It's a New Year!

Welcome back to school to all faculty, staff, and students.

The summer flew by quickly, but I am ready to get back into a routine. This new school year, the Lower School library is focusing on further developing and fine-tuning our collection, collaborating more with teachers, and I am trying to decide on an after school club.

Our theme this year in Lower School is bowling! Who doesn't love a fun bowling game? We thought it would be great to use all the bowling terms and, for lack of a better term, puns when creating our reading incentive program. Students will read ten books for a strike, and after they fill out our awesome tracking sheet, are eligible to have their sheet hung on the wall along with their picture!

There is another bulletin board on the same wall but its at least three times as big. This is where we have our student recommendations. They write it on a bowling ball, which we then staple to the lane. We had to cut down on how fancy we were trying to make the lane look. There will be so many recommendations on the board that it won't matter.

One of the new challenges this year will be late start day. We will have a different grade for two-ish hours on a late start day. Carrie and I are researching storytellers, but we also have some cute activities found on Pinterest that we are excited to try.

We are also the lucky recipients of a classroom set of iPads! This is so exciting, as Carrie and I have both been going to training the past couple years about iPads and how to utilize them in the classroom. Since we never had the opportunity before, we're looking forward to introducing our kids to this technology and hopefully using it in some cool ways.

This year will be challenging, but we are ready to bring our library game to the next level. Hopefully this year will be full of collaboration, revolutionary ideas, and more school participation in the library program.

May 15, 2014

I just realized that today--this day--is May 15, 2014.

It's a Thursday.

There are just a few short weeks until summer vacation starts. Parts of me are excited and happy, knowing that I'll finally be able to start on projects and cleaning and whatnot, but there is still MUCH to be done here at work.

All library books were due this Wednesday. Many of our students in lower school went above and beyond and have returned most things already! We're proud of them, and are thankful for the couple volunteers that came and helped us knock out some of our carts of books. We could not do it without them.

I have so many lists of things that I need to finish. Inventory, covering books, straightening up and covering up shelves, packing up decorations and toys, as well as my desk, and probably a million other little tasks.

Oh, definitely Lysol-ing the couches and everything touchable! That is like one of the top ones.

Happy May 15, AKA we are almost there!

Trying to keep up the pace :)
-ch

Spring Fever

It's not just the kids that are catching it. Looming around every corner, the tease of something called "summer vacation" lingers. There are giggles, excitement, even sneezes. All of this amounts to one thing:

Spring. Fever.

Spring fever usually hits a little earlier than this, but due to our crazy weather, I feel has been delayed. Because of this delay, there has been more spring fever harboring in these children (and adults) for longer than ever before, causing quite a ruckus.

Summer is merely four weeks away.

To quote George Takei:

 

FOUR WEEKS.

I'm not going to be lounging about eating bon-bons this summer, oh, no. I have tons of projects up my sleeve, and hopefully I will still like doing any of my hobbies this summer. I'm also looking into getting a part time job because I will be going back to college to finish my undergraduate degree.

This makes me happy and hopefully will help further my status in life.I will finally have tackled that elephant that has been in my life for so long!

Sorry about the gifs. I'm gif happy lately, simply because they are adorable and my new favorite TV show has a ton of them (Parks and Recreation).

We've done SO much this year. Thinking back about it all, I've compiled a list of the great stuff we've been able to accomplish in our library.

We have:

• Learned how to use a SmartBoard, as well as our new lower school learning commons area
• Weeded tons of books
• Added tons of books, such as popular series with Bound to Stay Bound, country books, junior readers, and holiday
• Held faculty meetings in the LSLC
• Used LSLC as a flexible space, holding 2 or more classes at once (that was fun!)
• Helped 4th grade with a stats/math project in the fall
• Provided materials for other 4th grade projects, such as biographies and the American revolution
• Provided 1st grade with biography materials
• Provided 2nd grade with materials for their Texas unit, including a Weebly and tons of Texas books
• Gone to TLA in San Antonio
• Worked on our own library benchmarks/objectives and standards
• Held Bluebonnet voting for 3rd and 4th grade...
• ...which also included an awesome party for the winning classes!

I personally have:

• Gained more responsibilities, such as dealing with periodicals and mail, placing orders through various vendors, and setting up inventory
• Taught several lessons to various groups, mostly 2nd grade and Primer
• Read books that I never thought I'd enjoy!
• Helped students of all ages and grades find material for pleasure and research purposes
• Learned how to cover books with our CoLibri machine
• Processed God knows how many books
• Covered God knows how many books
• Read a ton of review magazines

 Now, it's all about finishing up on inventory, reading shelves, any final weeding, and processing the last of our orders. This year has flown by for me, probably because I got married smack in the middle of it. Oh, then got a concussion. But, you know, I'm trying my best to keep up even when I do feel a little slow still.

I'm grateful for an interesting, and ever changing school year. It's been a blast so far, and with one month to go, I can't wait to see what we get done.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

That's right, friends, it's the best time of the year in a Librarian's life! Aside from summer vacation, that is.

It's time for...

TLA CONFERENCE!

Last year, I attended my first TLA conference, which was held in Ft. Worth. This year, I get to feel fancy and fly to San Antonio for exciting workshops, speakers, author talks, and buying comic books. Er, they're for...my husband? Not me. Certainly not. Ahem.

As I was saying, TLA is the most fun time of year. It's a chance to learn about your job and experience it through the eyes of many different library employees. There's also a chance to hear authors speak, which is super inspiring to me as a writer. I had more ideas come out of the author talks than I could shake a stick at.

Plus, Henry Winkler will be there.

Duh, that's obviously the best part.

I'm so excited! Cannot wait. Carrie is there now for pre-conference, and tomorrow the conference will officially start. I will be there Thursday and Friday. Thursday was the day that has the most stuff I'm interested in, so I honestly have no idea how I am going to cram in everything. I have a list of the things I want to see most, plus alternates. Oy. I'm exhausted just thinking about running about a huge convention hall!

Maybe this year I will actually be able to buy a Pigeon doll.

Spring Weeding

If you're not familiar with libraries, you're probably thinking...weeding? In a library? Uh, there aren't plants in there, are there?

Nope! Just lots of books, that were once loved and have become forgotten, torn and twisted, or just plain gross.

It's always a sad thing, weeding books. Though necessary, it feels as if you are sending away a close friend. Maybe even one that held your hand through childhood. As library staff, it's nerve-wracking to consider you may be doing the same thing to someone else's childhood friend.

I tried to do what I could before Spring Break, but this week has been a lot of catching up on tiny tasks. The last bits of mail, weeding more and more books, and starting inventory. I realized weeding before inventory=good, weeding after inventory=really bad use of time!

I'm also working on the Greenhill Goes Global displays for the library. It should be coming along soon, but there is seriously not enough hours, nor arms on my body, to seem to get everything done when I want it.

The Winner Is...

 

Ten Rules You Must Absolutely Not Break If You Want to Survive the School Bus

by John Grandits

If you are in Texas, and are in grades 3-6, most likely you were able to participate in this thing called the Texas Bluebonnet Award! In case you haven't heard, it's kind of a big deal. It's like an Oscar, or rather an Independent Spirit award for books.

20 books are nominated each year, and to be eligible to vote, kids have to read a minimum of 5 books. We were a bit frustrated this year at the lack of enthusiasm some students showed towards the importance of the Bluebonnet award. Regardless, our two winning classes had a TON of readers, and they were all super excited.

This book, however adorable it may seem, has caused a stir of controversy as of late. The simple summary of this book is that it's about a young boy about to go on the school bus for the first time. He's scared, as I would be, too, so his older brother gives him a list of things he must do to survive simply getting to school. 

Ten Rules is absolutely adorable. It captures what children fear the most, such as eye contact, scary school bus drivers, and having to sit next to girls. I can see why many kids may have voted for it. I can also see why it's creating such a stir.

Some teachers and librarians feel that because it is a picture book it should not have won. Heavens, their children are in 5th or 6th grade, they couldn't possibly read a picture book. They shouldn't enjoy a picture book.

Wrong.

You see, the Bluebonnet committee picks books they think actual kids will like. Not lofty, pretentious titles that no kid in their right mind would touch. Granted, I think some of the books nominated this year, as well as on the master list for next, are a bit challenging. That's not to say it won't resonate with a certain child.

There are ALL types of kids in this great state of ours. There are different types of families and situations, economic levels and stability, and interest. Maybe children voted for this book because being terrified of a new experience is commonplace; it is something they can not only relate to, but experience more often than some adults.

Though our students for what we thought would be the shoo-in and is actually the runner-up (Wonder by R.J. Palacio), I feel it is thought they don't ride the school bus, so the winning book is somewhat foreign to them. Their circumstances are different than those of kids at public school--and that is ok.

Hullabaloo has been made over the fact that 6th graders are subject to read "childish" literature. Well, if anyone has taken a look at most of these picture books, they would see there is hearty dialogue in most, and a vast vocabulary to enrich the story. It's not "baby" at all. Picture books can be good for all sorts of readers, beginning and not.

Perhaps there needs to be a discussion with those that are displeased that they should read more to their students, join the Bluebonnet committee, or something I'm not thinking of. We should be happy that these children voted for a book that obviously struck a chord with them, instead of belittling what a fabulous story this is. It's great that some of these children even voted at all.

Congratulations, John Grandits!

Books don't cover themselves.

Today I actually have time to write, which is nice. It has been so swamped lately; either Carrie or I have been sick, we've had an early release because of ice, then late start, then meetings, and miscommunications. It's okay, because it's Wednesday, the third day of a four-day-week, and we are doing pretty darn good considering the looming vacation ahead.

With our newest book order, we've been using something called a CoLibri machine. It's pretty much the easiest way to cover a book without ruining the book with acidic tape or the potential of the cover ripping or coming loose. Our CoLibri machine is a newer model, I believe, because it has an automatic covering pedal and button. The hardest part is literally getting the plastic book pocket on, not so much the sealing it.

It's pretty much a food vacuum packer, but for books.

I adore this thing. Granted, I do love covering books with the good ol' acrylic covers, the book tape; the noise, on the other hand, drove me bananas. I don't like interrupting or even seeming like I am a burden in any sense of the word. That's what the noise from traditional book covering made me feel like. NO MORE.

In other news, we've finally finished all the Grandparents and Special Friends Day stuff. Phew! We are grateful that we received such an abundance, but it was definitely a bit overwhelming. Carrie and I are both glad this is giving us the opportunity to beef up certain parts of our collection, replacing some of the gnarly (in the bad sense) copies that have been taking up precious shelf space.

Last week was a bit tough for me. Tuesday was the culmination of pure crazy. Carrie was sick, which left me in charge. I love being able to teach and spend more time with the kids. However, when there's only one of us, it is totally crazier than normal. There were our regular classes (only 4 that day, I think) plus our littlest friends in the CDC, plus two entire 4th grade classes coming to get biographies, plus volunteers, which I was so glad could help out, plus all the other library stuff I have to do (sort/input/process mail and periodicals, checking out, other projects that have been assigned to me, covering books, etc.).

IT WAS STRESSFUL.

But I've heard what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I am glad that I've grown a lot, not only in this job, but as a person. I'm not afraid of speaking up for myself or an idea any longer, but look forward to the opportunity to do so. I am making this blog a priority more, now that my brain is kind of functioning normally again.

I had a concussion in December, and have been feeling foggy, groggy, and constantly tired since then. I've been fighting telling myself that it's bad, that things are going to get worse.  Now, I feel like my mental clarity has greatly improved and I'm also trying to speak more. Speaking is a little hard for me, don't know why. Fighting that thought, too.

In conclusion: three weeks until spring break!

(Sidebar: If this wasn't my professional library blog, I would totally link to a gif of James Franco as Alien from Spring Breakers saying "Spring break, spring break forever". Aren't you lucky this is a work blog?)