Professional Organizations
The American Association of School Librarians is a part of the ALA, providing support and resources specific to school librarians. This page will continue to be relevant as I enter into the school library field. It provides news articles, publications, conference information, and so much more. This is certainly a place where I will regularly turn for national information regarding school libraries.
The Virginia Association of School Librarians provides more locally specific content for librarians in Virginia. There is information about local conferences, regional contacts, awards, and additional resources. This will continue to be a useful place to turn for more local connections and assistance.
The Young Adult Library Services Association is part of the ALA, providing resources for librarians to reach teens. They provide valuable resources for connecting with teenagers and developing programing to support them. Their site provides opportunities for grants and awards as well as conferences. In addition they advocate for teens to have access to great libraries.
The Virginia Library Association exists to help promote and advocate for literacy and libraries within Virginia. This is a valuable resource for professional development and networking within Virginia’s library systems. It is an excellent place to look for up-to-date local information about libraries and advocacy in the news.
The American Library Association is an invaluable resource for updates on library advocacy, professional development, issues and more. This site provides links to news in the library world, job opportunities, and conferences. This is an excellent place to look for me to stay informed on what is happening to libraries of all kinds.
Blogs and Social Media
Abby Johnson has a well established blog focusing on selection and reviewing. She has numerous lists to guide in all different types of libraries, as well as personal reviews. She regularly updates her blog, making her a relevant and useful resource for my future in selecting books for students.
The New York Public Library has a great blog on young adult literature called Stuff for the Teen Age. It is regularly updated by a variety of experts in the field and includes book reviews, lists, contest winners, and more. This is a great place to go to find recommendations on YA books in all kinds of different genres, as well as to help promote and develop diversity within a library.
Gwyneth Jones manages the blog The Daring Librarian where she shares ideas, book reviews, and general occurrences in her school library in Maryland. Her posts relate range from inclusion to technology ideas to librarian experiences. This is another great resource for reviewing new ideas in the library world. She also has a Twitter linked as well.
Publications
This article from the Journal of Library Administration discusses the ways that libraries can help support student mental health. As COVID-19 has affected students across the world, libraries will need to step up to support their students with more than just resources. The article promotes establishing safe spaces, developing well-being initiatives, and encouraging reading for pleasure. As I enter the school library world, keeping these sorts of things in mind will certainly help cultivate the library that best serves the school community in many ways.
The School Library Journal regularly publishes relevant reviews, lists and articles that are helpful for school librarians. This is certainly a site that I will review frequently as I continue in my studies and enter into the school library field. It is up-to-date and incredibly useful for librarians.
Current Trends
We Need Diverse Books is a great resource for librarians to keep up-to-date with new books about diverse topics and by a wide variety of authors. This will continue to be a great place for me to turn for recommendations to enhance my collection.
This link to the American Libraries Magazine trends page has up-to-date articles about trends in all kinds of libraries. There are relevant articles about new ideas librarians have embraced and utilized in their libraries. This is a great place to look for up-and-coming trends in all kinds of libraries, as the site is regularly updated. As I enter the professional library community, this site will provide great ideas about new innovations in the library world.
This article from the Association of College and Research Libraries delves into top trends in academic libraries from 2020. While my focus is likely school libraries, this article still covers similar ideas that I might see in schools. It discusses the changes in streaming media and a focus on student well-being. Likewise, the drive towards open access to materials is certainly a trend in school libraries as well.