Tag: school libraries

Librarian Adventures: Exploring Other School Libraries 

By Maria Falgoust and Amy Ribakove with contributions from Tali Balas and Abbey Gans Mather

Visiting other school libraries offers valuable insights and inspiration for school librarians at any stage of their career. It’s a practical way to observe different practices, space arrangements, and collection strategies. This experience not only sparks creativity but also provides reassurance that challenges faced are shared among peers. These visits also offer networking opportunities, strengthening professional communities.

One of the significant benefits of these visits is the opportunity for self-reflection. Librarians can critically assess their methods, consider new approaches, and reaffirm their values and priorities for their own library programs. Additionally, networking during these visits can be both fun and empowering. Librarians tend to want to share and support one another in everything from lessons to good book recommendations, FAMIS order tips, ideas on their favorite conferences and symposiums, classroom management and so much more. Getting to know our colleagues at peer schools only makes our HVLA community stronger.

Amy Ribakove: This December I had the opportunity to spend the afternoon at The Town School. Karen Grenke invited me to observe her teach two 1st grade classes. I also had time to explore the Town library. I left with many ideas to bring back to the International School of Brooklyn! 

Here are a few of my key takeaways –

  • Sora can be a great tool for teaching library classes! The platform’s accessibility and visual appeal allowed all students to actively engage with the book. It was the first time in a while I didn’t hear “I can’t see” during a storytime. 
  • Celebrate early reader books! Not only are they valuable tools for emerging readers, but they also make fun read-alouds!  In her library lesson, Karen  highlighted the Geisel Awards, which recognize excellence in early reader literature. This is a library lesson I definitely plan to use. 
  • Borrow display ideas! I was inspired by the Winter Holiday and Book Award displays at Town and was able to adapt them to our library.

Maria Falgoust: This school year, I visited solo librarian, Jennifer Gladowski at the Village Community School. 

  • Exploring the creative “Butt or Face” bulletin board display, which used the book  written Kari Lavelle which cleverly integrated research work into a lesson.
  • Observing Jenn’s expert teaching methods weaving various subjects, witnessing her seamless integration of science, math, research, and technology into her lessons. 
  • Noting the practicality of the split writing utensil caddies, which I promptly ordered for my library the following day. Their implementation significantly improved organization and eliminated the contention over a single bin of markers I’d been using previously.
  • Partaking in a delicious lunch in their vibrant and well-managed cafeteria, where the atmosphere was joyful. Witnessing the smooth operation of their lunch program was both enlightening and inspiring.

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Tali Balis: We were encouraged this year to use our PD days to visit other schools, and happily did! We visited the International School of Brooklyn this spring and getting out of our environment and seeing how Maria and Amy run their program was inspiring. We went with the intention of learning more about buying and incorporating translated books and books in Spanish and French, but came back with so much more. 

  • How they use the spaces in the library for different age groups and activities made me rearrange our library to try out clipboards and standing desks instead of tables with chairs.
  • The sheer amount of programming Maria and Amy do is mind boggling! Not only do they do multiple events a month they have passive programming throughout the library to grab students and teachers attention. We plan to make flyers for each month highlighting titles available on Sora as a soft start.
  • And of course we found new books, new publishers, and new ideas for classes: from having 4th graders read to PK to using Kamishibai stories.

Abbey Gans Mather: This year I have been the queen of library visits.  I am starting a new K-12 library at a school for twice exceptional students, a population and grades (high school) I had never worked with before so I knew I needed to know what the experts knew.

  • At Park East High School Abigail Holland talked me through how her space had started and changed as she grew the library and generously shared her research syllabus.  
  • At Berkeley Carroll, Anna Murphy, talked to me about how the program changed across grades, her experience of NoodleTools, and was deeply sympathetic to my mildly obsessive concerns about sticker choices. 
  • I got insight on how to balance fiction and nonfiction collections, and working with classroom teachers from Gili Warsett at Leman.  (As well as the best view of any library in the city).
  • Finally, Brittney Falesto of Q177, a District 75 school in Queens, told me about how she had used a grant to redesign the library space to fit her student’s needs, let me sit in on classes, and discussed how she individualized her program and met the student’s where they are.

Each librarian was extraordinarily generous with their time, sharing their hard work and insights and I worry I am underselling the value of each of these conversations.  It has helped me build a community despite being a solo librarian and just shook the cobwebs out of my mind.

Practical Tips:

  • Prioritize library visits and ensure you schedule at least one a year (because it is time well spent)
  • Decide if you want to see a library similar to yours (in terms of pedagogy, school size, mission statement, etc.) or something different
  • Either reach out directly to the librarian or post an open call on the HVLA list-serv.
  • Be sure to bring a notebook to take notes and take photos
  • Always write a thank you email or card

Overall, visiting other school libraries is a practical and enriching experience that fosters professional growth and community building. Librarians are inherently curious and eager to learn, and exploring different libraries offers a simple yet effective way to stay inspired and motivated in our dynamic field. We encourage all school librarians to consider taking advantage of this opportunity to enhance their practice and expand their professional network.

BIOS

Maria Falgoust and Amy Ribakove are Librarians at International School of Brooklyn. Tali Balis is a Librarian at Convent of the Sacred Heart. Abbey Gans Mather is a Librarian at Quad Preparatory School.

This is part 1 of our series on exploring school libraries. If you would like to share your experiences visiting school libraries, please comment below. Or email achow@brearley.org to submit your blog post for publication. Thank you!

2024 HVLA Library Symposium: Academic Freedom, Sanctuary, & Teaching Practices — Call for Workshop Proposals:

The 2024 HVLA Library Symposium is Tuesday, May 21st at The Brearley School. We seek and welcome workshop proposals that will contribute to the success of this event. Any public or independent school librarian, teacher or administrator may submit a proposal. The proposals will be reviewed by the HVLA board and the Brearley library team. 

Conference Information:

Date: Tuesday, May 21, 2024

Venue: The Brearley School

Theme: Cultivating atmospheres of sanctuary in our libraries and supporting students in their academic and personal goals

We strongly believe that workshops are a vital aspect of our conference, enabling participants to participate in hands-on and interactive sessions. We are actively seeking engaging speakers capable of delivering insightful perspectives and imparting practical tools. Workshops should run from 45 minutes to an hour long. Please complete this form by March 15, 2024.

Please consider being a part of this exciting, inaugural library symposium. Registration information and more coming soon. Thank you!

(re)Introducing Natasha Goldberg, Secretary

Congratulations to Natasha Goldberg for being elected Secretary on the HVLA board. She is joining us as Elaine Levia steps down. Thank you to Elaine for her service. We wish her all the best! And thank you to Zoey Ha and Sarah Sculnick for their desire to serve and give back to the HVLA community.

Natasha served on the HVLA board in the past several times in different capacities. I had the pleasure of working with her in 2009 when I was serving as one of the co-vice presidents. This was when I was just entering the world of independent schools. She was kind and funny and extremely knowledgeable and we discovered we have a shared love of music. Here is Natasha’s biography, but be sure to ask her about her background as a classical pianist. And ask her about her cute dog Oscar!

Natasha’s biography:

Natasha Goldberg is a trusted confidante, cheerleader, and advisor to Chapin students, teachers, and parents. Her history with The Annenberg Center for Learning and Research goes back over 15 years, when she swooned over an online picture of the library’s circular windows via a NYT job posting. A graduate of Columbia College of Columbia University, as well as the Palmer School of Information Science, Ms. Goldberg’s collaborations have included working on the newly-formed Sora/Overdrive Consortium Committee of NYC independent schools, as well as numerous board positions at HVLA. Originally a software developer, Natasha began her library career at the Brooklyn Heights branch of BPL as a Juvenile Specialist. She then landed her dream job working with grades 4-7 as the Middle School Librarian at The Chapin School. A lifelong learner, Natasha studies drawing and painting at Art Students League. When she’s not collaborating with colleagues and students, she can be found at any piano taking requests.

Bridging the Gap: Collaborative Stewardship of School Libraries and Classroom Collections by Mallory Weber

In the landscape of elementary education, school libraries and classroom collections have tremendous power to shape student reading preferences and development. Classroom teachers and school librarians can partner to create rich reading opportunities for students. Let’s consider some of the dynamics of school libraries and classroom collections.

  1. The Perils of Abundance:

A generous budget for a classroom collection is a beautiful thing.  It can also occasionally be a double-edged sword. When teachers have an extensive collection within their classrooms, they may be less inclined to take advantage of the school library.  This can be especially damaging in schools with librarians on a flexible schedule.  Under-utilizing the school library limits the diversity of books available to students, as even the most fabulously well-stocked and current classroom library can’t have the breadth of a school library.  If the classroom collection books are only to be read at school, which is a common rule, students will also miss out on the valuable experience of selecting and bringing home books to share with their families.

  1. The Content Conundrum:

Teachers, with their keen understanding of their students’ reading levels, often curate classroom collections with high quality books at an appropriate Lexile© level for their class. A common challenge arises when the content or themes of these books do not align with the developmental stage of the students. Librarians, who read tons of children’s books and professional reviews regularly, should be well-versed in diverse genres and age-appropriate content.  Librarians and teachers can work together to strike a balance between reading levels and content relevance in the development of classroom collections.

  1. Navigating Trends and Best Practices:

    Librarian job descriptions generally include staying current with trends and best practices in collection management. Collaboratively, librarians and teachers can identify gaps in classroom collections, weed out outdated or irrelevant material, and curate targeted book lists that align with educational and DEIB-related goals.  At my school, we advertise these services to teachers at end-of-year and beginning-of-year faculty meetings, and they are used heavily!
  1. Partnerships for Diverse Literacy:

    Despite occasional challenges, the interplay of school libraries and classroom collections can create a rich tapestry of reading opportunities for students. By viewing these two resources not as competitors but as complementary elements in a broader literacy strategy, teachers and librarians can collaborate to offer diverse books for students to explore in various contexts—at school, at home, independently, or with a grown-up.

When we foster a symbiotic relationship between school libraries and classroom collections, we can offer students varied and enriching reading experiences. What is the relationship between your library and your colleagues’ classroom collections? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Written by Mallory Weber, Lower School Librarian at Packer Collegiate Institute