The Winter Edition of The Den is available.  Here is a list of some of the highlights:

• Building a Reading Culture
• Black History Month resources
• Choice Board: Winter Edition
• Resources for ALL
• Special Edition: Student Testimonials

THE Answer (2024)

Years ago, I was preparing to leave for the ISTE conference when I read an article in The New York Times about staffing cuts in public libraries.  The article also discussed budget cuts in the school libraries around the U.S. Due to budget cuts, some school systems in Oregon and Illinois chose to cut library programs as an answer to saving money. The answer (I thought) was ridiculous. The article angered me so much that I had to write.  This poem titled, THE Answer, was created.

Below is a revised version of the poem shared on this blog in October 2011. Still a work in progress; please link to this blog if you share. 

THE Answer by T.K. Love

Into our school, the governor came to visit.

Looking important in a pressed suit…resplendent.

Gathered was a group of teachers, students, parents

Looking forward to the governor’s comments.

The governor scanned the crowd, looking quickly.

Looking for constituents…but bleakly.

Briskly unfurling the budget, grasped in hand.

Calmly the governor shared the budget plans.     

“This state is in need of a fiscal diet.”

I’m here to trim the fat.” The crowd stayed silent.

“Shrink this budget in half, by one million.

Then gauge other excesses I’m not feeling.

Two schools will become one, no more P.E.

Get rid of any clubs for diversity.

The school day, I’ll just cut that thing in half;

each school will get rid of forty of their staff.

Or…we could close the libraries. Save tons.

Who uses them anyway? Your daughters? Sons?

Why not spend the money on technology?

Do research on Google and Bing. They’re both free.”

The governor’s closing statement had the mob.

Just by closing libraries, they could save jobs.

Just by closing libraries, kids would have computers

There’d be less thinkers in the world.  More doers.

With one quick stroke of a pen and one fell swoop,

Libraries in the state were closed. Other points…moot.

The library books were stored in warehouses.

Dells and Macs were moved – enhancing tech prowess.

It didn’t haunt them until a year later

when the state’s test scores were in the newspaper.

“Lowest of the low,” the bold headline stated.

“Why State’s scores Head South” were topics debated.

The first year, a state panel was created.

The topic of the schools’ decline was debated.

The second year, studies of the score meltdown.

Professors and researchers visited towns.

The third year, the state still saw a steady decline.

Parents and teachers were losing their minds.

Not until the fourth year, at a local diner, was it said,

That maybe (just maybe) the scores were low because no one read.

Not for enjoyment, not for info, certainly not for fun.

Could scores be low because the school libraries were done?

Students had no place to go with their questions;

they could no longer expand their classroom lessons.

Surfing the web had become a way to be.

Maybe, just maybe, these kids needed to read.

“Just read?”  some questioned.  “How could that be a need?

Closing libraries was the answer. We agreed.”

So, public and school libraries remained closed

And to this day, no one in the state knows

why the state’s scores decline, but I’m sure that you do

because your public and school libraries were left open to you.

Last Year's Successes Lead to This Year's Opportunities

This school year has been a bear. Many of the other educators I have spoken to feel the same; however, our dedication to our students and the work that we do pushed us along.

I mention this because the above video highlights some of the reasons for my passion as a school librarian. From working with students in the library to collaborating with teachers in the classrooms, my job extends beyond the walls of our school library.

Today, I wanted to share a video that was only shared with members of our school community. I hope it will showcase the gains of our school library program and serve as a form of motivation for me to focus on the wins and possibilities of the school library program at Southwest Academy. 

MD fREADom Fighters

 The Maryland fREADom Fighters newsletter is a resource for all who support literacy and libraries.

Use the link in the image to learn more.

SWA Library: Year in Review (2023)

Click here to view the infographic. 

Revised 12/6/23 10:16 am

What Have I Been Up To?

Use the link to read the latest newsletter for the school library.

Thank you, MASL.

Below is a copy of my final message as President of MASL.

May 25, 2023

For my final message, I would like to share some information that led to this opportunity to serve as President of MASL. My hope is that this will inspire anyone interested in working with the Executive Board or other committees within MASL.

A few years ago, I was asked to think about running for President. During those two years, I worked within the organization to provide resources requested by members and create resources to handle what the Executive Board saw as challenges for our organization. From the I Love My School Library Award to Operation Proclamation, we were able to promote the work of school librarians in the state of Maryland and highlight our value within our school communities.

Working with the Advocacy Committee, we were able to create a toolkit for Proadvocacy, as well as take part in discussions within our state and outside to promote the role of the library advocate. Each task was completed with the desire to promote the expressed goals, mission, and vision of MASL. A tremendous responsibility, it took another year for me to consider the position and submit my name for the office of president. 

My year as president of MASL is coming to an end. I know that together we have made a positive difference. That difference came in the form of working with committees to provide resources for MASL members, as well as advocating for DC school librarians and the upcoming Freedom to Read Bill that will be proposed later this year. From engagement with legislators at the MLA Legislative Day effort to letters of advocacy when requested and a presentation at the Maryland GLSEN conference, I have been glad to represent MASL in a variety of ways.

This year, we also met with the Maryland Association of Public Libraries to build a foundation for a possible partnership. MASL also strengthened our ties with various organizations, such as the Maryland Library Association (MLA) and the Citizens of Maryland Libraries (CML). Both organizations have been helpful in providing resources and information. I look forward to seeing these partnerships grow in the future.

All my experiences as a member and now outgoing president exemplify the desire for MASL to provide leadership opportunities for MASL members.  

A sincere thank you to those who have been supportive of my role as president. Whether you contacted me via email or shared a thank you in person, you are appreciated. My thanks and appreciation cannot adequately be expressed in a written message. Please use the following link to access a montage of memories for the MASL members titled, Thanks to MASL. 

https://www.smore.com/y9urc-p-a-c-e-in-action

I look forward to seeing the great things Donna Mignardi, our new president, will do to continue to move MASL forward. She and members of the board have been working on great ideas. From regional meetups to a proposed format for the MASL conference, the Executive Board has been working diligently to enhance the resources available to our members. Stay tuned.

In conclusion, as we prepare for the summer, I encourage any MASL member who has not already done so to join a committee and/or attend a committee meeting. Your input is valued and needed. 

 

Together, we are stronger.

Sincerely,

 

Tatanisha “Tiki” Love, Ed.S.

The Value of a School Librarian

 "...those with unique skills, temperament, knowledge, and passion were hard to find."

I don't know how I found this intriguing tale. A visual telling of a society where librarians and books inside the libraries disappeared.  Whatever led me to this discovery is a good thing. 

An allegory, The Day Librarians Disappeared from Gapingvoid (Culture Design Group), highlights the importance and value of school librarians. Read it and let me know what you think. 

Reset Time: Part Two

Recently, I spoke with a teacher about young people and their reading habits.  The teacher believed that young people don't like to read.  A common misperception, I quickly shared that based on my experience most young people don't enjoy reading because they don't have choice and access.  I shared some of my experiences with undiscovered readers and suggested he give Book Matching a try. He agreed and we set up a time for the students to receive the survey and selected days for the class visits to the library.

The class visits were a chance for me to meet the students and lead them through the surveys. During the visits, I shared the background of Book Matching and the connection to an upcoming assignment. Most students were interested to hear book suggestions would be made based on their interests. There were also a few students who were nonplussed and uninterested. I assured them that they would enjoy the process. The first set of surveys was completed. 

Due to a glitch, the second set of surveys was not completed. Based on the time necessary to review surveys and select three to four titles for each student, Mr. Giles and I revamped the focus of the class visit and morphed it into a thematic Book Tasting.

A first for me, I pulled a variety of nonfiction and fiction titles related to the theme and topic of resistance.  From graphic novels depicting the American Revolution to historical fiction set in WWII, numerous genres and formats were selected. Each place setting included three titles: a nonfiction title, a fiction title, and a graphic novel, comic, or manga. The three books were placed on the tables in the library as place settings. 

The first day of classes began with students discussing their ideas of what a book tasting might be. Some students mentioned "trying out new books" and others shared that they would have a chance to look at books to see what they liked. I then shared the purpose of the Book Tasting. Mr. Giles shared the why. Next, I discussed the process and modeled for the students ways to use a variety of pre-reading strategies to "taste" the books and the first round of Book Tasting began.

After two to three rounds, students were able to check out books that they had listed as their top picks. By the end of the day, 65 books had been checked out by the two classes.  I decided to revise the lesson one more time.

For the second day of lessons, students didn't receive a worksheet. Instead, students were asked to place their favorite books to the right, their least favorite books to the left, and any other book in the middle. After the first round, students were able to take their top picks with them as they "tasted" other titles. By the time the class had completed three to four rounds, many students had at least one book selected to check out. By the end of the day, we had 36 students who had checked out 41 books. 

Two things were observable, the students enjoyed the visit and were excited to get books. Second, nearly half of the students were visiting the library for the first time in nearly two years. *

The enjoyment was apparent the next day when two students stopped by the library to check out more books. 

Based on this experience, this reset of Book Tasting will be shared with more classroom teachers to connect curricular requirements and infuse the joy of reading. 

 

Stay tuned for more updates.

* See my previous blog, Reset Time: Part One, for more details.

Reset Time: Part One

Spring is a time to reset.  In an effort to reset the library program at my school, I am providing information to highlight successes, as well as spotlight resources that are available to the school community. I will chronicle the promotions throughout the month of March.

First, an infographic.  A quick and easy tool to showcase some of the positives, I created two infographics.  The first version had the four highlights of the library program. When it was shared with a few others, the reception was lukewarm.  This led to the creation of version two.

4 Highlights of the SWA Library Program

It's important to note that my current school did not have a librarian in the building for nearly two years. For some, the checkout numbers and visits may be low; however, my school community is relearning to utilize the library program for lessons and access to engaging literature. This reset time is a chance for us to focus on the positives.

Stay tuned for more updates to Project Reset.

Curation and Presentation Ideas for Black History Month

February is Black History Month.  While the history of any group of people should not be relegated to one month, consider using one or more of the following resources to highlight the rich history and accomplishments of African Americans.

• Black Resistance provided by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) 
• Black History Month Virtual Festival 
• NMAAHC Kids - Black Characters Celebration: Celebrating Encanto's Antonio

As a school librarian, I collaborated with teachers in my school as they provided research assignments to the students. From research related to Blues musicians, Hip Hop artists, and visual artists, teachers began to prepare for Black History Month well before February. 

I also offered a visual curation of ebooks in our library collection for the school. What is the great thing about these titles? Infinite numbers of school users can access and read the titles at the same time.

Pop-up libraries where teachers and students would be treated to an in-class reading of a title were offered, as well as book talks in the library.    

Finally, we began our month with a virtual author visit from Mia Wenjen.  The creator of the blog titled, Pragmatic Mom, shared an upcoming title with members of my school's book club and students at neighboring schools. 

Whether you use author visits, research, or book talks, there are so many ways to provide resources and highlight the wonderful history of African Americans with your school community.

Recognizing AAPI Month

 Are you looking for ways to recognize AAPI Month in your library?

The Very Asian Foundation along with We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) and The Asian/Pacific Librarians Association of the ALA (APALA) recently created a project called The May Book Project.  

Created as a way to provide information that can be used to promote Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the May Book Project has a variety of resources.

In a poignant video, students express the importance of seeing themselves in a book and detail the steps taken to complete The May Book Project.

Via The Very Asian Book Project website, visitors can also located booklists:

• Picture Books
• Early Readers
• Middle Grade
• High School

"We are raising national awareness of the need to create inclusive libraries, give readers access to up-to-date Asian American literature, and provide funding for donating books to libraries." -- Very Asian Foundation

The website also contains rubrics, toolkits, and a chance to donate to the project, as well.

Looking for other resources? The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) has teaching resources available, as well as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

FYI