TLA 2019

As always, TLA does not disappoint.  This conference is a great opportunity to interact with colleagues, visit with friends, listen to authors, and learn some new stuff.

Here are all the sessions I attended with links to the presentations (if available).  Mostly I do these conference recaps for me.  I use past blogs to remember what I have done and to review presentations as needed.  However, if you are interested in some of these topics too, that's what we call a win-win!

Monday, April 15

• Conference Orientation
• Collaborations to Promote Reading
• Librarians & Techs talk TexQuest

Tuesday, April 16

• General Session I
• Diverse Voices in YA Lit
• Creating Library Spaces for all Learners
• When your School Library is Closed, Take it Outside
• Dynamic Duo! Pairing Fiction and Nonfiction for Teens
• TexQuest + Digital Tools

Wednesday, April 17

• Tayshas Reading List Author Panel
• Digital Tools to Support Reading and Writing
• Best of the Web
• 50+ Makerspace Ideas for high school

Thursday, April 18

• 9:15-10:45 Disrupting Thinking & Engaging Readers

I totally enjoyed all of the author sessions I attended (#authorsaremyrockstars), especially Disrupting Thinking.  I read the book as a book study last summer.  It was an easy read, and now that I saw the authors in person, I can see why.  They have great chemistry, and they are really funny too.  It is always exciting to hear an author talk about her/his book.  However, I also love hearing about what other librarians are doing in their libraries.  So I try to balance the sessions, some author sessions and some instructional sessions, when deciding where to go.  I don't really attend any of the round table meetings.  I know there is a lot of good information there, but sometimes they can be a bit overwhelming.

Here are the authors from Disrupting Thinking . . .

In addition to all the great sessions, Blanca, Alleasha and I took a trip to the new Austin Downtown library.  It is amazing!  I always enjoy seeing someone else's space; it gives me new ideas.  The big takeaway from this outing is the fact that the library has an ongoing scavenger hunt for their library, and it is broken down by age group.  This is something I would like to do starting next year.

I especially loved the rooftop garden which is probably not something I will be able to do, but it sure would be cool.

Here are a few of the pictures I took of the library . . .

Every day is a good day when you are learning something new.  Thanks for stopping by!

#FirstPageFriday

I have a new promotion called First Page Friday.  Last summer at a library training, I came across a librarian who promoted First Page Friday in her library by using audio books.  She would play the first page of a book, like a digital book talk.  It left the students wanting more which led to her audio-collection statistics rising.  After hearing that story, I decided to do some research (on Twitter) to see all the different takes on First Page Friday.  There are a LOT of unique ways people use this hashtag.  Some record themselves or another person reading the first page of a book; some use the audio book, and others just use the hashtag as another avenue for a book talk.  I even saw one publisher that took a picture of the first page of the book and posted it.  Other libraries are doing the same. Clever!

As with most book talks, the problem then becomes having multiple books for the students to check out.  All students want the book you have spotlighted.  As with most libraries, I have one (maybe 2) copies of a book.  So I decided to use our subscription to Open eBooks.  It is a free service for all Title I schools, and it is a huge collection of current fiction and nonfiction eBooks.  All books have unlimited check outs so more than one student can read the eBook simultaneously.  This is a win-win.  I can promote the Open eBook app while not having to worry about how many copies of a book are available after promoting it.

(Here is some Open eBook information in case you want to learn more about that, and whether or not your school qualifies for this free service.)

My version of First Page Friday is not a video or even a snapshot of the first page. Mine is a PowerPoint that I then saved as a JPEG.  I display the cover and the first paragraph of the book.

Here is the first one I did . . .

Using the hashtag #firstpagefriday, I launch a new book on the library's Twitter, Facebook and Instagram each Friday.  Since I am in charge of the school's TV monitors, I also make sure the books end up on that rotation as well.  It's kind of handy being in charge of so many media outlets.

Here is a Sneak Peek for this week's  #firstpagefriday . . .

Each month I change out the background color, but the rest of the formatting stays the same.  It is pretty simplistic.  Due to #firstpagefriday, I have had a few more requests for accounts to Open eBook.  So maybe it is working.  Yay!

Fabulous February at the SHS Library

This post is a tad bit late, but we did have a fabulous February.  It is always a short month, but definitely busy due to Valentines Day and Black History Month.  I divided my time between the 2 themes.  We started off the month with a book promotion .- check out a book and get a winter treat.

Then the library had a "Romantic Book Couples" contest . . .

 . . . and we also did "Blind Date with a Book."

Note to self for next year's Blind Date with a Book . . . pick more action and fantasy books.  I had a plethora of romance, and a lot of boys who participated.  Some boys enjoy romance, but I might need to find some romance with a bit more action in them.

For the second half of February, our contest was "Celebrating Black Authors."

I was able to fit in one Pop Up library for the English teachers, and do a bit of decorating too.  Most of the book displays stayed with the Winter theme, but I did change one to incorporate both Valentines day and Black History Month.  This display was a repeat from last year.

For students and teachers who participated in our contests, I gave away books and snacks.  I am happy to say there was lots of participation, and my book stash is about to be depleted which is a good problem to have.

Fortunately, I found out that First Book, the company that sponsors Open eBook, has a book bank.  I just purchased 92 books for $36.00!  Now that's a deal.  You shop for boxes of books that have been donated by the publishers, and you only have to pay the shipping.  There are both paperbacks and hard backs, and the books are for all ages.  Librarians and teachers should definitely go to the First Book website and explore the First Book National Book Bank.  It was quite the find for me.

Happy Reading!

Collaboration is Key

Librarians are always excited when given the opportunity to collaborate with teachers, and I am no exception to that.  I have had quite a few opportunities to collaborate this semester, and it's only February.  That is really exciting for me!  (Yes, I am one of those librarians . . . the ones who feel they are not doing their job unless they are helping others.) So far, I spent time with Ms. Boykin's Lifetime Nutrition classes, Mr. Santanello's English II classes, and the English III team.

Ms. Boykin's classes needed to research restaurants, find a menu item, and create/find a recipe that would make that menu item healthier.  We did this same lesson last semester, but we tweaked it a bit to make it run more smoothly.  To learn more about this lesson, go to November's blog, Pop Up Library and Bathroom Book Talks.  Basically, we took one of the restaurant categories out (chicken) and replaced it with a more popular one (Italian food).  Other than that, we still did the restaurant "speed dating," but we called it a restaurant introduction.  This semester we made sure there were computers available right after our activity so they could do the research while the introduction was still fresh in their minds.  It is amazing how those little changes made all the difference with this lesson.

          

Mr. Santanello came to me when Media Literacy popped up in the English II TEKS.  We decided that website evaluation would be the best route to go since that is such a necessary skill in today's tsunami of information.  After careful consideration, I decided to use the CRAAP method of reviewing websites.  I created a library guide for his classes, and here is what that lesson looked like . . . Media Literacy - Mr. Santanello

In addition, the English III classes began their big research project on the topic of College and Career readiness this semester.  I created a library guide for them, College and Career Readiness - English III, and then I went into each of their classes to teach the students how to use the library guide including how to access our eBooks.  When I first arrived on the scene last year, I was amazed at the number of teachers who did not use our digital resources.  I am slowly introducing both teachers and students to the credible sources within our databases, and I feel as if I have made some progress. Having said that, I am still amazed by the amount of general Google searching that continues.  That is why the media literacy lesson with Mr. Santanello's class is so important.  Hopefully, I can get the other English II classes on board for next year.  I swear, some days I feel as if I have hit a brick wall, and other days I feel as if I really am making a difference.  It's always an adventure!

Montage of Decorations

It is no secret that I like to decorate the library from time to time.  A friendly atmosphere is important, and I believe a few well-positioned adornments help with that. There are 2 main focal points that I like to swap out every couple of months.  They usually include decorations and books.  There is a "new books" area that is changed out when new books roll in, and then there are two window displays I change out every so often.  I do not utilize actual books in the window displays, but I always include pictures of books we have.  Here is a montage of displays I put up last semester.  Since I used a winter theme at the end of the semester,  a few of the displays are still up, but I did swap out the books.

Here are some pictures of my displays thus far & which months they were or are being displayed:

Readbox 
August & September

Fall Into a Good Book 
October & November

Winter Peanuts

December & January

(No catchy reading phrase here.  I just love the Peanuts!)

These Books are Poppin'

August & September

Once Upon a Crime

October

We are Thankful for our Veterans

November

Hot Reads for Cold Nights

December & January

The window displays do not photograph well.  So I don't always document those.  This fall I did Leaf Through a Good Book (displayed September, October and November) and Fall in Love with a Good Book (displayed September, October and November). 

The ones I did photograph are . . . 

Snow is Falling and Books are Calling 

December & January

Our Books are "Snow" Good

December & January

In addition, I have decided to expand my decorating expertise beyond the library.  I am beginning to realize that there is a whole population of students who have not set foot in the library.  That is part of the reason I instituted "Bathroom Book Talks" and the "Pop Up Library." (See Nov 2018 Post for more info.)

Back to the point . . . decorations.


So I dug out some old library posters and hung them up in the cafeteria.

  

Then I recycled a winter book display from last year and utilized an area directly across from one of our most trafficked bathrooms. Apparently no one uses lockers anymore.  So I did.  The display turned out better than I imagined.

Chill Out with a Good Book

It has just occurred to me that I use the word "good" A LOT.  My next challenge . . . creating a display without the word "good" in it.  LOL!

Of course I would love to take credit for all these clever sayings, but just about everything I did came from Pinterest.  I still love that website.

Stay Warm!

Christmas Fun in the Library

At Summit HS, our semester ends with the holiday break.  So it is important to have a little fun to counterbalance the end of semester stress most of these students feel in December.

Here are a few things we did this year to help . . . 

Candy Cane Book Check Out 

No code here.  The title says it all. Check out a book and take home a candy cane.  It is something so small yet appreciated.  It brought more than one smile to the faces of our students, and isn't that why we are here?  In addition, there are studies that state peppermint helps relieve stress.  So, your're welcome!

12 Days of Christmas Library Scavenger Hunt

This activity was an excuse to give away books.  I have a big box of books thanks to a library angel named Amy Toombs who works in our district at one of the middle schools.  She has been gracious enough to share her free books with us.  Her kids become my kids because her school feeds into mine.  So it's like she is still taking care of her babies.  Love that!

There seems to be a lot of 12 Days of Christmas themes this year.  Our campus staff answered a survey about 12 of our favorite Christmas things, and one of the APs is releasing that information one day at at time. I am also registered with a tech group from Birdville ISD that is doing 12 days of technology during December.  So following in those footsteps, I created the 12 Days of Christmas Library Scavenger Hunt.

There was only one task that made the students go to a computer, and all I asked them to do was describe one of the pictures on the SHS library website.  All of the other tasks made them move about the library noticing the displays, where the sitting areas and computers were, our window decorations, etc.  This was meant to be a non-tech activity to get the students in the library and noticing all the amenities we have.  If I had to do it again, I might have asked them to check out a book as one of the tasks.  I came in last year trying all these tech type activities with low participation.  So I have to meet the students where they are.  First get them involved in something fun, and then you can add the bells and whistles later.  This is a group not used to being involved in the library, and I am here to change that. . . one fun activity at a time.

Here are just a few of our happy campers who finished the scavenger hunt.  They received a book for completing the 12 tasks, and then a bag of popcorn if they completed the bonus question too.

Hot Cocoa for our Student Aides

We always try to do something for our student workers at the end of each semester because most of them are hard workers.  This year we set up a Hot Cocoa area in our back break room for the students to enjoy during the last few days with us.  We served hot cocoa or coffee (their choice).  They could add chocolate chips, caramel bits and marshmallows to their drink.  We also had whipped cream, sprinkles, cinnamon and chocolate powder to to sprinkle on top.  We also provided candy canes and chocolate covered peppermint sticks for stirrers.  In addition, we served iced sugar cookies and mini cupcakes.

It looked something like this . . . 

Directions for Cocoa area

 Station 1: Personalize your cup

 Station 2: Make your Hot Cocoa

 Station 3: Fix up your drink

Station 4: Pick up some sweets

Our students were appreciative, and our gesture of thanks made them happy.  I'm not sure how we will top this next semester . . . maybe ice cream floats?  Stay tuned to find out.

Here is something to make you laugh . . . 

The SHS faculty dressed up for the 12 days leading up to our holiday break.  So this is me dressed as a Christmas tree.  I think this was day 9 of 12.  Thanks to Walgreens, I now own a headband that blinks at 3 different speeds for just this occasion. LOL!  'Tis the season.