NYLA-SSL Update

A Newsletter from the Section for School Librarians

March 2022 | Vol. 2 | No. 6

NYLA-SSL

#leadoutloud #nylassl2020 #tlchat

Email: nyla.sslibs@gmail.com
Website: nyla.org/ssl
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/54348998258/
Twitter: @nyla_ssl

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From the President

Greeting all! Here’s hoping that Spring is springing in your “neck of the woods” and that your thoughts are turning from snow shovels to garden shovels.

As always, the Board has been busy on your behalf. While we couldn’t meet in Albany for Lobby Day, we participated (and hope you did too) virtually. If you were not able to join in on the 2nd, you can still advocate on behalf of NYS’ library community. See all the great resources NYLA put together on their lobby day page: Library Advocacy Day 2022 Goes Virtual! Remember that being an ongoing advocate is an essential part of being involved in your profession.

We also have exciting news regarding registration for our Annual Spring Conference. For this year only, as a special “welcome back to in person events”, we will be offering ALL NYS school librarians the membership rate for registration. We urge you to take a look at all the planners have to offer and take advantage of this opportunity. “Reboot, Refresh, Reimagine” will be held May 19-21, 2022 at the Turning Stone Conference Center in Verona, NY with a fantastic line up of keynotes, authors and workshops. Come and experience the best part of being a SSL member – the connections to other school librarians!

As always feel free to reach out to the board with any questions, issues or concerns you may have. Enjoy the extra sunshine soon to come and I'll see you in May!

Lisa Perkowski

Port Jervis High School Librarian

845-858-3100 x.11800

lehnski16@gmail.com @PJHSLibrary on Twitter

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EARLY BIRD ENDING SOON - Register HERE

We hope you've already put the date on your calendar and checked out the conference website because planning for the NYLA/SSL Annual Conference, Reboot, Refresh, Reimagine, taking place at the Turning Stone Conference and Event Center in Verona from May 19th through 21st 2022, continues on!

The conference planning committee would like to remind everyone that registration is open. Attendees can register by clicking the links on the conference website or via the NYLA website. Lodging arrangements must be made directly with The Turning Stone Conference and Events Center. Additional details can be found here.

Need a reason to get excited about registering? How about five! The conference planning committee is thrilled to announce our slate of keynotes and speakers:

For more information or questions, contact us anytime at nylassl2022@gmail.com Whether you'll be a presenter, a committee member, or an attendee, we look forward to seeing you in Verona at NYLA/SSL 2022!

Check out the Concurrent Sessions

Conference Website

Consider sharing the Saturday line up with ELA teacher, literacy coaches, public librarians, etc. A great opportunity to collaboration and network.

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School Library Month is HERE!

Happy School Library Month!! Best month of the year, right?!!??!?!? How are you spending School Library Month? A quick reminder that Saturday is the Syracuse Makerfaire at the SRC Arena!

Consider submitting photos and videos to help AASL celebrate School Library Month
Learn about School Library Month History
AASL Advocacy Templates & Social Media Graphics
Article: Why Do Teachers Need School Librarians
InfoGraphics

Library Services Menu Example from Kelsey Bogan

Here are 10 ideas to help you celebrate School Library Month and connect with your people!

1. Create a “student picks” book display. Invite students to suggest their favorite books for a display, along with a note about why they liked it and why they think others should read it. You could also do a “staff picks” display.

2. Hold a poster contest. Invite students to design a poster that creatively promotes the school library. Encourage students to use your library’s makerspace materials. Give them a deadline for submissions, hang the finished posters around the library and invite students to vote for their favorite. Award a prize to the winner.

3. Hosting a Library Staff Party.

Asking the Principal to use the building budget to provide snacks for the party. Cookies and lemonade for the party.
Library Info Slideshow to advocate the library. It includes information on our library, pictures, and some stats and data about libraries in general. Example
Raffle Giveaways - Community Coloring Posters which the students completed in the library. Also included smaller versions so that you can give away free classroom decorations
Tour of the Library - Posting signs about the library and different sections of the library
Selfie Station - photo booth with library related props and "book face"
Brain Break Activities - At the party, teachers will have the chance to enjoy some of the brain break activities we provide every day to students. They can play a game like connect four or battleship with each other, try out our giant scrabble board, create their own bookmark, or color at our coloring table. They will also be able to make bookmarks or blackout poetry.
Free Posters from the infographics above

4. Challenge students to write a graphic novel about the school library and all it offers. It’s a great opportunity for creative thinkers, writers and artists to collaborate on a project that tells your library’s unique story.

5. Host an after-school book swap for students and faculty. It’s a great way for students and teachers to connect over their favorite books. Place a sign-up sheet in the library and on school bulletin boards. Promote the event on social media and in morning announcements. The day of the book swap, each participant brings any number of books from home that they’re willing to part with. Books can be sorted on library tables by subject, genre or reading level. Participants draw numbers to see who gets to select first. Hold as many rounds as needed until everyone is satisfied with their new reads. The number of books a participant can choose matches the number of books they bring. Any books not selected can be donated.

6. I Love My Library Cards: Printable version of I Love My Library Because cards

7. Trivia: Provide library trivia throughout the library and library social media throughout April.

8. Contests and Giveaways

Weekly contest and giveaways (using lollipops as the prize) for my students. Most of these could occur on the library instagram/social media. To win, students will need to follow the instagram account. Examples

9. Random Library Trivia Facts about libraries - use the morning announcements

10. Professional Development Opportunities - During April and May offer flexible professional development sessions on hot topics for staff. Example: Social Media Boot Camp, Deceptive Images

Sources:

Bogan, Kelsey. “Preparing for School Library Month!” Don’t Shush Me!, 9 Mar. 2019, https://dontyoushushme.com/2019/03/09/preparing-for-school-library-month/.

“Top 10 Ways to Celebrate School Library Month.” EBSCO Information Services, https://www.ebsco.com/blogs/ebscopost/top-10-ways-celebrate-school-library-month. Accessed 1 Apr. 2022.

It’s Not Over – You never stop being a school librarian....

By Jill Leinung

When I retired, I admit that I was worried about my identity and worth. How could I still be a school librarian and give to my profession without being in the school library?

I was lucky. I had colleagues who were still teaching so that I could go and volunteer in the classroom. I could still collaborate with my 1st grade teaching partner and have that connection with students. (For a Hudson River Unit, we had students each build sections of the Hudson River) When she retired, I volunteered checking out and shelving books with one of my mentees in her library.

My husband and I put on a program for 4th grade as Revolutionary War reenactors. I was given the opportunity to mentor new librarians for my School Library System. (Thank you Dr. Jen Cannell and Sharon Davis)

I became aware of how my involvement in NYLA, SSL, and my affiliate, ENYSLMA helped me connect with other members and this helped me to feel there were other ways to stay involved with my profession. I continued as the Legislative Representative for SSL on the NYLA Legislative committee and was a Councilor at Large on NYLA Council. Being on these committees opened other pathways to stay involved. At a Legislative meeting, Mary Fellows (the YSS Representative), Jen Cannell and I brainstormed ways to advocate for our school library legislative priorities and out of this the Youth Advocacy Committee (YAC) was formed. YAC’s mission is to have school and public youth librarians collaborate in delivering services to their shared patrons. Through my NYLA connections I also became involved with the School Library Sustainability Initiative (thank you Rebekkah Smith Aldrich) and today mentor school librarians who are enrolled in the certification process.

Through Council and the Legislative Committee, I worked with other types of librarians, and I have gone over to the public library side. I am now a trustee of my local library and sit on the Board of Trustees of the Mid-Hudson Library System.

The beauty of being retired is that my time is my own and I do not need to worry about asking for time off (except from my husband, children and grandchildren) and worrying about subs. I found that I can give back to my profession that has given so much to me and stay involved in many ways thanks to my professional organizations.

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