Library Ties

Much like the race car at the Indy 500, we’re on the final laps to this school year.  We have just 4 laps (days) of school left.  Friday will be the start of summer.  When the checkered flag comes down on Friday, we’ll start to soak in the time off from school.  I know I have a stacked of books that I hope to read this summer…nothing related to school at all!   Spending time with the family will also be high on the to do list, too.

I’ll also take some time for tire testing (training).  I’ll work for C.L.A.S.S. and their summer institute, attend AIME’s Survivor workshop with David Warlick, attend ALA, and probably will have a few books, blogs, and such that I’ll read in the months ahead, too.

But, just as the race car drivers begin thinking about the next race as soon as the last one ends, my mind, too, has already begun to start thinking about the next school year.  Ideas, projects, and thoughts will percolate in my head.  I may not start doing anything about them til August, but I know they will stew in my brain ready to be unleashed for the start of the next school year.  It is always exciting to get a fresh start each year and to think about what new adventures will lie ahead.

One wise teacher friend of mine has always said that when spring time hits, if she isn’t already thinking about the next school year and excited about the possibilities and opportunities, then it is time to retire.  I think she is right on the money!  The knowledge to do the job is important, the passion and excitement are what make it fun each day to go to work!

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Just this week in my mailbox arrived my copy of Empowering Learnings: Guidelies for School Library Media Programs.  The much anticipated work is a companion piece to the AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner and the Standards for the 21st Century Learner in Action.  While the previous documents focus on what our students should be doing, the guidelines outline for library media specialist the program we should be putting in place to help students reach those standards.  I’ve just finished my first read through of the document.  I’ll have to say it is very much on target with my own personal thoughts about school library media programs.

I’m especially pleased to see our role as a leader highlighted in the new guidelines.  The last chapter, “Empowering Learning through Leadership” is short, but is so key.  School library media specialists must be seen as leaders in their schools and districts.  This perception is a critical piece to the success of a library media program.  As leaders we help set the direction and goals and in turn paint the picture of how libraries help schools reach those goals.

The other two main areas of the new guidelines are “Teaching for Learning” and “Building the Environment”.  The titles of these chapters succiently summarize the guidelines presented under them.  How do we make the library media program part of teaching and instruction and what kind of enviroment do our student (and staff) need for that learning to be successful.

I need more time to digest what I’ve read.  I need to reread it again.  But, my first reaction is these guidelines will serve us well.  I started my first job in 1998 when Information Power 2 was released.  Here we are 11 years later with a new document.  I think it takes the best of what we know and builds on its predecessors.  These new guidelines paint a picture of possibilities.  Now the real work begins…turning those paintings into realities.

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I arrived home today to find a box of books that I had ordered a while back.  I’ve long been a fan of Peter Reynold’s books, and since North Elementary’s mascot is the Star, I had to order his latest book The North Star.   As soon as the box was opened, I immediately started reading it.  I was certainly not disappointed with this title.  Reynolds has written a wonderful book about going on life’s journey and the clues that help guide us down our path.  I’m so glad I thought ahead and ordered a couple of copies as I can’t wait use it as gifts for some colleagues.  This will be one we’ll need some multiple copies at school, too.  I love books that have lots of meaning on different levels for readers of all ages, and Reynold’s newest book is a gem.  Next time you are at the bookstore or at the library, make sure to take a few minutes to enjoy this new book.  It will be well worth your time.

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Today is the last day of my spring break!  I wasn’t able to take a trip to a warmer climate (although that sounded really good as we did manage to get a few snow flurries on Monday).  But, I did do something I rarely ever do….nothing.  Ok, not really nothing, but I tend not to be one that is able to take a break very well.  However, this spring break we did go visit some relatives for a few days and add to our genealogy research (nothing says Spring Break like trompting through an old graveyard looking for tombstones of relatives who have long since left us!).  It was a fun couple of days and I didn’t even manage to check email once!  When I got back home, I did do some long overdue projects at home.  I had boxes of pictures from when we cleaned out my Grandparent’s house, so I got them all sorted by family and in labeled containers so that someday I might get them in an album (or scanned into the computer!).  The rest of the week I read two excellent books, watched TV, played with my niece and nephew, and generally did very little.  So, now that I’m home from the 33rd annual family Easter Egg hunt, I’m going to try and get organized for tomorrow!  Its been a great break, and I’m sure the relaxing will be a good thing as we are now in the home stretch to finish out the school year!

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Last Sunday I flew to Madison, Wisconsin for the 2009 WEMTA conference.  Thanks to an invitation from conference chair Allison Kaplan, I was able to head north and share with the folks in Wisconsin.  The added bonus was I got a chance to learn from them and all the great speakers at their conference, too.    The Monona Terrace Convention Center, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is right on Lake Monona in Madison.  While I arrived the lake was frozen, but in a few short days the ice was melting.  While the rain kept me from getting too close, you can see the white lines are where the pieces of ice has crashed into each other.  Inside the convention was a collision of great ideas about library media and technology and ways to make our schools even better.  It was great fun to share about how library media specialists can be part of the school improvement process, and we also talked about how we use the Big6 research model in our school.  Thanks to the folks at WEMTA for such a great visit to Madison!

As one can imagine, when you are gone the rest of the week was spend catching up.  Not sure if I’m quite there, yet, but making progress.  There is always the week ahead to keep plugging away at it!

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Life’s been a bit busy the last few weeks and while I would occasionally find myself pondering about things to write on the blog, there just didn’t seem to be time to write them.

In the last month or so, I’ve finished the draft of a manuscript for the next books and have sent that off to the editors to chew on for a while. Probably it is the major reason I haven’t blogged as I’ve been focusing all my writing efforts towards the book. Hopefully it will be out this fall from Linworth.

School has been busy as we got ready and then had our author visit with Louise Borden.  She was absolutely amazing with our students.  She was engaging, informing, and inspiring.  The author visit is always my favorite part of the year, and this year certainly ranks as one of our best.

The last major project has been putting together two presentations for the WEMTA conference in Wisconsin.  I leave tomorrow for a few days to share and learn from other library media professionals.  I’m excited for what the next few days have in store!

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So, I’ve been trying to carve out some time to post to the blog, but unfortunately I’ve just been swampped with projects at school and a writing project at home. So this morning I have my iPhone in my hand and riding my exercise bike. In 2 to 3 miles, I can email, read Twitter, and catchup with Facebook. Now it looks like I can also write a short blog post, too. So what tricks do you use to get things done??

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How do you continue to grow and develop professionally each year.  For me, it is a mix of technology and conferences.  Kristin Fontichiaro on the School Library Media Activities Monthly blog posted a list of things for people to think about when coming to ALA Annual this summer.  While she had a most exhaustive list, I commented on the blog that I think the number one thing to do at conference is to build your network.  I can’t tell you how invaluable it has been for me over the years to have library media colleagues all over the state of Indiana and all over the country that are only an email away.   One of my favorite parts of attending a conference was (and still is) a chance to see all my friends and get a chance to talk and catch-up.

But I wonder as I am working on another project today whether building that network can happen without attending a conference.  I used Facebook today to connect with a library media specialist I hadn’t talk with in years.  I logged onto Twitter and checked out some new resources and tools.  I had a back and forth email conversation with a colleague where we bounced back and forth ideas for future articles we might write.  My network where I might see or talk with these folks once in a great while now has the potential to keep me in contact with them all the time.

I still intend to be a conference attendee for many years to come.  I enjoy the traveling.  I enjoy talking and interacting with people face to face.  But, I love that I can connect with friends via these technology tools, too.  It gives me just another vehicle to keep growing and learning professionally.

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Saturday was a chance to attend the first annual Indy Youth Literature Conference. Sponsored by IUPUI, Kids Ink Bookstore, and IMCPL, this conference brings the stars of Children’s Literature to Indiana.  This year’s line up included Brian Selznick, Nikki Grimes, and Sue Corbett.  They were all amazing presenters who shared their talents and process with a room full of librarians, teachers, and children books lovers.

Brian’s presentation included seeing the original film that inspired the Caldecott Medal winning book – The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Grimes presentation was very poetic talking about colors and reading many of her amazing poems.  We also got a glimpse into the quick timeframe she had to write Barak Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope.  Unfortuantely, I didn’t get to see Sue Corbett.  I was giving a presentation on how to host an author visit, which was fun and I hope helpful for those attending.

I can’t wait to see who will be coming to Indy for the 2nd Annual Indy Youth Literature Conference in 2010!

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I arrived in Denver this morning for the American Library Association’s Midwinter Meetings.  The next few days are packed with meetings, networking, and time in the exhibits.  It will also be a great time to catch-up with friends and colleagues.    We often talk about being isolated in our jobs because no one does the same thing we do in our building.  Getting involved in AASL or your state school library association is a great way to end that isolation and build a network of library friends and colleagues all over the country that you can both learn from as well as share your successes, too.  Every time I come back from ALA or any other conference I’m always refreshed and full of ideas that I know are going to help make our program even better.  I’m looking forward to a great weekend!

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