Money Matters Have you started thinking about your 2020-2021 budget yet? I’m guessing that 99% of school librarians ponder funding quite a bit in the summertime. Let’s face it, in our school libraries… money matters! Getting books and e-books into kids’ hands is not an inexpensive endeavor. Renewing subscriptions for online resources and setting up library centers creates a dent in even the most generous collection of funds. Fortunately, most of us manage a district budget, book fair proceeds, and an assortment of payments for lost or damaged books throughout the year. Sustaining our programs usually requires every bit of those funds. On top of that, most of us probably dream (and scheme) about acquiring more money to keep our programs growing! Without a doubt, keeping up with the money is an important part of a librarian's duties. In fact, one of the first things a new librarian needs to do is make friends with the school’s bookkeeper. Of course, at my school this fall, I’m the ... Keep Reading...
Librarians Foster Collaboration with Specialty Teachers
Fostering Collaboration with Your Specialty Team Did you know that it's becoming a fun trend for librarians to foster collaboration with specialty teachers? Wait a minute...I know what you're thinking! For those of us on a fixed library schedule, just the thought of trying to schedule in collaboration seems a bit daunting! When teachers finally have a moment to plan, our libraries are filled with students. Busy teacher moms and dads have errands and chauffeuring to do after school. There's no time to plan then. So, what's the answer? Teacher-librarians are encouraged to collaborate from our very first graduate classes. We know it’s important. It’s just difficult to make it happen. That’s why I'm passing along an idea that originated with a blog post from Laura Trapp, the Trapped Librarian. If everyone on your activity teacher team has the same planning period, I want to suggest that you try to work together and plan a “little” collaboration celebration – during testing week! Yes, ... Keep Reading...
Back to School Freebie
A Back to School Freebie for You! I can't believe that I've been back to school for nearly three weeks now! I've been cleaning, doing inventory, processing books, going to professional development, and so on. Our kids start on Tuesday, and I'm hustling to get everything just right! I bet you know exactly how I feel... and you deserve a treat! So... if you're one of my TpT followers (and you read my recent note) you know that I decided to offer a little back to school freebie today (8/11/2019) especially for my website visitors! Click the link below and enjoy some cute little Dewey neighborhood puzzles that are perfect for our youngest students. Using This Back to School Freebie in Your Library I use these puzzles with my K-1 students after reading the book Do You Know Dewey? by Brian Cleary. While I'm reading, we take a little walking tour around the library. The first time around, we count the Dewey categories by 100s, pointing to the signage. Then, we make a second pass, ... Keep Reading...