Before & After

The day has finally come! I opened the library for students today, and saw 24 classes of 7th and 8th graders. I'll see all of 6th grade tomorrow. It's been a long process, but I'm glad I was a part of it.

It's not perfect, but we only lack a handful of items to be completely finished...then I can focus on the collection and working with kids and teachers on a daily basis!

I'm going to let the pictures speak for themselves. Here's a sample of our "before" pictures. (The library was built 20 years ago and had never had an upgrade until this project.)

And now for the "after" pictures:

Here's a breakdown of some of the goodies in the new library:

Reading Room

MakerSpace

3D printer

Big Screen TVs (4)

16-foot single plank of cedar turned into a "Think" bar with charging stations

Coffee bar

Recording Room

Hang-out Seating

Granite-topped round circulation desk (that I LOVE)

Bookcases and furniture on WHEELS!

I have the best room and the best job! So thankful for the opportunity to share it with the school!

I'll keep you updated!

The Waiting Game

We are about to finish our third week of the new school year and the library is still under construction. It's not a "hard hat" area, but there are still several things that need to be completed (I have no electricity working on one wall of my office, cabinets still need to be installed, etc.). And, I just learned my bookcases are back-ordered until the middle of October. (Right now the books are in boxes and stacks in the floor of the library.)

The bad news: God is teaching me patience.

The good news: I'm getting things done (organizing, weeding, labeling) that I wouldn't have been able to accomplish if people were running all over the library.

The result: I hurt all over. I've never had a more exhausting beginning to a school year. I have to work harder to meet the needs of the people in my building. And you know what? I LOVE EVERY MOMENT OF IT!

Today I decided I couldn't wait any longer to get books to the kids, so I went mobile...as in book-mobile! It was so great to see the smiles and excitement in the hallway as students crowded around the book cart and checked out books. I'm going to try to do it at least once-a-week and travel class-to-class until the library doors can be open to the public.

It was a really good day! Now I'm going to put my feet up, watch a little TV, and maybe grab an icepack...

Summer #bookaday Final Count

Tuesday, August 23, is going to be the first day of school at my new Middle School. Actually, I started back to work on August 2nd, but I've still been working on my #bookaday challenge. I'm in the middle (see what I did there?) of two books right now, but I'm not sure I'll finish either one before Tuesday. So....my total for the summer is 35 books! Not too shabby, if I do say so myself! (If you want to see my list, you can go to my Twitter feed @libpirates and check it out.)

Still Reading...#bookaday

In my first post of the summer #bookaday challenge, I uploaded book covers to showcase what I had been reading that week. Soon after that, I left for a month in the Czech Republic and took a break from online technology. It was my intent to come back and post more pictures and book titles, but I've read 31 books this summer and don't want to fill my post will that many images. (You can see what I've been reading by following my new school Twitter feed @libpirates.)

I read 12 books while in Czech. (It was just the kind of get-away I needed before tackling a new job in a new district for the new school year.) All those books made me think about the many debates and conversations I hear about digital books vs. print books and if print books are going to disappear in the future. I'm not concerned.

I'm a multi-platform person -- I read print, audio, and digital books all the time -- usually at the same time. In fact, I have so many books I want to read, I have to keep three or four books going at the same time.

That may sound crazy to some, but it works for me. I have one I listen to while driving, working out, doing housework (makes it bearable), or riding public transportation (in Czech). I have a digital book on my phone so I'm never without something to read...I hate getting stuck in lines or waiting at doctor's offices. And then I'll have a personal print book by my bed at home (at least 15 minutes every night before bed -- it helps me wind down from the day) and usually a student selection at school to read when I have a moment or two to steal. My husband thinks all I do at work is read books...if only that were true. -sigh-

Each platform has its use and I'm grateful to be able to carry a library with me on my Nook when I travel. (It sure lightens the luggage!) But I will ALWAYS prefer to have a book in my hand to actually feel the pages. I can't pass a bookstore/library without walking through the doors. Books feed our minds and penetrate our hearts. It doesn't matter how or where you read, just READ!

I'm back, and I have work to do!

From June 15th through July 11th, my husband and I were renting a flat in Pilsen, Czech Republic. We were meeting with friends and working with our church mission team to teach a conversational English Camp the last part of our visit. It was a wonderful change to our often chaotic lives. I was "unplugged" most of the month and unable to post my #bookaday readings, but I did finish a dozen books on the trip! (I'll post a complete list in the next few days.)

Not quite a week back in the States and I have already started "work mode." My husband complains, but I don't have much choice...there is so much to get done. I attended two summer staff developments this week and have more scheduled in the days to come. It's fun to be back in the saddle; however, the new school year looms ahead of me and I'm stuck!

I should know better. I should remember Robert Burns' words, "the best laid schemes, o' mice an' men..." and try not to be disappointed.

But I am.

Rumor had it, my library was going to start getting its makeover right after I left the country and be completed before I got home. I realize this was a best case scenario; I know how much work needs to be done....but it's not even close to where I thought it would be with only 37 days left until the first day of school. ~takes deep breath in, deep breath out~

It will all be okay.

I have a plan B...I always have a plan B. :)


If I can just keep my husband from killing me because of the amount of "junk" I have to store at the house until the library is ready to move into.

 

Here's hoping things get going and going fast!

#bookaday

This summer I am determined to faithfully attempt the #bookaday challenge started by Donalyn Miller in 2009. What I love about this challenge is that you don't have to feel bad if you don't read a book a day, but can bask in the success of whatever books you read regardless of the actual number. I love reading and I love the fact that no one is going to point a finger at me and say, "That's not a good enough book," or "You can't read that, it's not _______ enough for you." 

I'm a librarian. 

I read what I want!

No shame. No guilt. Just books, books, and more books.

Start your own challenge, and Happy Reading!

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First week of summer -- 5 books read:

Salt to the Sea

by Ruta Sepetys

Red's Planet: Book 1: A World Away from Home

by Eddie Pittman

Another Brooklyn

by Jacqueline Woodson

Some Writer!: The Story of E.B. White

by Melissa Sweet

I Am Princess X

by Cherie Priest

Currently reading: 

Ms. Bixby's Last Day

by John David Anderson

No Expectations

I'm trying to have no expectations for next school year, especially since I'm moving to a new district and new library. I feel like "low expectations" has a negative connotation, and I certainly don't mean that. I just don't want to have all these BIG ideas and plans and find out they aren't going to work like I want them to. No expectations seems safer.

I'm not sure how well I'll do with this. For those of you who know me, when it comes to my job, "no" isn't in my vocabulary.

So here's what I know going in to my new job...

I'm going to a much smaller district. (This I'm looking forward to!) I'll have 1000 less kids in my new school alone, which may be the smallest school I've ever worked in. I'm excited about the possibility of having more face-to-face contact with students and faculty members in my school, but also making connections with central administration and other school personnel across the district. In a small district, you can get to know a greater variety of people and a small community will come together for their school district.

One of the things I'm going to have to deal with on a smaller scale is library personnel. My current district has 51 Librarians (33 elementary, 18 secondary), four Library Paraprofessionals (those who do the dirty work at the high school level), one Director (she who knows all), one Technology Facilitator (she who can fix all), one Acquisitions manager (the money lady), and two of  the best Library Processing Assistants in the business (those who give our books tags and labels). I have spent the last 12 years relying heavily on each on of these individuals. All I have to do is shoot an email, pick up the phone, or send a text and usually have multiple responses within moments.  It's a great situation for any librarian to be in. My new district is set up much differently. There are five campuses (3 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high), and there are only three librarians -- one for each level; five Library Paraprofessionals for the elementaries and the high school (the high school is also the city library), and then I will be at the middle school. We also have a Director of Advanced Academics who is over the entire library system (along with a few other things). It's going to be quite a change for me.Not only having fewer people to rely on and ask questions of, but also having to process my own books and navigate my own library system.

Don't get me wrong, I love autonomy (and a good challenge), but there's going to be a huge learning curve for me to overcome in the beginning. The bonus is, the people I've met so far in the district are very helpful and I'm looking forward to working with them.

No expectations! I'll take it one-day-at-a-time and learn on-the-job! It's going to be GREAT! And I can't wait to get started!

That's not expecting too much, is it?

Moving to the Middle

Twenty years ago I started my career in education as a middle school English teacher. Over the next eight years, I got married, moved districts, started my Master of Library Science degree and taught U.S. History my final year in the classroom. I moved into a brand new elementary school as their librarian before the ink was dry on my new diploma and spent five years learning the language of small children and their teachers. It was a great experience, but one for which I was not well-suited. (Sarcasm does not translate to elementary students!)

I had an opportunity to transfer to a high school position at the largest campus in our district and spent two years working with another librarian to meet the needs of a diverse population of just under 3000 teenagers Then the bottom fell out of funding for education and my job (along with two other librarians) was cut from the budget. Luckily, we had enough retirements that year that each of us was able to move into a new position in the district, and I was given the smallest of the high school libraries. That's where I've been for the last five years.

Next year is going to be different. I'm taking a leap of faith. Not only am I moving school districts after 17 years, but I'm also moving back to Middle School. I'm anxious, excited, nervous and full of anticipation all at once. I can't wait to see what God has in store for me on this journey and I hope to document what's next on the pages of this blog.

Stay tuned!