews, and more. Syndetics Unbound encourages serendipitous discovery and higher collection usage, and was recently awarded Platinum distinction in the LibraryWorks 2021 Modern Library Awards. To learn more about Syndetics Unbound, visit Syndetics.com. While there, be sure to visit their “News” tab to check out the Syndetics Unbound Blog for news and analysis, including a break-down of 2020’s most popular titles in public and academic libraries.

SHOW NOTES:

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Core Values in School Librarianship: Responding with Commitment and Courage

182: Stacy Brown

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Steve chats with Stacy Brown, librarian and 21st Century Learning Coordinator at The Davis Academy, about her family history in librarianship, how she’s adapted her work to life during a pandemic, and her book, The School Librarian’s Technology Playbook: Innovative Strategies for Teachers and Learners.

Stacy Brown is a librarian and the 21st Century Learning Coordinator at The Davis Academy in Atlanta, Georgia, where she manages two media centers in a kindergarten prep through eighth grade academic environment.  Recognized for creating a culture of innovation and for facilitating the integration of technology into the curriculum, she  leads Maker Monday for PreK through fifth grade, facilitates a fourth grade programming and robotics class and a fifth grade course focused on text-based programming languages, game design and 3D printing. She developed a sixth grade entrepreneurship and technology course, facilitates the coding curriculum, leads the student technology leadership program, Network Sherpas, and leads teachers’ professional development in the area of technology integration. Stacy earned her Master’s in Library and Information Sciences from Florida State University and her Bachelor of Arts in English with a Minor in French from The University of Texas at Austin. Stacy has led many initiatives focusing on 21st century learning skills. She has presented at numerous conferences, such as TCEA, SxSWEDU, ALA, TLA, GaETC, and more.  She currently serves on the boards for the Atlanta Area Technology Educators and Savvy Cyber Kids, Inc., and is the regional director of the Georgia technology competition for the Independent and Home School Region. Stacy is the author of the book The School Librarian’s Technology Playbook: Innovative Strategies for Teachers and Learners published by Libraries Unlimited in February 2020 and a contributor to the book entitled School Library Makerspaces in Action published by Libraries Unlimited in March 2018 as well asLibrary Technology Reports published May/June 2018 volume. Stacy inspires a thoughtful use of technology, an enthusiasm for reading, and a lifelong interest in learning through both her personal and professional achievements.

SHOW NOTES:

Circulating Ideas: 137 School Librarian Panel
The School Librarian’s Technology Playbook: Innovative Strategies for Teachers and Learners
The Davis Academy

164: Read Woke, with Cicely Lewis

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Steve chats with Cicely Lewis, library media specialist at Meadowcreek High School in Norcross, GA, about Read Woke and other projects she has created for her students, her path from teaching to libraries, and how it feels to win so many awards in such a short period of time.

Cicely Lewis is the library media specialist at Meadowcreek High School in Norcross, GA and is a 2019 Library Journal Movers & Shakers award winner for her work creating the Read Woke project. She is a lover of books first and her passion for technology has provided an opportunity to explore ways to help make learning more meaningful while integrating technology. She was a classroom teacher for the past twelve years and is now excitedly stepping into a new role as a leader in Literacy and Information Technology. She is currently working on a children’s book and many more exciting projects.

This episode of Circulating Ideas is brought to you with support from Becky Spratford and RA for All. Readers’ advisory is a core concept for libraries and you want your staff trained by the best. Back in 2007, librarian Becky Spratford was working at a public library and teaching the readers advisory class at Dominican University but wanted to do more to compile her best ideas and save the very best of her students work, so she started a blog, RA for Allas a way to showcase and catalog it all. The blog is now one of the most trusted and respected RA tools available. After 15 years of public service, Becky transitioned into being a full time consultant in 2015 and provides RA training to library workers all over the world. If you are interested in hiring Becky to present at your library’s staff day, your state library conference, or wherever library workers are learning (either in person or virtually), go to raforall.blogspot.com to preview sample past programs, see her current schedule of events, listen to Becky talk about RA service, and obtain basic pricing. Click the RA for All logo at the top of the blog to find her contact information and if you mention Circulating Ideas, you will get 10% off if you book by the end of 2019.