We are often so busy in library with the everyday business that we don’t make time to promote the wonderful resources we offer… and then we wonder why no one uses them.

Last year our district finally was able to purchase a subscription for K-12 to use the EBSCOhost online databases. Technical difficulties (ours, not EBSCO’s) kept us from making good use of it last year. So to promote the resource THIS year, our district’s professional librarians met in early August to write an “infomercial” to present to the faculty of the district. We spent a day writing and about half a day filming. To put the movie together we used Windows Movie Maker.  It comes with Windows and while the program has limitations, it is free and can get the message out.

Judge for yourselves…

EBSCOhost “infomercial”

We intend to present this at faculty meetings around the district!  The few teachers who have previewed it have totally enjoyed it so there is a good buzz going.

Of course, we will need to offer further training on using this product, but the purpose of our video was to inform, entertain, and entice them to use the subscription service.  We also plan to offer prizes this year, with teacher’s names being entered into a drawing each time they use this resource with their students. 

Now that’s the power of not one, not two, but three creative librarians!

A smile goes a long way.  Librarians should smile, not only in the library, but in the hallways, in the classrooms, in the office, and in the grocery store.  Smiling at students, colleagues, and parents costs nothing but sincerity.  And I believe it can go a long way toward building your library program.

During my masters work at GSLIS we discussed in several classes how to make the library a welcoming place.  I believe that starts OUTSIDE of the library itself.  If you are truly friendly to students it will go a long way in making them want to enter your doors. 

On the way into the school building in the morning is a prime opportunity, I believe.  It is often the students with troubled homes who show up first in the morning and stand around outside our building.  They would rather stand in the cold and/or rain than stay at home; how sad is that?  As I walk in I try to say good morning to most of the kids I pass.  I’m terrible with names, but I can say good morning to all of them.  Often those closest to the door will rush to open it for me and I’m sure to leave them with a positive comment such as, “How very thoughtful (or polite, or kind) of you.  Thank you so much.”  I’m sincere, and I hope it shows.  Sometimes I will say to a boy, “What a gentleman.”  I like to believe it makes a difference.

Some of the staff hurry by without making eye contact, dashing into the building to get their papers xeroxed or whatever… but there are some who, like me, greet the kids.  It is important.

I see over half of the district’s students as they grow from K-8th grade.  I love seeing them when I occassionally need to make a trip through the halls at our adjoining high school.  But one day as I walked through the halls over there one of the students who attended the school where I do not serve commented after I passed, “She is SO grade school.”  Why?  Was it my Santa Claus shirt?  Very appropriate at the grade school since it was December.  Too grade school for high school, I thought at first.  And then I wondered if it was my smile and greeting as they passed me.  I didn’t know them, but I said hello anyway.  Shame on me for breaking through their adolescent detachment.  How “grade school” of me.  So- high school librarians – I beg you to smile and greet your way through the halls in spite of their cynical resistance.  When they need information assistance they are more likely to approach you for help if you do.

A smiling, positive, friendly attitude is something that school libraries of all size budgets can afford.  And unlike the book budget, the SMILE quota never runs out.  So hit the doors next August with a smile, won’t you?!  We will be…

Our back-to-school theme this year will include around 50 smiley face balloons.  (The balloons are being recycled from my husband’s 50th birthday party in May!)  Hopefully it will set the tone for all that we are happy to be back to school… and happy to see you in the library!

In my Library Administration class from my undergraduate degree I remember being told to never go to your principal (or supervisor) with a problem unless you also had a solution.  Go with problem only and you are a complainer.  Go with a potential solution and you are a collaborator.

I have put this wise advice into practice through the years.  When I first came to my current workplace there was no display space available for the library.  But just across the hall by the office there were two display cases CROWDED with ancient trophies.  I coveted this space, but anticipated my Principal’s problem if he granted it to me – what to do with all the trophies.  I was ready.  I suggested that the trophies move to the tops of my 68″ non-fiction shelves.  Other than the custodians’ annual complaint that they have to dust them, this was a great solution and has been a great outreach for the library.

In the photos above you can view the latest display:  Eggcellent Spring Reading.  I often use wrapping paper for a background since it is fairly inexpensive, colorful, and available in many themes.  And I almost always have something in addition to the books, such as these eggs and chickens.  It catches everyone’s eye that way!

I do not always use the case for book displays.  For example, during February of this year I invited teachers to bring a wedding photo of themselves.  It was a VERY popular display.  (Actually, we did this about 15 years ago and staff requested a repeat!)  In late April/May we plan to have faculty bring old prom or homecoming pictures of themselves.  (Most of the mature faculty members no longer can locate these photos, but this gives the unmarrieds and the younger staff a chance to participate.  They still know where those photos are and probably still have the dried flowers… which I’ll use in the display if they’ll bring them!)

I leave displays up at least a month, sometimes for two.  This display will stay up through spring break.  It has elements of Easter in it, but it isn’t geared to a holiday so it has more staying power!  The cases lock so I sometimes borrow collections from individuals in the community.  The Lego collection was VERY popular.  Plus I make it known to the teachers that both cases can be used for their class projects, so I do not always have to keep it filled.

I believe Sue Stroyan was the instructor of that Library Administration class.  I’m not sure if the advice was from her or from the textbook, but I have never forgotten it.  And it has remained EGG-cellent advice!

Note from a perfectionist:  I’m not happy with legibility in the headline, so I intend to add white letters, leaving the green as shadow.  I also need to add a couple of egg cartons and some Pysanky Eggs (Ukranian Easter Eggs) which I have somewhere at home.  Also worth noting, for the last 22 years I have good-naturedly ignored the custodian’s complaints about dusting the trophies … I work hard so the custodians know I respect the job they do and I usually bake them something at least once a year in trophy penance.  You see, my mother, a career educator, always told me:  “The most important people to develop positive relationships with in a school building are the custodians and the secretaries.”  …also EGG-cellent advice!

In an effort to make numbers concrete rather than just concepts, for almost the past 20 years primary teachers have been “celebrating” the 100th day of school.  Many schools have the students do projects, posters or make collections of 100 items.  Our school used to be one of those.  However for the past 15 years our 100th day celebration has become more meaningful.  Our school’s Kindergarten, First and Second Grades set a goal to collect, as a grade, at least 100 paper products which will be donated to a local women and children’s shelter called Harbor House.  The organization lets us know annually which products it is most in need of:  toilet paper, Kleenex, paper towels, diapers… they always need a lot! 

The idea for this celebration originated with one of our first grade teachers.  We all have found it very meaningful, and my aide and I are happy to give the donations a home while they are collected and to host the assembly on the 100th day of school. 

As the items are brought to school, they are placed in the library divided by grade levels.  Teachers keep a tally and often bring their class in for an update and use that opportunity to reinforce number concepts.  The director of Harbor House (or a representative) always comes to our school on day 100 to hold a brief assembly to accept the donations.  Our students and their families have always donated at least 100 items per grade level.  This year, however, may have been our largest year.  On February 3rd we presented Harbor House with over 800 items.  And they tell us that will probably get them through only three or four months, but it is a HUGE help to them.

The photo only shows a portion of this year’s donations and you may notice that we celebrate the 100th day of school in varied ways.  If a couple of the first graders look oddly dressed it is because they are attempting to look 100 years old.  (The first grade teachers usually dress as if they are 100, too… actually they end up looking just like my elementary school teachers!)  You can also spy 100 shaped glasses and a 100 dollar bill hat. 

As a math-challenged, failed-product of “New Math” I often look at the hands on approach to math that they use in primary classrooms today and wish I could start over.  These methods would work for me… but, alas, I have floundered this far and I was smart enough to marry a guy who can add numbers in his head faster than most folks can with a calculator.  I’ll continue floundering…

My point in sharing this via the blog is twofold. 

#1 – I think this is a very meaningful way to collect 100 items.  It satisfies the goal of making the number 100 concrete and it fills a need in the community.  I much prefer it over projects, posters, and collections.  It focuses our kids on others instead of themselves - always a good thing! 

#2 – We really try to be the Library Media CENTER.  100s day at our school means the library staff lives with stacks and towers of paper products for a couple of weeks.  It means we steer kids to the right stack and help them make the tally marks if their teacher isn’t with them.  It means we carry out the tables and stack the chairs to make room for the 10 minute assembly.  It means we bag and box up the paper products and help tote them to the Harbor House van after the kids and teachers have returned to class.  And then it means we carry in the tables, unstack the chairs, and roll up the Hundreds for Harbor House banner until next year.

We ARE the Library Media Center.  Our service isn’t limited to books, computers, and information.  We are home base.  We are collaborators.  We are organizers.  We are supporters.  We are key players on the team.  We are the center of our educational community… and we like it that way!  We are LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER…!  (Those who remember Helen Reddy will compulsively finish that phrase!)

Abraham Lincoln would have been 200 years old today and it was a big deal at our school.  Of course, this is Illinois the Land of Lincoln, and I just happen to have a dining room decorated with Lincoln pictures and collectibles.  (Every bit of which is at school at the moment.)  No way around it, I’m a fan of the man. 

Our school celebrated by participating in the simultaneous reading of “The Gettysburg Address”.  Dubbed “The Four Score and Seven” project, this is a national attempt to establish a new Guinness Book of World Record for the most people reading aloud simultaneously.  Our second thru sixth graders all participated in the choral reading.  Hearing their voices at the end, “of the people, by the people, for the people” was moving. 

In addition to coordinating the event, today was story day for K-3.  How do you choose which of the many new Lincoln books to read aloud?  I didn’t.  I gave commercials for several of our recent purchases.   

To begin, the students and I discussed the word Bicentennial with the roots bi and cent.  I explained that because of the Lincoln Bicentennial publishers have recently released a number of wonderful new titles.  Rappaport’s “Abe’s Honest Words” is one I introduced to them, but did not read all aloud.  First grade and up know about quotation marks, so I related their knowledge to the fact that the “honest words” in the books were quotes or quotations from Lincoln.  (Information Literacy skill!) With second and third grade I read them the last quote in the book.  They quickly recognized the ending of “The Gettysburg Address”.  It was a special moment with each class for they all spontaneously joined me in the ending and I was able to again hear their voices.  “…government of the people, by the people, for the people…”. 

I allowed classes to indirectly chose which of the titles I would read aloud in its entirety by asking them to vote (with eyes closed) on whether they were in the mood for a happy story or a sad story.  The happy story was going to be Jim Aylesworth’s “Our Abe Lincoln”, but EVERY class surprised me and voted for sad.  They must like to see me cry when I read???  I sang them bits of “Our Abe Lincoln” anyway as a book commercial.  The subtitle is “an old song with new lyrics” and you indeed MUST sing (not read) it to the tune of “The old gray mare.”  

But the kids chose sad and “Abe Lincoln Comes Home” by Robert Burleigh fits the bill!  They kids all know about Lincoln’s assassination, therefore I actually begin introducing the book by telling them about Lincoln’s Farewell Address, his brief words to his friends and neighbors in Springfield as he left to assume the presidency on February 11, 1861.  Lincoln’s Farewell was final, for his only return was via his funeral train on May 2, 1865.  I showed my students the map at the back of the book and told them that what impressed me was the common man’s reaction.  Sure the big cities had the train stop for huge memorials, but it was the many who waited by remote tracks all along the route that touch my heart.  And this is the subject of Burleigh’s book.  I also took the opportunity to remind the students of a wonderful but dying custom of today; when passing a funeral procession on the highway it is courtesy to pay your respects by pulling over and stopping.  A few kids knew the custom, but I encouraged them to practice it and educate their parents if necessary.  This seemed to help them understand why folks in 1865 would drive miles and miles to simply stand by the tracks to watch a funeral train pass. 

On a lighter note, each student in my schools were given a penny pin today.  My aide and I made all 900 of them and pinned them through Lincoln Bicentennial cards I made from white cardstock.  The penny pin project was fraught with setbacks, but the genuine appreciation from students Kindergarten through 8^th grade made it worth all the trouble.

Today was the Lincoln Bicentennial.  My efforts today were “for the people” – for the young people whom I hope will remember today as a special time in their learning experience.  To quote Lincoln:  “Upon the subject of education, I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in.”  Perhaps it is the fact that Mr. Lincoln (don’t call him Abe!) acquired the bulk of his education from reading books that serves to endear him to my librarian’s heart.  I celebrate his memory!

“Before there was a movie… there was THE BOOK!”  This is how we began reading aloud The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg.  Before we read the book, however, my aides and I knocked ourselves out to give our students a memorable book event for Christmas!  Repeating what we did four years ago (when the movie was new) we turned the stage at two of my schools into a train car.  My aide, Ellen, created nighttime windows complete with snow and stars which we pinned to the stage curtains down two sides.  White Christmas lights were strung everywhere (also pinned to the curtains).  And, yes, we set this up at the 4th/5th building for a Dec. 17th performance, tore down and set up at the K-3, 6-8 school for Dec. 18.   (NOTE:  The photos do NOT do justice to the actual ambience since the flash wrecks the actual lighting!)

On “Polar Express” Day, students and teachers were invited to wear their pajamas.  (Dress code still to be followed, of course, when choosing jammies.)  The conductor (a former principal at HGS and a former teacher’s husband at RGS) went to each classroom, blew a train whistle, and “conducted” the students to our Polar Express.  As the students entered the library (at HGS) or the gym (at RGS) the instrumental “suite” from the movie soundtrack was playing. 

As soon as all students were seated our conductor punched tickets and then announced that we were off!  (Tickets were printed on gold paper and distributed ahead of time.)

The plan was for me to be seated (in my jammies) and sitting quietly at the front of the “train car”.  As soon as we were “rolling” I would stand up and begin reading the book aloud.  Unfortunately I developed a terrible case of laryngitis.  Fortunately my aides Ellen and Margaret jumped in at each school and performed the read aloud.

After the story the conductor led everyone to disembark.  Each student received a bell as the song “Believe” from the movie soundtrack played them off the train.  I passed out the bells whispering ”Merry Christmas”… not knowing about my laryngitis, students would whisper it back! 

After passing out bells to the first group one first grader received a bell that didn’t ring.  Her teacher quipped, “you must not believe!”  “But I DO!” she wailed.  We immediately replaced the bell for the young believer and then sorted through them all before the next group came.  There were a handful which didn’t ring. 

When we did this four years ago I did it only for K-3… but I chose to include the whole school(s) this time and I did not regret it.   Four years ago, few students had seen the movie.  Now most have seen it… and don’t remember there was a book.  My eighth graders loved it as much as the little guys.  (Although I confess I saved the bells that didn’t ring and distributed them to select junior highers!)

One of them, after sitting down, remarked to me, “this looks like you guys went to a lot of work”.  (How wonderful for him to notice!)  A younger student said “this was better than the movie”.  (The book ALWAYS is!)  Another quipped, “this was faster than the movie!”.  But no one topped the kindergarten girl who four years ago, as the final words of the story hung in the air, peered up at me through her coke bottle glasses and sincerely vowed, “I believe!”

I believe, too.  I believe in books and the power of reading.  I believe it is worth my time and effort to create a memory for my students.  I believe in young people because they aren’t finished yet.  And I believe in He who was truly the first gift of Christmas over 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem. 

Wishing you and yours a blessed Christmas.

A few years ago my aide and I dressed as a little old woman and a little old man for Halloween.  For the first half hour of the day we abandoned our posts in the Library Media Center and went from room to room.  “Have you seen our boy?”  we sobbed dramatically.  “He just ran off… and he shouted horrible things back at us.  Run, run, run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me,” we wept. The kids were confused… and then delighted as they understood we were from the story, The Gingerbread Man. 

One of the first grades had the last laugh, however, as at the end of the day they came into the library shouting, “We found him!”  They had created a gingerbread boy out of construction paper.  We still use him when we decorate for Christmas.

We thought we would never top that memory.  But this year I believe we may have done…

This year for Halloween we were bookaneers:  Captain Book and his sidekick, First Mate Reed.  (Our parrot’s name was Paige!)  We again abandoned our LMC posts and carried an old footlocker from room to room declaring we had a treasure.  We were quite dramatic in exclaiming that we had a truly valuable treasure and we invited the students to guess and then peak at what might be inside.  Even the sixth graders played along, although they knew it was going to be books inside.    It was gold foil covered books inside (from a previous “Golden Oldies” promotion). 

As Captain Book I got on my soap box and told the students that “there were no greater treasure to be found than a good book in yer hand and the ability to read it.”  Before we shoved off I also made each class promise to be “good as gold” that day since Halloween can get a bit silly and wild.  The teachers loved it.  The kids loved it.  We made a good memory for all… and were able to have fun while promoting what we truly believe:  There IS no greater treasure on this earth than a good book and the ability to read it!

At my main school building we have a large bulletin board just inside the main entrance.  Each year I put up a back-to-school bulletin board containing identified photos of all faculty and staff.  This functions as a service to students and parents (and new staff) but it also serves to build community among the faculty because we have fun with it.

In the past, during the first teacher attendance day, the teachers at HGS have agreed to dress as Greek Gods & Goddesses (the year of Disney’s “Hercules”), posed with cardboard cutouts the local theatre donated from “George of the Jungle”, or as pirates (the year of “Pirates of the Caribbean”).  I gather the props (with their help) - faculty and staff just have to submit to looking somewhat foolish as they have their photo taken.  I always come up with a slogan to suit the theme.

Last year I used a Hollywood theme.  An e-mail soliciting props from faculty and staff yielded film reels, fur coat, sunglasses, director’s chair and more.  I just put out the props, they choose, and pose.  The digital camera does the rest.

This is a time consuming project for me.  And it consumes time right at the beginning of the year when I have libraries in three buildings to get open for the school year.  But it is worth it.  Faculty & staff, parents and students look forward to it each year.  Actually, when I saw our principal in late July her first words to me were, “What’s the theme this year?”

“Get a Gold Medal Education at HGS” is the theme I selected.  With the Bejing Olympics in full swing it is timely!  A flag, track medals from one faculty member’s talented daughter and we’re off!

Again – this takes time…and I’ll take the time.  I’ll take the time because library service takes many forms, and I see the back-to-school bulletin board as an important service toward building our school community.  And since I coordinate the School Library Media CENTER, I like being CENTRAL to something positive kicking off our school year.

Take the time.  “Put together” a back to school bulletin board for your building!  If the school year has already started – do it for Open House or Parent Teacher Conferences.

While viewing the Cookie Monster clip I found myself compulsively thinking like a librarian doing reader’s advisory.  The Cookie Monster first requests Little Red Riding Hood.   (Ooo… we just bought a classic one illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman.)  Then he wants Nursery Rhymes (Richard Scarry’s Best Mother Goose Ever remains one of my favorites…)  Cookie Monster requests a picture book (where do I start?  the newest ones are on display, I would start there).  And then he finally asks for a book ABOUT cookies.  We have two good ones!  One of them is on the 2009 Monarch list (Illinois’ K-3 childrens’ choice award.  Cookies:  Bite-size Life Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal is a lovely book about much more than cookies.  Mixed into making and eating cookies are vocabulary/life lesson concepts such as respect, trustworthiness, patience, politeness, and loyalty.  “Cooperate means, How about you add the chips while I stir?” 

So I find myself mentally finding books for Cookie Monster with a professional compulsion I cannot deny.  As for “no cookies, just books” that isn’t quite true in our district anymore. 

Our high school librarian cleverly celebrated National Library Week April 13-19 by giving a cookie to any student returning overdue books or paying their fines.  In high school this is always an end of the year nightmare; trying to get inventory done while chasing down students for overdue books and fines before they disappear for the summer or for college!  The cookie idea was a clever and friendly solution!  Of course, in the way of all institutions, the lovely cookie plan was complicated by an administrator who didn’t want cookies in the halls (a couple of bites on the way out of the library and who worries about cookies in the hall?), and the cafeteria didn’t want lunchtime competition.  Our librarian resorted to distributing cookie IOUs and students had to return at the end of the day for their cookie.  But it still was a great idea.  Next year we’ll work on the administrative complications….