NEBRASKA SCHOOL LIBRARIANS ASSOCIATION
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NSLA News Blog

Renovating the Library

12/2/2020

 
A reading culture. Words my ears savor, and words I love to say often. After ten years of building a reading culture at my school, it was time to tackle the next goal: renovating the library. To support the high volume of checkouts, the increased presence of students, and the number of elementary library classes, it was time to improve the library space. 

Two years of preparation were needed for the library addition to take shape. The process was challenging to convince administrators and board members that enlarging the library space was a necessity for our growing district. I attended several workshops that gave me points to ponder on how to approach this money-taxing project and how it could be made possible with fewer dollars. First, I outlined the necessity of space for our elementary students. It was once shared with me that the percentage of space should be equivalent to the percentage of students I serve at each level. Elementary students frequent the library more often than the middle and high school students; however, the space in the library tended to appeal to the older students. Second, the number of books in the square footage of the library meant very little space for teaching, learning, or relaxing. Third, it was time to upgrade our facilities for the growth of our district (and continue to find more room for books!). Finally, I convinced a National Honor Society member to tackle the process of reorganizing the library as her Individual Service Project. It was a win-win situation for us both! And, the administration along with the board members were ready to make this library addition happen. 

In the summer of 2018, the preparation for enlarging the library finally came to fruition. The preschool classroom located next to the library was vacated because the building across the street was purchased for the Tiny Tiger Early Learning Center.  An opportunity for making more space for books! A large doorway was created in the wall to connect the library and the old preschool classroom. This created an opportunity for an elementary section and a middle school/high school section for the library. The moving of bookcases, books, and furniture were completed by the NHS member. Her project also included painting the rooms, storing and reshelving the books (over 15,000). It was quite the project for her, but I am so grateful she was part of the process. Her eye for design and detail were invaluable. This endeavor made the elementary room of the library larger and allowed for library classes to be conducted more easily while other students peruse the shelves. I also purchased shelves that were lower so our young patrons no longer needed to use stools to reach the books on the top shelves. Our shelves are no longer “stuffed” so students can retrieve books more easily. 

I am a proponent of the idea that the library is the heart of the school. I want students to feel safe and comfortable in the library environment. This project gives students the opportunity to feel good about coming to an environment that supports their reading needs. Creating an addition to our library only enhanced the reading culture that was already thriving in our district. 

By Mary Gregoski
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"Show Your Passion!", Nebraska School Librarians!

11/1/2020

 
The Nebraska School Librarians Day was held on October 17, 2020 via Zoom.  We had over 100 registrants and a great turn out for a wonderful morning! We were fortunate enough to have a keynote speaker and two back-to-back sessions from school librarian presenters. We spent our lunch hour with the annual NSLA membership meeting and getting an update from Dorann Avey with NDE regarding Rule 10.  

K.C. Boyd started off our morning with an amazing presentation on advocacy. One of my favorite quotes from her session was, “Show your passion!”  If district leaders are uninformed about your position as a librarian and what you can offer, how will you make yourself irreplaceable? You have to speak up, advocate, and show them how amazing school librarians are and how valuable they are to your district.  Some of the ways she suggested you could accomplish this was to join committees, use your social media, and ask to present to stakeholders.  Bottom line: “Get off the complain train” and show them how amazing you are! 

All of our registrants were given access to the recorded sessions from the day.  Although we are making the most of our situation this year with many virtual professional development opportunities, we hope to see you all in person at NETA and next fall at Nebraska School Librarians Day!  Thank you for joining us virtually this year and helping our organization continue to grow.  Check the website professional development calendar for more awesome PD opportunities!
Submitted by NSLA President, Angie Blankenship

Let's Get Graphic!

10/22/2020

 
“Graphic novels’ popularity with young people has certainly earned them a definite place in school libraries” (Mardis, 2016, p. 105).  I have discovered this popularity in my new role as school librarian the past two school years.  As a past classroom teacher, my students would bring back graphic novels on checkout day and I have to say I wasn’t fond of them.  But now in the library I see students read with enthusiasm and thrive on the visual information.  They are the first books students ask for and the shelves are continually empty!  The population of the graphic novels makes book selection an easy task because I now know which books the students are reading.
 
According to Mardis (2016), “the modern types of graphic novels began in the 1970s, but in recent years they have become extremely popular and many librarians include them in their collections” (p. 106).  Some advantages of including graphic novels in your collection are:  visual learner connections, leading to exploring other kinds of literature, attracting boys and reluctant readers, useful for ESL or below level students and for attracting young people to the library.  I notice all of these advantages as graphic novels are used in my library.  I strongly feel that the books are magnets for pleasure reading and are critical in the development of literacy in our second language learners.
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Adding graphic novels to a library collection also has some disadvantages.  “The contents of some graphic novels are not appropriate for young people” (Mardis, 2016, p. 106).   This is a concept I struggle with when considering what graphic novels to add to my collection because I am at a grade level campus that hosts only second and third graders.  I have some students who like the graphic novel format and have a higher reading level than a second or third grader.  Therefore, the content may be too advanced for my younger student.  I experienced this when receiving a set of Babysitters Club graphic novels and one was titled “Boy Crazy Stacy”.  After reading it, I decided the contents were not appropriate for the age of a second or third grade student and I chose not to put it on the shelf.
 
So let’s continue this love of reading and let the graphic novel collection continue to be the ones with the tattered covers and the longest wait list!  All students will be able to build their reading confidence and there will continue to be a surplus of options for readers of all ages.
 
Mardis, M. (2016). The collection program in schools: Concepts and practices (6th ed.). Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited. 
 
 
Jamie Gruntorad
School Librarian
Sandoz Elementary School
Lexington, NE

Keep Your Remote Learners Engaged

10/4/2020

 
Whether you are teaching students in person or remotely or a little of both, it’s important to make sure all learners are engaged.  Here are my favorite tips for helping remote learners stay in touch with what is happening in their classrooms.

  1. Greet your learners. When we greet students at the door, they feel welcome, connected, and ready to learn. Greet each student by name as they enter your virtual classroom.  If you are teaching remote and in-person students, turn your camera around to give your remote learners a chance to greet their in-person classmates and vice versa.  Make things more fun by using special greetings like air high fives, waves, or fist bumps.
  2. Don’t forget the power of breakout rooms, if you can use them.  I generally thought breakout rooms were only for group work, but I was so wrong!  You can send students to individual breakout rooms to work quietly or conference with them.  The bonus is you can virtually hop from room to room checking in on your students.  Imagine the power of using breakout rooms to make book recommendations to students and learn more about what they like to read.
  3. Please, please, display picture book pages!  Okay, I have to hop on my soapbox here.  Please use an ebook or a document camera to display book pages.  Remote learners and in-person learners can not see detailed illustrations or follow along with you as you read if you just hold the book up to the camera.  Your hand is going to shake, you can’t zoom in, and it’s just not going to look good.  Take the time to learn how to use technology to make sure your learners can enjoy the books.  Students can’t enjoy books they cannot see.

If you need more ideas, you only need to harness the power of the web or social media to see the innovative ways teachers and librarians engage with remote learners. What great ideas will you discover?
Contributed by:
Joy Harvey, Coordinator of Library Services for the Lincoln Public Schools

Getting Started in a New Normal

9/1/2020

 
Like many of you, school librarian summers are spent catching up on books to share with my students and thinking and rethinking ways to engage students and teachers in our library.  This summer, however, was much different.  Measuring tape in hand and library map prepared, I spent the summer calculating how many students I could safely fit into the library and what six foot of social distancing looks like. I worried, I freaked out a bit, and I’m on level 520 of Bubble Pop.  In the end, I sat down and prepared a two page document of library operating procedures for the coming school year.  I had to let a few things go to make room for safety procedures.  The end game was to keep students in our library and build a robust digital platform to serve every one of our 1800 students regardless of their location - school or home. 

In my heart, I felt the least prepared I have ever felt before the first day of school.  However, when the students hit the halls and the questions started rolling in, I did what comes naturally.  I helped, problem solved, directed, and escorted a few shaky freshmen to their classes.  I worked with teachers through the kinks of the Google Classroom transition knowing whatever came our way, it was the platform that would support learning. The worries of the summer fell away and within our safety procedures, we rolled. We helped.  And we persisted.  

School librarians have an opportunity to take a seat at the table providing resources and support to meet the needs of students in large and small ways. As our teachers rethink their instruction plans, we can offer collaboration and insight. Rethinking the workflow in our libraries shows our students ingenuity and grit. We can move through this season of uncertainty with courage. My hope for all of you this fall as school opens in whatever capacity, is that you roll and you persist. 

​By Cynthia Stogdill

Build That Relationship

8/14/2020

 
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​No matter if we are teaching in our libraries or virtually, I think that we can all agree upon the fact that this coming school year might be a bit of a hot mess. The list of changes, precautions, and guidelines that we will follow to ensure our own safety and that of our students and staff grows with each passing day. But take a second to take a deep breath and think about the amazing thing that’s about to happen...



We get to continue to build relationships with our kiddos. 

Very few teachers are as fortunate as we are. We get to spend years developing relationships and really getting to know our students, and that’s something that this pandemic cannot take away from us. 

So as you enter this school year, my advice to you is to set aside your worries about how you will manage to get books in kids hands, how you will need to quarantine library materials, and how you will teach in person or online. Because at the end of the day, that doesn’t matter. What does, is that you spend time with your students. 

Greet them at every chance you can. Do some fun icebreakers. Sit and talk to them. Let them get to know you. And build that relationship. 

​​By Kelly Kenny

Executive Secretary's Annual Report - July 2020

7/29/2020

 

Executive Secretary’s Report - July 23, 2020
​
Submitted by Mandy Peterson

Membership—(current as of July 19, 2020)
152  -  1 year
70    -  3 year
5      -  Commercial/Institution
27    -  DSA/Life
6      -  Retired
42    -  Student 
303  -  Total Active
How does it compare? In July 2019, we had 334 active memberships. Our membership rate is a bit lower at this time. However, these are unique times and our offerings to Nebraska school librarians have not depended upon membership for access.

The good news... Our membership is growing. We had 15 new memberships from March 2020 to July 2020.

More good news... No emails "bounced back" when members were emailed about summer PD opportunities from the contactnsla@gmail.com email address. This shows that our members are receiving important information at this time. If you switched districts or retired, please email the above address to update NSLA.

All new memberships... New memberships received from July 28 through September 30 will automatically be extended to September 30, 2021 and will not need to renew in 2020.

IMPORTANT AS WE LOOK AHEAD: In August, members will begin to receive information about the NSLA School Librarians Day in October as well as membership renewals. Current members will receive one of two emails: membership needs to be renewed or membership is active for the upcoming year. September 30 is our universal membership renewal date.

Of note in the 2019-2020 year:

In the face of COVID-19, the NSLA has been able to provide and promote many professional development opportunities through email, social media, and our listserv. None of these opportunities were limited to only NSLA members. Our goals regarding professional development, despite the cancellation of NETA 2020, have been met and exceeded.

In July 2020, the NSLA strengthened its standing committees and established new goals in its action plan. Committee chairs and their contact information can be found on our About NSLA page.

Marketing in the School Library

4/10/2020

 
As a library media specialist (LMS), I often find myself pulled in many directions at any given time during any given day.  In this teaching position, that I love so much, I have come to expect that my days will likely never look the same.

Like all of you, before I was a LMS, I was a classroom teacher.  Whether I was teaching in the elementary classroom or middle school mathematics, my students and I thrived on our classroom routines, expectations, and normal day-to-day goings on.  (An assistant superintendent once asked me if my consistent classroom schedule was for the students or for me. I told him it was for “all of us” - and that was the truth.) Our classroom routine made it so I could focus on teaching and my students could focus on learning.  It aided my classroom management.

In my first years as a LMS, I was teaching in a middle school with a set library schedule, which I learned to make work for me.  I saw 6th grade students on Mondays and Tuesdays, 7th grade students on Wednesdays, and 8th grade students on Thursdays. Fridays were set as my enrichment days.  With the students, I established library “norms” and expectations. I was able to give book talks, share book trailers, talk with students about books, etc. All was well!

Fast forward several years to my current LMS position.  I serve middle school and high school students. I have no set schedule.  Every day is a NEW adventure!

One of the many things I love about being a LMS is talking to kids about books and reading.  I love hearing about their latest reads, their passion for a series, their irritation with how long it takes their favorite author to write a book, etc.  Oftentimes during these chats, I get new suggestions of books to order. I also love suggesting books to students to read. When a student approaches me and indicates a need for help finding a book to read, I must admit, my inner-librarian self squeals and claps with excitement.  It’s like a puzzle I get to put together. So - the questions begin. What was the last book you read? What did you like about it? What’s your favorite book? What makes the book your favorite? Etc. Until - voila! A “book match” is made!

Unfortunately, I’m not always available to do my beloved “book matching”.  This saddens my librarian’s heart, but it is what is. So here’s what I do…  Every month, I have a new quirky, punny library theme, complete with posters, signs, a bookmark, and a bookmark with my Bitmoji on it.  I display books on the tops of our shelves, and each book has a bookmark placed in it. If I’ve read the book and enjoyed it, I put the bookmark with my Bitmoji on it in the book.  This is my way of suggesting books to my kiddos without actually being there! (At the beginning of each school year, I communicate my bookmark “strategy” with ALL of my students. For the 6th grade students this is new information, but for the rest of the student body - it’s a reminder.  So, EvErYoNe knows!)

My hope is that each student looks forward each month to what that “CrAzY” Mrs. Fiala is going to “do” in the Media Center.  For the record, I’ve not had a repeated monthly theme in the six-years I’ve been at Aurora Public Schools!

by Emmy Fiala

Finish Strong

3/15/2020

 
“Ok...Here we go. Focus. Speed.” 
Lightning McQueen says at the start of the movie Cars this famous line. He learns a few lessons along the way, but it still comes back to his finish and how managed to accomplish this task.  

I’d like to add to his two words—attitude and discipline. We need to have all these things at the end of the year. We ask our students to take state tests; we ask our students to wrap up their end-of-the-year projects; we ask her students to show up and continue learning even though the days are really nice outside and they’d rather be somewhere else. 

How about school library? Are we ready to finish strong? What is our focus at the end of the year? I know many times we are “busy” and caught up with other things. You may have requisitions on your plate; you may have weeding; you may have inventory; you may have teachers who want to try something new.  We are librarians. We persevere. We still need to continue and finish strong. Whether it’s students, teachers, your entire school family, I remind you, remember your focus.

Speed...when we’re looking at the rate of things that need to be done between now and the end of the year (and then you throw in having no school), what’s the speed in which we need to accomplish certain tasks? Although sleep is sometimes an afterthought, take care of yourself too. You can’t be up to speed if you’re not up to yourself. How can we have school librarians support our teachers in finishing the end of the year and finishing strong? 

We hear attitude is everything. We teach that attitude is everything. I remind you that you wake up each day and you decide who you’re going to be, you wake up each day and decide how the day is going to go. We are in charge of our lives; we’re in charge of our school library lives. Our attitude determines a lot. The attitude that we as school librarians have is one of the biggest influences in our school. Time to help you with making a connection to project even though we are swamped with things going...we sure do have the time! We always have the attitude that we still need to be there for our students. For some, the book that is checked out from us is the only book they have at home. For some, the conversation they have with us about a book is one positive adult relationship that they have in their life. For some, the library is a place for them to make and create. How can our attitude better support students in their ongoing quest for knowledge? 

Finally, what discipline do we have? This is the 4th quarter—it’s time to dig deep. I myself need to rise to the occasion so I can be a stronger person. What can I learn? What new skills can I gain because then I can export those onto my students? Or better yet, what new books can I read that I can then share with a student? I know on days off from school there are so many other things pulling at me...potentially new books that I want to read, always my housework, the nice days that make me want to be outside, there’s probably something that needs to be organized in my life...but I need to have that discipline to finish what I’m doing.

I challenge you school librarians to have your focus, your speed, your attitude, and your discipline in check and finish strong.

So as we wrap up the final quarter or term of the school year, let’s all finish strong.

​by Crys Bauermeister

AASL National Conference 2019

2/4/2020

 
The bi-annual national conference of the American Association of School Librarians was held in Louisville, Kentucky from November 14-16, 2019. The conference provided opportunity to hear from well-received speakers and to learn from colleagues in the profession. Nebraska was well represented as several of our state librarians had presentations during the conference. One of the primary themes of the conference was centered around the new school library standards. If you have not taken the time to review them, make a point to do so soon.
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The AASL Learning Library is available at https://aasl.digitellinc.com/aasl/conferences/31/view
The Learning Library offers recordings of 62 sessions from the conference. You can find sessions about advocacy, gaming, collaboration, and media literacy – just to name a few. The AASL Learning Library is free for members and is $199 for non-members. 

During the conference, AASL launched a new state-level leader collaborative. The AASL School Leader Collaborative will included administrators and school librarians. It is a two-year initiative to engage with administrators who are vital to the success of school librarians. The panel includes seven administrators – superintendents and principals from across the county. A group of state-level school librarian leaders will serve as a point of contact to initiate the activities developed by the collaborative. Goals for this initiative are to develop active ambassadors for school libraries and to become a catalyst for sustained change. Watch for more news about this initiative in the months to come.

Dr. Kim Gangwish
AASL Liaison
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