Group activities can be really enjoyable if teacher librarians are aware of the best management strategies to use. Chaos and high decibel noise can take over in a hurry if proactive steps aren’t taken in getting the groups started. For example, instructions to simply discuss without producing a tangible product can prove to be a disaster. Our friends at Edutopia, offer strategies, tips and tools that enhance group engagement while curbing the chaos. Hmmmm….some of these strategies could work in librarian working groups too!
Image credit: https://unsplash.com/ (Kristina Litvjak), licensed under CC0 1.0
eBooks MN has gone live, and the people who know about it are pretty excited! Now it is time for promotion! Are your library users aware of this free, new statewide resource? No?
In the old days, when digging through paper card catalogs was a big pain, lots of people browsed the shelves in libraries. Today, online catalogs add expected precision in finding the precise item and its location, but what if you want to get back to your browsing days? Some libraries have adopted discovery layer products and bookstore model displays, and users leaf through what is all there, a great attempt at “old school” browsing. But, what about all of the other perfectly good book treasures buried in the stacks?
I recently saw a blog post that was written for the professional to explore their library by browsing, but it could be adapted for your library users too. Bring back browsing is what I say…some of the best books I have read have been as a result of going into the stacks, closing my eyes, turning around three times, and pointing at a random book for my next read. Serendipity is sweet sometimes! Get all of the details for doing a library scavenger hunt to explore the stacks here.
Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/l6sc8te, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Interlibrary loan (ILL) has always been one of my favorite library services. My librarian “passion point” is equitable access for all library users, and ILL nicely fills that bill. Here in Minnesota, we enjoy the goodwill of most of our libraries in sharing their collections (not true in all states). I thought this recent blog post by OCLC was interesting on two fronts. It is always interesting to hear OCLC’s take on four ILL trends, but the bonus is that OCLC also shared their most often requested ILL titles! Tip: this years book list is near the top, scroll way down to see the previous years too!
Have you ever thought of using your eyebrows, lashes, waterline, and surrounding area as a canvas for your artistic endeavors? We know from our social media feeds, that many of you have been going to “sip and paint” parties, and are feeling particularly gifted artistically on canvas at the moment. But, hold on, stay humble, we think you will be blown away by makeup artist Tal Peleg who recreates scenes from famous movies, musicals and books on her eyelids. Crazy, but very, very cool. Just for fun, take a look!
Image credit: https://unsplash.com/ (Ismael Nieto), licensed under CC0 1.0
Partnering with libraries for visioning, advocating, and educating
Group activities can be really enjoyable if teacher librarians are aware of the best management strategies to use. Chaos and high decibel noise can take over in a hurry if proactive steps aren’t taken in getting the groups started. For example, instructions to simply discuss without producing a tangible product can prove to be a disaster. Our friends at Edutopia, offer strategies, tips and tools that enhance group engagement while curbing the chaos. Hmmmm….some of these strategies could work in librarian working groups too!
