And it's official--running a library program and maintaining rich connections CAN NOT BE DONE! As a "LEGIT" strong librarian, how can I possibly be
- Connecting with teachers and students to digital resources to engage learning?
- Promoting literature for leisure and content?
- Collaborating with teachers?
- Empowering student leadership?
- Establishing a community presence?
- Hosting programs and special events?
- Providing professional development?
- Staying in touch with my networks
- Pursuing grant support?
- Advocating for the role of strong school libraries?
- Thinking about our new space when I'm not really "living" in one?
when I am all over the place, traveling between 6 schools, splitting my time in ways that are never equitable, sharing spaces, places, tools, and resources, using my car (and Ms.Lindy when-if the weather turns around) to store and deliver resources, having students run one of the spaces (the Nook), and doing much of my work off-site/off-hours and online??
You know how?
First, I've had to transform my #LEMONS2LEMONADE theory. Not every lemon can be transformed. In fact, I often fantasize about pummeling said lemons into a brick wall. Some "lemons" have to be put back into the bowl,tossed, or cut in half. Maybe I can use the juice or the zest, but not the whole lemon! I (we) have to CHOOSE DIFFERENTLY.
I've had to rethink, shift priorities, find new ways to deliver instruction, resources, and ME! I've embraced "FAIR isn't EQUAL" and have had to rethink how I "divide myself up". Genuine conversations with partners have changed--what do you NEED? when would you PREFER? What is the biggest impact I can make for you? I have to LEAD DIFFERENTLY.
Access to resources TRUMPS control of resources and systems to make it so have needed some shifting(though I've never been a control freak, accountability matters for sanity reasons); more "teaching to fish" and "less fish"; though both have their place, I know! I have to MANAGE DIFFERENTLY.
Email, texting, voxing, tweeting, Facebook, google drive/calendar/forms, phone (and phone forwarding), Dropbox, Symbaloo and Libguides have been gamechangers to deploy resources and information. I have to COMMUNICATE DIFFERENTLY.
Maintaining and fostering connections beyond our school community are STILL important. Grants, award pursuits, conversations with Syracuse University, leading through NYLA/SSL, writing, presenting, workshops, conferences, professional development, Teen Book Fest, Bookapalooza, and overall "bigger picture" partnerships MUST happen. I have to ADVOCATE DIFFERENTLY.
Students crave leadership, involvement, community, and voice. How we make that happen requires creativity, shared supervision, alternative approaches, innovation, and trust. I have to EMPOWER DIFFERENTLY.
Can we have a strong school library program without a library living under one roof? Impossible......or not....
Impossible is not a fact, it's an opinion.
Stay tuned....Pine Grove Library is ON THE MOVE!
