School Library Journal – Online Journal

[School Library Journal, Logo], (2020). School Library Journal. https://www.slj.com/

School Library Journal. (2020). https://www.slj.com/

SLJ has many topics of interests such as book reviews, classroom tools, and eight different blogs.  The digital website allows limited articles and book reviews each month for free; unfortunately  without the subscription you do not have access to premium articles. School librarian Krista Heres said it was the one publication she recommended and uses whenever she is purchasing for her library’s collection. She stated that the journal has not let her down yet. 

American Libraries – Online Journal

American libraries. (2020). https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/

 Unlike other online journals this resource has no limit of articles and there is no fee.  The website has many tools that include job listings, webinars, The Scoop blog, trending news, current articles and an archive of all past articles.  The podcast once known as Dewey Decibel is now known as Call Number; it is engaging and has very relevant topics.  I also like the search engine to find past articles, very easy to use. 

Canva – Presentation/Visual Tool

 [Canva, Logo]. Canva. https://www.canva.com/

Canva. (2020). Canva. https://www.canva.com/

Canva is a great digital tool to engage students or to use to present information with posters, brochures, comics, infographics, videos, and presentations.  Live collaboration is an option that would be great for group projects during distance learning or closures (snow, pandemics, etc).  This is a tool to be used by any librarian  to encourage reading, use of resources in the library, and to just get patrons to explore their creative side. 

The Adventures of Library Girl – Blog

LaGarde, J. LibraryGirl Avatar [Bitmoji Graphic]. The Adventures of Library Girl. https://www.librarygirl.net/blog

LaGarde, J. (2020). The Adventures of Library Girl. https://www.librarygirl.net/blog

This blog is very colorful and engaging to look at visually.  Topics include programming, book talks, displays, and even advice for new librarians. I loved the professional development under the presentations section and will take the time to complete them in the near future!  It is a great resource to stay current with very real programming concerns and how to address them. 

Teen Librarian Toolbox – Blog

Jensen, K. (2020). Teen Librarian Toolbox [Logo]. Teen Librarian Toolbox. http://www.teenlibrariantoolbox.com/

Jensen. K. (2020). Teen Librarian Toolbox [Blog]. http://www.teenlibrariantoolbox.com/

I will utilize this resource to stay current on young adult literature and to explore professional development opportunities.  I love this blog from the book reviews to the Maker’s Space ideas to the various projects focused on teen issues that are based in a gritty reality.  This site will be one that new librarians should follow indefinitely due to their passion to provide programs that will meet teens needs on a personal and public level.

Voki – Audio/Video Tool

[Voki, Logo]. (2020). Voki. https://www.voki.com/

Voki. (2020). Voki. https://www.voki.com/

Voki is easy to use and it was fun creating an Avatar. The five easy steps will allow students to use the tool with little to no barriers. If students are uncomfortable being on camera this is a better resource. Voki will be great to present projects to students or have them do their own book reviews, mock commercials, and any other video type projects. 

Emaze – Presentation Tool

[Emaze, Logo]. Emaze. https://www.emaze.com/

Emaze. (2020). Emaze.  https://www.emaze.com/

I used Emaze and loved it. The platform was easy to use and there are many templates; for the education/classroom setting I liked the newspaper and gallery template. Emaze would be a good tool to use for presentation projects because it allows collaboration between group members jut by clicking the Share button. This tool will allow students to be creative and engage them in conversations about books.

Young Adult Library Services – Organization Resource

[YALSA, Logo]. (1996). Young Adult Library Services Association. http://www.ala.org/yalsa/

Young Adult Library Services Association. (2020). http://www.ala.org/yalsa/

YALSA addresses subjects of personal growth, academic success, and career development for teens.  Under their Actions and Issues section there are a multitude of programs that support advocacy for teens in your community; this answers the question of what can I do?  This organization has conferences, events, and many continuing education opportunities for members that should not be ignored.  The Resources and Tools section provides more topics and organizations to explore in this profession. 

Virginia Association of School Librarians – Organization Resource

[VAASL, Logo], (2019).  Virginia Association of School Librarians. https://www.vaasl.org/

Virginia Association of School Librarians. (2020). https://www.vaasl.org/

This organization is dedicated to school libraries and their goals to learning and the academic success of all students.  As a professional in this field VAASL offers conferences, scholarships, grants, and additional resources such as remote professional learning opportunities.   Virginia’s Readers Choice program that nominates books in four categories; primary, elementary, middle school, and high school is supported by VAASL.   New librarian can utilize this program no matter the school/library that they will be with. 

Teaching Books 

[Teaching Books, Logo], (2001). Teaching Books. https://www.teachingbooks.net/

Great resource that provides lesson plans, book guides, author videos, and much more that Librarians, Teachers, and Students can utilize. There is a membership for a premium that can be used in the first month for free that will allow unlimited access to the materials to be downloaded. If opting for the free membership still get one free download a month and access to many resources for Free. 

Reading Is Fundamental

[Reading Is Fundamental, Logo]. (2020). Reading Is Fundamental. https://www.rif.org/literacy-central

Reading Is Fundamental is the oldest and largest nonprofit in the United States. They provide lesson plans, author interviews, graphic organizers, activity calendars, read out loud videos, grants for free books, and much more. Many reading incentive programs can be provided in the library, classroom, or at home. There is a focus on inclusion and diversity through reading that provides cultural growth within a school. Empathy and many other SEL skills are also addressed in the lessons. 

Common Sense Media

[Common Sense Media, Logo]. (2016). Common Sense Media. https://www.commonsense.org/education.

This resource is exceptional at addressing digital citizenship grades K-12. This site provided many ideas when I developed a three lesson plan that addressed privacy and internet safety in my collaboration project. The quizzes will assist in creating assessments by the librarian or teachers. The site provides trainings for professional development and resources for parents. It provides information about technology such as apps that can be utilized in the classroom.