Graduation and Goodbye...for now

It's hard to believe two whole years have gone by, and on May 10, 2013, I received my Masters in Library and Information Science from Simmons College on a beautiful Spring day at a ceremony by the water at Boston's Bank of America Pavilion.  As my family looked on (yes, they ALL came!) I walked across that stage and accepted my diploma thinking of all the hard work and long hours I've put in.  I felt proud, appreciative and lucky.  Not just for myself, but for all the people who have supported me during these sometimes long and trying two years.  My parents whose constant support has allowed me to reach for my dreams; my husband, who made it possible for me to get this far; my friends, who probably know more about library science than they ever thought they'd learn from proof reading many assignments; my supportive co-workers who pushed me to reach for this goal and made it easy to balance work and school;  the library board of directors who awarded me with the Karen Carter Scholarship Fund for Continuing Education; and the patrons of the Ames Free Library, who have become my own special family.  Without all of you showing interest and encouraging me day in and day out, I don't think I could have made it this far.  This degree is a shared effort, and a little piece of it belongs to each one of you as you helped me trek to the top of a large and difficult mountain.

As many of you know already, I have been honored to be promoted at the Ames Free Library as the new Youth Services Librarian, in charge of Children's and Teen services.  Words cannot describe my happiness at staying in a place I know and love so much and focusing in an area that I feel knowledgeable and passionate. As my chapter as a student ends, a new one as a librarian is beginning and I look forward to sharing that with all of you.   I hope you have learned with me as I wrote this blog, and please stay tuned for a new blog focusing on Youth Services.

As A.A. Milne wrote in Winnie-the-Pooh, "“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.”   Thank you, thank you, thank you. 

Scoop It!

Pathfinders, or a compiled document that lists books, websites and other materials on a particular topic, have been a useful tool to librarians for years, and a common assignment in library school.  However, as we proceed into the digital age, librarians everywhere are using social media tools in place of hard copies of these lists.  For example, at the Ames Free Library we use Pinterest to highlight new arrivals, staff picks, movies for kids, summer reading and more.

Which brings me to a new social media tool I found out about recently.  Scoop-it is a web-based curation tool, and the idea behind it is a combination of a traditional Pathfinder using a Pinterest style platform that is visually appealing.  I had to create a Scoop-it "topic" for my Children's Literature class.  A topic is a page where one chooses a subject, and uploads "scoops"-websites, books, articles and pretty much anything that can be found on the web to support that topic.  Scoop-it is growing in popularity for school projects and even with libraries supporting school projects, because a teacher or librarian can create a topic and provide students with trustworthy information on exploring that topic.  The topic is also interactive between users, who can comment on the "scoops."  This makes Scoop-it a fun place where teachers, librarians and students can communicate for projects.

Click here to read more about Scoop-it and be sure to check out the topic I curated, Hit it! A History of African Americans in Baseball:inspired by the Coretta Scott King Award Winning Book, "We are the ship:the story of Negro League Baseball" by Kadir Nelson by clicking here.

Misfits: a teen book talk on fitting in

Book-talking is a great way to generate interest in books at the library.  Librarians use book-talking techniques every day when conducting readers advisory, and book-talking can be particularly useful in drawing in reluctant readers too.  Book-talking is often used in school libraries with kids and teens, exposing them to new interests and genres.  Public librarians will often travel with prepared book talks and take them to schools.  My last assignment for Young Adult Programs and Services was to prepare and present a book talk to the class. There are many strategies and guidelines to keep in mind when creating a book talk.  Here are some that I used in my book talk, taken from Gorman and Sullentrop's book Connecting Young Adults and Libraries:

Guidelines:

Choose a theme-but it doesn't need to be an obvious one.  You just need a small link between each book for a smooth transition in your talk.

Choose a mix of old and new books-Teens will get excited seeing popular authors like John Green in your book talk, and meshing new authors with classic titles will show that older titles can still be relevant today.

Book talks should be fairly short, about one to two minutes each book.

Use props-Be sure to bring the books you are talking and if you are doing a particular theme, bring on the visual aids!

Provide a handout -This gives readers the opportunity to read more about the books you discussed so they can request them later.

Know the Books You are Talking-Perhaps the most important guideline of all! Book-talkers should have read the books they are presenting, and be able to discuss them without looking at notes!  To help stay on track, tape a small index card to the back of each book with your main points.

Strategies:

Movie preview style-gives a brief snippet or "trailer" of the book, leaving the audience wanting more.

Sell, Don't Tell-You want to provide just enough information to make readers pick up the book, not so much that you give everything away.

Incorporate a "gross-out"-Include a shocking detail from the book and teens will want to know more!

Include a quote- While book-talkers don't always have to do so, including a snippet from the book is generally a good way for readers to be introduced to the characters and they style of the book being highlighted.

End with a bang-End with a cliffhanger statement that will have readers fighting to get their hands on the book.

Take a look at the handout I created for my book talk, entitled, "Misfits:Young Adult Fiction about Identity, Courage and Acceptance."