Guest Blogger - Kim Butler

Making the Most of an Author Visit

Kim Butler, Teacher Librarian | Birch Elementary

...a rich and meaningful visit

I had never worked personally with Todd Mitchell before, but I was aware that he had visited my school in past years. He wrote the Traitor King and it was a popular text with my 5th grade teachers. Since then he ventured into some YA stories, Backwards and The Secret to Lying (I read both and they are excellent). Now he’s written another book for older elementary kids and we invited him back to visit with our students. He actually contacted us for this visit, and along with the visit he had arranged for donors to help him donate a copy of the book to all of the 5th graders. We got the books about a month before he came to visit and it allowed the 5th graders to read through the whole book before they met with him. The result was a rich and meaningful visit for both Todd and the students. The book is called The Last Panther and it has a lot of curriculum connections we were able to use with the students. He has a lot of information available at his website.

He met with third through fifth grades to discuss endangered animals and writing, an extremely engaging session. After that he did a writing workshop with the fifth graders and signed books that were ordered. The students had all written thank you notes to him, and he later responded to the class after reading each one. Finally, we had every fifth grader write a review of the book using this template and are going to ask parents to post the reviews on Amazon or Goodreads over Winter Break.

Mr. Mitchell was incredibly easy to work with. He’s based in Fort Collins, and he was generous with this time and thrilled to work with the students. In the past, he conducted a writing workshop with teachers. He has a system for ordering his the paperback all ready so it was just a matter of filling in some dates and sending the copies out.

Authentic Writing and Reflecting on A Text

The teachers were thrilled with his visit and they felt the students got a lot out of it. In addition, the fifth graders had several opportunities to do some authentic writing and reflecting on a text.

Checkout these excerpts from the review assignment:

“I love the book The Last Panther it is so thrilling and I just want to keep reading whenever I need to stop. I believe that  perseverance is the main idea of this book because Kiri didn't give up no matter what.”

“I like this book because I like suspense,adventure and mystery, this book falls into all those categories. I think this book could teach other people about being courageous because Kiri has to go to many different places and face many challenges along the way there. Kiri is very courageous. I love this book it is my favorite right now. I give this book a 5 star rating!”

“The book The Last Panther by Todd Mitchell is a really good book and has a good story and ending and my favorite part is, well, if you haven’t read the book I can’t tell you. Kiri and the panther will keep you up the whole night reading along with the stories rest of its wonderful cast of relatable characters, they did it to me! I like this book because it is so unique, you won’t find anything like it! I would encourage anyone who likes fast paced adventure to read it.”

Overall this was an incredible author visit, made all the better because the kids were familiar with the book. I highly recommend contacting Mr. Mitchell for a visit, or at least including his work in your collections.

Guest Blogger - Jane Schissel

Mobile Maker Kits: Feeding Curiosity and Imagination

Jane Schissel, Teacher Librarian, Broomfield High School

"...Makerspaces run the gamut."

One of the takeaways (and there were many) I have from hosting a Mobile Maker Kit is my own slight paradigm shift around the concept of a MakerSpace. Some of our students at Broomfield High gravitated toward the components in the Mobile Maker Kit (MMK). Some students did not seem the least bit interested in the MMK. As I observed the mixed reaction, I began to consider the larger role of Makerspaces in my Library. I had a heightened realization that while I do not gravitate to robotics, I would definitely gravitate to card-making, building with Keva planks or video-editing. Currently, there is a segment of the population that equates Makerspaces with only robotics or high-tech activities. Over the years, I have attended a few Maker-Faires (including the Denver Mini-Maker Faire in 2015 with Louise Shorter) and my takeaway has consistently been that Makerspaces run the gamut.

"My job is to find and provide the best for my population regardless of personal preference."

While hosting the MMK, I started thinking of the MMK components and Makerspaces, in general, as a type of genre. I love to read. At the same time, not every genre draws me in. I would walk past the latest and most popular Sci-Fi novel without so much as pausing while on my way to Historical Fiction. I wouldn’t be able to pass by the Horror section fast enough on my way to reach the latest book Malcolm Gladwell book. I love to read. I don’t love all types of books equally. However, I don’t have to love all types of books to make sure I provide the best in every genre for my population. The same is true for Makerspaces. I don’t have to have an affinity for every Ozobot or Zombonitron that comes my way to appreciate their importance. My job is to find and provide the best for my population regardless of personal preference.

"I look forward to “adding another genre” to my library."

I support Makerspaces. I want to make sure we have the best MakerSpace possible even if what is in the MakerSpace does not appeal to me personally. I have a responsibility to make sure that there is enough variety in the MakerSpace to appeal to our diverse population. I do the same with books. For me, this movement to create a MakerSpace at Broomfield High is about creating an additional space for students to feed their curiosity and nurture their imagination. Einstein spoke to the importance of imagination. Steve Jobs spoke to the importance of imagination. As a librarian, I also speak to the importance of imagination. I look forward to “adding another genre” to my library which will indisputably feed the imagination of teens and teachers alike.

Guest Blogger - Maura Rhodes

Patron Self Sufficiency

Maura Rhodes, Teacher Librarian | Fairview High School

Preserving My Sanity

I began the journey to create student self sufficiency as an elementary librarian. It was necessity that led me to put self checkout in place. I was teaching 33 classes a week with over 650 students per week and no support staff. I initially looked at self checkout to help with crowd control and to help “me” be more available to the students to help with book selection, work with teachers, time to teach, etc. The students took ownership of their book checkout, circulation exploded, and my sanity was preserved. Now, did all those students read every single book they checked out, I don’t know, but I do know that I personally don’t read every single book that I checkout from the library. What mattered was students were checking out in a timely manner and they weren’t giving up or getting frustrated because I was dealing with other patrons.

everything was centered around the circulation desk

At Fairview High School’s library everything was centered around the circulation desk or the Command Center as I refer to it. If a student needed anything, most of the time they had to ask. The desk was cluttered with everything under the sun. Pens, paper, 3 hole punch, markers, coloring pencils, 2 or 3 staplers, scissors attached by a chain, electric stapler, pencil sharpener, bookmarks, paperclips, toys, the magnetic desensitizer, a computer for book checkout/in, a drop hole for book return and two other computers one for the para and another for students to use that needed to print quickly. Plus a printer and fax machine. Behind the circulation desk was a “free stuff” corner with more supplies, binders, paper, notebooks, etc.

I was overwhelmed with stuff...

...it drove me crazy and I slowly tried to peel away the layers and remove things and pare down to the essentials. This summer I contemplated this even more after the loss of one full time and one halftime support staff positions. I knew in order to help things flow I would need to make the library more self-sufficient and the space more user friendly. I started by clearing out non-essential stuff. I used three old laptop carts and removed the doors and cubicles to make them into an area where all the askable things could go. For example, pens, pencils, notebooks, paper, rulers, markers, pencil sharpeners, etc. All these items now live in these three carts and I call it the “supply area.” I have had to retrain the students of where this stuff now lives. The circulation desk is a mammoth size 25’ X I wanted to cut one whole end off, but was told I couldn’t, due to the power that runs under the floor embedded in the concrete. I opted to remove just 2 feet off of one end and this has made a big difference in the flow of the space. I also removed a metal file cabinet and other items that were cluttering up the circulation desk.

3 easy steps to checkout

The demagnetizer was removed and self checkout was set up for student's to use with a directional stand and poster explaining the 3 easy steps to check out a book.

This is the first year with many of these changes in place. I hope to add more features and always look to improve my processes to make learning and using the library space as simple as possible.

Guest Blogger-Sheena Kelly

Managing the Minutiae

Sheena Kelly, Teacher-Librarian | Peak to Peak K-12 

 

“stress free productivity”

The start of the school year is anxiety laden and, if you’re anything like me, is always accompanied by a fresh set of stress zits. But after about a week I remember...I’ve got this. My organizational system keeps me relatively sane while juggling the endless tasks I have to do at any given moment. My journey to “stress free productivity” (a phrase I literally lol’ed at when I first bought David Allen’s book circa 2009) has been one of steady progress and even though I’ve been getting things done for years, I’m still discovering better ways to organize my commitments.

The problem with doing a thing is that it’s never one thing. Working on a blind date with a book program involves creating display signage (which involves making a digital flyer or assembling die cuts and butcher paper for a bulletin board), pulling books, wrapping books (which involves finding/gathering paper, tape, scissors), promoting the program (which involves creating/printing/posting more flyers, intercom announcements, email blast to English teachers), assessing the program, and this list could go on and on. The thousand little things that have to be done in order to be successfully with the end product of a single endeavor can be overwhelming. Each of those “open loops” buzzes around in your brain until you accomplish the task (sometimes the same “oh! don’t forget to...” popping up several times in the same hour/day/week). That’s where Getting Things Done comes in.

Step 1 : Brain Dump

Use the Incompletion Trigger Lists to identify the open loops in your life. Get several blank sheets of unlined paper and write down everything that comes to mind as you look over the lists. A key tenet of Getting Things Done is getting things off of your mind and turning your open loops into actionable tasks. This “brain dump” is a good exercise to do weekly.  

Step 2 : Werk

Use the Mastering Workflow diagram to work your way through each task/commitment you identified. The workflow takes you step by step as you process the “stuff” in your life. I recommend using the app Todoist to keep track of tasks identified during processing. Once you’ve finished with the trigger lists, move on to the other “stuff” in your life (email inbox, stack of mail, notes from that meeting...).






My personal organizational system is heavily influenced by GTD but also very different. I’ve settled (for now) on a hybrid paper/digital system for organizing personal and professional goals and obligations. You’ll discover a system that works for you, and remember to be patient with yourself along this journey. Here are a few screen shots of my Todoist to inspire you to organizational bliss!

Suggested Resources

“Getting Things Done” by David Allen 

This is a must own for ready reference and writing in the margins. If you want to save a few pennies, the first edition is just as good as the newer one.

Listen to GTD podcasts online for free!

Todoist task manager (web and mobile)

I lived quite happily with the free version of Todoist for many years before upgrading. The paid version has some nice perks (notifications for example) that are indispensable now that I’m used to them.

Boomerang for Gmail [Add-On]

With only 10 free messages a month, the paid plan ($4.99/month) is necessary if you want to make truly effective use of this tool.

Password Manager Template

I created this to help me manage the hundreds of oddly specific passwords and security questions/answers I have to manage. I have one of these spreadsheets for work, and one for my personal accounts!

Guest Blogger - Tracy Huffman

Summer Library Program Cultivates Community

Tracy Huffman, Teacher Librarian | Superior Elementary 

"...libraries are no longer the sole source of literary nutrition"

Hello, I’m the new Teacher Librarian at Superior Elementary where I have been a classroom teacher for many years. The Summer Library Program has been a fixture of Superior Elementary for the last twenty years.Throughout much of that time, it remained constant with the same goals to incentivize reading and minimize the “summer slide” in a community that doesn’t have a local library. This summer my 16-year-old son and I ran the summer library program, and it was a valuable introduction into the ongoing changes of the school library for me! Our students live in an age of plentiful and readily available information, and libraries are no longer the sole source of literary nutrition for growing readers. In looking at ways to revitalize the Summer Library Program, we knew we wanted to make sure that the library was not only a place to check out books, but also a place for community interaction.  

“Read for the Stars”

As is tradition, a theme was implemented to tie together activities and incentives to foster excitement for the Summer Library Program. This summer’s theme was “Read for the Stars” to capitalize on the upcoming solar eclipse. Various structured and unstructured activities provided the foundation for increasing engagement time at the library. Over the course of the summer, families spread out throughout the library and worked together to build spaceships, telescopes, space stations, 2-D and 3-D stars, planetariums, and even more using Legos, blocks, magnets, and geoboards. They also gathered at tables to create constellation tubes, pinhole projectors for the eclipse, space bookmarks, aliens, and astronauts. And, students still checked out books and snuggled up on couches to read. I believe that activities increased engagement time and provided an incentive to come to the library each week. 

"...capitalizing on the curiosity to learn and collaborate"

Activities increased checkout because summer book circulation was up. Reflecting on the Summer Library Program, I know that adapting the library to meet the needs of students, families, and staff is and will continue to be a crucial part of my job as Teacher Librarian. Yes, I want to promote literature and foster a love of reading and want to continue to cultivate community by capitalizing on the curiosity to learn and collaborate in the heart of the school, the library. In fact, maybe the most successful libraries are happening where those two mutually beneficial ideas are occurring. 

After Pam Sandlian Smith’s presentation during Day 1 of the Future Ready Librarians Professional Pathway, I am inspired to create meaningful and plentiful experiences in the library that cultivate community.  

Guest Blogger - Barb Miller

March Madness? No, Weeding Madness!

Barb Miller, Teacher-Librarian - Manhattan MS






What do you get when you combine two middle schools, don’t keep up on weeding and then remodel the library? I wish this were the set up to the start of a joke, but it’s not. It’s what happened to me when Baseline Middle School combined with Burbank Middle School to become Manhattan Middle School and I took over as the librarian.

...weeding was one of those tasks that just never got done... 

I must admit that I had plenty of things to do and somehow or other, weeding was one of those tasks that just never got done (especially nonfiction). A few years ago, my shelves were past bulging and I could no longer ignore the ugly truth that I had better start weeding. I was incredibly lucky to have help from one of our parents, and none other than the Colorado Librarian of the Year -Beatrice Gerrish. Beatrice was extremely helpful and generous with her time. Since this wasn't ‘her’ library, she wasn’t attached to the books and we started weeding in earnest. I would highly recommend asking a fellow librarian to help with this; as a matter of fact, BVSD will provide sub time to make this happen- email Zoe.

...9,356 books (over 50% of my collection) were weeded

Fast forward to this year with a library remodel on the horizon and architects telling me there would be room for a maximum of 8,340 books. Yikes!  I dug in with gusto and with the support of my principal, 9,356 books (over 50% of my collection) were weeded. Of course, I didn’t do this alone; I had help from our incredible PTO, library aides (slave labor), Mackin’s phenomenal Bobbi Craig, Insignia and Mackin’s Collection Analysis, and Rae Ciciora (helpful weeding advice). 

A couple of pieces of weeding advice which really stuck out and helped me were - 1) Fiction and NF were going to flip. In my new library, I’d have more fiction than nonfiction, and 2) weed the NF by date of publication (try not to have items over 15 years old) and the FIC by least circulated. Most books not checked out in 3 years probably need to get the heave ho. 

We’ll be developing a 3-year plan for purchasing both print and e-book resources

Yep and get ready for this - in all, from 2012-now, we’ve weeded a total of 29,420 books! 
The library is looking pretty barren and forlorn but I’m looking past what is and imaging the gorgeous new space that will be here next fall. Since our library is closing early (May 5th), I’m looking forward to having time to explore Overdrive and Mackin Via, as well as help teachers develop curriculum maps. We’ll be developing a 3-year plan for purchasing both print and e-book resources for the gorgeous new library.  


Now I just need to go home and start spring cleaning. Somehow, that doesn’t look very daunting anymore...