#middle school libraries

I finally did It, I made some QR codes to use in the library, I used    http://www.qrstuff.com/   it was super easy.

 I was shelving the warrior series books by Erin Hunter.  These books frustrate me because there are so many sub-series within the series that I truly have no idea what comes next.  I then went to the computer to find a suggested reading order for these books.  Then I came up with the great idea of proving the link to the website on the shelf beside the book.  QR codes are perfect for this.  All the student has to do is use their device to scan the code and it takes them right to the website!!!  Being a BYOD (bring your own device) school, we are encouraged to use innovative tech ideas when we can.

I then decided to make a few more shelf talkers for different authors that go directly to their website.  I have printed them out, and am getting a few students to make them pretty for me.  Once we have them up I will be interested to see how it goes.

  QR codes are not new.  However I haven’t taken the time to learn how to make them or use them before.  It took me about half an hour for this whole project.  Believe me if I can do it anyone can!!

Why you need a newsletter

  Ahhh the dreaded school newsletter.  Our school actually no longer has one.  We use social media Facebook, twitter, and Instagram to let our student and parent population know what is going on.  You announce items in a timely manner as needed.

However once a year I do a library WOW letter.  This letter is not for the students or parents but to email to the staff. I include in this letter all the events and projects that have happened in the library over the past year.  I also include lots of pictures.  Even though I work in a school not everyone knows what the library does.  It is important to show the whole staff how the library can be used and how diverse the projects that take place here are.

It is a bit of shameless advertising I send out in May; however no one else will do it for you.  Not bad to remind the whole staff that the library is important especially when people are working on next year’s budget. ;)

I include, bookfairs, science projects, World Read Aloud Day, Special Needs luncheon, Maker space, new books etc.  Anything and everything I think is important.  I send out emails all year long. FYI items, blog articles, announcements, requests (like whoever took the whole shelf of I Spy books could you bring them back!!)  But it is nice to have a positive newsletter to remind everyone what a cool place the library is.  Before and after major events I do short animoto( www.animoto.com )videos to advertise what is coming up and what happened.  These I include on social media to reach the student population as well.

Personally I think every dept. in the building should do a end of the year newsletter.  Working in a big building with lots of people we can get cut off from each other.  It is good to know what everyone is up to.  For example how many students participate in the drama club?  How many students went to divisions for sports?  What science trips happened this year?

  So take a chance give it a whirl I use publisher and save the newsletter as a PDF but use whatever format works for you.  A end of year video could be quite cool to!!  Good luck!!

Yeah that would be so cool to do!!  I am reading about all these library clubs doing coding.  I think I have 30 computers (20 work on a good day). I could start a lunch time club with coding.  I know absolutely nothing but surely I could get a volunteer to come in once a week or once a month to show the kids what to do.

Right?  I am with it.  I am a hip 30 something jr high librarian I got this.  I email my tech guru and ask for some help (always ask an expert right). He emails me back and I understand absolutely nothing in this email.  Questions like what program are you looking at?  What are you going to use to code or promote this?  Huh?  Don’t I just need a computer and nerdy kids?

Apparently more research is needed.  I go on Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/jenkirby1406/coding/ Lots of great stuff there.  5 year olds can code apparently, however I am even more confused than before. http://www.crunchzilla.com/code-monster offers a good tutorial I am working my way through it.  It reminds me of when I was in elementary school working on the brand new commodore 64’s trying to get my turtle through a maze.

 Maybe I could start a shelf reading club!!  There should be lots of interest in that right?  Yeah I didn’t think so either.

Anyway if anyone has any ideas on what I could do to get a coding club up and running.  Or some easy program that would give me an idea on where to start I would appreciate it.  Keeping in mind we are a publicly funded school.  So free to cheap is ideal.

  Thanks

A student gave me this she did it as a class assignment.  I loved it. So thought I would Share

    The One place I feel safe

by Breanna Ediger

I feel safe were the smell is of leather and aged paper.

 Where the pages enclosed can take you anywhere you would like to go.

Where the sun stretches through scared window panes, and row upon row of adventures await.

 Where I can be who I am without the judgemental eye of others finding me.

 A writer’s haven.

My sacred place.

 My friends meet me there every lunch.

 Just a sprinkling of the people I relate to most.

Where we laugh over chocolate milk and sandwiches.

Sprawled out on the green carpet a gateway to adventure in hand.

 Where we talk about everything and nothing. Where I feel safe from the jokes the whispers, the shared glances.

Where I am FREE.

 Where my heart is happy.

The writer’s paradise.

  Have you guessed yet?

 Surrounded with knowledge, adventure, laughter and pain.

All from words, printed on pages, bound together.

So I may not be a sports player, or what others deem     ’popular’.

Because the adventures I enjoy are that of the literary form.

 But I know where I belong.

Engaging in my favorite pastime.

 In my home the library.

But you see, the word itself is dull.

For it is the starting place of adventures .

You can travel the world without leaving your seat the airport, as it were of adventure .

The takeoff of tales .

 The gathering place of the bookworms.

 My friends, this place is a gateway to the imagination .

 The gatekeeper is our librarian .

My place, my home , my palace , my refuge .