📬 NC NEW(s) Librarian Vol 8 | Happy School Library WEEK!

 

HAPPY SCHOOL LIBRARY MONTH!!!

 

Just a reminder that you have a few ways to explore this volume 8 of the NC NEW(s) Librarian:

1️⃣ Scroll down for a text-friendly version! Graphics & links still included but you don't have to navigate fonts, colors, or too many graphics

2️⃣ Click on over to view on the same Canva format as previous volumes

3️⃣ Open the PDF for offline viewing

 

April is School Library Month: a time to celebrate all that libraries provide our school communities, learners & readers!

There will be one more newsletter for this school year, coming in May, then a summer break! 🏖️

 

Over the summer, Mollee will be creating a landing page for all the previous volumes of the newsletter, and will be plotting out future newsletters. If you're willing to share an initiative or project here on the newsletter, please keep an eye out for how to do so come August. The goal of this newsletter is to inform, connect and amplify good ideas so please don't hesitate if you have something you'd like to contribute!

 

Got this as a forward? Be sure to sign up to get it delivered right to you in the future!

 

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If no one wished you Happy School Library Month yet in April, I'm honored to acknowledge that your work is important and deeply appreciated! In this month's edition, you'll find resources to help you celebrate with your readers and advocate for school libraries. Good news: School Library Week is April 23-29 so there's plenty of time to keep celebrating - and there's no reason you can't carry on in May and beyond!

The AASL website for School Library Month has many graphics and promotional tools that are free, and ready to use. 

 

 

IDEAS FOR CELEBRATING 

 

📖 Create a Students' Picks display

🎬 Invite students to create library promotional materials like an ad for the school news show, a poster, or a graphic novel about your school library services and materials

🧩 Host STEM stations or gaming time for drop-in visits

📄 For more ideas for celebrating, read the blog post in its entirety at EBSCO

Or check out how TX librarian Karina 'Cue' Quilantan created School Library Month BINGO cards for her community!

 

 

 

WHY DID YOU BECOME A LIBRARIAN?

In a recent visit to work with SLMCs in Pitt Co Schools, I shared that the reason I became a librarian is because my HS librarian gave me a welcoming place to belong. Socially anxious and dealing with bullying, I snuck my lunch into the library and she was flexible with the rules, allowing me to eat and study outside the lunchroom. Yes, I went into this field because I love using text and tech to help learners explore the world and stories of others' but I also felt a sense of belonging in a library and wanted to provide that for students.

Tell your story on:

By recording on a FLIP topic

or a Canva Whiteboard (if you prefer text)

 

CONNECT & GROW WITH OTHER SLMCs

We all need connection & being with like-minded professionals makes a huge impact on a sense of purpose & belonging.

Here are some webinars & opportunities to connect:

Our Brave Communities: Embracing School Librarians 
ALA Connect Live:
Tuesday, 4/25/23 | 5:00 p.m.

SLJ Day of Dialog 
Thursday May 18

NCCAT Onlines courses -- connect + earn CEUs!
Strengthening the Role of the School Library Media Coordinator

NCSLMA Hosts:
Grown-up Book Club (meets monthly)
Brew Crew
April 28th 8pm-10pm
May 6 9am-11am
May 26 8pm-10pm
(pre-register - links live a week before the meeting)

 

 

HOW TO ADVOCATE IN SCHOOL LIBRARY MONTH & BEYOND

School Library Month is a time to celebrate, but also advocate for our programs, and that feels more relevant and important today than ever! We have many organizations, like NCSLMA and AASL that advocate on our behalf, but we must also take opportunities to make sure teachers, administrators, families and our communities understand what we provide. Next month on the newsletter, you'll find several examples of how NC School Librarians share EOY statistics and tell the story of a year in the library, but in the mean time, you could create graphics, videos, or other materials that explain what the school gets from having a school library, run by a certified, Masters-degreed librarian!

 

ADVOCACY IDEAS:

📢 I WISH MY LIBRARIAN KNEW... 📢

Inspired by this blog post about 'Things I wish my administrator knew...' Flip the script & invite your community to engage in a bulletin board or virtual survey that collects feedback on comments & compliments for the school library!

📢 BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW... 📢

One of the biggest misconceptions of libraries is we are just book spaces. Consider catchy ways to promote programming and/or unique things you can check out from your library. Need inspiration? Watch this from CBS Morning... or view this impressive library impact flyer

📢 PARTNERS IN LEARNING 📢

We can toot our own horns until we run out of breath, but consider adding more instruments to the mix. Invite teachers, collaborators, specialists and other partners to amplify the library's impact!

 

Louisiana school librarian Kelsye Baudoin created two graphics titled “What is the school librarian doing?” and “Misconceptions of the School Librarian” available on the LASL Resource page. How might you make one that reflects your work?

 

 

Meet the Creator:

Mollee Holloman is a librarian from Dare County NC, currently on-loan to NCDPI Digital Teaching & Learning as an Innovative Learning Catalyst. I’m a steward of stories & curator of worldly experiences using text & tech.

Email me at Mollee.holloman@dpi.nc.gov

 

Have something to contribute?

 

The goal of this newsletter is to curate examples and expertise from across NC so we truly need YOUR voice! Email mollee.holloman@dpi.nc.gov if you'd like to contribute to a future volume. 

Previous Volumes:

📬 VOL 7: Feb/March 2023   Canva | PDF | GovDelivery

📬 VOL 6: January 2023   Canva | PDF | GovDelivery

📬 VOL 5: December 2022   Canva | PDF | GovDelivery

📬 VOL 4: November 2022   Canva | PDF 

📬 VOL 3: October 2022   Canva | PDF 

📬 VOL 2: September 2022   Canva | PDF 

📬 VOL 1: August 2022   Canva | PDF 

 

NC New(s) Librarian by Mollee Holloman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.