Tag: Librarians (Page 1 of 3)

Ramblings: Book Clubs series 3 – Activities and Interactives

November 26, 2020 / madisonslibrary / 0 Comments

Book Clubs #3 – Activities and Interactives

Over the course of this mini series we have looked at starting a book club and all the things to consider when you are setting a book club up. We have also looked at how to promote your new (or old) book club and recruit members. Now I want to talk about all the fun activities and interactive things you can do with your book club. These ideas range from the simple and quick to the more complicated. Some you can do for free or with the resources you have, others will need planning and budgeting.

Ramblings: Book Clubs series 2 – Promoting and Recruiting

November 17, 2020 / madisonslibrary / 0 Comments

Book Clubs #2 – Promoting and Recruiting

If you haven’t already checked it out, start by reading part 1 in this 3 part series about creating and running book clubs. In this second part, I am talking about promoting your book club and recruiting members.

Spread the Word

So, you’ve decided to start a book club. Maybe you already have a few students on board. You have talked to possible recruits and decided your who, what, when, where, and how. If you have done this in consultation with your possible members you should already have some people ready to join. But, whether you are starting from scratch or just want to swell your numbers, you will want to let people know you have a book club and how they can join.

Ramblings: Book Clubs series 1 – Getting Started

November 8, 2020 / madisonslibrary / 2 Comments

Book Clubs #1 – Getting Started

I love, love my school library book clubs. So much love. I love having the opportunity to chat with our readers, to compare ideas, argue about what makes a good book, laugh, have fun, celebrate reading and just chill out. When you think about all the extra curricular activities that happen in a school, so many of them are focused around sport, music or art. Reading is so important and yet there are only a few extra-curricular activities that give readers a chance to connect. Reading can also be a very solitary hobby, so it is important to give our young readers a chance to get together in a safe space. Book clubs are the perfect solution.

When I think about what I love most about the school library I work in, my answer is without a doubt the students and especially the members in my book club. I use them as a place to connect with the students, as a chance to bounce ideas off my keen readers, get their insight into new books and the best books in the collection.

So, you want to start a book club. You’re convinced, you think it’s a great idea. But maybe you’ve tried to start a book club before and it didn’t work out. Or maybe you are just not sure where to start. In this 3 part series, I will share all my book clubing experience, the ideas that worked for me, and those that didn’t. I encourage you to give school library book clubs a go (or maybe another try).

Book Week 2021: Theme Announcement

November 6, 2020 / madisonslibrary / 3 Comments

Book Week 2021

Ready or not, here it comes. Are you ready for Book Week 2021? No one could have predicted everything that 2020 threw at us. Let’s hope 2021 is a little more predictable – in a good way. And there is nothing better than locking in Book Week and marking it in big, bright letters on your calendar. Book Week 2021 has returned to it’s usual late August date. And the theme for Book Week 2021 has already been announced –

Book Week 2021 will run from the 21st to the 27th of August 2021. See the official theme announcement here.

Book Week 2020: Activity Ideas

October 14, 2020 / madisonslibrary / 0 Comments

Book Week 2020 – Activity Ideas

I don’t know about you, but Book Week has kind of snuck up on me this year. I went from super organised to, oh, it’s not happening until October, I’ll prepare later. The new dates means Book Week is being celebrated in the three schools I am working in this year from 17th to the 23rd of October.

More details are available on the CBCA website.

Here are some of the ideas for activities during, before (and maybe even after) Book Week this year. Most of them are pretty easy to throw together, especially if you are in a rush like I was.

Display Ideas

Story Box Library Activity Pack

God bless the team at Story Box Library. They send out a link to the most AMAZING teacher resource kit for Book Week. Download it here. It is chock full of amazing activity ideas. I have done the Solve A Curious Message in two of my schools. The students are LOVING it. They might be going a little crazing trying to solve them all! I cut out the 11 clues and stuck them up around the library, so the students must first find and then solve each of the 11 puzzles. And they are not easy. The students have been reading the shortlist books to find the answers, teaming up and generally having lots of fun.

The kit also includes a digital escape room plan, a letter template for writing to a curious creature, and so much more.

Ramblings: Exciting Term 4 2020 Updates

October 13, 2020 / madisonslibrary / 0 Comments

Exciting Term 4, 2020 Updates

I know 2020 has been a massive, scary, horrible year for many. I have been blessed to ride through 2020 pretty smoothly, thanks to some wonderful employers and a great country in which to live.

Term 4, 2020 is set to be massive for those of us in Australia (and for many around the world, no doubt). I am so pleased to say that I have taken on a Teacher Librarian contract for Term 4, working in the most beautiful junior school library. This means I am working across 3 schools during Term 4, 4 days a week as teacher librarian and 1 as a library aide. It’s going to be a very busy, but very exciting term.

Here are just a few of the exciting things that are happening in Term 4 to get involved with.

CBCA Book Week

Professional Learning Series: Conferences and Courses for School Library Staff

August 27, 2020 / madisonslibrary / 0 Comments

Webinars for School Library Staff – Part 7 in the Professional Learning series

Well, we have finally reached the final part of my Professional Learning Series. What started as one blog post to share my favourite places to find and connect with professional learning, turned into 7 long posts. I did mention I’m a bit addicted to professional learning, right? This time, I’m going to be talking about courses and conferences. This is where the money you saved from finding free resources from my last 6 posts is going to come in handy because courses and conferences can be expensive.

I love going to conferences. Maybe it’s the free stash you get at the booths, maybe it’s the chance to catch up with other library staff, or maybe it’s the intense learning and inspiring that gets squished into one or two days. Whatever the case, you’ll find me making any excuse to attend as many courses or conferences as I can. I’m going to share some of my favourite places to learn about new courses and conferences and luckily some of them are free! I’ve love to hear about your experiences or fav courses and conferences to attend, so please do share in the comments.

Professional Learning Series: Podcasts for School Library Staff

August 20, 2020 / madisonslibrary / 1 Comment

Podcasts and Videos for School Library Staff – Part 6 in the Professional Learning series

As we continue my Professional Learning Series, part 6 focuses on podcasts and video channels that are helpful for professional learning for school library staff. This is the area in which I am still growing and learning. I don’t watch videos or listen to podcasts very often, I’m new to the whole podcasting thing. If I’ve got time to spare I turn straight to an audiobook and even less often, just listen to music. But I’ve been directed enough to a school library podcast and surprise, surprise, actually really enjoyed it. Now, I find time to squeeze in a listening session every now and again. As I’m still growing in this area, I’d love to know what video channels or podcasts are your favourites? To whom do you turn when you need inspiration? And when and how do you tune it?

Recently, I’ve been doing a bit of vinyl cutting while making some new dividers for our school library (you can see them here), which gave me a bit of time at work where my hands were busy but my brain not so much. So, I grabbed the library iPad and tuned in to School Librarians United. If a student or teacher approaches, I’m quick to whip out my earphones, but it’s been a great (and time effective) way of getting in some professional learning while working at the same time.

Professional Learning Series: Webinars for School Library Staff

August 13, 2020 / madisonslibrary / 0 Comments

Webinars for School Library Staff – Part 5 in the Professional Learning series

Part 5 in my Professional Learning Series is all about webinars. COVID-19 may have pushed us even further into connecting and learning online, but webinars have always been a great way to up-skill and learn from others in the profession.

Here are my top favourite places to find great quality webinars on a variety of topics, but all useful for application in a school library.

Professional Learning Series: Blogs and Websites for School Library Staff

August 6, 2020 / madisonslibrary / 0 Comments

Blogs and Websites for School Library Staff – Part 4 in the Professional Learning series

Are you ready for Part 4 in my Professional Learning Series? This time I am focusing on blogs and websites that are part of my professional learning. Honestly, this could be a sub-series of many, many posts. There are so, so many blogs and websites that provide inspiration and professional learning. So, this is not a comprehensive list by any means. Instead of creating a massive list, that honestly would feel more overwhelming than helpful, I thought I would limit myself to just my top ten favourite websites and blogs, the sites I consistently turn to and return.

I personally find it time consuming to check in on websites. While you can get blog feeds or newsletters delivered to your inbox or check out the latest posts via blog subscriber readers, it’s not a practice I use. I should. Every time I check in with my favourite sites I see something that grabs my attention. Does that work for anyone else? Leave your thoughts in the comments below. Instead, blogs and particular websites for professional learning and development are resources I draw upon as the need arises, rather than just routinely checking. For example, if I need something for a display or if I need guidance on policy or copyright, if I need something for the makerspace or integrating STEM into my lessons, I have my usual sites to which I turn. So, that’s what I am going to share with you.

Tag: Librarians (Page 1 of 3)

Ramblings: Book Clubs series 3 – Activities and Interactives

Book Clubs #3 – Activities and Interactives

Ramblings: Book Clubs series 2 – Promoting and Recruiting