It's been a busy summer, and I haven't had time to do some fun stuff that I'd planned - like work on my blog. Today, I'm trying to remedy that. I've been working on the template, and am checkout various things I can do on the WordPress hosted version, when I run across this sweet little gem: It looks like a picture while I'm typing, so I continue unaware. But the minute, I hit publish, POOF!, it turns into a sign that I'm a stealer of bandwidth. mmmmm When I first started selling on eBay (years and years ago), I came across a great little tidbit of information. Put your pictures on Photobucket and link them. YES! it worked on everything, eBay, my blog, my webpages! Absolutely everything. Until they changed their policy his summer. And now, I have 100s of pictures left suffering in their hands. Goodness knows where I've linked them all and where that badge of shame will show up. I can get them out of hock, for a mere $399 annual fee. Yes, all this can be ...

Hi Friends, I want to make sure my students have the materials they need to succeed, so I've created a classroom project request through DonorsChoose.org, an award-winning charity. Donations of any size will help my kids. Right now, any contribution you make to my project will be doubled by An Anonymous Funder. Your donation will brighten my students' school year, and you'll get heartfelt thank yous from my class and photos of your gift in action. Here's my classroom request: Read & Ride in the Library!  To have your donation matched dollar for dollar, just make a contribution on that project page - donations will be doubled automatically, but only while funding lasts. If you know anyone who is passionate about education, please pass this along. My students and I greatly appreciate your support. Bitsy

This time last year, I was just beginning the great adventure of turning a storage bin Library into a welcoming and functional place. This week, we about got the final physical changes down that I've been waiting to complete. The library last year looked like this: Below shows the space as empty as possible. Our fabulous custodial staff put as many of the tables as possible in the corner for carpet cleaning. It's an amazingly large space. [gallery ids="6570,6562,6563,6561,6560,6566" type="rectangular"] Now, the last little challenge is computers. The desktops are in front of the SmartBoard. I didn't take a great picture of this terrible arrangement, but you can kind of see it here. I tried and tried to get a rug in front of the board, but it was not going to happen! I've been chipping away at them computer by computer. This is the next incarnation, and there is now space for a rug. There are computers hidden on those tables. Really ;) This meant we ...

Saturday, I went to see Wonder Woman with my oldest son. I know. I'm late to this game, but since most of you have already seen it . . . It was great, wasn't it!?! I didn't think about real life once during the movie! Now you'd think, at this stage of my life, I'd know I'll never be Wonder Woman. But I still grapple with that little fact. I've got the drive, I've got energy, I've got ambition. I want to simultaneously fight for better education and funding for libraries while at the same time making my library a not-so-hidden paradise. But I had regular parents and lacked interference from Zeus, and this my friends, makes me a mere mortal. To top off that sweet little fact with a maraschino cherry, I'm at the wrong end of middle age. I can't do everything I'd like to do. OK, so that was never my reality, but now it's painfully obvious that doing everything I want is even more of a dream. Darn. What is a mortal to do over the summer t...

If you don't know who Jeff Mack is, you have to meet him! Or at least read one of his fascinating books. His art can move a story along with few words!  Four groups met with him. Each presentation was different. Each was fascinating. The students were enthralled.  The highlight of the day for me was our luncheon though. We had a contest to see which students got to eat with him. A picture story book contest with one winner from each grade. Now I say it was the luncheon, but it wasn't the food, it was the time that Mr. Mack took with each student. He read every story and looked at each picture. He made comments and suggestions. He treated each child like an author worthy of his time. I was impressed on so many levels and really hope that I have the opportunity to work with him again!

Since Jeff Mack is visiting our school, I planned a cross-grade level project for welcome signs. My plan was that the first grade level (3rd grade) would draw ups some plans for a sign, the second grade level (4th) would put the plans to paper, and the third grade level (5th) would finish up. That would leave me one last class to get the library ready for assemblies. First two classes were fairly smooth sailing. Signs are planned and moving along. Third class comes in, however, and the first thing several of them say is I don't want to do this. Great, I smell a mutiny underfoot.  I do understand this artsy stuff isn't necessarily your thing, but I really need your help! We are running out of time, I was out for three days last week, then we had two field days. Please! Just pick up a marker, paper, scissors and give it a try. Do something in that corner or with those letters or that one needs a frog or the fly is too small. And then I walked away. (Did I mention this was a class...

We had a NCSLMA board retreat this May 6-7. It's always great to see everyone, get caught up on old business, and start new things. One of our ongoing projects is a second cohort of emerging leaders. We pulled together a strong team of facilitators to lead our next cohort through the program. AND an amazing program is taking shape! If you have been a school librarian in NC for five years or less, please take a look at our emerging leaders page to see if it is something that interests you. What we need: Application Resume (google doc link) Principal Recommendation Dates: Application due 7/31/17 Notification will be 8/31/17 Plans are to have a cohort of Emerging Leaders every other year, so if you will be in year four or five next year, this is the cohort for you!