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SLS 4/24/26 - O²CM Bookish Bytes

SLS 4/24/26 - O²CM Bookish Bytes
SLS 4/24/26 - O²CMBookish Bytes

📰 In the News 📰 📰 In the News 📰

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Article: Los Angeles becomes first major US school district to limit classroom screen time

Article: Comic Conventions as POWerful PD (Part 3): Embracing Pop Culture

Blog: AI’s ‘Delusional Spirals’ (and What to Do About Them)

Article: From Page to Practice: Join AASL’s New LinkedIn Book Club

Article: Bringing Indigenous Stories to Life: Native Creators and the Importance of Indigenous Children’s and Young Adult Literature

Article: 11 Feminist Middle Grade and YA Novels About Gender, Period Stigma, and More

Article: ‘Sold’ Tops the List of 11 Most Challenged Books of 2025

Blog: 50+ engaging lessons you can use in class tomorrow

Blog: The Replacement Skills Approach: Teaching Behavior Instead Of Managing It

Article: 2026 Teacher of the Year Preps History Students for a Diverse and Divisive World

Article: Kindergartners Aren’t Talking Enough in Class. Why That Matters

Article: Schools Play Game of Media Literacy Catch-Up as AI Use Rises

Article: Have Books, Will Travel

Article: National Library Week: “For a Better-Read, Better-Informed America”

Blog: How to Help Students Develop a Personal Moral Compass for School

Blog: How to Be Proactive About Classroom Management in PBL

EdWeek is provided to every educator in O²CM

School Library Journal is provided to each O²CM School Librarian

Please Contact SLS if You Need Access with SLJ Access in the Subject Line

Impact of AI on Reading Impact of AI on Reading

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Listen Now!

Poetry Month Poetry Month

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Poetry Month Website

NotebookLM Updates NotebookLM Updates

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NotebookLM

EDUGem Cards EDUGem Cards

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💎 Use the Gem: Gem link

💾 Make your own copy: Gem link

✍️ Created by: Eric Curts


📄 Description: This Gem helps you create highly engaging, educational "trading cards" based on any subject to captivate your students. Acting as an expert instructional designer, digital artist, and tabletop game enthusiast, it transforms topics like historical figures, animals, or scientific elements into immersive resources complete with custom "stats" and "flavor text."


To use this Gem, you will have a collaborative conversation with the "Educational Trading Card Maker." You'll start by providing the grade level, subject, and topic of the card, along with any specific facts or details you want incorporated. Gemini will then generate the card's text for your review and, once approved, use image generation tools to create a visually striking, stylized trading card ready for your classroom.


Library Idea: Create them for books students have read and they can collect them like Pokemon cards!

EDUGem Cards

Nonfiction/Verse Pairings Nonfiction/Verse Pairings

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Transform Your Bookshelves Transform Your Bookshelves

Check out the transformation Katie McGinnis, Super Librarian at Burton Street Elementary, made to her shelves. Using DEMCO’s shelf dividers, she turned traditional stacks into flippable, browseable displays that make books far more visible and inviting.


Have you ever considered shifting to more forward-facing shelves? This is a great example of how powerful that change can be. The project did require significant weeding, and she also reorganized picture books by genre. The results speak for themselves. Students and teachers love the new layout, and circulation has increased dramatically.


She also ordered signage from DEMCO, but when they did not have all the genres she needed, she figured out the font and created her own to fill the gaps. #rockstarlibrarian #canvaallstar


Sometimes less really is more. With fewer books and better visibility, everything becomes more accessible and easier to explore.

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Link to DEMCO Shelving
Link to DEMCO Signage
Canva Link to Signage

Recently Reviewed Titles Recently Reviewed Titles

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Check out the Blog

Graphic Novels on Digital Theatre+ Graphic Novels on Digital Theatre+

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Digital Theatre+

Professional Learning Opportunities Professional Learning Opportunities

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Professional Development Website

In Person Professional Learning

  • May 13 - Admin/Advocate Banquet and Communication Coordinator Mtg

  • Jun 12 - SuperLibrarian Banquet with Dan Santat


Virtual/Asynch Professional Learning

  • Apr 28 - Empowering Multilingual Learners: Strategies for Success (Teacher Center)

  • Apr 28 - WEBINAR Middle School Literacy: A Schoolwide Strategy, Not Just a Subject (edWeb)

  • Apr 29 - VIRTUAL Language and Vocabulary Development (Teacher Center)

  • May 6 - VIRTUAL On Teaching Challenging or Sensitive Topics :

    Strategies to create safe, inclusive, and thoughtful dialogue in ELA and Social Studies (Teacher Center)

  • May 15 - VIRTUAL Introducing Elementary Students to the World of Work

  • May 19 - VIRTUAL Designing Standards-Aligned Lessons with AI (Teacher Center)

  • Jun 9 - VIRTUAL Rekindling Hope: Healing-Centered Education for Empowered Teaching and Learning (Teacher Center)


OnDemand Professional Learning (2 CTLE)

Note: You can sign up for these trainings anytime between 4/1-6/1

  • Sooth.fyi Training

  • Legends of Learning Science/Math Learning Universe

  • Legends of Learning Basecamp Training

  • News-o-matic Training

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📬Listservs 📬Listservs

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All O²CM Listserv: sls@ocmboces.org

Elem Listserv: elemlibs@ocmboces.org

MS Listserv: mslibs@ocmboces.org

HS Listserv: hslibs@ocmboces.org

BOB Listserv: bob@ocmboces.org

OPALS Users Group: opalsusers@ocmboces.org

Follett Destiny Users Group: destinyusers@ocmboces.org

Sign Up for a Listserv HERE

📢 The SLS Team 📢 📢 The SLS Team 📢

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Email the SLS Team
Check out Previous Bookish Byte Issues
O²CM School Library System
https://www.ocmboces.org/sls
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