The day was filled with sharing and talking about the who, what, where, why, and how about our job.  We took a little time to talk about the gloom and doom of school funding in both our states, but for the most part we really tried to stay focused on discussing the craft of our field.

Over the years we’ve all developed some tricks and techniques that work in all our various roles.  From instruction to administration, we find ways to make our job easier.  We find ways to make our jobs more effective.  I know I get up everyday and think how can we move our program to the next level.

I’m a huge fan of networking and sharing.  As a matter of fact I met one of the colleagues from Michigan years ago when we were both leaders in our respective state associations.  We always talked about having a day just to share and learn from each other, and a few weeks back she emailed and asked to visit.   I replied back with a resounding yes.

I believe that conversations like the ones I had with my friends from Michigan are what helps us become better school librarians.  The chance to share our success (and failures), absorb new ideas from others, and just reflect a little bit on where we are and how far we come is so important.

There are lots of ways to do that – whether it be face to face like my visitors from Michigan or whether it be an online Skype™ conversation with another colleague.  These interactions are what help us to grow and develop as school library leaders.   We often get isolated in our jobs, and this is a way to make connections so we don’t feel so alone.

But, we need a place to start making those connections.  For me, it was my involvement with our state organization, AIME, and then our national organization, AASL, which led me to begin making those bridges and connections to colleagues all over the country.  The colleagues and network I’ve built will serve me well for many years to come.  They can support me in the time of need and help me celebrate in the time of successes. Its one of the reason I value those memberships in my professional organizations so much!!

The video clips from all the candidates’ speeches are posted online on ALA Connect. If you are a member of AASL, please do take the time to vote beginning March 16, 2010.

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The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) announces its public review period for the Library Media Standards.  Practicing library media specialists fill a majority of seats on standards committees with other members representing districts, states and higher education.

The Library Media Standards will be available for public review January 25 – February 17, 2010. The standards can be accessed at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/librarymedia

Please visit the NBPTS website <www.nbpts.org> for information on standards development. For assistance or additional information about the public review process, please contact NBPTS at nominations@nbpts.org.

Please take time to review these important standards for the profession.

Thank you for the opportunity to run for AASL President.  I thought I would start out telling you a little about how I got in to this profession.  15 years ago a little flyer from Ball State University changed the course of my life.  It advertised a program for school media services.   I always knew growing up I wanted to be in some sort of field related to education.  When I was in high school and the district tech director wasn’t in the building, I was often the next person in line to be called if something went wrong.  Thinking I wanted the director’s job someday, I asked what kind of degrees she had.  The response – home economics!  I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to be following the path.   My job during high school was working at the Speedway Public Library, so when that flyer came from Ball State it sounded like that might be the right fit!

While I’m not sure I completely understood what I was getting myself into, I did quickly discover how this was the perfect profession for me.  When I was student teaching, my supervising teacher strongly encouraged me to join ALA/AASL and our state association, AIME.  She was from the generation where you joined because that was part of your responsibility in being a professional.   I dutifully listened and sent in my dues.  But it is so much more than just paying dues — it is about finding ways to contribute and be INVOLVED.

The opportunities for leadership in our state organization came around, as did the chance to serve AASL in a variety of capacities over the years such as chair of the Affiliate Assembly (did you know you could be elected when you were 1000 miles from the meeting?) or chairing the 2007 AASL Conference.  These chances to give back to the profession are something I value and treasure because they made me a better school librarian for my students and staff as well as helped refine my skills as a leader – skills that I can use as President of AASL to benefit you.

I believe and know that the future for our profession lies with INVOLVEMENT.   School librarians are leaders in teaching 21^st Century skills; yet, due to budget shortfalls, positions are being cut.  INVOLVEMENT begins in our schools by designing instruction and providing resources that meet the needs of our students and teachers and basing these resources on the AASL learning standards.   As leaders we need administrators to see us directly impacting student learning.  Being INVOLVED is convincing decision makers that school library programs are transparent in all curricular areas and are a good use of scarce dollars.  I believe we have to be INVOLVED in the profession, recruit new members, and show them how they can be actively INVOLVED in AASL. The future for our field is defined through professional involvement.  The more active members we have the larger voice AASL has to advocate for school libraries.  As a candidate for President of AASL I will continue to work on legislative initiatives and strengthen our profession by completing targeted concerns in the AASL strategic plan. These are unsettling times, but by being INVOLVED and working together, we can fulfill a vision where school libraries are a necessity in every district and every school.

When I leave here today, I’m going back to the 470 students and 40 staff members of North Elementary School and my day job as the library media specialists.   But I know that by being a part of the AASL community, I have a network of people I can rely on to help me in time of need, to share and brainstorm ideas, and celebrate the successes.  As AASL President, I want every school librarian to see the AASL community and say, “I have to be a part of that!”

• All of Me by Molly Bang
• I Want a Dog by Helga Bansch
• Day-Glo Brothers by Chris Barton
• The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
• Redwoods by Jason Chin
• Our Children Can Soar by Michelle Cook
• 14 Cows for America by Carmen Agra Deedy
• There Was an Old Monster! by Rebecca, Adrian, and Ed Emberley
• Willoughby and the Lion by Greg Foley
• Pond Circle by Betsy Franco
• A Book by Mordicai Gerstein
• The Looking Book by P.K. Hallinan
• Falling Down the Page by Georgia Heard (editor)
• One World, One Day by Barbara Kerley
• Otis by Loren Long
• Crow Call by Lois Lowry
• The Lion’s Share by Matthew McElligott
• The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney
• Are you a Horse? by Andy Rash
• The North Star by Peter H. Reynolds
• Pink! by Lynne Rickards
• Spoon by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
• Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld
• Adventures in Cartooning by James Strum, Andrew Arnold and Alexis Frederick-Frost
• Have I got a Book for You! by Melanie Watt
• Big Frog Can’t Fit In by Mo Willems
• Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems
• The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau by Dan Yaccarino
• 2030 by Amy Zucerkman and James Daly

And while not a picture book, this collection of stories from famous people from all types of life by Anita Silvey is fantastic – Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Picture Book.

So there it is.  My favorite picture books from 2009.  The best part is now that we’ve made a list, the process starts all over again for next year!

When I got home today, there was a box sitting on the front porch.  And, after opening it I knew it was one of those times you want to share the exciting thing I found.  So, since we’re on break from school, it seemed the blog might be a perfect place.   I was so excited because inside the box were copies of my brand new book – The 21^st Century Elementary Library Media Program.   The book is published by Linworth Publishing, which is part of the ABC-CLIO family.  While I’ve spent a year or more working on it and seen its many various drafts, it was so exciting to see the final product in print.  Hopefully you’ll indulge me taking a few minutes to celebrate!!!  Opening that box and seeing my own work come to fruition was exciting.

Sometimes it is interesting to think back about how a project like this starts off in the first place.  I certainly would have never guessed when I started out in this field that I’d be writing a book – let alone this being my third one.  But, I believe strongly in taking advantages of opportunities.  When I was student teaching, my supervising teacher and I worked on a project that she thought would be perfect for an article.  She encouraged me to write it up, and to my surprise School Library Media Activities Monthly (now School Library Monthly) agreed to publish it in the fall of 1998.   I never realized that many journals take submissions from practitioners.   So over the next few years, I continued to turn in articles based on things happening in our library media center.  I sent things to a variety of magazines – sometimes getting published and sometimes not.  I found the writing to be a great way to reflect on what we did in the library media center.  After a while a few fabulous friends of mine (Marge Cox and Susan Page) got together and decided to try our hand at writing a book.  Each of us had a unique perspective and it was our combined efforts and talents that kept us moving forward until the project was complete – The LMS in the Writing Process (Linworth, 2007).   Following that I thought maybe I could tackle the next book on my own.  While it was much harder to keep to deadlines without my co-writers pushing me along, eventually it came together and the book was published — No School Library Left Behind (Linworth, 2008).  Now that I kind of had an understanding about the process, I started on another book and today that process can to an end with the final copies that arrived today – The 21^st Century Elementary Library Media Program (Linworth, 2010).  I keep writing articles and I’m sure at some point may tackle another book.  All along the way there have been amazing editors and publishing folks to help guide me along each and every step.

The thing that I always think about is that this could have happen to anyone.  There are amazing things happening in school libraries all over.  Taking a little time to reflect about them and write them down can lead to a published piece to share with others.  We as a profession tend to be too shy in letting others know the great things going on in school libraries.  We should take advantage of any opportunity to share.  Writing about the things that happen in our libraries is very reflective and can often lead us to think about why we do things the way we do – and make them even better.  Journals often are looking for great ideas that they can print.  Check out their submission guidelines in their journals or online.  Besides a published piece, one might also consider a blog or other online format for sharing.  There are many new avenues one can take advantage of to share.  Every time I take a few minutes to catch up on the journals I always post to our state listserv about the people from our state who are showing up in the journals.  These folks need to be recognized for their efforts, but also I hope it encourage others to follow their lead.  So as you think about what you might do in 2010, think about taking time to write an article or blog posting.  You never know when something little might lead into something bigger down the road – like a package on your own front porch!

I always wonder how I will react to the ending of my time on the Board.  Obviously I’ve spent a great deal of time and effort in helping to move the organization forward.  You take ownership of those things you did and projects you worked on.  Sometimes it is hard to imagine that anyone but yourself could do it the right way.  But, I find that the opposite is true.  Both when I left as President of AIME and now as I leave as President of ILF, the amazing thing about professional organizations is that there is always the next leader willing and able to pick up and put their best efforts towards the organization.  I like to think they’ll tackle those areas that I couldn’t make work, or that they’ll take things I started and make them even better.   One year I worked for a principal who as she announced her retirement said, “I’ve been here long enough.  I’ve fixed all the things I know how to fix.  It is time for someone to come in with new ideas and hopefully solve those problems I couldn’t.”  I think you find as a President of an organization that same feeling rings true.

Many ask why you would run for President of an organization.  I’ve done it twice on a state-wide level and now venture into the national level as a candidate for President of the American Association of School Librarians.  I think there are a couple of reasons:

1.) Opportunity – My career as a library media specialist has always been one of opportunities.  Certainly I don’t seek them out, but rather they seem to find me.  If you had told me the first time I attend a conference, that I would have a leadership role in the organization, I probably would have laughed!  Most people wouldn’t believe this, but I tend to be shy.  Being out in front as a leader wouldn’t have been something I might have jumped on right away.  But, with each new step — committee member to committee chair to board member to president all provide a ladder for me to climb and learn and grow.   Now I’m more aware as these things come along and realize the potential of saying “yes”!

2.) Contributions – With each opportunity comes the realization that “I can do that” and “I have something to offer or contribute.”  Taking on a leadership role is one thing, but making sure that while you are serving in that role, you are making a positive contribution to move the organization forward is important.   What talents do you bring to the table?  What perspective do you provide?  How can you help guide the organization to be even better than the day you took office?  I know that my profession has given to me in so many ways by the opportunities I’ve had to attend conferences, network with colleagues, read professional literature, build friendships, and a whole host of other ways as well.  I wholeheartedly believe that it is therefore my responsibility to give back to the profession.  By serving, I can hopefully give others some of the same opportunities and benefits the profession has given to me over the years.

3.) Growth – People always seem to notice that I have an amazing administrator who supports my activities in the profession.  He may not always provide funding, but he does help to ensure I can participate and contribute as much as possible.  Anytime I’ve asked to join a new committee or take on another role, he quickly replies, “yes”.  He would tell you that he believe that all of those experiences help make me a better library media specialist for our students and staff.  I agree with him.  The interaction with other colleagues, the perspectives you learn, and the work you do all majorly impact and influence the library media specialist you are.  It helps us to grow beyond the walls of our library.  I can’t tell you the times I’ve come back from a meeting or a session and said, “We have got to try that here!”  Besides the benefits of success, I have a friend who refers to those moments in life when you’d do something differently if given the chance as “life lessons”.  It is taking the positive spin on it, but I have come to believe it the best way to consider how we grow.  As a leader there are always things I wish I had done differently.  Its part of life and we have two choices.  We can wallow in the mistakes, or we can the opportunity to learn from them.  I choose the latter.  I know that the next time around I’ll be smarter and more aware to hopefully make the right decision.

Now, just because I’m off the Board doesn’t mean I’m going away.  I’m still a card-carrying member of ILF and AIME.  I still believe that I have ways I can contribute to the growth of our state professional organizations.  So, while I may not be sitting on the Board, I likely won’t be on the sidelines either.  I’m sure there will be some other opportunities that come along the way.

I’m excited about the upcoming AASL election and running for President.  I see it as another way I can contribute and give back to the field.  My leadership with AIME and ILF will be (and have been) a value to me in this new endeavor.

This has been my paths.  Others may go down different roads and have different ways they can contribute back.  Whatever that road might be, look for the opportunities to be active and involved in your state and/or national organization.  It certainly will be an experience you won’t regret!

So, since the last posting has been a little while, it seemed appropriate to catch-up after a most busy fall.  So, here are the highlights of the last few weeks.

* I am very excited to be a candidate for President of the American Association of School Librarians.  The election is this spring, so I encourage all AASL members to get out there and vote (vote for Sara Kelly Johns for ALA President, too!)!!  You can read more about my candidacy on my website or check out my Facebook group.

* The AASL conference this fall was a wonderful learning experience.  Keynotes danah boyd, James Patterson, and Marco Torres were amazing.  I still need to find some time to go back to my notes and process some of their messages.   As always it was a great time to meet with my colleagues, friends, and the vendors, too.

* I’ve been working as part of the Library Media Committee for the National Boards for Professional Teaching Standards.  I am in awe of the company I’m surrounded by in our meetings.  Each person brings such a unique perspective and opinion as we work to rewrite the Library Media standards to become National Board Certified Teacher.    We still have a couple of months to go before we’re done and I look forward to it.

* C.L.A.S.S. (Connected Learning Assures Students Success) has been a main part of my professional development for a long time now.  This month I presented/facilitated at their Related Arts Day and attended the Support Team Day.  The monthly e-Tools I write was just finished, too, so I’ve gotten to spend a lot of time with my C.L.A.S.S. friends.

* A few articles published as well as waiting anxiously for my copies of my new book which should arrive by years end.  The 21st Century Elementary Library Program is published by Linworth.

* Just last week I attend Peggy Sharp’s annual trip through Indianapolis to talk about the Best Books of 2009.  I wasn’t disappointed.  I got lots of great new ideas!

* School was a busy place, too, with three grade levels doing a major project.  We also use our PLCs to provide professional development for our teachers about wikis.

I make this list for a couple of reasons.

1. I’m getting older and it helps me to think back to remember what I’ve done, so I can reflect a bit on the accomplishments and see potential for improvements down the road.
2. It reminds me that there are opportunities abound.  We have to be willing and ready so that we can jump on those adventures and see where they take us.
3. I think it is amazing the interactions with people all of these events have brought.  I got a chance to meet in person many folks I know virtually.  There were people I knew and new people to meet.  Networking to me is so critically to our job because I think it helps us to broaden our thinking and perspective.  I sometimes need that little push there and these conversations help to create that.

I know I’ve used this phrase before in an article and probably in this blog if I went back and looked, but Barbara Pedersen from C.L.A.S.S. says it best, “As good as we are, we can always get better!”  This fall has been an amazing time in my professional career as there have been opportunities and changes for me to get even better!  I know that everything on my list this year will have an impact on what I do with students and teachers the rest of the year.  I can’t wait to see where the path will take me now!

I probably should also tell you a couple things, so you’ll know my biases up front.

• School Library Monthly holds a special place in my heart because it was the very first magazine that ever published a piece of my writing.  As a matter of fact, they accepted and published it before I even had a job.  I wrote it based on an experience while student teaching and yet they still took it and published!
• I still write for the magazine (and others) and I’m honored that Kristin did select a few of my pieces for inclusion in her book.

I’m anxious to take some time and really reread all the wealth of ideas and knowledge in the book.  But, that will have to wait until after AASL Conference next week in Charlotte.   Wonder what new gem will show up on the doorstep next??  Hopefully it will be my new book as that is due out in just a few weeks!!!

While at the SLJ Summit in D.C., it was announced that Sara Kelly Johns, former AASL President and Library Media Specialist from Lake Placid, NY will be running for President of ALA.

This is an exciting opportunity to place a school librarian at the helm of the largest professional organization for librarians.  So, I encourage all school librarians to make sure their membership in ALA/AASL is current and be ready to cast a vote for Sara Kelly Johns in the spring election.

Thanks to Cathy Nelson for the widget that I put on my blog.  It will direct you to Sara’s website.