Winding Down

The saddest part of the school year? The day I have to shut down circulation for students and collect library materials from all. The students don't understand; the faculty doesn't understand. It's way sadder than the last day of school...and that has always been a very hard day.

Here's the deal.  We have to account for nearly 13,000 items in the collection each and every year. We have to have time to collect for lost items before students start ditching the last few days of school. We have to account for textbooks, equipment, building inventory and more (meaning running all over the building). We have to weed, repair and finish up processing the last of the orders and donations. We continue to troubleshoot technology throughout the building and maintain the iPod and computer labs (both fixed and mobile). We are part of all award ceremonies and end of year AR celebrations (and so much more). We don't have more than any other faculty member, but we have a lot, and we are still working with students in various ways throughout these final days.  Most importantly, we have the same exact amount of days on our contract as teachers do. We don't get paid to come in early or stay days after everyone else leaves. 

So yes, we are crazy stressed and terribly sad that the library closes its doors 10 days before the end of the school year, but completely aware that it is the reality of properly running the school library media program. In theses days of extreme budget cutbacks, I feel very fortunate to even have a "we" in the library. Or to just be responsible for one library. Or to even be in the school library at all. 

All this to say, "Hey teachers, we understand. We know you're stressed too, and taking away one of the supports for instruction is crazy and hard--especially after we've spent all year encouraging you to collaborate and trying to be indispensable to instruction. We are sad and frustrated too. We will continue to help in as many ways as we can. You are welcome to keep materials until the bitter-sweet final day. Please, though, be polite and professional, and we will too."

The Countdown...

  It is the largest collaborative effort I've ever been involved with...and oh, such a worthy endeavour!  I've loved some aspects, though I have a page of notes of things to remember for next time. Mostly I'm amazed that a group of regular people, with a vision, can bring a project this large to fruition. 

I just played a small role, mostly focusing on a couple of smaller bits, but am getting excited to see what has only been hashed over by voice, and poured out in ink on paper, come to life.  

I hope to see you there!

First Annual Columbus Children's Book Festival

A year's worth of work about to culminate in this:

A new year approaches....and I have a plan.  Wishing all a joyous 2013 filled with friends, family, and lots and lots to read! Click to enlarge.

First Impressions

First impressions are so very important.  When considering our libraries, children and adults both have very strong, emotional memories tied to those spaces and the people in those spaces.  Some are very good, and some....well, the rumors of library dragons don't come from nowhere.

Recently, we had a student from Sweden attend our school for a few months.  He had mastered very little English when he started, but jumped right in and learned so much that he was able to achieve quite a bit, especially in reading.  Could I have read The Hobbit in Swedish in 3rd grade?  Not sure if I could have managed it all.  He read the book in English and loved it! His mother was a visitor to our school library, and even brought grandmas in (as they were visiting the family in America) to look around too.  Now, after reading through a few of her blog posts about life in America, I realize school libraries as we know them are not a big part of the Swedish educational system.  But us?  We made a rocking first impression!  The blog "Books in Between" is in Swedish, but thanks to Google translator and Chrome, the gist is understood. 

Thank you Susanna and Björn for visiting our library.  Glad we could help you!

Thing 13: Exploring the Cloud

I don't remember where I was or what I was doing when I first heard the term "cloud computing", but I do know that my life has been changed forever by mobile, collaborative, shared information. By the way, did anyone ever figure out how to really use Windows "My Briefcase" feature? I sure didn't.

I cannot imagine how I would accomplish most of what I do without the ability to seamlessly work across devices--but I still remember my first flash drive and the first computer I saw without a 3.5 inch floppy.  

(Image credit:  http://www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-3126055165 )

Floppies and flash drives were the answer to mobile computing once upon a time. Floppies came first, and boy did I have some! My floppies were archives of digital pictures, lesson plans on the go, backups for my computer, and I had the cutest cases for lugging them around. When a new employee in our district received a laptop without a floppy drive, I was beyond horrified. What in the world was she going to do?! In the case of the school district, they actually purchased a portable floppy drive and we could all breathe a sigh of relief.

As a promotion for purchasing a DELL laptop, I received a 64 MB flash drive. I carried the thing around for a year, not able to use it because Win98 wouldn't recognize it as a drive. I could save on it from my laptop, but couldn't use it with other computers. No way was it going to replace floppies. (Oh, yes, I still have it, The little baby flash drive? It provides the Blu-ray with the extra storage sometimes needed to play a disk.)

(Cue fancy flash forward tech scenes.) Then there was Google Docs, now Google Drive.  Then Windows Live Workspace. Then Dropbox. Then Evernote. Then SMART phones and tablets and....even our library catalogs became cloud compatible. No longer does a user have to be tied to a single workstation in a single location, well, as long as there is Internet access anyway.  

Mobile cloud computing has saved me a tremendous amount of time. Collaborative wikis have enhanced my professional career. Today I will be sharing a link to a video to for use on the morning broadcast with a colleague via Dropbox (and if you haven't already, sign up now with this link and we'll both get 500 MB of additional storage.). I have our media specialist cluster directory on Google Drive. My Chrome browser is the same across all my workstations. Evernote helps me organize my clippings, notes, and links and makes them accessible from anywhere. Even Amazon offers a cloud drive for storing music, docs and photos, along with a cloud player so our music is accessible across devices. As long as I can find a safe, secure signal, I am good.

So the real question is, how do we ensure Internet access across the world? If we, in our profession, are all about accessibility to services, then services based on the almighty cloud leave out a large chunk (notice that this is not a statistically accurate term) of the population due to poverty, or location, or lack of devices. I get a bit jittery if I lose Internet access and have all sorts of back up plans for ensuring I can get to my information, and I would be very disappointed horrified if I had to go back to living on dial up, tied to a single workstation. I can no longer even conceive of living without a signal at all, and yet that is life for so very many people in the world. Lots of folks in our field are way more educated to the statistical reality of the digital divide, but as a librarian, the one thing I can do now is to provide access to the signal for my patrons in my community. It is a small thing, but I'm grateful to be able to share the signal and connect patrons to some of the awesome services and tools of the world wide web.  Services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and the Amazon Cloud Drive make it possible for someone without reliable access to a private workstation, to work across public devices with ease.  Yes, I like the cloud.

The Great Library Remodel-An Update

Summer days are almost done, and quite a lot has been accomplished in our library space. 

Left to do:

Hang decals

Spray design back doorway

Touch up paint
Treat curtains with flame retardant spray
Iron and hang curtains
Purchase and install cork to make a display
Clean workroom windows
Bulletin boards

Signage

I am absolutely thrilled with the way our library media center is shaping up!

Thing 8...Update on Evernote vs. OneNote

"Our next next task is to become proficient with our chosen tools. Use them consistently and with great skill and share the knowledge with others."--from Thing 8, 2011

When last I posted on organizing tools, I was torn between Evernote and Microsoft OneNote, each with distinctive advantages and drawbacks (outlined in my previous post). I've been using both throughout the year, and I can tell you truthfully that it is driving me to distraction. I hate having two different places storing all my notes!

Over the course of the last year, a couple of improvements have been made in both applications, alleviating their biggest challenges.  OneNote now has an android app; Evernote now syncs across the school district firewall.

So which did I choose? I am now committed to Evernote. It goes back to my quote above--needing to use one app consistently, learn it well, and share it with others. While my school district is tied to Microsoft, almost no one uses or has invested training in using the OneNote application. At this time, sharing notebooks is not a huge priority and while OneNote holds a distinct advantage in sharing, it's lack of being freely available to multiple users offsets that advantage quite a bit. Okay, the app is free, but to use the computer software, MS Office 2010, with the app, it must be purchased. I think that I'd rather become proficient with Evernote and share that with others, without worrying whether or not they have access to Microsoft software on their computer.

I do like the look/feel of the the OneNote "notebooks" and the organizational ability of MS OneNote is tops, however, Evernote does work well and I find nothing wrong with orgainzing within Evernote (though it isn't as colorful.)  PS:  The new Evernote app is cool too!

I like the "Clip to Evernote" plugin for Chrome, though I haven't used the OneNote plugin for Chrome, the one in IE works well. I rarely use IE though, so that was definitely not a factor.

But the clincher? The reason for the total switch? LiveScribe! Up until a couple of weeks ago, I was still waffling. I really like both pieces of software. I have no major drawbacks with either, though I tend towards the Evernote app because it is not tied to Microsoft. However, at a recent conference, Leslie Fisher demonstrated the LiveScribe pen and it's new ability to sync with Evernote. I was sold, lock, stock and barrel.  Now, I just need to get me one of those pens!

Coke vs. Pepsi, Kindle vs. Nook, PC vs. Mac, IE vs. Chrome, Evernote vs. OneNote...in the end, I think it will always boil down to a sometimes indefinable personal preference. What's your choice?

Thing 7-Revisited

(You can find the first part of this post here.)

It's been and exciting and busy year, and yes, I was able to meet my real life networking goals by becoming involved as a building rep for PAGE and yes, I managed to join GLMA.  Yay!

One of the most exciting things I tried to do was to encourage others in my district to join or increase their own involvement with professional organizations as well.  At our fall meeting I issued a challenge to: Explore, Join, Participate and Share.  And guess what?  Many did!

Unfortunately, I was not able to stay at the end of year district meeting due to a conflict in my schedule, so my goal next year will be to host a meetup or two to compare notes, share experiences, and generally support each other as kind of our own real life network.  Oh! Well I do sort of have that with my awesome and amazing cluster group of media specialists, but I'd like to see it reach across grade levels and schools as well.

On another note, I was asked if I would volunteer with the GAETC conference! It was quite serendipitous, but I'm glad to lend a hand and hope to have more information soon on the details.

I joined CASIE as part of our continuing goal of becoming an IB World School and, while not active, I've gotten some great ideas for supporting language learners in our school library.

Now I've about reached my saturation point for professional organizations!  Next year will be a year to coordinate and balance my participation and involvement while encouraging others to share their experiences and information with each other.

Gadgets & Web 2.0--Highlights from BPI

The first three days of the week have been filled with sessions from the MCSD Best Practices Institute. I'm a first year attendee, though these have been going on for quite awhile. My gut reaction after attending has been, "Wow!" What a wealth of information delivered in fun and creative ways! The best part? It was all FREE!

I chose 6 sessions to attend, including the ones on tech held today. Leslie Fisher presented on Gadgets (love this) in the morning and Web 2.0 (Beyond the Basics) this afternoon....and my brain is on complete and utter overload...but I'm so excited about the wealth of information and can't wait to spend the rest of the summer exploring.

My new faves from the day included:

• LiveScribe Pens (and notebooks)  
• I liked that I could carry around a pen and notebook instead of lugging around my netbook or laptop and then...sync my notes to Evernote! I had seen a demo of these about a year ago, and while cool, didn't grab me until I heard about the sync today.  Oh, there are a wealth of educational uses for them too, and I can't wait to score a few for the library.
• Class Dojo 
• This website could be a 21st century answer to the age old problem of managing behaviors and communicating with parents.  Could definitely replace those weekly behavior sheets being sent home.
• Socrative App for iOS
• Turn our iPod lab into student response systems...need I say more?
• Lino-Sticky and Photo Sharing
• I see using this as a central place to collect resources for a training, a presentation on a topic, student reports...and I'm sure I will think of more.  It is visually appealing, has a cool factor, and is simple to start using.

I have more notes from this day that I will need to review...and I may discover a new favorite to add to the list.

Someone asked me one time if I ever slept, well, because I seem to know a lot about tech and other topics in my library world.  My answer...no, I sleep, but I keep up with the people that do keep up with the tech. Thank you to all those that genorously share the time, talent, and knowledge to help us all sound like we know what's going on with the ever-evolving tech world.

Interested in following some yourself?  Check out Bobbi Newman and Tony Vincent.  You can also tune into various hash tags over on Twitter: #edchat and #edtech

You can share your thoughts about your favorite tech tools in the comments or with me (@bookatarian) on Twitter.

MBC-It's a Beginning!

Our district has recently begun rolling out a new, interactive, Web 2.0 filled, safe for kids tool from Lightspeed Systems called My Big Campus.  Boy is it big...big enough to even have its own iPod and Android apps!  There are many good reasons to let students and faculty use tools such as these, and I could write about why, but some great reasons are summed up nicely over at Grades and Upgrades, Too.

As a brand new user, I'll chronicle the ups and downs of integrating MBC into our school.  The 21st century classroom marches on, and if you don't join up,  you'll be left behind, but it doesn't always mean it will be easy.  Today, I helped one user gain access (yay!), and searched videos for Read Across America.  Found a great one!  I also posted a link to sign up for Dropbox....one of my most useful ways of sharing files among workstations both on and off campus. 

The only annoyance I've had so far is a missed assignment notification that won't go away.  The OCD in me wishes that notifications would clear as soon as they are acknowledged, and as I had no control of the assignment, joined after it was due, it should clear as soon as I saw it was missed.  The group moderator will eventually fix it, I'm sure, but it is annoying all the same.

We're not a pilot school, so no real usage here yet, but its on its way!  The students (and teachers) are not going to know what's hit 'em. 

Library Day in the Life

I totally missed the boat.  Meant to sign up.  Had in my head it started on the 8th, but no, the foggy brain cells strike again.  Round 8 most definitely is not February 8.  Sigh...it was over by February 5.  However, I can now go and peruse the wiki (and so can you) and enjoy the flow of ideas, images, and tasks that are the essence of this profession. Here's to us...librarians of all shapes and sizes doing what needs to be done to promote literacy around the world.  Cheers!

Thing 12-Social Networks

Nearly 4 years ago I picked up my first set of knitting needles, some wild purple acrylic yarn, and Knitting: Learn to Knit Six Great Projects (100% Klutz Certified). I didn't know a single knitter and had no idea where to find any knitters. Holding two pointy sticks and trying to pull loops of yarn through each other isn't very complicated sounding, but as a brand new knitter, I felt like I was all thumbs. Out of desperation, and with hole filled, uneven, and very strange looking rows of garter stitch, I turned to my computer. Beginning with knittinghelp.com, I discovered an online world filled with experts, videos, passion, fun and more. The world of podcasts, both video and audio, opened up another avenue for a lone knitter to feel like part of a community. Then, the ultimate in knitting communities, Ravelry sent out my invite and I was IN baby! Social networking, groups, knit-a-longs..yes, I finally found a local group of knitters, via the world wide web, that welcomed me with open arms.

Can social media build networks and a sense of community? Absolutely!

Librarians, especially public school librarians, often feel as if they are on an island. We make connections...with our patrons, faculty and administration, but, due to the nature of the job (and woeful lack of budgets), it is easy to miss out on professional networking opportunities with each other. Professional journals help, bringing a wealth of ideas and book reviews, but they are not near as fulfilling as an hour long conversation with a fellow librarian.

From the humble beginnings of the Internet and World Wide Web sprung the LISTSERV....a first and fabulous way to reach out to each other and find answers, tips, tricks, and sympathetic ears. Far from being archaic, LISTSERV's are still around and active and are one of the simplest ways to network. I still enjoy using the Georgia Media ListServ. These rely on email addresses and, very often, an active LISTSERV could quickly overwhelm an email account. With digest formats, an active LISTSERV becomes much more manageable, but, in the world of Web 2.0, so many other tools are available.

CPD23 finally convinced me to give Twitter a try, and while I'm not quite Twittering the day away, I have found some great tips and interacted world wide with librarians. Not too shabby for a small town librarian in the South of the USA. Google+ has also offered up a wealth of ways to connect with librarians around the world and in my own community. Even my personal Facebook account has professional lists--for fellow librarians, library journals and organizations, and some of my great techie updates that keep this geek girl happy and in the know. Before cpd23 I had not explored using social networks at all professionally....beyond the humble LISTSERV. I am a huge fan now!

One of the stumbling blocks of using social media professionally, at least for me, is that without consistency of interaction, those tenuous connections do fade away a bit. Finding a balance on using social media tools for networking, without always being online, is something for me to reflect on. Just like in real life, online networking takes a bit of effort. I can put up a blog post in a heartbeat, but taking time to read the other cpd23 blogs can be a bit daunting. I joined a tweetchat once, but finding another to participate in hasn't been easy.

With all the challenges of social media, I do feel a link. A link that connects me to librarians around the world. Some are very similar to me and some are vastly different. Some live close and some are far away. A small world? Smaller everyday, but a worldwide community? Unequivocally yes. Social networks have brought the world to my fingertips and even let me throw my two cents out there as well. Librarians interacting with each other on a world wide scale, exchanging ideas, sharing joys, victories, and sympathy, spreading the love of literacy....that is community.

Things 10 and 11: Certification and Mentoring

I came to the media program in a rather roundabout way, but find such total satisfaction and sheer joy in this profession, that I thank my lucky stars that I did finally get here. Like so many others, I've had a long love affair with reading and books and the fortune to spend many, many hours in a variety of libraries around the the US and even overseas. I am hard pressed to remember much about my growing up that didn't involve books and reading.  When a book wasn't handy, the cereal box would do.

However, as I entered the university, my love of reading led me to major in English. My passion for history inspired me to switch over to that department, and then I thought, "What am I actually going to do?" I was so caught up in loving the study and learning of it all that I never really thought about a career. I immediately thought, "librarian", but an utter dearth of jobs in the field at the time made me doubt the viability of that route. I switched over to education, upholding a tradition of teachers in the family, and took a survey course on children with exceptional needs. I was hooked. Teaching it was, and not just any teaching, but teaching those that had diverse and challenging educational needs.

Personally my life went a little crazy, with ups and downs, and transfers to other schools, but I graduated with high honors and landed my first job in our local school system. Like any new teacher I was filled with enthusiasm and, rolling up my sleeves, worked hard, taught a lot of kids, and had some fun along the way. After 5 years in the classroom I was ready to go back for my Masters of Education, with one little, niggling problem. I didn't want to spend 2 more years of my life sitting in classes to learn yet more about special education. I wanted to spend two years (and the money) to add a little diversity to my portfolio. At about the same time, a new program was starting up in the district that would allow educators to target reading skills of the district's struggling first graders. I began a program to simultaneously add on a certification in Reading Recovery and enrolled in a Masters program for school library media. Life was very busy, but very, very good. My days were filled sharing the joy of reading along with teaching the mechanics of reading, and my nights were filled with learning how to be a collaborative instructional partner, program administrator and an information and technology specialist.

Wrapping it all up (as this is getting quite a bit more involved than I anticipated), I did finish, though it took 3 years and not two.  I once again graduated with honors and found my way into the school library.  I was a librarian at last.

I learned so much about how to design a program that met the needs of my school and my patrons because of the time and talent of those that generously and patiently answered question after question. Time and again, my mentors (and a mentor became practically anyone that was willing to answer my incessant stream of questions) would show up and walk me through a difficult piece of wiring in the head end or brainstorm ideas to get collaboration going. A few of the elementary media specialists met in a small cluster and we became each other's sounding board, support system, source of ideas, and yes, at times, even shoulders to cry on. Our group made us stronger and better individually so that we could wear the very many hats it takes to work in the unique environment of an elementary school media center.  Over the last few years, I've tried my best to mentor others, because the only way I know how to say thank you to those that helped me, is to pay it forward and help others.

I love my job, the kids, the technology, the books, the teachers I work with, my wonderful elementary cluster, and yes, I love them all....even on the (very rare) bad days.

Thing 8 and Thing 9-Organizing Yourself

Wow...Evernote! I had never heard of it until cpd23, but I'm hooked.  Funny enough, just after exploring with Evernote, we received a massive upgrade on our computers at work, to include Microsoft Office OneNote. After playing with Evernote (and discovering it wouldn't sync through the filters at work), I was happy to begin the transition to OneNote.  However, OneNote does NOT have an Android app yet.  Yes, there is an app for the iPhone, but if you don't have a Windows phone, you don't have OneNote. Sigh..two good tools, each with a drawback. Which to choose? (Yes, that means I'm ready for suggestions, feedback, or sympathy.)

Google Cal...love it...use it for work, personal, sharing with parents and teachers. Next project, to see if I can link the calendar with my catalog system for sending out reminders by email to faculty and parents. I'll need to explore our newly updated catalog software and find out what goodies are in the upgrade, then on to tech support to see if my dream is possible. Wish me luck!

Image credit: http://www.overhall.com/products.htm

We should be good at this organizing stuff, right?  We're librarians!  We create extensive catalogs linked to a wealth of print and digital resources. We meticulously shelve print items.  We sort, stamp, quantify, label, tag, bind, file and more. Here's the rub though.  The sheer quantity of stuff, both print and digital, paired with many, many interruptions (Not a complaint, we're in the business of being interrupted.), and mixed in with extreme multi-tasking can be an organizing nightmare. The wealth of organizing tools available to us can become overwhelming all on their own. Sort of reminds me of all the weight-loss aids that say, in the fine print, "when paired with low calorie diet and exercise." None of the tools are magic pills. A tool is only as good as it is used. We're exploring, learning, evaluating, but in the end, we must choose and use a few basic tools that help us. Tools we can integrate into our personal style. Tools that work best for our libraries and our patrons. Our next task is to become proficient with our chosen tools. Use them consistently and with great skill and share the knowledge with others.

Checkout Begins!

I just had to drop in and tell the world how happy this week is for me! School is in session and the kiddos and teachers and even our first parents have been streaming through the doors empty handed and leaving filled with books, magazines, audiobooks and lots and lots of smiles. There is such joy in a library and a school when filled with busy students, helping parents and tremendous teachers. Getting paid for doing what you love? Priceless.

We just finished celebrating our summer readers and this week we are gearing up for a schoolwide reading competition, then next week we host a local author in residence. Our fall book fair will follow in September along with a writing workshop for our third graders hosted by another local author. We are in the midst of planning a story time partnership for our PreK and kindergarten classes with our local library, supplemented by some of our retired faculty. Planning times have been marked on the calendar and soon collaborative lessons will begin. We're marching on with our International Baccalaureate application and things are really heating up with planning and teaching at our school.

DoDEA grant training begins soon and new SMART boards are being delivered along with an iPod Touch lab.  Every workstation in the school has been upgraded to Windows 7 working on Exchange servers and we're just waiting for the software to be reinstalled to finalize that stage of the migration. Unfortunately, all my working project files for our broadcasting team aren't compatible with the new systems, though the finished videos will work. Next tech project for me will be to develop new project files in the new software.

As you can see, we have started the new school year with a bang. In school a week? It feels like much longer, but in a really, really good way. Instructional time is too precious to squander. I am so thankful to be part of this vibrant profession!

Thing 7-Professional Organizations

As you can see by the spelling, yes, I'm American. However the word is spelled, the purposes are the same and I'm grateful to our professional organizations for their wealth of information.

Back in library school, we had to compile a section of our portfolio with information on professional organizations.  We were also encouraged to choose one to join, and I chose the American Library Association (ALA).  I liked that student rate and felt it was a good national organization to help a new library media specialist gain a better understanding of librarianship.  I was right and I loved having so much information available online. I have since been an on again, off again member and I have to say that the main reason has been the cost.  Yes, I make a professional salary, but the dues are steep. I join every couple of years, but then my membership lapses. I am truly grateful that anyone can access the wealth of information provided online, whether a member or not, and that is one of the reasons I keep coming back.  I also feel that having to pay for each individual division membership is a barrier and drives up the cost unnecessarily.  That being said, I realize these are excuses....resulting in my ambivalence about the cost vs. membership benefits for this organization.

At one point Bobbi Newman from Librarian by Day ran for (and won) a council position with the ALA. She asked for feedback on membership. I didn't respond at the time, but it did get me thinking more about my own professional involvement with librarianship. Involvement beyond my own library doors. I've come to the conclusion that to truly get the most benefit from my professional organizations of choice, I must also commit to be involved beyond paying dues.

I began with my educational organization PAGE by becoming the building rep.  I had agreed the year before, but didn't do very much.  Last year, I committed to learning how to truly represent PAGE and began networking with our district representative. This year I'm bumping my participation a notch by meeting with new employees and hosting our rep for Desserts. This organization provides many benefits for educators of all types while keeping costs very reasonable.

My next goal is to join GLMA...Georgia Library Media Association. It is the state affiliate to the ALA division AASL (American School Library Association) and, for a very reasonable cost, I plan to dip my toes in the pool of professional involvement with a library organization.

That's it.  Two organizations.  There are so many more to choose from, including a variety of technology organizations, that I could quickly get overwhelmed. For those that are interested, here are a couple of the other options for professional organizations out there today

Georgia Educational Technology Conference-Not really an organization, but certainly a great opportunity to learn about educational technology.  Looking at the committees that put this conference together, there are many opportunities for educators and librarians to get involved.

http://www.gaetc.org/about/about-gaetc

International Society for Technology in Education-GLMA is now an affiliate of ISTE. In today's world, our educational tools are changing. Library media centers play a central role in helping increase access and understanding of digital tools in education.

http://www.iste.org/welcome.aspx

Thing 6-Online Networks

It's taken some time, but I've picked up the strands of my professional online networks these past couple of weeks.  They had sort of unraveled over the years, but now that I'm focusing on developing professionally I can see each loose end weaving into a lattice of support, encouragement, and knowledge I need to be better.  A strand of librarianship, woven into a strand of professional growth, strands of technology weaving throughout, and an interweaving of networking to bind them together make up into a better me all the way round.

Photo credit: http://www.faqs.org/photo-dict/phrase/4648/tilted-cross-yarn.html

I've really focused on using Twitter and Google+ professionally. Learning my way around them both and knocking off a little shiny newness of these tools. Google+ has much potential for being the place to network with various library groups. The ease of grouping and of including those not using Google+ has many advantages over the one wall stream of Facebook. It's even easier than remembering all the right hash tags to use in Twitter.

I've really enjoyed using Twitter for the speed and convenience of seeing many, many resources and professionals in one place though. I find that creating lists really help me narrow down the tweets to look at, especially on a busy day.

As far as Facebook, well, that is mostly personal for me. I do have a professional list, and though it often duplicates my Twitter feed, I like it for when I'm just on Facebook. As part of my professional duties, I also help admin our school's group page. It has really taken off this past year and many of our parents and teachers check the group for information and announcements.

I've rejoined the GLMA listserv and will renew my membership this week.  It provides an affordable and local organization for me to become involved with this year. I also am part of the DOE listserv and GALILEO listserve...both great resources for professionals.

I think what amazes me most is how much is out there...on the world wide web...for free...to network with each other and experts in our field. I often wish I could tell people how generous I find the sharing of their time and talent online so that I can read it and, if I wish, respond at midnight in my pajamas with a cup of tea in my hand. It is no wonder that so many, myself included, have been overwhelmed by the wealth of online tools and resources. I'm very glad that this project has really helped me step back and then dive into the world of online networking. I know my library program will be stronger for my involvement.

Students report on Monday...and amidst the craziness and chaos of first days...little will the students know how very much I'm learning too.

PS:  All my professional networking via Google+, Twitter, and Facebook are currently blocked by our district's filters. That may change one day, but for now, I network from home and from phone. 

Sidetracked by Yarn

Source: CraftyDiversions on Jul 30, 2011 

Library Day in the Life 7

For some time now I've wanted to participate in this really cool worldwide project started by Bobbi Newman.  Even though it is summer, public school librarians often have much to do.  Jumping in with two feet, I've tried to capture the variety of tasks done in preparation for the new school year.

Library Day in the Life 7 on Prezi

On a more mundane note, here's a log for the few hours I worked in the building on Monday.

5:30 AM Ugh...woke up congested and aching, so no early workout.  Scrounge for allergy pills and then work on cpd23 (Thing 6) and continue setting up computer after operating system upgrades. (install Evernote)

9:44 AM  At school for 44 min. and just now able to sit at the computer.  Passing out/initial setup of teacher laptops after upgrade, checking on docking stations.  Phone call about an online subscription renewal coming due.

Joy!  My clerk showed up (also off contract) to help with equipment!

10:10 Just updated a handful of patrons in our catalog, then reread the instructional email and realized that info would be updated by the district automatically.  Glad I reread...saves a ton of time.

10:12 Cataloging at last...thank goodness for being able to import quite a few of the records.  Using Follett Destiny for school libraries.

11:15  Quick break to stretch and snack.

11:40-11:50  Helped teacher moving rooms set up computer connection to television using scan converter

Closing Outlook so I can work uninterrupted for the last few minutes.

12:15 Continued with teacher laptop checkouts as they arrive.  Trying to finish this last stack of books before heading out for the day.

12:30 Calling it a day.  It is summer after all.

Our school PTA (Parent Teacher Association) hosted Beautification Day to spruce up the school grounds.  Now, I'm not a yard work kinda girl, but I do love to work with our parent volunteers and this was a great way to get to know many of the new parents that I've only interacted with on our Facebook page.  A plus?  Great looking school grounds for the start of school....and hopefully a few volunteers to help with library programs too.

In between days at the school, I've done a mish-mash of technology related items from updating the school web page, helping admin our FB group, learning new online tools, and generally tried to juggle both work and a summer vacation. With only 3 days left of break, I'm getting very excited about the start of the school term.  It's a sure bet I'm in the right place as long as I get so happy knowing that school is starting and students and patrons will soon meander through my library door.  Summer is all about getting ready for a sparkling new school year!