EOY School Librarian Reflection

 Two Fridays ago was the last day of the school year.  It's taken fourteen days of puttering here and there, doing load after load of laundry, and napping, goodness, n-a-p-p-i-n-g, to shake free from my normal work pace.  Usually, I'm unable to indulge in a nap until late July, which yes, is too late, really. *This* year though, my first weekend at home was almost slept away.  My cat, Tish-Tish didn't mind at all.

Did I accomplish goals that I set for myself and our library?  Yes. I weeded books (a.k.a. "library gardening") from the collection that were published and had hardly circulated (some had never been checked out) from the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s, which freed up sooooo much space for current books that our students and staff deserve and need. Boxes and boxes (and boxes, and boxes) and cart after cart of out-of-date, inaccurate, too-mature, moldy, and culturally insensitive books have gone the way of all good things, leaving shelves ready to house diverse titles, updated non-fiction, and topics of interest for K-5 students, our teachers and staff.

I re-cataloged quite a few books to help readers find and check them out more easily.  When you don't have a library assistant, one librarian to 16-22 students per class severely limits the one-on-one navigational help that can be provided. Frankly, I'm no good on rollerblades, so signage and extra instruction during the first month of school on how to utilize the different sections in our library is essential.

I repaired many books to extend their lifespan:

I fine-tuned lesson plans, activities, and centers/manipulatives to incorporate developmentally appropriate practice and to support not only ELA, literacy development, and a love of reading, but science, math, engineering, and technology.  After our read-aloud and instructional guidance, students could collaborate, develop their autonomy, suggest solutions, partner-read, talk with me about books and personal interests, or go find a comfy corner and immerse themselves into a great story or set of facts. 

Teachers and staff would enter the library, drop themselves into a chair or onto a couch before a staff meeting or during PLCs, and relax, breathe, share, and laugh. The feel of our shared space supports their well-being, and I'm pleased its layout, decor, plants, and energy make all of our readers eager to spend time in the library. 

I attended my first librarian conference with two of my colleagues and learned so much about genrifying parts or all of a library collection, book challenges, new releases, and our newly adopted Kansas State Library Standards.  Meeting book jobbers was incredibly helpful, too!

Two successful Literati book fairs contributed to funding for repair materials and new books for our collection:

... and of course, I made it my personal mission to get as many books BACK onto shelves before starting the end-of-the-year inventory. Students and staff enjoyed the "I MEME it" bulletin board, and I made sure I was a walking reminder that all books needed to find their way out of lockers, desks, backpacks, family vehicles, bedrooms, and toyboxes:

 

While I don't plan on attending any large-scale librarian PD over the summer, I do have a few books in my TBR pile that I'm sure will supply me with inspiration for my next round of goal-setting in August, and I'll also continue to read and review books sent to me by publishers for KNEA Reading Circle:

I covered all of the shelves before leaving the school, because new lights are being installed and the HVAC is being replaced, which likely means dust, debris, and possibly other not-so-pleasant surprises will be falling down from the ceiling.  I'll be sneaking back in at the end of July to see how much of the hanging decor will have to be re-installed.

Until then, it's "goodnight, library" while my family and I spend the summer at home, growing veggies in the greenhouse, reading, and taking care of one another. I'll be crocheting and crafting, too, which is exactly what I want to be doing during this time of rest and rejuvenation. 

Happy Summer!