Hi Aaron,
I appreciate you being critical of your local library. I think it is helpful to read the material and be able to think of our work or our experience. For a lot of the reading in this class, I reflect on my own library and the library I grew up with. My overarching goal in this work is to create the library I wish I had as a kid because…[Read more]

Hi Tessa,
I love your infographic! And I love your topic. Social media is a game changer. You brought up valid points in your writeup and the inforgraph: spread awareness of issues facing libraries such as book bans or budget discussions, create a community, respond to comments and feedback, and increase engagement. Your content ideas on the…[Read more]

Hi Kathrina,
I have the data from the last five school years using the historical statistics through Destiny (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xEZ4G_-NVd1OQ88fdPpGHwQGOuub1JTScLX1qwqdicE/edit?usp=sharing). Maybe this can help? A high school teacher that genrefied last year used this as her evaluation and she said it was really meaningful.
-Heather

Hi Anna,
Thank you. I really appreciate you kind words. I have most definitely stepped on a good amount of toes with the changes, but there are still so many changes needed. You are beyond encouraging.
Thank you!
-Heather

Hi Michele,
The picture at the top of your post made me smile and queasy… I do not have the stomach for VR, but my kids do and friends do! It is so fun to watch people, yet I cannot handle it myself.
Bringing attention to the VR technology and how it can be used as a tool for learning and growth is definitely worth noting in the digital…[Read more]

Hi Kim,
I love your post, specifically your attention to self-care, burnout, and people as conduits. I visited a high school library in my district this week and I did not want to leave! I felt so welcomed, important, and the atmosphere in the library was incredible! I am pretty sure students felt the same way! The library is truly designed and…[Read more]

Ditto @michael! The podcast came up in a conversation today with a colleague.

Hi Pam,
Your Assignment X inspired me and got me thinking about my library. I was awarded a grant last year for a LEGO wall. By the time everything went through, it was installed in late May, and the school year ended in June. Students are messing with it now, and our special day class is coming in weekly to explore it too. My hope was to create…[Read more]

Hi Zoe,
I enjoyed your vlog. I have an instagram and TikTok account for my library (@mvmsreads), but I am not the greatest or most consistent person on it. Your first video was great! And inspiring. The videos I have made are recorded videos with songs. We tried to do a “what to read Wednesdays” last May, but it fizzled because my middle school…[Read more]

Hi Tessa,
I LOVE your post! I’m in the school setting, and in my district, some charge fines and others do not. I was dirt poor growing up and everytime I hear about fines from libraries, I cringe and I am taken back to my childhood. Yes, there were weeks that I would be able to pay for printing or an overdue book, but there were also weeks that…[Read more]

Hi Kathrina,
I love your post! It is so inspiring! We genrefied in June, and already, just for the month of August, over 300 more books were checked out this year than last year. This is my year to be evaluated, and I am actually going to use the change in the library of genrefying. I will have the circulation statistics for each month since I…[Read more]

Thank you for sharing the podcast @michael. It was an encouraging reminder of why I do what I do.

😂 🤣

In a suicide prevention training we did a couple of years ago, we are no longer using “commit suicide”. We learned it is more appropriate to use “death by suicide” and/or unalive. I wonder if it is because of the harshness of the words. I actually didn’t think about that until I read your post @maryann.

I love the comments: the power of hello, the power of positive vibes, etc.
It really does take one act, one word, one smile, etc. to create the library where you belong. I sincerely hope I am creating that library for our students and staff.
Thank you for sharing, @michael!

I love this! We used to have a sign that said “We are…” and students would write their words in the speech bubbles and we would put them on the wall by the door. The sign and the bubbles were left up all year, and students added to it all throughout the year.

@geannamhp, I completely understand!
I have to admit… I tried to update my blog to add links last night and it was an epic fail. I ended up adding new menus and links and blogs, blah blah, blah… and deleted everything. I am going to try again this weekend. I may be reaching out for assistance!
-Heather