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TASL Talks Tennessee Association of School Librarians
Inside This Issue:
Happy Spring Librarians! So much is happening this Spring, so much new growth in our profession and, hopefully, in our libraries! In this issue, we’ll see what librarians are doing around the state to celebrate School Library Month, lots of contest winners are named, and, as always, we’ll take time to recognize what our incredible colleagues are doing as change agents in the profession. Read on, friends!
Save the Date! TASL Road Trip
TASL Road Trip
TASL Conference
June 14 (EAST) @ Walters State Community College in Morristown, TN.
June 16 (WEST) @ University School of Jackson in Jackson, TN.
November 3-5 @ Embassy Suites & Conference Center in Murfreesboro, TN.
Letter from the President
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TASL Awards & VSBA
3-5
Advocacy + #TASLChat
6-7
School Libraries Transform Conference Opportunities
8-11 12-14
Member Spotlight
15
Regional Updates
16-19
Region ID/Contact Info
20
TASL TALKS: ISSUE 49
SPRING 2016
From the President’s Desk: Hello, my dear friends! Isn’t spring a magnificent time? From the dogwoods and azaleas in bloom to the brilliant greens of the grass and budding trees, we are surrounded by new life. If you’re like me, these signs of spring bring new energy and inspiration, along with a few pesky sneezes. Nevertheless, spring is such a wonderful time, and April is a wonderful time to be a librarian! From celebrating School Library Month to anticipating summer soon to come, we have much to enjoy! Within our own organization, April is a time of hustle and bustle, as you will find within the pages of this edition of TASL Talks. Our leadership team and committee members have been tending the grounds and carefully pruning their projects and ideas to prepare a beautiful garden of professional learning opportunities this season and in seasons to come. Let me personally invite you, on behalf of our leadership team, to take part in all that TASL has to offer. Register for TASL Road Trip and our 25th Annual Conference as an attendee or member presenter; attend and stay connected through your regional round tables, visit our new advocacy page, and participate in TASLChat to cultivate a professional learning network that will nourish and sustain your librarianship. Finally, I urge you to celebrate and reflect upon the timely theme of School Library Month 2016: School Libraries Transform Learning. Each of us is tending our own garden each day, preparing an environment for our students to grow and bloom. Each of our students requires different levels of nourishment and care, but oh how we can enjoy the fruits of our labor when they burst forth in all their splendor. It is vital work we do each day, this transforming learning. Invite others to see your beautiful garden of learners and your nurturing attention to the creation of an environment that cultivates thinking and learning. Let them share in the beauty of learning transformed. Blessings this spring,
Mindy Nichols 2
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TASL Awards: Please consider applying or nominating someone for an award! The Innovative Library Award recognizes an innovative program at the elementary, middle, and high school level and comes with a $500 prize. The Clara Hasbrouck Award is given to a TASL member who has demonstrated dedication and commitment to furthering the cause of school libraries in Tennessee by contributing time, leadership and effort to numerous TASL activities over a period of years. The Distinguished Administrator Honor Roll Award recognizes supervisors, principals, and superintendents who have shown outstanding support for the library media programs in Tennessee School Library Media Specialist Scholarship: In 2004, TASL began the sponsorship of two scholarships for students enrolled in a school media program at a Tennessee college or university that is approved to certify Library Information Specialists. The onetime grant is $1,000 and is meant to increase the ranks of individuals within the school library profession.
VSBA Voting Ballots for the 2015-2016 VSBA have been posted on the TASL website at: www.tasltn.org/vsba. The deadline to submit ballots is Monday, May 2. You may submit your ballots online or by mail. If you have any questions about the voting process, please contact Amy Dye-Reeves or Jeanine Akers. They are the TLA co-chairs for the award and are in charge of voting. We hope to announce the winners in all four divisions during the second week of May. We will publish the results on the TASL web site as well as through the list-serv. The three nominating committees will meet in April or May to finalize the lists for the 2017-2018 lists. Once the lists are complete, they will be published on the VSBA page of the TASL web site. We hope to have that information posted by the middle of May. If you would like to serve on one of the nominating committees (Primary, Intermediate, or Young Adult), please contact me at ssmith40@utk.edu Please tell me on which of the committees you would like to serve. Your name will be place on a waiting list, and one of the committee chairs will contact you when/if there is an opening. 3
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VSBA Bookmarks
AND THE WINNERS ARE….
TN Students Show How Their School Libraries Transform Learning The results of TASL’s 4th annual bookmark contest are in! Students from all over Tennessee illustrated how School Libraries Transform Leaning. Many thanks to the judges, Dr. Cindy Welch and illustrator Mary Uhles, for their expertise, time, and making some tough decisions. Congratulations to the following students and their librarians: First Place Primary Division: Sylvie Temple, 2nd Grade, Clinton Elementary School, DeAnna Sparkes, librarian. Honorable Mention Primary Division: Camden Cole, 2nd Grade, W.A. Wright Elementary School, Katie Derrick, librarian. First Place Intermediate Division: Kendell Davis, 4th Grade, White Bluff Elementary School, Ann Cothron, librarian. Honorable Mention Intermediate Division: Pierce Taylor, 3rd Grade, Powell Valley Elementary School, Blake Hopper, librarian. First Place Middle School Division: Katelyn Peal, 7th Grade, Westover Elementary School, Nancy Jackson, librarian. Honorable Mention Middle School Division: Jada Buchanan, 7th Grade , East Middle School, Penny Britton, librarian. First Place High School Division: Meghann Stamps,12th Grade, Hendersonville High School, Jeane Trovato, librarian. Honorable Mention High School Division: Angus M. Bryant,10th Grade, Hendersonville High School, Jeane Trovato, librarian. The bookmark contest is held to celebrate School Library Month, which is sponsored by AASL each year in April. The contest opens in January, so mark your calendars now for the 2017 contest! 4
VSBA bookmark winners!!
Congrats to this year’s
TASL TALKS: ISSUE 49 SPRING 2016
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ADVOCACY Something New to Help You! Feel passionate about speaking up for the importance of school libraries? Looking for some tools to help? The TASL website has a new advocacy page. It is not only a source to keep up with the latest legislative issues affecting school libraries, but also a place to find inspiration for everyday advocacy – which we all know is powerful and important. If you have questions or suggestions, email Beth Frerking, TASL web manager at frerking.tasl@gmail.com
Another New Tool to Help You Stay Plugged In! This exciting talk tool designed to help us communicate and advocate is being brought to us through the work of our TASL Leadership Team! On April 18th, the kick-off conversation will be on the topic of “Advocacy and the Community” –Learn what advocacy means, along with how to tell our library stories and with whom. Join moderator Christa Cordrey, Librarian from Greenbrier Middle School. Can’t make it? That’s ok! Look at instructions on the following page to find out how to read it at a later time! Here are the upcoming dates and info: May 16, 2016 Topic: Reflection From the School Year” - What went well? What didn’t? What are some new programs you would like to implement in your library next year? Join us at 8pm central time to share! Moderator: TBA June 20, 2016, Topic: TBA
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#schoollibrariestransformlearning There’s no time to waste! Advocacy is one of the most important roles librarians need to embrace, but our goal, remember, is not to convince people that they need to support libraries, it’s to show them how libraries support THEM! We advocate by raising awareness about the services and materials we provide to help them do what they need to do! School Library Month is the perfect time for this! With the recent passing of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), we have one foot in the door, and we have help! AASL and ALA are closely watching the rulemaking process. According to ALA president Sari Feldman, “Now is the time to gather and give examples that reinforce why the school librarian is the key to an effective school library program.” One great resource to help us do this is AASL’s new Toolkit for Promoting School Library Programs. Most importantly, do not remain silent! Let your school community know about what their programs, resources, and certified school librarian are doing for them! 8
TASL TALKS: ISSUE 49
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Here are some practical ways you can promote your library: Subscribe to email updates for the KQ website for important updates Bookmark the AASL ESSA landing page for the latest documents, information, and toolkits. Utilize AASL has provided for you. Request a free School Library Advocacy Packs (pay only shipping). Utilize the Public Relations Toolkit, and use the Learning Standards and Guidelines to help evaluate your program. Get Involved by joining the Libraries Transform campaign! Hang posters, send emails, post on social media! Post banners on your website! #librariestransform Use the School Library Snapshot Tool (see image below), a fillable PDF, to enter your data, then submit and save the completed infographic to post and share. Plan your own Snapshot Day! Visit the AASL padlet to see what school librarians all over the country are doing to celebrate libraries! SCHOOL LIBRARY SNAPSHOT Class visits for INFORMATION LITERACY INSTRUCTION
PROFESSIONAL CONSULTATIONS with faculty & staff
Students connected online for DIGITAL LITERACY INSTRUCTION
Books circulated to promote LIFELONG LOVE OF READING & LEARNING
Students received PERSONALIZED INSTRUCTION through individual reference exchanges
COLLABORATIONS WITH TEACHERS to identify resources, plan instruction & integrate technology
Students attended ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT programs before/after school & during lunch
PRINT & DIGITAL RESOURCES curated for student & teacher use
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“We hosted a Read In to kick off School Library Month on Friday, April 1, from 3:30 - 7:30 p.m.” Mindy Nichols, Crockett County High School's CavLibrary
Starting a trend! Librarian Amy Woods at Meigs North Elementary in Decatur, TN is fired up and wants to inspire YOU to trend with her on social media, so she’s providing some hashtags. Got something to say about school libraries or school librarians? Use a hashtag so we can find it! 10
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At Bearden High School in Knoxville, co-librarians Kristen Heffern and Erika Long have some fun activities planned to celebrate #slm16!
Makerspace Magnetic Poetry Our makerspace will be home to
a magnetic poetry contest. Students can use the space to create poems using magnetic words and word phrases. When they take a picture of their poem and share it on social media, they'll be entered in our poetry contest. Guess That Teacher Bookface – On an "interactive" bulletin board outside the library, students can guess which teacher they think is in the photo and lift the photo to see if they've guessed correctly. BHS Goes Screen Free - In an effort to encourage students to read and participate in meaningful conversation with others around them, Bearden will be challenged to "let it goooo" in terms texting, social media, basically all things digital. Since we are a 1:1 school, teachers have been asked to support us in this effort by planning tech-free lessons for that day. School Library Word Cloud - Throughout the month, students and staff will have the opportunity to express what the library means and is to them on large post-it notes. At the end of the month, their responses will create a wordle for the Bearden library.
“We will be celebrating School Library Month with a poetry contest.” Annette Kuykendall, Fairview Middle School, Fairview, TN 11
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Reveille is playing! Register NOW for the 25th ANNUAL TASL CONFERENCE. which takes place November 3-5.
You spoke; we listened! This year we’re providing Wi-Fi!
Do you hear Reveille? Register now! Conference fee $95.00 until July 1 when it will increase to $120.00!
Text @taslcon16 to 81010.
Join us for #TASLS25TH at #TASLCON2016!
ALA 2016 Annual Conference
TLA 2016 Annual Conference
In Orlando, Florida June 23-28, 2016 Registration is still open! #alaac16 13
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TASL Road Trip! Registration is now open! Summer PD is fast approaching! This is a great time to energize yourself for the new year. National presenter and fellow school librarian, Michelle Cooper, will be our keynote speaker! We’ll have door prizes, vendors, and sessions led by fellow librarians. Sign up here, and order your TASL t-shirt too!
While you are there sign up to present at the PD! We know you are doing great things in your library, so show them off!
We hope to see everyone this summer! Race Day Opportunities: Road Trip East – June 14, 2016 in Morristown Road Trip West – June 16, 2016 in Jackson
Honk! Honk! Conference Package winners will be announced here!
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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Amanda Smithfield 2016 SLJ Mover & Shaker added approximately 1500 books with help from a partnership with the Nashville Public Library.
Do you sometimes feel overlooked as the school librarian? If so, you might look to Amanda Smithfield as an example of how to overcome. Amanda serves as the librarian at Nashville’s Academic Magnet School, HumeFogg, where she has worked the past five years. Her school was ranked as one of the top 50 schools in America in 2015, and here’s part of why it fared so well:
She also offers summer hours and check-out opportunities since this is when most of the students have the opportunity to read for pleasure. She’s also added programs like a monthly panel of students attended by over 100 students to discuss everything from religion, race, politics, and other issues of the day.
Her doors open every day at 7am, serving approximately 100 students before the school day even begins. By the end of the day, the library has served about 40% of the school’s population. Of course, there are still the classes who visit, and this doesn’t account for the students and teachers with whom she works as she visits classrooms throughout each day.
Smithfield advocates for her library in many ways, one of which is to tweet about all the great things her library is doing to local school board members and school leaders. You don’t get the title of Mover & Shaker by waiting for others to figure it out for you. Way to go Amanda. We’re proud to have you representing TASL’s finest trendsetters. Congratulations on this well-deserved acknowledgment of your hard work!
How does she do this? First, upon arriving in 2011, she weeded a large portion of her collection that was no longer relevant, then 15
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REGIONAL UPDATES: Appalachian Region: Librarian Anne Smith from Sullivan North Middle School received a grant from Lowe’s ToolBox for Education for $5000.00. She reports, “We used this money to purchase books that students had requested, mostly graphic novels. We also purchased 6 couches and 4 chairs that created several small seating areas around the library that encourage students to read. This replaced outdated furniture.” Here is the link to her blog. (Scroll down for a write-up on the grant). Actioninthelibrary
East TN River Region: Amy Woods from Meigs North Elementary was featured as a guest writer on Cari Young's blog where she talked about her makerspaces and how she’s tying in literacy to this popular trend! Check it out here. Hamilton County librarians Laura Dowd and Lindsey McCarter, were recipients of funding through Chattanooga’s PEF for their Selfies and Shelfies app to help students & parents log their reading! 16
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REGIONAL UPDATES, continued: Mississippi River Region:
The MS River Round Table was held at Arlington High School on Saturday, March 12. Thanks to LeAn Inman of AHS for hosting! Our meeting was extremely valuable. We all left feeling energized and full of new resources to immediately begin using. Topics that were discussed included favorite apps and technology, funding for makerspaces, as well as advocacy. We all left looking forward to our next get-together!
On Saturday, March 12th from 9:30-11:20 the Highland Rim Region Discussion group was held at Amqui Elementary School. The group discussed library advocacy, maker spaces, top lessons, tech tools, and collaboration. We look forward to our next Round Table and would love your attendance! A special shout-out to the following members for attending: Christy Cordrey, Ann Cothron, Doreen Brown, Diane Chen, & Lakisha Brinson (facilitator)
Highland Rim Region:
Plus, we’d like to recognize the following librarians: High School Librarian of the Year: Cami Townsel, Martin Luther King Magnet High Middle School Librarian of the Year: Reta Park,: Meigs Magnet Middle Elementary School Librarian of the Year: Mark Hosel, Shayne Elementary 17
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SPRING 2016
REGIONAL UPDATES, continued: Walking Horse Region: On Friday, March 11, over 1200 students and teachers from 13 Tennessee counties attended the inaugural Southeastern Young Adult Book Festival. Featuring 35 authors, SE-YA featured writing workshops, author panels, and meet-and-greet opportunities with authors. #seya2016 was trending on Twitter for over 12 hours and student reactions were so positive! On Friday: 13 TN school systems represented 40 middle and high schools 35 authors
seyabookfest.com
On Saturday: 34 authors Visitors from AL, KY, GA, SC, MS, MI, TX, MO, PN, & IL!
The Big Payback, a community-wide, online giving day hosted by The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, returns on May 3, and SE-YA Book Festival is thrilled to be participating! The 2016 charitable event helps to support SE-YA! Last year we raised $2.65+ million in 24 hours for 770 area organizations. How does it work? Kicking off at 12:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 3, donors can make gifts online to The Big Payback participants located in or providing services to the 40 counties of Middle Tennessee. Your contributions to SE-YA Book Festival could be amplified by additional incentives, bonuses and prizes made possible by sponsors throughout the day. For more information, please visit SE-YA Book Festival's Big Payback Page or https://thebigpayback.org/. Thank you so much for your generous support! Here's to an awesome SE-YA Book Fest in 2017!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!! 18
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SPRING 2016
REGIONAL UPDATES, continued: On March 5th, from 1-3 at the Powell Public Library in Knox County, we came together. With all elementary librarians, we narrowed our focus, finally deciding to discuss technology, tips and tricks for great lessons, and curriculum connections. We discussed looking at other standards besides our own for logical connections and ways to work smarter not harder, shared resources for downloading / sharing lesson plans, & we reviewed best lessons. Plus, we discussed newer picture books & how to use them as well as effective collaboration strategies with administrators and teachers in our building--how to raise awareness of library lessons and their relativity. It was a great afternoon, and we didn't want to stop when our time was up!
Volunteer Region:
The SYNC audiobook program is back!
Contact your Area Representative with the great things going on in your district, so we can celebrate and recognize the difference school librarians are making all over the state!
A free audiobook program for teens 13+ The 2016 season is May 5August 17, 2016 TELL YOUR STUDENTS!
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New to TASL? Wondering where you belong? Appalachian: Claiborne, Hancock, Hawkins, Sullivan, Johnson, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Cocke, Greene, Washington, Unicoi, Carter Cumberland: Clay, Pickett, Jackson, Overton, Fentress, Putnam, DeKalb, White, Cumberland, Warren, VanBuren, Grundy East TN River: Marion, Sequatchie, Bledsoe, Rhea, Meigs, McMinn, Monroe, Polk, Bradley, Hamilton Highland Rim: Montgomery, Robertson, Sumner, Macon, Dickson, Cheatham, Davidson, Wilson, Trousdale, Smith Mississippi River: Lake, Obion, Dyer, Lauderdale, Crockett, Tipton, Haywood, Shelby, Fayette Volunteer: Scott, Campbell, Morgan, Anderson, Union, Knox, Roane, Loudon, Blount, Sevier Walking Horse: Williamson, Rutherford, Cannon, Maury, Marshall, Bedford, Coffee, Giles, Lincoln, Moore, Franklin Western Plains: Weakley, Henry, Gibson, Carroll, Madison, Henderson, Chester, Hardeman, McNairy West TN River: Stewart, Houston, Benton, Humphreys, Decatur, Perry, Hickman, Lewis, Hardin, Wayne, Lawrence
Mindy Nichols, President Mindy.nichols.tasl@gmail.com
Highland Rim Region, Lakisha Brinson newaunt@gmail.com
Stay Connected! To subscribe to the TASL e-list, log in at www.tasltn.org
Misti Jenkins, PresidentElect/Conference Chair misti.jenkins.tasl@gmail.com
Mississippi River Region, Amy Balducci amy.balducci@gmsdk12.org
Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/tasl.tn Follow us on Twitter: @tasltn
Dana Lester, Secretary dana.lester.tasl@gmail.com Lynn Lilley, Treasurer lynn.lilley.tasl@gmail.com Lora Ann Black, Immediate Past President LoraAnnBlack.tasl@gmail.com Appalachian Region, Vicki Winstead vcwinstead@gmail.com Cumberland Region, Kim Wattenbarger wattenbargek@k12tn.net East TN River Region, Cristol Kapp kappcm@gmail.com
Volunteer Region, Raina Scoggins scogginsr@hotmail.com
AASL: www.ala.org/aasl
Walking Horse Region, Shannon Minner shannon.minner@cityschools.net
TLA: www.tnla.org TEL: www.tntel.info
Western Plains Region, Sherry Copeland SherryCopeland.tasl@gmail.com
Tenn-Share: www.tenn-share.org
West TN River Region, Cindy Martin cindy.martin@waynetn.net
This issue of TASL Talks was designed and edited by Ginger Kirchmyer.
Web Manager, Beth Frerking frerking@gmail.com Want to be featured in TASL Talks in 2016? Email Ginger Kirchmyer smmhslibrarian@gmail.com