Shifting to Virtual

Iroquois Middle School started out the year with students choosing either a hybrid or fully-remote attendance option.  However, as the number of COVID-19 cases continued to rise in Western New York, it no longer became possible to continue with the hybrid model of learning.  Pivoting to solely virtual learning did not come as the surprise it did in March 2020, but the fact that we are now not face-to-face with our students is tinged with a bit of sadness.  In order to prepare for the challenges of this newest normal, updates were made to the library's offerings and services.

Bitmoji Library Homepage Upgrade
I was incredibly reluctant to jump on the Bitmoji bandwagon.  I think that I was concerned about accessibility (and also somewhat put off by something that seemed too "trendy" to me).  However, after exploring accessibility options and seeing examples of Bitmoji classrooms that weren't too cluttered and busy, I decided to give it a try.  Ann Marshall, librarian at Cleveland Hill Middle School, alerted me to the free Canva Education upgrade.  Through this service, it was easy to create a Bitmoji library page.

I updated the library website's homepage to include a clickable library scene.  This was accomplished through layering URL-linked pictures onto a background image.  By downloading the finished product as a PDF, the clickable properties were retained.  This enables library website visitors to click through the links on the image to explore the library website.  All of the clickable links are also available on the left-hand menu for those that would prefer not to deal with the image.

I was able to personalize this page by including a Bitmoji that (kind of?) looks like me, in addition to clickable versions of my actual cats, Boots and Dora.  This level of personalization might help to make the library website feel a little more cozy as our school community spends time apart.

The image used for the updated library homepage.

Virtual Makerspace
Something that had been on my to-do list was to add a virtual makerspace to the library's offerings.  Last year I was excited about the physical makerspace added to the library's footprint.  Due to current restrictions, the physical makerspace is no longer in use.  Using the same process as I followed for the library homepage, I added a clickable virtual makerspace.  Below the image, I also included a list of direct links for people that would prefer to access the websites that way.  The dog I used for the image is Winnie, my brother's Pitbull.

One of the items that I really like on the makerspace is the virtual Stick Together puzzle.  This is a collaborative project where students can add stickers to a background in order to reveal a mystery image.  We had an actual Stick Together puzzle in our library, so it is nice to have an online version in our virtual space.

The image used for the virtual makerspace.

Expanded Reading Recommendations
Earlier in the year, the students in Mrs. Maulucci's class viewed book trailers in order to gather ideas about books they may want to read this year.  At the end of this period, the students then filled out a form providing book recommendations to their peers.  I was able to utilize their recommendations to add a quick slideshow to the Reading Recommendations page on the library website.  I find that students really enjoy hearing what their peers are reading, so hopefully this will help to connect students to books they would be interested in reading!

Canva was utilized to make the recommendation slideshow.

November 2020 and Beyond
Thankfully we had some warning before the pivot back to solely virtual learning.  I was glad to be able to get many books in the hands of students before the building shut down.  As teachers smooth out their new routines with their students, I am looking forward to adding some library events to the schedule.  As indicated on the student surveys in the beginning of the year, Kahoot/Gimkit competitions and book clubs would be welcomed.  The virtual environment presents many challenges, but a host of opportunities for connection as well!

November 2020 Monthly Report

Fall Sharing 2019

When you're a school librarian, it can sometimes be difficult to find professional development opportunities geared solely towards your needs.  Luckily for me, we have an amazing organization devoted to high quality professional development just for school librarians.  The School Librarians' Association of Western New York (SLAWNY) hosts many events throughout the year.

One of the largest events held by SLAWNY is the annual Fall Sharing conference.  This conference provides librarians with access to a nationally known keynote speaker, hour long/speed sessions on a variety of topics, and time to connect with area vendors.

This year's conference was held at North Tonawanda Middle School and was expertly planned by SLAWNY's President, Katie LaFever.  Everyone was really excited to meet Mr. Schu, the Scholastic National Ambassador for School Libraries, who served as this year's keynote speaker.

Only a few days away! Can't wait to welcome @MrSchuReads to Western New York. See you at Fall Sharing this Saturday, October 19th. For more info, visit: https://t.co/bKtjtOaHuI #SLAWNYleads pic.twitter.com/YoCTw1KPwR

— SLAofWNY (@SLAofWNY) October 17, 2019

The morning began with smiling faces at the registration desk.  Upon receiving a packet of information for the conference, librarians were presented with two copies of the book Game Changer by Donalyn Miller and Colby Sharp.  These books, a perk of membership, were donated by the Erie 2 Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES School Library System.  They will serve as an advocacy tool for area librarians.  Librarians were encouraged to keep a copy of the book, and pass the other copy to a school administrator in order to discuss the need for book access for all children.

Susan and Abby working at the registration desk.

Welcome, Award, and Keynote
After a quick stop in the cafeteria for coffee and breakfast, the librarians assembled in the school's music suite.  SLAWNY President Katie LaFever provided a welcome message and an overview of the day's events.

Fall Sharing begins! Thank you SLAWNY President @LafeverKatie for all of your efforts in putting this day together. #SLAWNYleads pic.twitter.com/DrUr8Pyavb

— SLAofWNY (@SLAofWNY) October 19, 2019

Everyone was eager to hear the winner of SLAWNY's Advocate of the Year Award.  This year's winner was the incredible Donn Riggi, librarian at Alden Middle School.  Over her career, Donn has built a reputation for being a creative and generous educator.  Donn is always finding ways to get students excited about reading.  She spearheaded the start of a regional Battle of the Books tournament (which Iroquois Middle School students LOVE to participate in!).  She has also hosted many student teachers throughout the years, which allows her to share her infectious enthusiasm for school libraries.  She has made a monumental impact on the WNY school library community, and is so deserving of this honor!

@DonnRiggi is such an inspiration to me and is definitely deserving of SLAWNY's Library Advocate award! #smilefile #slawnyleads pic.twitter.com/kxcSKiEqUr

— Stephanie Pritchard (@sk348) October 19, 2019

“I can’t imagine a greater honor than being recognized by your peers.” - @DonnRiggi, Sharing her thoughts on winning this year’s SLAWNY advocates of the year award. #SLAWNYleads

— SLAofWNY (@SLAofWNY) October 19, 2019

It was now time for the first keynote address from Mr. Schu!  I've had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Schu at several conferences.  Whenever I see him, I always feel energized and empowered regarding the good work that school librarians can do.  Mr. Schu is a huge proponent of effective school library programs and how librarians can promote kindness and a love for reading within their schools.

During his address, Mr. Schu shared how educators have the ability to impact students, either in a positive or a negative way.  I know this to be true.  Throughout my own K-12 education, I can recall educators that went out of their way to make school a kind, encouraging, and welcoming environment.  Sadly, I can also recall teachers who did not make school a positive or welcoming place.  Mr. Schu reminds us that we have the power to shape students' perception of education, and we should use our platform in an uplifting way.

The message educators send to students can leave a lifelong mark on their hearts. @MrSchuReads challenges SLAWNY librarians...what message will we tattoo on our students’ hearts? #SLAWNYleads pic.twitter.com/uOiesniGcC

— Maria Muhlbauer (@muhlbs83) October 19, 2019

We create a "Circle of safety and a circle of compassion" in our school libraries. Mr. Schu #SLAWNYLeads

— William Street School Library (@LibraryWilliam) October 19, 2019

Hour Long Sessions
After hearing from Mr. Schu, conference participants took a short break before choosing an hour long session to attend.  The hour long sessions allowed presenters to delve into a topic a bit more in-depth than a shorter session allows.  There was a nice variety of session topics, which made it easy for attendees to find a session that would meet their needs.

Descriptions of the Hour Long Sessions.

I wish that I had more pictures from the hour long sessions, but I was presenting at this time!  The topic I chose to present on was advocacy.  Sometimes I feel it is difficult to discuss library advocacy issues, but it is a conversation worth having with library stakeholders.  The librarians that attended this session had great advocacy ideas, so I walked away with some fresh ideas as well!  The link to my advocacy presentation can be found by clicking here.  I only wish I was able to clone myself to attend the other sessions!

Learned how to perfectly puzzle with breakout boxes from @sk348 @SLAofWNY #slawnyleads pic.twitter.com/2de6Ob7OAn

— Haley W. (@burakowh) October 20, 2019

Networking with Vendors
Once the hour long sessions concluded, conference attendees had close to an hour to network and visit with vendors.  The vendors and other sponsors are what made the day possible!  It was helpful to get time to meet with them to hear about the latest and greatest library supplies available to us in Western New York.

Thank you, sponsors and vendors!

Happy birthday to Harry, and happy retirement to both Harry and Linda!

Chris presents selections from Gumdrop Books.

Thank you, Follett Library Services!

Rosen Publishing shares its print and digital offerings.

It was great to partner with NFRC this year!

Sharon presents the latest from Children's Plus.

Monkey See, Monkey Do Children's Bookstore shares new titles for young readers.

Speed Sessions
The time with the vendors seemed to fly by!  The next portion of the conference was dedicated to the speed sessions.  During this time, attendees are encouraged to view a variety of short presentations.  Although not as in-depth as an hour session, the speed sessions are a perfect length to have a quick chat and gain some helpful insights from others.

A listing of Fall Sharing's speed sessions.

Thankfully, I was able to visit most of the speed sessions.  During this time, I was able to grab some helpful ideas for new titles, as well as genrefication ideas for the library's nonfiction area.  I'll plan to put some of these ideas into practice!

Thanks for sharing your knowledge during the speed sessions! #SLAWNYleads pic.twitter.com/ErAXZriPW7

— megan moelbert (@MMoelbert) October 19, 2019

Thank you to authors @amylvpoemfarm and Dee Romito for sharing your passion and expertise at today’s Fall Sharing conference! #SLAWNYleads pic.twitter.com/FICO7n24hV

— SLAofWNY (@SLAofWNY) October 19, 2019

Wonderful to see Charlie Kelly, our @nyla_ssl President, today at SLAWNY’s Fall Sharing conference. Thanks for sharing info about student volunteers with us! #leadoutloud #SLAWNYleads pic.twitter.com/d0MZpMYnJR

— SLAofWNY (@SLAofWNY) October 19, 2019

Jessica shares ideas for QR codes and book reviews.

Melissa shares practical tips for genrefying your library.

Brandon provides ideas to make the most of Google and Microsoft products.

Final Keynote
As the event concluded, participants were treated to lunch in the North Tonawanda High School Library (beautiful space!) and more time with Mr. Schu.  Expanding upon his theme from the morning, Mr. Schu continued to share the book love and the ways librarians can make an impact on students.

Mr. Schu invites Fall Sharing participants to celebrate book birthdays for newly-published books.

Conference Takeaways
I left Fall Sharing feeling energized, inspired, and full of new ideas for the library.  After viewing the conference posts on Twitter, it's clear that other librarians in attendance felt the same way!  Being a school librarian can sometimes be a strange job.  Being the only librarian in a building can often feel isolating, which makes librarian-specific professional development time all the more special.

A central part of my heart as a child was nurtured and inspired by Mr. Rogers. I believe that part of my heart led me to become a school librarian. That part of my heart grew again today with nurture and inspiration from @MrSchuReads. Thank you. #slawnyleads

— Stephanie Devaney (@sdevLibrarian) October 19, 2019

Mr. Schu @MrSchuReads is pure joy. I couldn't capture a moment where he wasn't in constant action. I'm going to try and snag a sefie later #SLAWNYleads @SLAofWNY pic.twitter.com/8gAaHZVjqR

— Christina Carter (@CeCeLibrarian) October 19, 2019

Some pictures from #SLAWNYLeads Fall Sharing this weekend! pic.twitter.com/drSZPx6Wqk

— Katie LaFever (@LafeverKatie) October 21, 2019

Thank you to all that made Fall Sharing 2019 such a special and memorable experience!  I'm already looking forward to Fall Sharing 2020.

Alan Gratz Author Visit

When I heard that Alan Gratz, a New York Times Bestselling Author, would be visiting Buffalo for the WNY Book Expo, I knew he would be a great candidate for an author visit to Iroquois Middle School.  Thanks to Kim Krug (organizer of WNY Book Expo and owner of Monkey See, Monkey Do Children's Bookstore), we were able to secure Mr. Gratz for a visit!  Not only would Mr. Gratz visit the Middle School, but he would visit the fifth grade Intermediate School and select high school students as well.

Visit Preparations
At the Middle School, preparations and publicity began for the visit as early as September.  As part of library orientation, all students visited the library for a video scavenger hunt.  One of the videos featured the "fun stuff" that the library had planned this year...it was a perfect opportunity to announce the author visit.  From this point on, there was a LONG waiting list for all of Mr. Gratz's books.

A screenshot from the library orientation video announcing Alan Gratz's visit.

In the weeks leading up to the visit, Ms. Chernowski and I hosted an Alan Gratz trivia contest for all fifth grade through eighth grade students.  Interested students picked up an entry form and used Mr. Gratz's website to find the answers to the trivia questions.  Eight lucky students won a copy of Grenade, Mr. Gratz's latest book!

Entry form for the trivia contest

The students weren't told of this, but we had embedded an extra perk into the trivia program.  Each student who chose to enter the trivia contest was invited to an exclusive meet and greet after Alan Gratz's author assemblies.  There were approximately 50 students that entered the trivia contest.  Each of these students received an invitation to the meet and greet event.

A copy of the invitation to the Alan Gratz meet and greet.

On the afternoon prior to Mr. Gratz's visit, students worked on getting welcome signs ready for both the front foyer and the library.  Sixth grade students in the library for study hall were eager to help with this!

Working on decorating the library's whiteboard.

Making a welcome sign for the front foyer.

The completed library whiteboard!

Author Visit Assemblies
When Alan Gratz came to Iroquois, he was scheduled for two assemblies in the Intermediate/Middle School: one for fifth and sixth graders, and another session for seventh and eighth grade students.  During each assembly, Alan Gratz was introduced by a student.  The students who were chosen to introduce him were students who had read (and loved!) a number of Alan's books.  This made for a special experience for these two lucky students.

Alan Gratz's introduction during the 5th/6th grade assembly.

Two Alan Gratz fans were chosen to do the assembly introductions.

Keeping the attention of hundreds of middle schoolers is no easy feat, but Alan Gratz's presentations kept the audience engaged from start to finish!  The "choose your own adventure" format that Mr. Gratz used to structure his presentation gave the students ownership over the content of the assembly, and kept them interested in seeing what would be discussed next.

Alan Gratz's "Choose Your Own Speech" was a huge hit!

Students voted on which story they would like to hear more about.

After the speeches, students were invited to have their books signed by Alan Gratz.  A number of books were purchased prior to the event, so students were happy to get their books signed personally.

Alan Gratz met with students after each assembly.

Students were excited to get their books autographed.

The special meet and greet for the trivia participants took place after the second assembly.  The students were provided with snacks and the opportunity to have a casual chat with Alan Gratz.  He graciously answered the questions students asked him about his life and books.

Students met in the Middle School Library for a meet and greet.

After the meet and greet session, Mr. Gratz was off to the high school to speak to a select group of students.  His high school session was as well received as the middle school assemblies were!


A Really Wonderful Day!
Looking back on the author visit with Alan Gratz, I cannot think of enough great things to say.  His presentation was one of the most engaging and thought-provoking author sessions I have seen in my twelve years as a librarian.  The feedback Ms. Chernowski and I received from students and staff was overwhelmingly positive.  It will definitely be difficult to top this year's author visit.  Thank you Alan Gratz for your willingness to visit Iroquois.

It was great to meet Alan Gratz!

Mr. Gratz and Ms. Chernowski during our 11/7 visit.

September 2018 Updates

Septembers always fly by, and September 2018 was no exception!  It was a great start in the middle school library as we welcomed our students back to Iroquois.

Library Highlights for September 2018

Library Orientation Scavenger Hunt

All sixth through eighth grade ELA classes visited the library for an orientation scavenger hunt and book checkout.  Due to the many changes in the library's overall layout, this orientation included information that was new even for our seasoned eighth graders.  Students used the library iPads to access videos about the library's sections and offerings.  This was a great opportunity to move around the library and get re-acclimated to the space.  When the scavenger hunt was complete, students filled out an interest survey which gave me great ideas for book purchases and future library programming.  In fact, a large order full of student book requests was just placed!  It will be helpful to add these desired titles to the library's collection.

New Initiatives

During the library orientation sessions, students learned about two new library offerings: a special author visit and Free Book Fridays.  Students were excited to hear that Alan Gratz will be visiting Iroquois on November 7th!  In preparation for his visit, many students and classes are reading his titles.  His historical fiction selections are especially popular with Iroquois Middle School students.  Students were also interested in the new "Free Book Friday" promotion.  Each Friday, an Iroquois Middle School student is chosen at random to select a new book to take home.  The students that have won so far have been very appreciative!

Library Catalog Updates

Over the summer, all Iroquois school libraries moved to the Destiny Discover interface when viewing the library catalog.  This new interface supports some new, helpful features.  The main search page shows recently added titles and the status of popular book titles.

It's helpful to see the status of new and popular books.

The new interface also includes a "Collections" feature.  This feature is similar to an online pathfinder, where book lists and web resources can be found in one place.  The feature was especially helpful for Mrs. Maulucci's ELA students.  Her students are encouraged to read a book dealing with the topics they are learning in Mr. Baumgartner's Social Studies classes.  Suggested books were placed into collections and shared with students.  This will be a helpful starting point as they look for books of interest for their extra credit.

Suggested extra credit titles were placed into Collections.

Students could preview books to use for Mrs. Maulucci's extra credit opportunity.

Pay It Forward Introduction

There have been many visits from sixth grade reading classes so far this year.  In addition to reading books independently, each class will be reading a novel as a full class.  Mrs. Nicosia's class is beginning their year by reading Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde.  This inspirational book is set in the 1990's, which is well before our middle school students were born.  In order to better understand the setting of the book, students came to the library to participate in a 1990's introduction.  Mrs. Nicosia and I shared information about 1990's events and technology (students seemed particularly horrified by the concept of dial-up internet).  Students then tested their knowledge of 1990's pop culture through a Kahoot competition.  It was a fun way to introduce the book!

Lego League Robotics Team

From feedback gathered last year, it was clear that students wanted more after school offerings from the library.  Mrs. Ferger and I were excited to bring a robotics opportunity to our students by forming a First Lego League team.  We held an informational session about the team, then interested students submitted their applications.  The first team meeting was held after school on September 24th.  We can't wait to see what the Lego League team will accomplish!

First Lego League students worked on a team building challenge.

The FIRST First Lego League team at Iroquois Middle!

Looking Ahead

In October, the library will be undergoing another big transition - the genrefication of our fiction section!