Circulating Ideas - 14 July 2021
Circulating Ideas facilitates conversations with the innovative people and ideas inspiring libraries to grow and thrive in the 21st century. This newsletter dives deeper into those conversations.
Please let me know if you have suggestions for upcoming guests or for additions or changes to this newsletter. I'd love your feedback!
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In elementary school, my school librarian helped me write a letter to James Howe, author of my then-favorite book, Bunnicula. As fun as that was, I had no idea that he would actually write me back! He wrote a note on a bookmark that I used for the longest time and eventually lost track of 😭.
In high school, my school librarian suggested I read Ender's Game, and that was my favorite book for years after (it only stopped being my favorite due to issues with the author) and kicked my interest in science fiction into the stratosphere.
My high school librarian also helped me and a friend put together a video for a school assignment about the history of Batman 🤓 . We used THE COMPUTER to edit the VIDEOTAPE and it was AMAZING. THE FUTURE* HAD ARRIVED. My friends and I went on to make a dozen or so movies, kicked off by the horror film Day of the Washcloth. But that's another story for another time.
I remember my high school librarian in particular helping me do some research for various papers over the years, and she made us take a test on the Dewey Decimal System!
School librarians are an important part of the educational lives of children, which makes it that much more important for them to have strong values. In the new episode of the show, I speak with Judi Moreillon, editor of Core Values in School Librarianship, about those values and why they're key to the work of school librarians.
The podcast started its run with a school librarian, Buffy Hamilton, and I'm so pleased to be able to revisit this part of the profession from time to time. Enjoy.
*1990
Episode 203
Core Values in School Librarianship by Judi Moreillon, Editor — products.abc-clio.com
You can order a copy of Judi's book here!
More About Judi Moreillon
Judi Moreillon (@CactusWoman) | Twitter — twitter.com
Judi Moreillon wins the Scholastic Library Publishing Award — www.ala.org
Judi was n named the 2019 winner of ALA’s Scholastic Library Publishing Award. The award, supported by the Scholastic Publishing Company, recognizes a librarian whose unusual contribution to the stimulation and guidance of reading by children and young people, exemplifies outstanding achievement in the profession.
Local Opinion: Our opportunity to repair K-12 education — tucson.com
In this opinion piece for her local paper, Judi explains why she supports Prop. 208, the Invest in Education Act, which would allow Arizona school districts to train, hire and retain qualified classroom teachers, nurses, school librarians and counselors and reduce class size (it passed in 2020).
For those with access to ALA Annual 2021 content, this is a panel Judi ran with some of the book's contributors.
Please Don't Give Me a Hug! — starbrightbooks.com
Judi wrote this book about children who enjoy a solid bear hug and those who don’t—and that’s okay. Friendliness, love, and affection can be shown in many ways! In this sweet book, diverse children share different ways they feel comfortable being greeted by new or friendly acquaintances.
Maximizing School Librarian Leadership: Building Connections for Learning and Advocacy by Judi Moreillon — www.alastore.ala.org
How do school librarians best serve students, classroom teachers, and principals simultaneously? The key, argues Moreillon, is to lead. By embracing a leadership role, school librarians can work collaboratively to positively impact school cultures, curricula, and teaching practices.
Coteaching Reading Comprehension Strategies in Elementary School Libraries: Maximizing Your Impact by Judi Moreillon — www.alastore.ala.org
Time-strapped educators wonder whether partnering with school librarians can realistically improve students' scores, but studies show that collaboration improves overall effectiveness in increasing students' reading comprehension.
Coteaching Reading Comprehension Strategies in Secondary School Libraries: Maximizing Your Impact by Judi Moreillon — www.alastore.ala.org
This companion volume to Collaborative Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension, which covered lower grades, completes the educational arc by focusing on adolescent readers in grades 6-12.
School Librarian Leadership | Building Connections for Learning and Advocacy — www.schoollibrarianleadership.com
On the School Librarian Leadership blog Judi shares research and musings, news and views with the hopes of prompting critical thinking regarding coteaching and collaboration between school librarians, classroom teachers, specialists, school administrators, and others involved in deeper learning and effective teaching.
Recirculated
I've had a number of school librarians on the show in the past!
182: Stacy Brown – Circulating Ideas — circulatingideas.com
Stacy Brown, librarian and 21st Century Learning Coordinator at The Davis Academy
164: Cicely Lewis – Circulating Ideas — circulatingideas.com
Cicely Lewis, library media specialist at Meadowcreek High School in Norcross, GA
142: School Library Makerspaces – Circulating Ideas — circulatingideas.com
Heather Moorefield-Lang and Gina Seymour. Heather is the editor of School Library Makerspaces in Action, and Gina is the author of Makers with a Cause: Creative Service Projects for Library Youth.
137: School Librarian Panel – Circulating Ideas — circulatingideas.com
I chatted with a panel of school librarians at the 2018 American Library Association Annual Conference: Heather Moorefield-Lang, Deb Logan, Heather Thore, Stacy Brown, Gina Seymour, and Sedley Abercrombie.
17: Wendy Stephens – Circulating Ideas — circulatingideas.com
Wendy Stephens was the librarian at Cullman High School and a doctoral candidate in Information at the University of North Texas, where she was funded by an IMLS grant to prepare school and public library faculty.
1: Buffy Hamilton – Circulating Ideas — circulatingideas.com
Buffy Hamilton was the Unquiet Librarian at Creekview High School in Canton, GA.
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