SCHOOL LIBRARIANS SHINE!

Welcome to Library Lions interviews Raising a Roar for libraries and the outstanding librarians serving youth in schools and public libraries across the U.S. Please Roar today’s guest, Librarian Rebecca Moore.

 

Photo of Rebecca taken by house where LM Montgomery lived

I am one of three librarians at The Overlake School in Redmond, Washington. We are a 5th-12^th grade coed independent school and all 520 students share the library, which has 20,000 print volumes, 1,300 eBooks, 40 databases, 17 camcorders and still cameras, 75 print magazines, and 56 computers.

 We use LibGuides software to organize the Library website. The library is heavily used all day long; we average 472 student visits a day, and frequently we have upwards of 100 students using our space at one time!

 

Battle of the Books photo

I focus mainly on the middle school and have a 6^th grade homeroom. Except for an eight-session orientation class for the 5^th grade, academic classes are flexibly scheduled. We work closely with teachers and students on research assignments, putting together collections of print and electronic resources for projects and teaching research skills. We are also particularly proud of introducing NoodleTools citation software across all grades. In addition, we run a vibrant extracurricular middle school program, with a large fiction section, booktalks, contests, clubs, and a literary magazine.

 

6th Graders after booktalk

The Skinny
I love working with the students, whether it be helping them find resources for a project, helping them choose a great book to read, or laughing at their entry in the annual Bad Writing Contest. I love surrounding them with an atmosphere of learning and literature, where it’s not only okay to enjoy research, reading, and writing, but it’s also fun! And of course, I get to read the books as well.

 

Photos of 7^th grade Fantasy Book Dioramas

I also enjoy going to conferences with other school librarians and learning what they do in their libraries, and talking about all the new developments, technologies, programs, books, issues, etc. that affect all our libraries. The community of independent school librarians is an energetic and collaborative one; you can always find someone to help you with any issue, whether it’s figuring out what book a student is looking for (“It was blue, and had a girl in Paris with a magic elevator or something…”), or getting opinions on the latest method for delivering eBooks to students and faculty. We call our AISL (Association of Independent School Librarians) and ISS (Independent Schools Section of the American Library Association) listservs our “collective brain,” and often consult them.

Being part of the Overlake School community is also a huge benefit of my job. I am so fortunate to work in a beautiful, tree-filled setting, with intelligent and thoughtful students and faculty. I love walking around campus and recognizing everyone I meet, attending school concerts and plays, and participating in programs like field trips, grade-level retreats, and Project Week.

In my project, which I co-teach with the 8^th grade English teacher, students write and illustrate a picture book in a week.

 

I love the opportunities to get to know students and staff outside the library, and to feel fully integrated into the community.

A Mighty Roar!
School libraries are a vital and underappreciated link in a student’s education. As the universe of information continues to grow exponentially, the need for the ability to find, comprehend, and credit high-quality, relevant information will also grow. Librarians and library programs exist to help students and teachers master these skills, and learn how to adapt and apply them even when schooldays lie far behind them. School libraries also strive to imbue students with a love of books and reading, which studies have shown not only aid in academic achievement, but offer lifelong benefits as well. Libraries celebrate information and stories in whatever form they occur, and offer the navigation tools necessary to take full advantage of them.

A Lion’s Pride of Programs 

We have so many middle school contests and activities it’s hard to choose! We do a Bad Writing contest, a literary character smackdown,

 

MS boys' Smackdown poster

Six-Word Memoirs, Book Title Hangman, Battle of the Books, The Hoot literary magazine,

 

The Photo Finish contest

The Bookfair with books supplied by the University Bookstore, the Book Stacking contest,

 

 

Story in a Tweet, Food Haiku, Book Spine Poetry, the Green/Gold Readathon, Author Visits and more. Something special for 2012-14 is my chairing the Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School committee for VOYA library magazine, with which Overlake students help out by reading and commenting on books nominated for the list. Several of their comments will make the final list published in the magazine.

One thing of which we are particularly proud is that we use the credit we earn from books sold at the Bookfair to purchase books for our sister schools in Cambodia and Uruguay.

Student groups from Overlake travel to these schools every year, alternating between the countries, and take the books to build libraries in the schools. It’s a real point of pride for the Library that we can do something to support the school’s efforts to make the world a better place for the students in Cambodia and Uruguay.

Readers Roar

“The Overlake library Is a great place to read or do homework and if you don't have any homework it provides a fun place to hang out with friends.” –Michael, 6^th grade

“The library in my opinion is the best place at Overlake. I mean, it’s got hundreds of books in all subjects, from fantasy to science-fiction, and its store of non-fiction books is amazing. Besides that, it has tons of computers that you can play games on and do homework, and is home to the school counselors who are probably the nicest people on campus, and the learning recourses office, home to Fernando the guinea pig, who is quite sweet. Altogether, the library is a great place for homework and relaxing.” –Anna, 6^th grade

“Reading is like blending into another world, breathing in adventure, danger, romance galore!! It's an amazing expedition across the universe, sitting in your own hands.” –Elizabeth, 6^th grade

“In the library you can get homework help, socialize with friends, read from an grandiose selection of books, and play computer games. The library is filled with amazing books, but what makes the library great is the three magnificent librarians that can help you find anything from Ancient Egypt to modern day mathematics.” –Alan, 5^th grade

“I thought there was no escape from reality—books proved me wrong.” –Nina, 8^th

Library Laughs

So many funny things happen here it’s hard to choose! There was the time we looked up at our clerestory windows (at least 15 feet up), and saw a ninja stealing along the roofline—we later learned that students were making a video. Then there was the time I heard guitar playing outside and went out to find a student playing the guitar—also on the roof! Another student smuggled an amp into a study room under the mistaken impression that the room was soundproof. It wasn’t. Then there was the girl who had come up with an elaborate scheme to invite a boy to Tolo, which involved the librarians playing along.

One of the most entertaining events occurs on the Roman holiday of Lupercalia, when Latin students wrap themselves in (sometimes flowered) sheet togas, and run through the buildings whacking people with leather belts to encourage fertility. Nothing brings a middle schooler out of his shell like free license to whap (lightly) an upper schooler with a belt while shouting at the top of his lungs in the library!

However, I have to say that the funniest occurrence was the time the seniors decided to create the world’s tiniest flash dance club in our 10’ x 12’ group study room. The strobe light, music, blacked-out windows, packed bodies gyrating . . .  librarians arrived on the run just as the smoke machine activated the fire alarms, sending the whole school scrambling into an emergency fire drill in the pouring rain.

Book Brag: What three books are hot this year? Why?

House of Hades by Rick Riordan. Riordan is, hands down, the most popular writer for middle schoolers these days. His books have an irresistible combination of action, adventure, fantasy, humor, suspense, mystery, and a large cast of characters who each have their own unique personality and issues, so that readers really care about what happens to them. The books also have roots in worlds already familiar to students—the modern world, and classic mythology—which also helps readers connect with the books. Few authors have Riordan’s ability to combine humor and seriousness with the right balance: J.K. Rowling, Jonathan Stroud, Brandon Mull, Angie Sage, and John Stephens are some others who get it right. As to why this particular book is popular, it’s the most recent entry in Riordan’s series about Percy Jackson and his friends, and the most recent book is always in demand!

Allegiant by Veronica Roth. Our bookfair took place on the same day that Allegiant was released, and I had girls panting at the door before school started, waiting to get their hands on the third volume of this astronomically popular YA-level dystopia. The series started with Divergent, about to be released as a movie, and continued with Insurgent. Dystopias, while having peaked last year, are still immensely popular with teens. The Divergent series combines sympathetic characters with action, adventure, danger, and of course, teens having to survive their world.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio. This award-winning story of Auggie, born with severe facial deformities and attending school for the first time in fifth grade, has been gaining popularity year by year as it strikes a chord with students, parents, and teachers alike. While few students have Auggie’s particular difficulties, almost all have experienced the unkindness of others at school, the betrayal of friends, and the need for family support. Parents and faculty love the book for how it illustrates the need to look beyond the visual and the need for kindness, and Auggie’s story often finds a place in classroom curricula and bedtime reading. From the number of students who have let me know how much they loved the book and how much they learned from it, I know it’s been a great addition to middle school fiction.

Author! Author!  Describe the perfect author visit from a librarian’s point of view.

This year we invited Janet Lee Carey and Kenneth Oppel to our school. We will have Neal Shusterman visit next spring.

I think the key to a great author visit is choosing the right author for the visit. You need someone who is both a great writer for middle schoolers—humor, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and action adventure are the most popular genres—and a great presenter both in small classes and large auditoriums.

Good communication, attention to detail, and punctuality is also key on both ends. We want to make sure we know beforehand what technology the author needs, to have the schedule set, and to have the myriad other details well in hand to avoid that last minute panic!

Our greatest success has been with authors who can hold students’ attention, particularly when speaking to the whole middle school. It takes lots of energy and humor, and a polished presentation that also feels natural. Students love to be included in the presentation in some way, whether as volunteers for something or just having their questions answered. Most of our successful presentations have also included the author telling about themselves as middle schoolers (with embarrassing photos), and how that younger self connects to their current self as a writer. It’s also important to talk about the books, to get students excited about them, particularly as we always have books available for purchase and signing.

Overall, it’s important to have an author who enjoys presenting to and interacting with students, respects them as readers and people, and answers their questions seriously. We have been extremely lucky to have had wonderful author visits, and anticipate many more in the future!

ONE LAST ROAR

One aspect of the Library program that particularly excites us is how teachers and students currently utilize our databases and eBooks.  Some teachers, especially in the history and science departments, are moving away from traditional text books and now use the databases and eBooks to fill in.  Our roar is that the Library had those resources in place so that when the teachers and students needed them, we had the sources readily available. As an example, our ABC-Clio Ancient World History database racked up 19,850 searches this fall; an increase from 7,717 last fall.  It thrills us to see teachers and students adopting and utilizing our resources. 

An anticipatory roar is that the Library is moving closer to becoming a true Learning Commons, with more flexible spaces for students and teachers to spread out and work on projects, and an ever-increasing collection of resources. As the school moves towards BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), we hope that losing our banks of student computers will add to our flexible space.

Let’s Link

Overlake Library Blog   

Overlake Library Website

 

Thank you, Rebecca for your terrific interview!

Love Libraries? Give a Roar in “Comments” below.

Note to Librarians: If you’re a Youth Librarian working in a school or public library we’d love to hear about you and your library. Contact Janet at jlcarey@hotmail.com for an interview slot. 

AUTHOR ELSA MARSTON ROARS

Welcome to Library Lions interviews Raising a Roar for libraries and the outstanding librarians serving youth in schools and public libraries across the U.S. Please Roar today’s guest, Author Elsa Marston  

 

 

I’m a New Englander who lives in Indiana and writes (mostly) about the Middle East, ancient and modern. That’s because my husband was Lebanese—we met as students at the American University of Beirut—and we had many opportunities to live in Lebanon, Egypt, and Tunisia because of his work as a professor at Indiana University. And also because I’ve always been fascinated by that part of the world, and like to share my interest with young people today—and I love research, which can lead to quite amazing adventures. My three sons are grown now; I have two grandchildren (Savannah, pushing 21 years and a nursing student, and Kahlil, pushing 21 months and a darling).  I love theatre, tennis, art, music, archaeology, progressive causes, and cats. 

Latest book  The Compassionate Warrior: Abd El-Kader of Algeria

 

One of the few historical biographies written for teenagers about outstanding Muslims whose faith was an essential framework for their actions. See http://www.wisdomtalespress.com  for suggestions and guidelines for using the book in educational settings. More Elsa Marston's Books and Travel Here (below Elsa living on a houseboat on the Nile)

Libraries Around the Globe
In recent years most of my library visits have been overseas in the Middle East.
In Egypt, for instance, I took part in adult group discussions about children’s literature--in a library, of course.  In Lebanon the young children sat on the school library floor to listen.

 

Palestine children on the way to school

In Palestine the teenagers sat primly in a circle, asking their questions--and politely phrasing their objections--through a translator.  (Which can be a little tricky…..)

 

 Below photo of four girls at Bier Zeit University in Palistine where I spoke to students in 2009

 

A Roar for Libraries Around the WorldI was told that virtually every town and village in Palestine has a library. It’ll probably be pretty small and the contents of the shelves sparse; but it’s there, ready to serve as a public gathering place to encourage reading for the whole community.

Library Love When You Were A Cub
The library in the Massachusetts town where I grew up was a comfortable old brick house shaded by tall maple trees and set back from the busy street, like a haven.  The children’s librarian was an attractive woman with black hair, who always smiled. She even smiled when my twin sister threw up all over a new book by Munro Leaf.   (I think most librarians these days do smile, but that was not always the case in the past.)

Newton Centre’s little old-fashioned library had an almost magical aura for me.  After all, that was where I first encountered, thanks to the smiling librarian, the flying-carpet magic of the wonderful by E. Nesbit books.   

More Library Love
My writers’ critique group, the Bloomington Children’s Authors, has been meeting in our public library since 1987 (yes!).  When I was thinking of starting a group and asked my friend Dorothy Haas for advice, she told me not to meet in members’ homes:  we would spend too much time serving coffee and tea, lemonade and Perrier, cookies and cakes.   So the public library has served us very well indeed for all these years, and its meeting rooms have helped toward the birthing of many good books by some well known authors—Elaine Marie Alphin, Pamela Service, Marilyn Anderson, even me.  Sometimes we get pretty noisy (how can we help it, when Keiko Kasza brings in her latest picture book dummy with its hilarious sketches of willful wolves and befuddled bears?)   But no one ever shushes us;  they just tactfully suggest that we keep our critiquing down to a dull roar, if possible.  

What I also like about our public library is that it serves such a wide range of people in the community, including people who often would not be able to spend time in a place where they can be safe, quiet, warm in winter and cool in summer, and aware—I hope—of a much wider world around them. 

Author’s Roar: Funding for libraries, especially school libraries, is currently under threat. As an author, what are your thoughts about that?  

To paraphrase an oft-quoted remark about the cost of education vs. the cost of ignorance:

If we think libraries are expensive, would we rather pay for the results of our young people having to hunker down at home with nothing to do—or getting into trouble somewhere?  Would we rather try to keep our democracy afloat with little or no public access to books and newspapers?  Or strengthen our society and civilization without the one institution that can bring together the minds and hearts of all citizens?  And where even dogs like to come and hear a story read to them?  Well, I’m getting carried away . . . but I trust my point is clear. 

Roar For Librarians
Librarians are high on my list of the world’s most important people.  They may not make the world move the way captains of industry and finance do, and I suspect they are very rarely paid what they’re worth.   But whether paid or volunteer, they maintain the institution that is essential to any free, democratic society.  I can’t imagine civilization without libraries.

I’ll roar for the director of the Monroe County Public Library, the impressive Sara Laughlin; and for my friend Amal Altoma who, in her calm, soft-spoken way, made herself not only indispensable but wildly popular during her many years on the job. And for all the folks who keep the library open and busy, almost always with a smile.

 Let’s Link Up

Website:   http://www.elsamarston.com

Thank you, Elsa Marston, for your terrific interview. It was particularly cheering to hear that virtually every town and village in Palestine has a library!

Love Libraries? Give a Roar in “Comments” below.

Note to Librarians: If you’re a Youth Librarian working in a school or public library we’d love to hear about you and your library. Contact Janet at jlcarey@hotmail.com for an interview slot. 

BRAVO FOR TEACHER-LIBRARIANS!

Welcome to Library Lions interviews Raising a Roar for libraries and the outstanding librarians serving youth in schools and public libraries across the U.S. Please Roar today’s guest, Stuart Levy.

 

(Stuart pictured here on left with author Chris Crutcher.)  

I am the teacher-librarian at Inza R. Wood Middle School in Wilsonville, Oregon.

 

I have been a teacher at Wood for the last 21 years, and this is my 10^th year as the librarian. According to my computer, as of the time of this writing, we have had close to 150,000 checkouts during that time. Wow!

The Skinny
 I love that I get to work with all of the students in the school, plus all of the staff. It’s a great feeling to connect someone with just the exact resource that they need – especially when they didn’t even realize that what they needed existed! Libraries can be amazing places. I also love reading young adult literature. There are some incredible authors out there, and the books nowadays are so much better than the ones that were written back when I was in middle school. I love the fact that buying books is part of my job.

 

A Mighty Roar!
Libraries are the great levelers in our democratic society. In a library, everyone is truly equal in a library. Regardless of how many books people have at home, everyone has access to all of the books within the library catalog. For free! It’s truly an amazing concept that I think people take for granted. And, not only do they have access to the “stuff” for free, but they have access to people who can help them get the “stuff”, explain the “stuff”, and train them how to use the “stuff”, all for free. Libraries are not just repositories of information; they are the keys that unlock the doors for all of our citizens.

 

(Students playing Rock-em Sock-em robots as a part of the lunchtime activity conducted by Wilsonville Public Library to promote their evening teen event.)

Library Laughs

I always find it amusing when students ask if they can “rent” a book. I ask them how much they are willing to pay, and this puzzled look appears on their face. I tell them that they can rent from Redbox, but our materials they get to borrow for free.

 

(Students checking out the new books.) 

A Lion’s Pride of Programs
There are tons of great non-fiction for students to just read. It’s amazing to me that students completely overlook some really interesting non-fiction books that I buy – except, of course, for the sports, biographies, and Ripley’s books. When I purposefully give some of those books to students, they eat them up. But, when they are on their own, they typically don’t pull books from those sections.

 

I want to plug the importance of having teacher-librarians in schools. Our numbers have dwindled over the years. There are about half the number of teacher-librarians in Oregon from about 20 years ago, and the number of schools, and students, have increased. Some people, outside of the system, think that all you need is someone to check in and check out books. But, anyone who has actually been in a school with teacher-librarians knows that we do a heck of a lot more. We actually are teachers, and we understand students. We understand instruction, curriculum, and assessment. We work with all of the people involved in the community to create a place where everyone feels safe and supported, and we provide the resources that allow everyone – everyone – to succeed in what they need to do. School libraries are magical places, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

Readers Roar
“Libraries are the awesomest place on earth. Even though you are supposed to be quiet, you can have lots of fun.” Abigail, 8^th grade.

“They are a place full of wonder and thought.” Willow, 8^th grade

“It’s a place where you can escape reality.” Emily, 8^th grade

 

(Students entering our weekly Librarypalooza  that gives them a riddle or puzzle to solve.) 

Book Brag: What three books are hot this year? Why?

Divergent series by Veronica Roth: very hot! I think it’s because it’s an Oregon Reader’s Choice Award, plus the movie is coming out (and, it’s a very engaging book).

Wonder by Palacio is also very popular, probably because it’s well written and a very compelling story.

Maze Runner by Dashner continues to be very popular in our school. The author visited about 3 years ago, and, ever since, it’s stayed as one of our top checkouts.

Author! Author!
The best author visits I have had are the ones when the author truly connects with the students. Sometimes that is done by simply talking about when they were young, or even from reading from one of their books. But, it’s the simple act of talking “with” the students instead of “to” the students. I have also have had some authors who are willing to not only speak to the large student body but also to do writing sessions with smaller groups of interested students. That has been very powerful for that group.

Thank you, Stuart for your terrific interview!

Let’s Link

Mr. Levy’s Blog   

Library Website  

Love Libraries? Give a Roar in “Comments” below.

Note to Librarians: If you’re a Youth Librarian working in a school or public library we’d love to hear about you and your library. Contact Janet at jlcarey@hotmail.com for an interview slot. 

 

ROAR IN THE NEW YEAR

Happy 2014! We're roaring in our fifth year here at Library Lions! Special thanks to everyone of you who have participated on our blog over the past four years. Your interviews showcasing the innovative youth programs in school and public libraries have inspired us all. We can't wait to hear from more librarians this year. Thanks also to the many authors who have stopped by to share their Library Love with us since we launched LL in 2010. And now let's hear from our January Librarian, Shannon Wallace!

 

Hello! I’m Shannon Wallace, upper school librarian at Lakeside School in Seattle. 

The Pigott Memorial Library at Lakeside is a three-story bustling hub of student activity. Do not be fooled by these photos of our empty library.  During a study period, we often have 200 students at once!

 

Lakeside is known for its innovative teaching strategies and the library is no exception.  The December 2013/January 2014 issue of Learning and Leading with Technology showcased how librarians Heather Hersey and Sue Belcher revamped library orientation at Lakeside. Read all about it in the article Flip Your Library on page 22.

 

I just started at Lakeside in October, but I’ve been working with teens in high school and public libraries in Seattle and across Canada since 2005. 

Over the years I’ve visited libraries in 10 countries (see my photos on Flickr)   
and I keep building on my collection of library cards.

Occasionally, I’ve been known to dress up as a literary character. Here I am as Tintin with a tiny Boba Fett on Free Comic Book Day, 2008.

 

And I’ve kept in touch with 33 of my former teen volunteers, many of whom have now graduated from university!

The Skinny: What do you love most about your work? Talking to teenagers is the best part of my job. In sharing a conversation with a teen, I can trade recommendations for favorite books.  I can help make research less frustrating.  I can provide someone with a resource that solves a personal problem.  I can be a friendly and helpful adult who encourages a nerdy interest.  I can provide a student with a meaningful volunteer experience.  I can find out about a new video game.  The students at Lakeside are full of energy and enthusiasm, with new and creative ways to look at the world.  I can learn just as much from them as they can from me. 

A Mighty Roar for Libraries!
I hope people will never stop being curious about the past, the present, and the future, and that the library will always be an invaluable commons for information and imagination to fuel that curiosity.  At Lakeside, the library can also promise a quiet place to escape, a high tech haven, a think tank for group work, a cozy spot to a retreat from the dreary Northwest winters, and a spirited game of Bughouse chess. 

Library Laughs:
Sometimes when you turn around, the Eye of Sauron is watching you.

 

Books in disguise?

 

No, they are participating in Movember.

A Lion’s Pride of Programs
Our library display maker extraordinaire, Julie Johnson, is currently asking students to think about the way they eat.

 

Our Think Tank allows students to work in a large group.  Whiteboard paint on the back wall means graffiti is productive. 

 

Librarian and multimedia wizard Janelle Hagen heads up our Makerspace. 

 

Recently students learned to solder and made flashing LED robot pins.  They used conductive paint to create artistic greeting cards that light up.  We also have a 3-D printer. 

Here's a 3D lion. The lion is Lakeside School’s mascot. I can’t wait to see what creative projects students attempt next.

Managing schoolwork can be stressful, so sometimes the best programs are scholarly ones!  This Fall, Heather, Sue, Janelle and I met every grade 11 student in one-on-one research conferences.  These meetings gave invaluable advice to students about the search process, databases, and how to survive a research paper.  We are so lucky to have school wide support in providing individualized instruction.  Students become better researchers when they get to know their own personal librarian.

Readers Roar  
Overheard at Lakeside Library:

“When I come into the library I get in the mindset that I will be efficient and the vibe helps me get all my work done.” (11^th grade student)

Conversation between two 9^th grade students:

Girl: “I have 200 books on my To Read list and I’m in the middle of 15 books at the moment.”

Boy: “Well you should put all of John Green’s books at the top of the list because they’re the best.”

 

 “Only at Lakeside is chess this intense.” (10^th grade student)

Book Brag
The Divergent series by Veronica Roth has been quite popular this year. We’re all excited for the upcoming film and hoping it will be as exciting as The Hunger Games.

I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb

I think the whole world is captivated by this young girl’s story.  Lakeside students want to make a difference, and we are all inspired by Malala’s strength, bravery, and determination.

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

“I like reading because you get to experience life from other peoples’ perspectives, some you might never even think about. Reading books also allows one to practice empathy. I’ve found that I’ve become much more empathetic now that I’ve read plenty of books. I like reading because it’s something you can always do, and you’ll never run out of books. I like experiencing fantasy and adventure, mystery and loss, things I might not otherwise get to experience.”  -- Grade 10 student reading And the Mountains Echoed

One Last Roar
Lakeside’s mascot is the lion, so we roar a lot around here.  Working at Lakeside has reminded me that the most valuable resource in any library is the librarian.  Just ask!

Let’s Link

Lakeside School Blog 

Lakeside Library Website 

Thank you, Shannon for the terrific interview sharing your Lakeside School Library with us!

 Love Libraries? Give a Roar in “Comments” below.

Note to Librarians: If you’re a Youth Librarian working in a school or public library we’d love to hear about you and your library. Contact Janet at jlcarey@hotmail.com for an interview slot.