Start of a New Year

The first day of school is just around the corner, and I can't believe I am about to begin my 20th year with students. Our librarians have been back since July 26th.

This next week begins in-service for teachers.  So, of course, I have some challenges ready to go to entice the teachers to use the library and all of its services.

I created a menu of services in Canva (you can find the template here) If you have not signed up for a free Canva educator account, I would highly recommend it.  I saved it as an image and put it 4 to a page in Google Slides and printed them off in color.  I then had my amazing clerk Suzanne Lautaret cut them apart and laminate them to use as bookmarks.  During one of our staff training this upcoming week, I plan to pass out the bookmarks and share with staff the interactive menu I created using the image and Genially. You can check out my finished product here

I also created another challenge using the same template for teachers for the first week back (it is the second page of the Canva Template)

This is the email I sent to staff on Friday:

It is that time for a Library Back To School Challenge! The challenge will officially run August 9^th-August 13^th with 9 winners are being announced on Monday, August 16^th!

*SPECIAL PRIZE!* for Monday, August 9^th!!! $10 Giftcard to Starbucks AND $50 to spend at the Fall Book Fair!!

Monday, August 9^th is #NationalBookLoversDay you can get 2 entries for this *Special Prize!*

1. Tweet your favorite book or author and tag @lmslionsread #irvingreads and #NationalBookLoversDay
2. Join in on some TikTok Fun! Find a middle school-appropriate book and let me film you! All you have to do is pretend to be reading and look up from the book.. or find a book in a random location and wave at the camera (look up #fullhousetheme) You must find me on Monday to do this challenge.

These entries MUST be done on Monday, August 9^th! But you have time to find that book!!

Library Back to School Challenge- up for grabs- 5 $5 Gift Cards to Sonic 5 $10 Gift Cards to the Fall BookFair.

This year is all rainbows, unicorns, and magic! You can find the challenge is attached, but here is also the entries

There are 7 possible entries for each staff member (names will be entered into a drawing and randomly selected!)

Recommend-Head to the Library, find a book you would recommend to a student or staff member, write a sticky note why and we will display it
Online Database- Share one Irving online database or resource that you are excited to try or use through twitter-Tag @lmslionsread and #irvingreads
You Decide-email me with one way that the library can support you and your content
Give an online book shout-out- Share your favorite read or author on Twitter and tag @lmslionsread and #irvingreads
Booksnap-Create a #booksnap and share on and tag @lmslionsread and #irvingreads
Investigate-the other Materials that the library has to offer-email Keller something you found
Visit the Library on Friday, August 13th for a treat and to see our new books

Prize information- I am using Scholastic dollars.. and out of pocket. I am also baking a ton of Cakies on Thursday and individually wrapping them for staff to come to grab on Friday. 

Back to school also means creating new goals. I use the program Piktochart to create mine and send 6 weeks updates to admin and share online. You can find the goals here

We have meet the teacher on Tuesday and I plan to have a photobooth and activity going on in the library.  

On the first day of school, I also get to school super early and take the first day of school pics for teachers and students with a letterboard. It is one of my favorite things to do!

Please enjoy my latest TikTok if a Librarian was kidnapped back to school addition. 

Here's to year 20. I don't know how it is going to look or what is going to happen but with my trusty trapper keeper and great friends, it is going to be a GREAT year!

Next up- planning for orientation.  What do you do to get ready for staff and the first day of school? I am also SUPER pumped because I had 2 sessions accepted to TLA and to TCEA (which is #22 on my #50by50 goal list!)

Late Night in the Library-November

Our first Late Night in the Library in October was a big hit (okay.. I count that 75 people coming in the library after they did trunk or treat is a big hit)  I knew that I wanted to do this again.

I do have to say, I was SUPER inspired when I had a meeting over at Lady Bird Johnson Middle School. Their librarian Mr. Cummings had an event called the Gathering going on. Those middle schoolers were so engaged, and there was so many parents there too!  I took some ideas away from that for my next Late Night in the Library (my November one was already planned)  I liked how he had different stations set up and invited other librarians over to help manage and run some stations. The teachers that were there too were having a great time!

Okay.. back to my Late Night in the Library November.

Invitation that was sent to all students and posted on social media. I LOVE using Canva!

For these Late Night in the Library events I have been trying to find different types of books to use. I LOVE that I came across this gem in our library- Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet (her website is fantastic by the way!). In the library this month we have been talking non-fiction, so this was a perfect book for the evening.  It is all about Tony Sarg and how he invented the balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  It is a great read with beautiful illustrations.   Of course to go along with the read-a-loud there is a hands on activity.
I love Teachers Pay Teachers to give me ideas and this one was perfect.  I of course did not have time to all the great activities that are in this pack, but our hands on activity was for patrons to create their own prototype for a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon.  I always hope these types of things are well attended, but if only 3 students show up.. that is 3 more students that are having a chance to work with their parents.  These events are really focused on parents having a chance to work along side their child.  Guess what.. I had 25 people show up.. AND.. 30 books were checked out!

We put last years Macy's parade on the big screen.  On the tables I had materials out:
-tape
-pipe cleaners
-construction paper
-scissors
-tissue paper
-balloons
-markers
-planning paper
-pencils
-a few samples that my Destination ImagiNation teams made

The different designs that the students did were awesome! Of course my favorite part was seeing the parents working with the students.

An awesome volunteer working with a couple of the students

A great example of one of the balloons that was created.

Just a few of the balloons that were created

I of course LOVE this one that a parent made for me!

I was much better at preparing and planning for this one.  For our event in December I have a special guest coming to be the guest reader.

I hope to also use Mr. Cummings idea and have several volunteers to help with various stations.  I know that one of the stations will be a binary code Christmas ornament.

Although I LOVE posting about all the great things that are happening in the library.. libraryland can also be overwhelming (okay.. maybe for me.. because I am sort of an over achiever.. don't giggle at that if you really know me)  I will be really starting a library helper crew after Thanksgiving break! I want to make sure that I am meeting the needs of all the different people that come into the library, but in doing so I get so behind on shelving and pulling books.  I look forward to training some great helpers.

Other exciting things that are coming up in the library- Holiday Traditions! I am inviting students to share their holiday traditions through displays in the library.  We had 50 pumpkins entered to the pumpkin contest, so I look forward to seeing what students come up with for displays.