Worst Blogger

I believe it is official, I am the worst Blogger in the Blogosphere.

Three posts and many unfinished drafts in the year since I started That Library Lady. That is sad. That is not even one post a quarter. I have already set a goal to average five work related tweets a week, I now have my second goal for this school year...blog more than last year. And look at that, with this blog I am 25% toward my goal. Education is all about the data you know!

Sometimes I struggle with thinking that I don't have that much to say that others will find interesting. But I need to keep in mind that Princeton, libraries, students, education, coworkers, etc... Is a treasure trove of things to write about.

For example the amazingly beautiful, spacious, light-filled, technology rich, and book filled Media Center that I am in the process of opening at Princeton Community Middle School.

These photos don't even begin to do just to the Media Center, but realize both classes where in the space at the same time and there was still room for two more classes. I will post more about it in future posts, with better pictures.

One thing we need to clear up now, however, is the name of my amazing facility. The Media Center is named Odin's Center for Discovery, Exploration and Networking. Shortened to Odin's DEN. The DEN.

While writing this blog I have thought of many, many topics for future blogs: bookmobile, Norse Mythology, people working in the ceiling, designing and finish the new space in the High School (Odin's Center for Global Research, Innovation, & Design i.e. Odin's GRID).

I guess once the fear is gone and I focus on the right things... The ideas and words will flow.

Judgement & Perspective

We have all sat in meetings with someone texting away on their phones.  Or someone ridiculously addicted to checking their email on their phones while you are having a conversation with them.  We wrinkle our noses at them.  Roll our eyes.  Mutter under our breathes about their rudeness.  It happens.  Some people do need to learn about manners and their mobile devices.

However, a few weeks ago I learned a valuable lesson. One I should have known.  One I should have been more aware of.  One that I was too embarrassed to admit to at the time.

While working in an elementary building a few weeks ago, I was in and out of classrooms.  I was dropping off some information for teachers to send home that day with students, so I needed to be sure that a half day class received the information before they left.  So, I knocked and then walked into the classroom.  I quickly scanned the room and found the teacher.  She was sitting on a little stool, near several children playing on the rug with some developmentally appropriate toys.  The teacher was hunched over, thumbs feverishly typing away into her mobile phone, with an occasional glance at the kids.

I rolled my eyes.  I thought "nice" in scathing sarcasm in my head.  I judged her. I knew immediately that she was a bad teacher that was sitting and texting away while ignoring her students. I have seen people before texting in what I consider inappropriate times, and obviously she was doing it while innocent little children where not getting the education that they deserved.

I smiled and approached the teacher and discussed with her that I needed the flyers to go home with the students that day.  She was very nice while we chatted. But then she looked a little embarrassed.  She said that she felt like she had been busted once again on her phone.

AHA , I was right!  She was texting and ignoring children. And it wasn't the first time!

She continued to say that whenever she takes observation notes on children's play it seemed that someone would walk in the door.

Wait. What was that again?

Yes, the teacher was using an app on her phone that allowed her to enter observations on the children directly into their Student Management Software. She wasn't able to get an iPad from her boss, but she was able to download the app onto her personal phone and use it to make her job efficient.  She went on to say people always thought she was playing on the phone, or that she was just nervous that people would think that.

I waved off her concerns as ridiculous; as I was hoping that my own cheeks weren't turning bright pink. I thought the very thing that she was worried about.  Me: a Library Media Specialist, an early adopter of technologies, a promoter of technology, a tech trainer, a person fairly up to date in 21st Century Skills.  I misjudged.  I jumped to conclusions. I focused on the negative, and not the possibilities.

I witnessed an excellent use of technology in the classroom.  I witnessed a teacher using her own personal property to create a better educational environment in her classroom. I wonder if she had been using an iPad or a laptop if I would have jumped to the same conclusions?  Am I biased against the power of the mobile phone in educational settings?  Am I a cell phone snob?

I know that teachers often and with great success use twitter in the classrooms for content conversations, occasional video projects, blog posts, etc... but obviously I have not expanded my schema of what is truly possible with the little smart phone that we all have and the majority of students have. I wish I had the wisdom to wrap this scenario up with something profound and trans formative.  I don't.

But how about you?  What will you think the next time you see someone on their phone?

My Undoing

Today I sat in the bookshelves of Stewart Elementary and read a book while tears streamed down my face.


Let me start at the beginning...

There is more to library work than meets the eye.  Most of it is enjoyable and rewarding, but some of it is truly difficult for bibliophiles.  And the hardest task is ... Weeding.  Weeding is literally discarding books. Weeding is a necessary part of collection maintenance that keeps collections current and makes room for the new.  I have yet to weed a collection and not have students ask if we have gotten "all new books" in the library.  There is a simple truth about library shelves: dirty, old, warped, ripped, faded spines overshadow the new books.  And sadly the reverse is not true. The eye is drawn to the damage, not the shine.  Thus, students often say that there are no "good books" in a library because the library staff probably hasn't done the necessary work to "weed" the collection.  But when space is limited, and new books are coming in, the books that are not circulating need to be removed. Just like in your garden at home, you have to pull the weeds so the pretty flowers can be more attractive.

To better support the reading program in the Princeton elementary buildings, the Media Paraprofessionals and I are labeling the books in the collections with their corresponding Lexile score. This is a huge task.  Huge.  And to make the task more manageable (I learned the hard way) it is best to have the collections in good shape.  Which means, weeded.  Why label a book that is falling a part?  Why label a book that students can't relate to?  So, here at Stewart Elementary we are working on weeding the collection.  The last two days I have been in the Easy shelves pulling books and making the hard decision if it stays or if it goes. 

I pulled one book that looked dated and didn't have a title on the spine.  Typically an indication to me that the book is old and probably needs to leave the collection. When I pulled the book I happened to have it turned on it's back and I flipped through the pages back to front.  The sketches were black and white with an occasional highlight of pink and the text was the dated. I had a sense of recognition, but I brushed it aside since I have that feeling a lot since I work with books all day.  I immediately knew that I would remove this book from the collection. But when I finally turned to the front cover of the book I saw something unexpected. A wave of awe washed over me.  

It was the book.  The one book from childhood that I remember.  Really remember loving  It was the book that I looked for 5 years ago when my daughter was born but couldn't find in the public library system, Amazon, eBay or any book vendors.  

It was The Book. 

Marshmallow, story and Pictures by Clare Turlay Newberry published in 1942.  (Yes, 1942)  A simple story that we all know: one pampered animal at home, another brought into the house, rivalry, then friendship. A classic story structure for children's literature.  

But this book was The Book of my childhood.  I  didn't own it, we borrowed it from the public library. But I remember my parents reading me this book over, and over, and over again.  I'm certain I checked it out from the library a dozen times if not more.  I loved the soft fluffy look of the cover.  I loved cuddling with my parents under my pink canopy bed to listen to the story about Marshmallow. I loved when Marshmallow finally won over Oliver, the cat, by kissing Oliver on the nose.  I loved the book so much that my grandpa bought me a real bunny.  And of course I named the bunny Marshmallow.  When that bunny died, my parents bought me another white bunny and his name was Marshmallow 2. 

Today when I read the book I was a little sad at realizing that the book is actually poorly written and the illustrations are simple, at best. But of course, 35 years ago, that didn't matter to me I still loved the book.  

Today, our kids and students have a wonderful selection of well written and amazingly illustrated books to choose from.  Oddly enough finding Marshmallow rejuvenated my mission to offer students the best books possible in their school library.  Students today would not connect to Marshmallow, but by removing Marshmallow I made room for a new book that today's students will connect with.  Possibly making room for someone to find their own Marshmallow.