If you want to go fast…

I have been active in AASL and AISL since I began as a librarian 20 years ago. I won’t be at AASL in Tampa this year. I always learn so much at these gatherings, and I will miss the learning and the fellowship (not to mention the free books and swag 🙂). I served on this year’s AASL social media committee, and I will miss seeing my fellow committee members in person (our work was virtual), and will diligently read social media to follow along as best I can.  

If you haven’t heard me talk about it before, both my kids are/were rowers.  As my oldest is an English teacher and rowing coach (and Masters level competitor) at an Independent School in Princeton, NJ, I still follow the rowing scene closely (don’t get me started…). Today I saw this in a social media post.

True, that!  Attending conferences, especially in person has confirmed this over and over.  There is always something new to learn, even if it’s not something you can apply In toto to your personal practice. Meeting and talking with other Librarians brings us so much.  These takeaways can come in bits and pieces.  They will form connections to other snippets, many from your own experiences. You might make something no one has thought of before (and you can present it at your next conference)!

A few years ago, in Louisville, KY, I was fortunate enough to attend a session with a Battle Creek, MI high school librarian.  Her students participated the National Holocaust Memorial Museum’s History Unfolded project.  This crowdsourced collaboration allowed the students to learn just what America knew about Hitler and the atrocities in Germany, and when they knew it. These scholars-in-progress (aren’t we all?) searched and read newspapers on historical events from the 1930s and 1940s.  Their project culminated in town-wide exhibits, visits from Holocaust survivors, and an award from Michigan’s governor, among other accolades and opportunities.  

After the session (which was too short!), many of us gathered with the presenter, Gigi Lincoln, and chatted.  We exchanged takeaways, business cards, and a promise from Ms. Lincoln to respond to any questions we had.  For the next several months (until the pandemic), we exchanged ideas and resources and cherished the wisdom of Gigi Lincoln.

While I have not put the entire project into use, I have used many smaller aspects.  

Crowdsourcing:  The Library of Congress is crowd-sourcing its collection of musical theater sheet music.  Our musical theater students have been pouring over the collection…adding lyrics, composers, titles, and publishers to the LOC archives, while adding to their knowledge of themes, techniques, and the history of American musical theater. 

The Research Sprint: Gigi Lincoln spoke in detail about the “research sprint”. The state organization in Michigan provides a robust suite of databases to its school and public libraries.  However, these would not be enough for her students to find the local newspapers needed for information on the project. Gigi’s idea?  A “research sprint”!  Students visited Michigan State University’s libraries.  In collaboration with an MSU History professor, and the US History librarian, the students used America’s Historical Newspapers to search for information.  The students enjoyed lunch in one of the cafeterias and also had a tour of the MSU campus.  In our Advanced US History (offered through Indiana Univeristy) we didn’t travel far – we searched African American newspapers available at the LOC for an “in-school field trip”.  With the assistance of the History Librarian from a nearby college we spent four hours (and a pizza lunch) pouring over the magnificent collection, looking for evidence on the social accomplishments of significant African Americans in the late 1800s.  The kids loved it (and not just the pizza and Halloween candy)!  I’m always preaching the “community of scholars” (thanks Courtney Lewis!), but on this occasion, they experienced it for themselves.  

Attending conferences – whether local or far away – is one way to experience the “together” we need to continue to advance our practice and our profession.  I encourage you to take advantage of as many as you can!  And, registration is open for AISL 2024, in sunny Orlando.  Together we’ll go far!

A Breath of Fresh Air: Santa Fe 2023 and a Takeaway for Maker Month


I was fortunate to have been given the opportunity to attend the AISL Annual Conference, for the first time, on the AISL Affordability scholarship provided by AISL. My experience of attending the conference was much like being in Santa Fe in March with its bright blue skies overhead, crisp sunshine and cool, fresh air: rejuvenating and refreshing, and just what a school librarian needs in the dregs of March in New England. As part of my scholarship, I was asked to write a blog post. In this post, I will share how I implemented the curriculum learned at the conference from a breakout session on design thinking, but I will also talk a bit about the role of AISL as a support system for independent school librarians and encourage other librarians to apply for the scholarship for next year’s conference.

First Time Conference Attendee

Yes, I was so excited to be at the conference, I wanted to squeeze out every drop of library goodness I could! I tried to attend every session, happy hour, tour and activity. Also, I made sure to drink a bunch of water, as the altitude in Santa Fe was no joke. I connected with folks in person that I had only met over Zoom in the AISL Mentor Group. I had lovely dinners with friends and reconnected with past colleagues. But as a librarian who teaches every day, I was looking forward to gaining some fresh curriculum ideas, which I found through some of the breakout sessions. As a librarian who recently pivoted to lower school library work, I was seeking support in developing my scope and sequence, I attended the Scope and Sequence chat and got amazing feedback from the kind and generous librarians (although what librarians aren’t kind and generous?) sitting at my table. As a librarian who has recently faced book challenges and removals of LGBTQIA+ materials from my collection, I was looking forward to the affirming presentation about the importance of representation in young adult and children’s books by author Nina LaCouer. It really moved me. As I reflected back for this post, there were so many moments at the conference that stood out to me. Did I mention the bus chats yet? People joke about them, but truly, they were really great. I soaked it all up.

Design Thinking in the Library

In April, I had the opportunity to finally implement some of the ideas I learned at the Design Thinking Meets Books: Novel Engineering session presented by Tomisha Johnson, Lower School Librarian at Annunciation Orthodox School in Houston, TX. In her session, Tomisha presented a curriculum she worked on with her STEM teacher Val Coyle incorporating design engineering principles with a classic storytime. Tomisha would introduce a story in a picture book, students would be presented with a problem to solve from the story and then engineer a solution to the problem.

Stalebread Charlie and the Razzy, Tazzy Spasm Band



I modified one of the example lessons Tomisha presented featuring Stalebread Charlie and the Razzy, Dazzy Spasm Band by Michael Mahin and Illustrated by Don Tate. This book told the true story of Stalebread Charlie, Warm Gravy and other homeless children in New Orleans in the late 1800s who formed a band using instruments created from found objects like cigar boxes, stove pipes and washboards. Their band was a Spasm Band, and they played a blend of blues, folk, gospel, ragtime, brass-band and dance hall music that many music scholars consider to be one of the precursors to American Jazz. I thought this story was so interesting and would resonate with my students, especially since it was based in history. The timing of the unit lent itself well to Earth Day and Maker Month, as Stalebread and his band made instruments recycled from items that would have otherwise been thrown away. I read the story in April to my first graders and posed the question to my students: Using recycled materials, can you build a musical instrument that can be played? Here are some of their designs:

Time to get to work

This project was a joyful, noisy success! I brought my classes up to the middle school maker room to work on the building of our instruments. They loved feeling like “big kids” up there, with all the tools and supplies around them and available to use. When we completed our instruments, we practiced performing as band, and then presented our own razzy, dazzy spasm band to the first-grade classroom teachers. They were very proud. The timing and implementation of the project was just right, tying in Earth Day as well as Maker Month. It will definitely be a part of my curriculum moving forward.

Moving Forward

And as for moving forward….If I sat next to you for a bus chat or connected with you at the conference in any way, you will have probably heard me discuss the recent book challenges and removals at my current school. It has been hard on multiple levels. Thank you to all of you I met at the conference who lent me your ear and listened, and gave suggestions and support. It meant the world to me. It was rejuvenating, inspiring, and affirming to connect with many librarians who have thriving libraries, despite the recent book challenge climate. Thank you, thank you.

Especially in today’s climate of frequent book challenges, we school librarians often feel undervalued and underappreciated. It can be isolating and lonely at times, even if you have a great librarian team at your school (which I fortunately do). I encourage you to not be afraid to reach out to the AISL community, find support from the Listserv and the Librarian Mentor Group and apply for the annual conference affordability scholarship. Making a trip to the annual conference to connect with other independent school librarians in similar roles as you can make a huge difference in how you approach your role. Attending the conference for me was like inhaling a huge breath of fresh, cool and crisp Santa Fe air, filling my lungs with clean oxygen Sometimes, it is just what you need.

*Worksheets designed by educator Val Coyle at Annunciation Orthodox School in Houston, TX

1 week & 2 days until AISL2022!

The AISL2022 conference planning committee is hoping you will join us for all or part of 2 half-days of emerging, engaging & evolving. Here is some information we thought you might want about this event coming up March 3 -5:

What is AISL2022?   AISL2022 is this year’s annual conference for the Association of Independent School Librarians. We have a rich history of conferencing and connecting and while the conference is usually held in person, this year’s offering (like the last) is virtual in light of the current pandemic.

What do I get for $40? The conference includes 18 great programs, 4 exciting author panels, roundtable discussions, poster sessions, and, of course, the Marky Award and Skip Anthony lecture for you to enjoy. And the prize-giving that has been occurring during registration will continue throughout the whole conference!

What if I can’t get away from school? Registering allows you to not only take part in live sessions but to access all material after the conference, so you may wish to register even if you’re unable to attend at scheduled times. This wealth of information is only available to those who’ve registered for the conference. Note that programming is scheduled over 2 half-days rather than 1 full to better accommodate a variety of schedules.

I’m unsure about the virtual format. AISL2022 is being hosted on the Whova conference platform. Whova allows us to integrate sessions, speakers, and sponsors, providing you with one place to access all the conference offers – either on the web or using the Whova mobile app.

Tell me more about the Skip Anthony lecture. We’re delighted to once again feature wonderful authors as speakers at our celebratory Skip Anthony event. Rayna Hyde-Lay of Shawnigan Lake School in B.C. shares these details:

  • Pamela Harris will speak about her novel When You Look Like Us, the story of a brother searching for his sister after she goes missing.  Law enforcement and other community members don’t get involved with the search because she runs with the wrong crowd, and all the while he is trying to keep her disappearance a secret – until he can’t anymore. This is a lovely story of sibling connection, difficulties in families and community support.
  • Jenny Torres Sanchez : the author of We are not From Here is also great to follow on Instagram. The novel involves the struggle of three youths in their hometown and their decision to migrate to the USA.  It is passionate, filled with beautiful descriptions of tough decisions they each face, both while they are traveling and the decision to leave; this book “broke my heart and gave me goosebumps”.

I miss connecting with people! Join in on a Chat n’ Chew Lunch on Thursday, or Brunch with a Librarian on Saturday to connect with someone new (or old :). And use social media to connect online; see #AISL2022 on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

I miss connecting with vendors! In our pool of generous sponsors, we have 2 (FactCite and Overdrive) who will be hosting virtual booths; see the schedule for the time dedicated to those who wish to connect with them live online.

How do I sign up? Click here to sign up for AISL22! If you need to pay by cheque, just use the “alternate pay type” option.

AISL Conference First-Timer – A Few Thoughts and a Thank You!

This spring I attended my very first AISL conference in Boston. This amazing experience was made possible by the AISL Conference Affordability Scholarship I received. I definitely cannot overstate my surprise upon receiving an email informing me that I would be receiving one of the scholarships and therefore would be able to attend the conference in Boston! I spent the months in the interim excited to learn more about the sessions and activities that would be happening. I had read comments about previous conferences and understood that this would be a smaller conference and that I would get an opportunity to visit various schools, too. As the only librarian at my school and the only librarian in my region with a school like ours, I rarely have opportunities to get to be a “colleague” in that way except through the AISL listserv.

And how easily we librarians fell right into chatting in the same language and sharing ideas! From the time I arrived in Boston and got to the hotel, we all began chatting in the elevator even before our opening breakfast on Wednesday morning.

One of the hardest things of all was reading through all of the sessions offered and deciding on the ones I would attend. How to choose?? Since we are building a new library, I knew that the session at Philips Academy on building and moving your library would be an important one for me. Emily and Ella presented so much great information about the new library at Nobles, and then there were questions and comments from a number of the librarians in attendance at the session about their own experiences. Later in the week, we got to visit Nobles and actually see the new library after a wonderful lunch and Endless Thread podcast presentation there. This kind of experience is so invaluable as we absorbed ideas everywhere we went.

Even riding on the bus from place to place became a time to meet new people and chat about our experiences in our own libraries. I sat with different people on most of my bus rides and really enjoyed those conversations. We had such interesting, information-packed sessions….but then also had time for things like a tour of the Boston Public Library and a tea-infused literary cocktail (Tequila Mockingbird, anyone??) So often conferences involve packing in as many sessions and as much information as possible, leaving little time to actually interact in a meaningful way with other attendees. Having dinner with other librarians was also a lot of fun and it was so interesting to hear about things they are working on or want to do in their libraries and to directly relate so much of what I saw to things I could come back and implement in my own library.

The sessions I attended were also fantastic. Being able to visit other schools and to have a session I selected also include seeing a library space or makerspace or to see the kinds of art or projects being created in each school really added to the information being presented. I attended sessions on Breakout Boxes and Visible Research, both of which gave me ideas that I could use immediately. My session at Inly School on Empowering Students as Junior Librarians shared some great ideas being implemented by Sara Spencer, a librarian from Canada who I am now following on Twitter. it was so interesting to see how different each library was, what kinds of things were being implemented in each one, and to have an opportunity to look around and absorb and take some photos to remind myself of the feel of each space.

The Skip Anthony dinner on Friday evening was the perfect bookend (see what I did there?) to the conference, as we all gathered together for a lovely dinner, fabulous desserts, more conversation with new librarian friends, and a wonderful talk given by Gregory Maguire, the author of Wicked. He spoke about radical generosity and about how life itself is the most wonderful of fairy tales.

I am so grateful for the opportunities the AISL Conference Affordability Scholarship provided for me. I rarely have the opportunity to attend conferences, so this was a particular treat – an opportunity to meet other independent school librarians and to recharge professionally and to absorb lots of new ideas along the way. This AISL conference in Boston was the best conference I have ever attended, and now I have the information to make a case at my school for funding for future AISL conferences, too, as I have begun using and sharing some of the ideas I gathered while there! Thank you!

From first-year attendee in Atlanta to Boston Conference Host Committee: Takeaways from an AISL Conference Rookie

“What do you all think of hosting an AISL conference in two years?” When Steph and Dave proposed this at our local Boston Consortium meeting I was all about it. Why not? It would be a great experience, I would learn a lot, I would meet more people working in local schools–at that point, I’d only been in the Boston area for 3 years and opportunities for networking had been limited to conferences that catered to public school libraries. At that point, two years seemed like eons away– we had plenty of time! First, though, I would have to join AISL, also it would help if I knew what these AISL conferences were all about. I was very thankful to receive the 2018 Conference Scholarship which allowed me to attend the Atlanta conference in 2018, an experience for which I am immensely grateful, not only because it enabled me to see how the conference worked logistically, but in sessions I attended, schools visited and in particular the other librarians I spoke with, I truly saw the value of AISL as an institution and the importance of this conference as a professional.

Two years, as it turns out, is not that much time. Or, rather, it is plenty of time but everything seems to condense into one chaotic mass of logistical confusion the closer the conference date looms. Sponsorships add, then drop, locations move due to construction and communication gets fuzzy at points while I tried to balance running my own library, my own personal life, and trying to make good on the commitment I made to the conference committee. So what did I learn from all of this?

The Bus Crisis Negotiation Dream Team: Steph and Erika.
  • Shonda Rhimes had the “Year of Yes”, but this was my “Year of No”. Saying yes to planning this conference meant I had to graciously say “no” more at work, which goes against my usual impulse to take on way too much and say yes to everything. Ultimately, rather than offending my colleagues and my administrators, I found  that by saying “no” to a few big asks, they now have more respect for my time and my professional opinion. It was a risk and a tricky balance to strike but had a worthwhile outcome.
  • How much I appreciate my colleagues. My two colleagues, Marie and Lu, were hugely supportive of my participation on the host committee and did all of the work in hosting the conference at our library at The Fessenden School. I feel very lucky to work on a “team” that has different interests and goals but can come together to make something like that happen.
  • The importance of making connections. By far the most valuable element of these conferences is the networking that happens in those in between times, the bus rides, the Dinner With a Librarian, (the waiting endlessly for busses). It is so refreshing to speak candidly with other independent school librarians who are willing to talk shop, not just about what they’re doing well, but what they are struggling with in their work. Working with the Boston 2019 committee also allowed allowed me to forge friendships and connections with local librarians that I may not have connected with otherwise.
  • Nurture your inner introvert. A few of you AISL veterans mentioned this at different points, but it was crucial for me during the “go,go,go” of the conference to set aside a few minutes to myself to “woosahhh” a little bit. In a bus full of INFJ personality types we need to remember that most of us are just pretending we’re extroverts.
  • Never trust your bus company. Enough said about that.

Overall, what an amazing experience and opportunity. A big thank you to the AISL board for the opportunity to attend Atlanta in 2018 and a huge thank you to Steph, Dave, and the rest of the Boston planning committee. I’m looking forward to next year in Houston!

2019 Marky Award winner: Renee Chevallier

The Marky Award was inspired by Mark Hillsamer, the Librarian at St. Alban’s School, Washington, DC for 36 years. Mark helped to establish AISL in 1987 and fostered its growth for 14 years.  It very well may have been “Mark’s smiling face, soothing voice, and wry sense of humor” that kept the organization going during those years. Walter DeMelle formally announced Mark’s retirement at the Skip Anthony Lecture Banquet in 2001 and presented Mark with a special gift: a mask from Thailand of a lovely lady who holds her index finger gently to her lips in a familiar shushing gesture.

The Marky Award has been given annually since 2002, honoring AISL members who had made a significant contribution to the organization over a long period of time. A mounted replica of Mark’s gift is given to the winner to be displayed in his or her library until the next conference, together with a small unpainted replica of the mask for the honoree to keep.  The honoree is chosen by the past Marky winners and is presented with the award at the annual Skip Anthony banquet. You can see a list of past winners here.

We are thrilled to announce that the 2019 winner of the Marky Award is Renee Chevallier!

Renee joined AISL in 2004, and her first conference was Dallas ’04. She has been at Ursuline Academy of Dallas for 20 years as their library director, and most recently has also become their archivist (although she wears many different hats at school!).

Renee was the conference co-chair for Dallas ’14, and has been a valued member of the AISL board for five years. Currently, she is our hardworking and diligent treasurer.

Renee followed in her mother’s footsteps as a librarian; she “was like Belle in Beauty and the Beast and always had a book in her hand.” 

“Renee has been a wonderful boss and role model during the time that I’ve been at Ursuline Academy and I’m looking forward to continuing to learn from her as her assistant.” Carolyn Croley

“The 2 words that come to mind when I think of Renee are positive and professional.  She helped organize an exceptional Dallas conference and has been a stellar treasurer for the organization (and for all the conferences since 2017), including this one. No matter what, she manages to keep a level and cool head!” Liz Gray

“Renee was indefatigable in helping with both the AISL LA conference and the Summer LA workshop. From all of us, we are happy to have Renee as the 2019 Marky recipient, – please raise your glasses for Renee!!” Shannon Acedo

Thank you to Barbara Share, Marky Award winner ’18 for sharing her speech. I have amended the original for the blog format.

What does AISL mean to you? Please share widely!

Happy New Year from the AISL board! After mapping our membership last year, we wanted to share our new year’s resolution with you and ask for your assistance in helping us meet it. If you’re reading this as a subscriber or as a link from AISL media channels, you’re already a member of the Association of Independent School Librarians. You know our value; we thank you for your membership.

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NAIS currently has 1541 member schools. We have 641 members from 390 schools. There are many professional organizations for librarians, but we are the only one that’s entirely focused on k12 independent school education. We would like to spread the word and grow our membership; we are stronger as a profession if we learn from and advocate for each other. As you can see from the map, we have strong representation across the East Coast, with membership extending as far west as Hawaii.

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While this blog and our social media channels are available to all, there are many member benefits. The primary benefit is the listserv, with virtual help available 24 hours a day. We have a burgeoning webinar series with presentations from experts and vendors.  There is an Annual Conference hosted by a team of school librarians each spring, and a Summer Institute, with in-depth study of a topic each June. We are constantly responding to members and offering services members request. In fact, our KARLS (kick ass retired librarians) formed 3 years ago because some retired librarians still wanted to be involved on a personal level even after retiring from the profession. How often do you hear that from other librarians? One founding KARL said:

“AISL is an organization that has members who are extraordinary librarians, dedicated to their students, creative, innovative, and passionate about sharing the joy of learning.  If I could recommend one professional development opportunity to independent school librarians, it would be to join AISL and take advantage of the opportunity to network with these extraordinary librarians. I was delighted when I retired and the opportunity came to help plan a retirement track for those of us who wanted to remain connected to AISL.  I am so happy that I am able to keep looking forward to the annual spring AISL conference to keep learning and see dear friends.”

AISL is run entirely run by a volunteer board. Membership fees are kept low so cost is not a factor inhibiting people from joining. The yearly membership fee is $30, and all memberships renew at the start of the school year in September.  Other common questions:

What if I am currently a library student?

We offer a discounted $15 membership for students earning library degrees. Many jobs are advertised on the site in the spring.

Why should I join this if I’m already part of a regional library group?

Library trends and challenges transcend local geographic boundaries. With AISL, your reach is all across North America, and AISL members are quick to respond to requests for information and advice.

Are your conferences popular?

The conferences are very popular and sell out quickly. Librarians love the tours of independent school libraries and the distinctive character of each conference based on the hosting city. We are working to increase registration slots at future conferences so more members can attend.

Is there a digest option for the listserv?

           There is. You can either receive emails throughout the day or one daily digest.

OTHER QUESTIONS???

Please share this post widely, personalizing with your own AISL experiences. The board is happy to answer questions about membership. We’re looking forward to broadening our community. Let’s do more together!  

With warm wishes for a healthy, happy 2018.

Your AISL Board

The 2017 Recipient of the Annual Marky Award Is … Dave Wee.

The Marky Award was inspired by founding member Mark Hillsamer, the librarian at St. Albans School, Washington DC for 36 years. Mark helped to establish AISL in 1987 and fostered its growth for 14 years. It very well may have been “Mark’s smiling face, soothing voice, and wry sense of humor”  that kept the organization going during those years.  Walter DeMelle formally announced Mark’s retirement at the Skip Anthony Lecture Banquet in 2001 and presented Mark with a special gift: a mask from Thailand of a lovely lady who holds her index finger gently to her lips in a familiar shushing gesture.

The Marky Award has been given annually since 2002, honoring AISL members who have made a significant contribution to the organization over a long period of time.  A mounted replica of Mark’s gift is given to the winner to be displayed in his or her library until the next conference, together with a small unpainted replica of the mask for the honoree to keep.  The honoree is chosen by the past Marky winners, and is presented with the award at the annual Skip Anthony banquet.

What follows is the speech from the evening of the Skip Anthony Dinner in New Orleans aboard the Creole Queen on Friday, March 24th, 2017.  

Good evening. I am Milly Rawlings, and I am presenting the Marky Award tonight. Jean Bruce would be this year’s presenter if she were here, but she left on Tuesday because of a death in the family.

Karen Gray received the award before Jean and Diane Neary before Karen, and I received it before Diane. We’ve dug deep here for me to present this year’s award, but, as the most recent recipient here, I am delighted to step in for Jean.

I want to make this presentation a bit differently than we have in the past.  The presenter usually gives information about the recipient and then announces the person’s name at the end.  I would like to announce the recipient first and then read what this person’s colleagues sent to me, because I could not find a way to paraphrase the lovely things they wrote.  What they wrote explains perfectly why the Committee selected this person as the recipient of this year’s Marky Award.

It gives me tremendous pleasure to present the Marky Award to Dave Wee.

CD McLean holds the Marky Award on Dave Wee's right as Dave waits to hear the end of Milly's speech.

CD McLean holds the Marky Award on Dave Wee’s right as Dave waits to hear the end of Milly’s speech.

Susan Kallock at Harvard-Westlake School says this about Dave:

Dave Wee came to Harvard-Westlake fresh out of library school (Sept 2001) leaving his home state of Hawaii to settle into LA and the independent school system.  He used to joke that I had taken such a risk when choosing him for the position – he was new to the field and he couldn’t catalog to save his life.  Coming to us with a background in education, he was able to apply this knowledge in many areas inside and outside of the library.  I had the honor of watching him grow into a confident and very skilled school librarian.

Dave became my go to curriculum guy.  He was the one approaching departments and talking to them about possible research projects or suggesting sources that the library had to offer.  He was the one to take on mapping out all of the research projects to see if we were covering all of the information-seeking skills our students needed.  He played a major role in developing lessons for our ever changing Library and Technology 7 course, helping to keep the course current with the changes in technology and the needs of our students.  He worked closely with the communication and debate teachers to introduce them to and encourage them to use the resources of the library.  At one point he designed a lesson that was so well received that they wanted to tape him teaching it so that it could be used over and over again.

Dave’s passion for helping his students make connections lead him to become a faculty leader of the debate team. He not only guided his students in the art of presenting a well-supported argument but also helped them discover new resources and guided them in the evaluation and organization of the information gathered.   Dave is a passionate teacher and is eager to help his students learn and grow.  He celebrates their successes and supports them in overcoming their defeats.

Dave is not someone who likes to sit still.  He may not always be physically moving but his mind is always working.  He is constantly consuming information.  Whether he is reading or watching TV he is taking it all in.  The amount of information that he is able to track and organize is amazing.  I used Dave as my filter.  I figured if he was telling me about an article he read or emailing the latest tech in education trend I should pay attention.  It also didn’t hurt to have a recommendation or two for something entertaining.  All of AISL can attest to his knowledge, his problem solving abilities and his eagerness to share what he has learned or discovered along the way.  He wants to share so much that when he first started at HW he had to take a timer to class to make sure that he stopped talking in order to give the students enough time to actually search for resources.

There is also the fun side of Dave.  He loves to travel and has ventured to many places around the world.  He loves to eat – I saw his tweet of the alligator po’boy that he had the other night in NO.  I’ve had a lot of meals with him and I don’t think there is anything that he doesn’t like.  He has a good sense of humor and can be a bit mischievous.  He often cracks himself up.  His laughter is genuine and comes from deep down inside.  He and one of our other librarians were crowned the Waldorf and Statler (hecklers from the Muppet Show) of the library.  Together they would sit at the circ desk and “heckle” students as they came in.

Dave Wee was well respected at Harvard-Westlake as a colleague and as a friend.  His departure saddened us all.  I am glad that the opportunity presented itself for him to step into a position of leadership and make the desired move home to be with family.  I am glad that he has found a school that has allowed him to spread his wings, a school that supports his educational philosophy, a school that is allowing him to grow even more as a librarian, as a teacher and as a valued colleague.

From Nicole Geoff at Mid-Pacific Institute:

The man is ALWAYS connected. He blogs, he tweets, he … does whatever other verbs are out there related to social media. I’ve never met anyone as media-savvy as Dave.

Besides the virtual world, Dave is pretty savvy in the real one, too. 🙂 He’s made quite a few of my wishlist dreams come true, from making a board game and coloring station in the library to brainstorming ideas for expo-marker walls and chalkboard paint desks throughout the library.

It’s pretty cool having him around: while I am a “let’s-make-do-with-what-we-have” sort of person, Dave is very much a “what-can-we-do-to-get-more” kind of guy. He’s definitely rocked our world, and we are the better for it.

Please join all of AISL in our warm congratulations to our well deserving colleague Dave Wee! Please put your virtual hands together!!

Making the case for PD

Add me to the list of those fortunate to have attended #AISLNOLA. But what about those of you who weren’t there? Not because of choice, but because of difficulty convincing your supervisor to invest in this PD opportunity? Here are some tips on making your case for future PD:

Start small  – there can be amazing inspiration in your local or neighbouring communities. Visit some local school libraries, set up a meeting with an academic librarian at a university within a day’s drive, ask public library staff if you could sit in on related PD, host an informal workshop (book talks, display ideas, discussion about a current issue) and invite any or all librarians in your area. Look for online webinars, and if possible, participate with a buddy so that you can discuss and plan afterwards. Laying this foundation could show your supervisor how much you’re invested in PD.

Plan ahead – review notes from previous conference sessions  to create a ‘big-picture’ of how relevant and valuable it has proven to be for many in the past. This prep work will also help you pull together a proposal in advance so that you’re prepared for registration (as some with limited numbers, eg. AISL, fill up very quickly!). Plant the seed well in advance (share details of the opportunity, note upcoming date, give heads-up you’ll be making a proposal).

Be budget conscious – be creative in coming up with a plan that shows you are keeping an eye on costs (share a room – post on listserv if you aren’t aware of anyone needing a roommate, choose less expensive flights, stick within school-set expenses for meals or offer to cover some yourself if you can).

Make your dedication evident – visiting libraries when travelling for pleasure, or scheduling PD during breaks to eliminate the need for coverage (if that’s an issue) shows your passion and commitment.

Ask for help – many of us have shared our reports/photos/experiences with colleagues & administrators at other schools, in the hope that their librarians will be giving a chance to take part.

Always follow up – tying all PD experiences to action items, demonstrating the direct impact on your library program and services, shows the return on the investment.

Hoping to see you at a future conference,

Shelagh

My To-Do List

I am so thrilled to be writing this from beautiful New Orleans, where I’m attending the AISL annual conference for the first time! As I bask, I want to share what I’m sure are just the very beginnings of my to-do list for when I head back home.

Doug Johnson Keynote: “Changed but Still Critical: Brick and Mortar School Libraries in the Digital Age”
To summarize, how does the physical space of the school library best serve students when they don’t necessarily have to walk through the doors to access information, or even to get help from a librarian? How can we create a library that students can feel is their “third space?” My to-do list takeaways:

  • Think about time rather than space as a way to “zone” the learning spaces of the library, especially in a small or one-room operation (like mine).
  • Have a positively phrased list (written and posted) of things that are always allowed in the library (e.g., reading, learning about a personal interest, writing a journal or blog post, getting help with a research need, etc.)
  • Promote as much in-library tech support as I am able to offer

2016 Summer Institute Design Dream Team Take 2! Mary Buxton, Marsha Hawkins, Claudette Hovasse, Melinda Holmes, Laura Pearle, and I shared some of the ways (all very different) that we have used what we learned from the 2016 Summer Institute on Design Thinking in Libraries hosted by Katie Archambault. My design thinking project to-do list:

  • Redesign of our resource guides to be easier for students to use
  • Revisit my version of a “Rx for Research” infographic, evaluate it with students and teachers, and share it more widely
  • Offer lessons, tutorials, and other support to our Entrepreneurial Capstone students in organizing information and developing their PLNs

Solid Research or Stuck in a Rut?: One Librarian’s Research on Modern College Readiness
Courtney Lewis presented some results from her absolutely fascinating research on what college librarians have reported as the research skills and tools that incoming first-year students should be familiar with today. My to-do list:

  • Consider introducing other citation tools more frequently used in colleges for some upper-level courses and/or make sure our students are prepared to use the citation tools available in the colleges and universities they attend
  • Choose and use a discovery service
  • During students’ research processes, deliberately emphasize the importance of research as participation in a “global community of scholars”

Thank you so much to all the presenters, conference committee, and hosts!

I’m sure I’ll be adding to this list for the next two days. These are just some of my takeaway items so far – I’m curious to hear what others would put on their to-do lists from these and other sessions. Please share – what’s going on your post-conference action list?