The Cozy Library

How do you keep kids in the library?  Make it someplace they want to be, right?

Recently, thanks to a grant from my PTA and money from a bookfair, I was able to afford four of the chairs below.  The kids LOVE them!  They're in here every morning and try to be first so they can claim the seats.  When they're sent here to catch up on reading for classes, they like sitting at the front of the library and putting their feet on the little tables. 

Oh!  Speaking of little tables...I got four of these $10 tables from IKEA.  They're easy to move, relatively durable, easy to wipe clean with some Clorox wipes, and very movable.  The kids have been moving them around so they have a place to put their binders, feet, work, whatever!  It's great that they're taking advantage of that flexibility.

I've even had a few teachers sneak in here during their conference period to relax for a minute.  Shhhh!  Don't tell anyone!

Having these chairs up here has also increased circulation of the "Smith's Picks" (which are my favs that I recommend constantly) and the LoneStar Award winners which are across from "Smith's Picks."



Thank you, PTA!  We could not have done this without you!!

National Library Legislation Day

I know I haven't been blogging as much as I should be.  It's the end of the year and we all get a little overwhelmed...I know!  I've been reading, though, I promise!

But!  Right this second, there's something even more important.

Tomorrow is National Library Legislative Day.  Sounds…um…exciting, right?  Well, with librarians and library budgets being slashed across the state (and the nation), it’s time to take action.  Libraries improve literacy and test scores across the curriculum.  We support technology use, teachers, free choice, and privacy.  I recently read an article that ended thusly: “The libraries’ most powerful asset is the conversation they provide = between books and readers, between children and parents, between individuals and the collective world.  Take them away and those voices turn inwards or vanish.  Turns out that libraries have nothing at all to do with silence.” (Bella Bathurst, written for the Observer)

For more information go to this site…pay special attention to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. 

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/890532-312/speak_up_may_10_national.html.csp

Please contact your elected officials with the following requests:
APPROPRIATIONS FY2012

• Fund the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) at $232 million, the level last authorized in December 2010;
• Preserve the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program with its own budget line and appropriate the program at its FY2010 level of $19.1 million;
• Maintain funding for the U.S. Census Bureau’s Statistical Compendia Branch at $2.9 million in order to preserve publication of “Statistical Abstracts” and other publications;
• Fund the Salaries and Expenses work of the Government Printing Office (GPO) at $42,173,000 to preserve public access through the FDLP and FedSYS.

Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) (School Libraries):

• Support student performance by including an effective school library program as part of ESEA through the LEARN Act to include:
• A school library staffed by a state-certified school librarian;
• A school library with up-to-date books, materials, equipment, and technology, including broadband connectivity; and
• Instruction by librarians for students and staff on digital and computer literacy skills, including collaboration between classroom teachers and school librarians to develop and implement the curriculum and other school reforms.

While these issues are the most urgent at this time, there are many other critical pieces of legislation impacting libraries.  For full list of key issues that will be discussed at National Library Legislative Day, click here.  ALA has also drafted issue briefs on the following areas: Access, Appropriations for Libraries, Broadband & Telecommunications, Copyright, Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Government Services & Information, Surveillance & Privacy and the WILL Act.

QR code CRAZY!

After learning about QR codes, I felt inspired.  David, my tech guy, had made the suggestions to link to book trailers.  Needless to say, I jumped on it!  I put these signs up on my tables with 2 QR codes linking to two different trailers.

This morning, I asked a table full of girls if they had smart phones.  They did!  When I told them about the QR codes and that these would lead them to a book trailer, they immediately downloaded the app and took off to the book trailers.  All of the copies I had of these two books are now checked out.  These girls are not my frequent fliers...they're not great readers.  But, they loved the trailers so much that they wanted to read!

In addition, one of the girls got up and started walking to other tables to see what other trailers I had out.  Unfortunately, I had only made those two codes and put them on all of the tables.  I'll have to make more and switch them out.  What a wonderful experience!  With a little bit of technology, I got a bunch of kids to read books that they've passed up all year long.  Yeah!

QR Codes

Have y'all ever seen those crazy box-things that are black and white and strange-looking?  Kind of like this?

QR code to take users to
Neal Shusterman's website

Well, if you're like me, you knew they were like barcodes but didn't have a clue what to do with them or how they worked.

I was listening to my tech person discuss this nifty word wall and how the kids in her class would see the word and be able to scan this code and go out onto the internet to find more information about it.  All you need is a smart phone with internet access and a camera.  Wow!

So, after hearing this I was reminiscing about how awesome that would have been when I taught Spanish.  My tech person promptly gave me suggestions on different ways to use them in the library.  Needless to say, I jumped on it!

We're having Neal Shusterman visit our school.  I created a QR code that takes kids to Shusterman's website and put it on display.  So exciting!  I plan on using this a LOT more in the library.  So many of the kids have smart phones...Let's play to their love of technology and incorporate books and library as much as possible!

Library display incorporating the QR code above.

Ranger's Apprentice

I've read books 2 and 3 and am in the middle of 4.  I can't stop!

Spring Book Fair

Spring Book Fair will run from February 14-18th.

Come buy your favorite book, add to your teacher's classroom library, and help purchase books for children in hospitals.

Family Night is on February 17th, from 4:00-6:00.  The Chick-Fil-A cow will be here!  Come by!

Visit with Cinda Williams Chima

This past week, I got a chance to go over to Pioneer and meet and listen to an amazing author, Cinda Williams Chima.  It was very interesting to hear about her writing process and what kind of thought she puts in to her different books.  She writes fantasy novels...She says she does that because that's what she likes to read.  So far she's written the Seven Realms series and the Heir series.  She was a very interesting person to meet and talk with.  Check out her website if you like the books Demon King or Warrior Heir.

http://www.cindachima.com/

Here's a picture of me with Cinda Williams Chima.