2020 Libraries

2020...

Are you ready for a new decade of literacy? I know I am. Here's to the last few weeks of the 10s of the millennium era. Get a library card or get your library card renewed at your local library. Here's mine at the Richard Burges Branch Library, NorthEast El Paso, Texas to be exact. 

Creating a Classroom Library

Creating a Classroom Library

by Mandy Gregory / Link: click here

Today reading 'Creating a Classroom Library' by Mandy Gregory posted at Reading Rockets, here are some notes!

On making it cozy...thinking of ways to make reading spaces more enticing to readers, reflecting on what I've seen in library spaces.  To get started the article notes the importance of marking the books. At one point I made an attempt to create a "mobile library" and had book pockets and cards.  The recommendation to write instructor's name along the reading pages is more interesting to me.

"Students have to be prepared to make good reading choices and know how to browse..." - Great tip for deciding on a sorting system.  While I like the idea of sorting by topic, my preference is leaning towards a genre sorted system. To teach genres.

"I know when I go to the bookstore, the books that catch my eye most often are the ones whose covers are facing out." - YES! This is a great suggestion. Although my personal book collection is focused on binding, in a classroom it would be great to practice a face out approach.

Mandy provides a great suggestion for how she blended genres in book bins and good advice on books that may have been accumulated from a specific author. I like the idea of having a special feature on authors or writers and perhaps having students create fun short biography cards to accompany the books or even bookmarks!

A recommendation from Mandy for letting students help decide the categories in the library. I'm thinking about even providing students with their own specific bin or to come up with a sub genre for each class period or each class period's own reading bucket.

Important to think about how to go beyond identifying where the book is from in so far as writing on the page side, and actually labeling the books per the basket bucket or crate that they're in.

Considering the recommendations from Mandy are focused on younger readers grades, thinking about a space or middle school level, perhaps that incorporates some ideas from how library's set up their adolescent reading spaces.

The author also discusses print labels which I'd like to include inside of the book cover.  Thought about the idea of creating ribbons for favorite books like Reader's Choice awards, or books that students ID as their overall favorite.  Thought about including a larger graphic novel section.  Especially graphic bios.

"Your room should not contain a library within a classroom, but a classroom within a library..." A quote referenced by Mandy in her response to the question "Where will your library be?"

A book recommendation from the author discussing book sorting. Also thinking about labeling issues on the books and devising a method that will allow the book's sticker or label to be removed later.  Mandy notes some great advice on teaching children how to treat and handle books. She talks about modeling how to treat a book, "using bookmarks instead of dog earring pages, turning pages carefully so that they don't tear, etc.


A lot of great recommendations to consider and I appreciate the book recommendations. An interesting activity whether this is for the classroom or even something fun for your children or younger siblings to create their own personal library.

10 Ways to Love Reading

Ten Ways to Cultivate a Love of Reading In Students

edutopia | SOURCE Follow @artofcoaching1

Some highlights from the article...Great to think about as we approach the summer days and prepare for the fall (or summer school days) ahead.

1. READ

"If we're going to encourage kids to read we need to do it too. Read for pleasure, information, instructions, connecting with others, and so on." I really like this suggestion, especially to show students how to implement reading into the breaks in their lives.

2. SHARE YOUR READING EXPERIENCES

"Share with colleagues, friends and students. Tell them what you've been reading, what you've gained or learned from these texts, what you recommend." Absolutely, create communities around reading, especially through social media. I've always imagined the possibility of reintroducing the world we were introduced to through Reading Rainbow into the activities of the classroom (even adjust it for each particular age level including much older kids).

RESOURCE: Good Reads goodreads.com

3. INVITE STUDENTS TO SOCIALIZE AROUND READING

"Set up book clubs, reading groups, literature circles. Many students need to interact with each other around texts." Agreed, especially when those clubs are consistent and connected to activities outside the classroom that engage parents and the community (libraries, book stores, etc.).

4. ORGANIZE A READ-A-THON

A very interesting suggestion, especially for raising funds around initiatives to further encourage reading in the community or to encourage students to become ambassadors of reading in school and the community.

5. TAKE A FIELD TRIP

"Visit your local library, a university library or a bookstore." On making reading social and exciting, I couldn't agree more! Especially for the possibilities for connecting their reading to landmarks, stories, and the history of their own community and important local figures.

6. LISTEN TO AUDIO BOOKS

"To me, audio books 'count' as reading." Absolutely! With as much as our students are plugged in and connected to their headphones, would be great for them to have more access to audio books. Or better yet working on summer projects where students can record audio books! What better way to enjoy an audio books read by someone you know or to even create reading recording activities that bring books to life through vocal acting.

RESOURCE: Native Son Audio Book AMAZON

7. INVITE AUTHORS TO SPEAK

Absolutely! Especially local writers or writers from the region!

8. MAKE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN READING AND OTHER ISSUES

"Help students see the wider, historical and political context of the importance of reading to enhance their appreciation." Couldn't agree more. I tried this in connecting our reading about Chess to building a Chess Club and am currently utilizing our reading of Hip Hop to create recording sessions of rap, spoken word, and singing.  While we're connecting reading to after school activity, these activities are also connected to issues, local events, and culture.

9. LEARN ABOUT SPECIFIC NEEDS OR SPECIFIC POPULATIONS

"Those responsible for teaching literacy also need professional development in how to serve specific vulnerable populations." This made me think about more professional development in spaces throughout the school such as libraries, public libraries, community bookstores, and other spaces that would be great for reading. Just thinking about safe spaces or ideal spaces where reading can take place.  Where reading can become an event as opposed to trying to read in spaces that are normally reserved for other activities in our lives that take us away from the concentration necessary to simply have the quiet and space to read.

10. TEACH READING STRATEGIES

"I believe that all teachers, in every content area, should be responsible for teaching reading...We must give them the skills to read at the same time that we cultivate an attitude." ...Amazing.

@elpasolibrary Services

#listening to The Weekend "@elpasolibrary Services"
#KTEP w/ #LouieSaenz @utep
6/4/2016

Listen Now! click here 

Great program detailing the El Paso Public Library's services throughout the city including a new program for adults 19 years of age and up, Career Online High School (COHS)!  Check it out and to learn more about COHS visit elpasolibrary.org/attend/career-online-high-school

Hearing Voices Librarian-Produced Podcasts by Steve Thomas

Hearing Voices Librarian-Produced Podcasts

by Steve Thomas

Article: click here

This summer while volunteering my time at the University library I tuned into a few podcasts thanks to this article by Steve Thomas. The first librarian produced podcast I ever tuned into was Andromeda Yelton's Open Paren episode with Cecily Walker click here.  I plan on posting links to podcasts here on the blog.  You can check out other podcasts on the links list to the right.  Below is a shareable #tweetcite of Steve Thomas' article.

"Hearing #Voices #Librarian-Produced #Podcasts." @stevelibrarian @amlibraries @ALALibrary 1/4/2016 <https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2016/01/04/hearing-voices-librarian-produced-podcasts/>. #tweetcite

Understanding MARC21 Bibliographic Records

Excellent introduction webinar online about MARC 21 bibliographic records.  MARC stands for MAchine Readable Cataloging, a communication standard and framework for catalog records.  Below are links to the online webinars I've had the chance to view.  In addition, the presenter has uploaded assignments and resources at the following link: click here.  As I work my way through the sessions, I'll update this post. 

Understanding MARC21 Bibliographic Records

Session 1: click here

I'm very detail oriented and have a sincere interest understanding the background of how things work.  MARC is a sort of coding system that I learned was originally created for automated printing of card cataloging in 1966 and was started by the Library of Congress' Henriette Avram.  This video provides a great overview of the MARC21 system. Great introduction by emily Dust Nimskont of the Nebraska Library Commission.  Provides the following resources:

MARC Standards Library of Congress www.loc.gov/marc/

Bibliographic Formats and Standards OCLC www.oclc.org/bibformats/en.html

SLC Catalouging Cheat Sheets special-cataloguing.com/cheats

Understanding MARC LOC www.loc.gov/marc/umb/

Understanding MARC21 Bibliographic Records

Session 2: click here

Follow up to Session 1, and a step into understanding the common parts of a MARC record, starting with the 2XX fields.  Notes the importance of the AACR2, the cataloging rules and why the code is written the way it is (sets the standards.  I learned the $ means subfield and I figured not to confuse with the letter S in developing code.  Also discusses the use of indicators with reference to the assignments for the following week.  I'm having difficulty accessing the Word documents, however there is a preview mode available that allowed me to view the content and copy.

Introducing Mijo's Library #mylibrary

Introducing Mijo's Library #mylibrary

If I had the technical know how, I would create a social media platform called "myLibrary".  I'm not sure how it would work or how it would function to make people want to use it...I just had an idea... thinking about our lives as libraries these questions come to mind...

If you were a library what would the library be called?  What kind of books would we find in your library that tell us about who you are and what you've experienced? What photographs would you include that tell a story of your family tree?  What kinds of music would people be able to check out?  Would there be any vinyl, CDs, cassettes, or would digital audio be available?  What music genres?  What kind of services would be available to the community in your library?  What events would you host in your library?  If certain time periods in our lives could be documented in book shelves what kinds of books would define your adolescent shelf? Would any of your family members have a book shelf or specific archive?  If there was time to write a story book about a sibling, who would you want to write about? What would the book be called?  What kind of book would it be?  What would be on the cover?  What kind of geography books or maps about your life and where you've been would be available? What languages would the resources in your library be written in?  How would your library be designed when it comes to its architecture?  Where would it be located?  When would it close? One hundred years from now, what kind of value would a library about your life have to your family and community? 

Ever since my childhood years, libraries have been an important space for how I engaged in learning outside of what we had to do in school.  Whereas school tended to shape everybody's learning in similar ways, public libraries gave my young imagination a sense of freedom to look at reading as a choice.  It gave me a chance to read stories that I could relate to.  When it came to summer reading programs, it gave me a chance to look at reading as an incentive.  Since I couldn't get to the library by myself as a kid, it also created a "learning bond" between my parents, myself, and younger siblings.  Having those memories of my Mom and Dad walking me into the library and letting me wander the stacks is something I'll always remember.  Especially when thinking about the authors and books I discovered as a result of those learning moments.

If my life was a library it would be called Mijo's Library. It would be located in El Paso, Texas in the neighborhood I was raised in.  Everybody on my Mom's side of the family, especially my Mom and Dad, call me Mijo...til' this day.  If you don't know Spanish, Mijo translates to "my son".  This blog site and the Twitter I created @mylibraryep will help me find time to learn more about libraries and the opportunities that these spaces offer to people in the community.  It's also intended to provide everyone that has goals to one day volunteer or work in a library with resources about library and information science.  While I'm no expert in the area, as I'm learning, I'd like to have a space online to save info and share it for others with similar interest.  

This #myLibrary concept is also inspired by a book that I read with my younger brother years ago titled The Library Book, The Story of Libraries from Camels to Computers, written by Maureen Sawa and illustrated by Bill Slavin.  There is so much to learn and value about the role libraries have played in society for thousands of years and the role they'll play in our future.

Welcome to #myLibrary, Mijo's Library.