Magic In Your Library
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Share the magic in your library!The PR team for Conference 2023 is looking for stories of the magic happening in your library. We want to share on our social media outlets the great things NC School Librarians are doing in our libraries. But we need your help for that. Please consider submitting a photo or video that showcases your and/or your library's magic. It can be small magic, big magic, or anything in between. An example of this in my library is my aquarium. It has one fish and one snail. And that snail is a small magic. Students have named it all kinds of things, but whatever they name it makes it personal to them. Some students come in just to say hi to the snail. Some students say hi to the snail before they say hi to me. This small thing that I provided means a lot to them and helps make them feel more comfortable in the library. We will be taking these submissions until September 30, 2023. Our goal is to publish every submission. With almost 2000 members, we really hope to be overwhelmed with stories. :-) https://forms.gle/NBADmwPYwUZyKaZw8 Thank you for reading this and for letting us share the magic you are doing. |
Check out the magic that's happening in our school libraries in North Carolina! |
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Kristy Sartain, Librarian, EE Smith High School in Cumberland County
Something I have strived for in every library I've worked in is having comfortable seating. Those old wooden chairs just do not make for a welcoming environment. I am fortunate that my Principal understands my vision and has allowed me to add couches so students can work in comfort while they're in the library. I was VERY lucky to get these couches for free and having them is making a difference in students' attitudes about the library. Students race in to be the first person on them or to throw their backpack on them to save their space. One student named "his spot" and it is now known as "The Bueno Couch". Be sure to follow Kristy for more magical moments in the library:
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Mandy Keziah, Media Coordinator, Westwood Elementary (Ashe County Schools)
This year, due to staffing changes, the library is open for circulation less than ever. The circulation stats reflected this at our middle of the year data meeting. Compared to this time last year, our circulation was down 31%. That's huge, and depressing. While complaining about it at home, my husband asked me a simple question, "What are you going to do about it?" I thought long and hard, and came up with a plan. Our 5th and 6th grade Drama Club production this spring is Willy Wonka. I decided to hide "golden tickets" in the books. Once a student found a golden ticket, they did the short book review on it, and turned it in for a chance to go to the prize bucket. The golden tickets are then displayed in the hallway for other students to read. In just a few short weeks, I have seen circulation skyrocket. Students are excited to come to the library. I've seen students in the library that I haven't seen all year. The excitement is real. It is truly a magical moment to see a child open a book and find a golden ticket, and they keep coming back for more!
For more magic in the library, follow Mandy at: Instragram @bookteachinglady, Twitter @mkeziah3
Jessica Esposito, Digital Learning & Innovation Specialist, Alexander County Schools
Working with Elementary, all the way through high school, Jessica has many magical moments happening in the libraries. Check out their website at https://www.smore.com/3r015 to see the magic happening. Be sure to check back frequently to see what's new.
And be sure to follow Jessica at @jesespo
Ashley McVey, Media Specialist at Mills River Elementary
This year for Read Across America I set up Reading Caves. There were 6 caves that were themed after a particular author or book series. The caves were: Jory John's Food Group books, The Crayons that Quit books, Snowmen at night books, Are You My Monster Books, Dr. Seuss books, and Mo Williems books. Each grade level got to participate in creating the artwork that is hung on the cave walls. The students got to rotate through each cave during their library time and read. All the students loved crawling into them and reading. They were extremely engaged. Even my 5th graders loved cuddling up with a reading buddy as they read the books. It was definitely a student favorite and I will be doing them again next year! Here is a video of the caves: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1je_VAY8l9xdsfTMORgGIeWDr2AGhcpwy/view?usp=share_link
And be sure to follow Ashley at @ashleymcveyMRS
Julie Noblitt, Media Coordinator at Asheville Middle School My library bathroom is a magical space. When I first started at my school it was an adult restroom. In my advocacy for LGBTQ students, the library bathroom became a welcoming space for trans and nonbinary students. I started keeping period products stocked so that menstruating students could use supplies without having to ask. Last year, I had one male athlete spend quality time in the bathroom on game days. Now I have about ten middle school boys who come throughout the afternoons to poop in the library bathroom. I always wanted to make the library a safe space for students. This isn't what I imagined, it's better. Check out Julie at @guineapiglibrarians
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Carol Clark, School Library Media Coordinator, Hazelwood Elementary
I hosted a Book Tasting with Diversity in our Library for staff members. Using several resources, including a book called Bibliophile: diverse spines by Jamise Harper, I added books to our Library collection that will help create a sense of inclusivity for our students and also open some windows to worlds other than their own. While sipping tea and eating tasty treats, our staff used placemats to write down books they would like to use for upcoming lessons. I also created lists in Follett Destiny that staff could reference later that included all the books on display. These lists were then shared with staff who were unable to attend. The next week I book talked many of these books to students as my classes came to the Library.
Follow Carol: Twitter - @caclarkebook; Instagram - carolclarke317
Katie Bogle, Media Coordinator at A.L. Brown High School
We surveyed our students at the beginning of the year and asked what they would like to see added to the library's offerings. Games, video games, more art supplies, and a "chill" corner were tops on the requests. We partnered with our Interior Design classes to transform these brainstorms to a final purchase list. Through a Donor's Choose project as well as some grant funding, we have made their requests a reality! Students now have the option of enjoying a magical lunch in the library, complete with board games, collaborative coloring, a new Wii console, and a "cozy corner" with plants, LED lighting, phone chargers, and beanbags.
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