Alabama LM Update October 2025
📅 First Fridays Continue October 3rd!
We’re excited to keep the momentum going with our monthly First Fridays professional learning sessions designed for librarians!
Join us for two engaging sessions on October 3:
- 9:30 AM – Growing Your Reading Culture with Beanstack: 539716
- 1:30 PM – ALEX: Alabama Learning Exchange: 539723
All registration details are available on the First Fridays website, and you’ll also find a graphic showing all of the First Fridays sessions. If the direct link doesn't work, you can search by the session number. Let’s keep growing together through collaboration and shared learning!
Important Reminders:
✅ Register in PSPL before attending to receive credit
✅ If joining with a group, enter your name in the chat
✅ If your display name differs from your PSPL registration, enter your name in the chat
✅ Otherwise, no need to enter your name to avoid duplicate entries
✅ Platform login information is available in the “Notes” section of PSPL when you register
We kicked off our hands-on workshop series in September with fun and productive days of learning, fellowship, and resource development! Librarians across Alabama gathered to explore instructional strategies aligned with the Learner Outcomes published in the Alabama Guidelines for Exemplary School Libraries—and we’re just getting started.
More sessions are coming in October and November, and we’d love for you to join us at one of our locations across the state.
During the morning session, participants will learn how to use the ALEX protocol to create effective, standards-based lesson plans. Whether you're refining existing lessons or starting fresh, this session will guide you through aligning your work with the Alabama Course of Study (ACOS) standards and the Learner Outcomes.
In the afternoon, attendees can choose between two tracks:
- Track 1: Lesson Development – Collaborate with peers to cultivate lesson plans using the ALEX framework.
- Track 2: New Librarian Institute – A dedicated space for early-career librarians to learn from experienced professionals, ask questions, and build confidence in their roles.
Completed lessons will be shared in our Schoology Group and later transitioned to the ALEX website, making them accessible to educators statewide.
📌 Registration is available in PSPL.
Please refer to the provided handout to select the date, time, and location that works best for you.
Let’s continue working together to strengthen library instruction and share resources that benefit students across Alabama!
What are the Yellowhammer Book Awards?
The Yellowhammer Book Awards were created by the Alabama School Library Association to highlight new books that have literary merit, instructional application, and student appeal. The award includes picture books, middle grade, and young adult. We send plaques to the winning authors and illustrators. Last year, we sent a plaque all the way to Australia.
The Huntsville City Schools Librarians Association hosts monthly professional development sessions tailored to the needs of our district’s librarians. These workshops provide opportunities for growth and collaboration. This school year, the board chose to focus on the Alabama Guidelines for Exemplary Libraries. Together, the board reviewed the document and organized it into practical, easy-to-follow categories to guide our work.
Here is the sequence based on the guidelines. We tried to take into consideration the time of year regarding topics. For example, we examined Section III: Access in July prior to any library schedules being made. Not all of our workshop time is focused on the guidelines. We also use the time for vendor presentations such as the Demco Book Doctor. Additionally, we like to utilize the talent and expertise of our members throughout the school year.
Enjoy this book review from Sonya Scott, AMSTI Physical Science Specialist
Napolian's Buttons
By Penny LeCouteur and Jay Burreson
Napoleon’s Buttons is a fascinating book that I highly recommend for high school students as
well as science and social science teachers. Authored by Penny Le Couteur and Jay Burreson,
the book masterfully intertwines chemistry and history, showing how seemingly small molecules
shaped the course of world events. The authors present seventeen groups of molecules—from
pepper and sugar to explosives and plastics—and demonstrate their profound influence on
exploration, trade, politics, medicine, and even warfare.
What makes this book especially engaging is its accessibility. Although most of the molecules
discussed are not studied in depth at the high school level, students do not need to memorize
chemical structures or fully understand their functions to appreciate the message. The value of
Napoleon’s Buttons lies in its powerful reminder that science is deeply connected to everyday
life and that chemistry has often been a hidden driver of history.
The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) annual conference is just around the corner, and many of our Alabama librarians are packing their bags for St. Louis! 🎒📚 It’s not too late to join the fun — click here for more information.
Already going? Check out these ideas for fun things to do while you're in town. From iconic sights to hidden gems, St. Louis has plenty to explore between sessions!
Children’s picture books provide a gateway into learning basic social studies concepts for children of all ages. The stories and illustrations hold potential to immerse children in discussion around these concepts, as well as tie these concepts together with English Language Arts standards.
Picture books can help introduce different topics, like elections or national parks, to students. These books provide a wealth of voices and perspectives, one of the guiding principles of the new course of study. The reading of a picture book can also serve as a starting point for bringing primary sources into instruction.
