Library Management Archives

The 10 Best Professional Development Books for Librarians

Well it’s ALMOST sweet summertime here in Virginia (school ends June 19 to be exact!) and that means a couple of things for me: It’s time for some serious self-care after being in education during a national pandemic. I’m headed to South Dakota for a mini getaway…I can’t wait to see Mt. Rushmore! It’s time to polish up on my summer professional development reading. I think as librarians it’s really important to make sure that we are always at the “top” of our game. I like to use summer to read 1 or 2 professional development books to refresh and reset before the new school year. It helps me feel energized and excited about going back to school (Keep in mind that I never start doing this until after 4th of July!) It also gives me new tips and ideas to try in the library, as things are always

5 Reading Incentive Ideas for 3rd – 5th Graders That Really Work

It’s getting to be that long stretch in the year in which students start to become unmotivated after winter break. Summer break seems so close, everyone can almost smell it, yet it’s still pretty far away. Keeping students motivated at this time of the year can be difficult. Keeping students motivated to read can be hard during any time of the school year, but the second semester always seems more difficult to keep that incentive to read going, in my opinion. What can we do about this? Do you use any reading incentives with your students? I find that motivating students to read by doing different unique reading activities and offering them some choices will often get them more excited to engage in a book. All students have a different love for reading and that’s okay. However, all students need to be reading as we know-even if it’s not

Sora Tips for Students and Teachers

If you or your colleagues are on the fence about trying out Sora, these Sora Tips for Students and Teachers will give you some confidence!

Tips for Online Student Book Clubs

Our school libraries or Media Centers are re-inventing themselves within the 21st century educational world. One of the ways librarians are incorporating technology in schools is through online student book clubs. Online student book clubs are a great way to encourage students to read! In today’s age of virtual or digital learning, an online student book club is the perfect way for librarians and media specialists to engage students to socialize in addition to losing themselves in a great book. Online book clubs help to promote a love for reading and literature. They also give students a sense of belonging while supporting their social and emotional mindset. Check out these tips for online student book clubs you can use in your library! Let students choose their books Providing choice in what your students are reading can not only encourage them to pick up a book but eventually find themselves

How Librarians Can Help Teachers During Distance Learning

Whether you are back to school, fully remote, or somewhere in between, there is so much you can do to help support classroom teachers with digital literacy needs! So how can librarians help teachers during distance learning? Check out these easy tips to be the support system your teachers need without stressing yourself out! Share free, easy to implement tools There are so many flashy, fun tech tools out there. During distance learning, your inbox is no doubt full of free trials and other support information for teachers and librarians. Rather than send every offer or idea to classroom teachers, pick one or two that you think can A) best support them and their students, B) are free, and C) are simple to use. Flipgrid Flipgrid is an online platform where students can record video responses in an instant from any internet enabled device. I love Flipgrid for book

Implementing Schoology into your Classroom or Library

With so many Learning Management Systems (LMS) out there, it’s hard to pick which one suits your needs. Now, more so than ever, it’s important to ensure your school has a solid online learning platform such as Schoology. Hard to pronounce, Easy to Use Even if you struggle with how to pronounce it, Schoology is one of the premier virtual platforms! By the way, according to their website, it is pronounced /skoo.luh.jee/. When Schoology was first developed over 10 years ago, it had a similar interface to Facebook and other social media platforms. This was ingenious because it was appealing to students who were familiar with social media and the parallels made the site easy to navigate since most students were about that Facebook life. Why Schoology? What makes Schoology unique is in October 2019, the almighty student information system (SIS) PowerSchool bought Schoology. Powerschool is a powerhouse (pun