American Association of School Librarians. (2021). American Library Association. www.ala.org/aasl/about
This site falls under the American Library Association but is specific to school librarians. The site offers professional development including information on the Annual Conference and eLearning. Knowledge Quest is the site’s journal that offers articles written from individuals in the field on trends, research and ideas to incorporate into the school library. The amount of articles related to school libraries are in the thousands so this is a great source for me as a new librarian.
American Libraries. (2021). American Libraries Magazine. americanlibrariesmagazine.org
This online magazine site has a host of information relevant to libraries. Its trending section offers the latest trends that are occurring in libraries today. Subjects include COVID-19, Sustainability and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. The website also offers a podcast and blog to offer the perspective of those in the industry. The magazine itself is full of articles, infographics and pictures related to what is happening in the field. The subjects and information included on this site I have found to be very useful and I liked the current trends section and can see myself referencing that as a librarian.
Children’s Literature Association. (2019). Children’s Literature Association. www.childlitassn.org
The Children’s Literature Association’s website shares the two journals related to children’s literature. They have a job list for jobs related to literacy and have educational opportunities. A scholarly resource section includes topics of censorship, children’s literature collections, young adult literature and multiculturalism and international children’s literature. For me this site is beneficial to focusing on the literature aspect of the job whereas other sites I picked focused predominately on the job.
Jones, G. (n.d.). The Daring Librarian. www.thedaringlibrarian.com
The Daring Librarian is a blog created by Gwyneth Jones. The focus of the blog is technology sources for librarians that also includes ideas to engage students in the library using Apps like Instagram. This site is beneficial in keeping current with trends in social media and ideas to incorporate into the library. Since technology and social media are a weak area of mine, I find the information presented in this blog to be very valuable and easy to understand.
Library of Congress. (2020). Library of Congress. www.loc.gov
The Library of Congress website has digital collections, research and reference information. The site also offers audio podcasts and video webcasts. Both include authors, scholars and artists interviews and lectures. It also has a section specific for teachers that has lesson plans, professional development and primary source sets. This is a great site when finding information on a book, sharing the podcasts and webcasts in a classroom or to show students how to find information online.
School Library Journal. (2021). School Library Journal. www.slj.com
This School Library Journal website has a vast amount of resources including news & features, reviews, technology, public libraries and school libraries. It also breaks down the resources by age and diversity which is helpful for looking at specific resources. The booklists offers books of different themes for all ages that could be helpful to find new books and help students find books of topics they are interested in. I find this site has very practical tools that could be used in a school library. I would regularly check this site for books and activities related to the level I will be teaching.
The Association for Rural and Small Libraries. (2020). The Association for Rural and Small Libraries. www.arsl.org
The Association for Rural and Small Libraries site represents and supports small and rural libraries. The site shares information about their annual conference and other professional development events. I think a major takeaway for me would be the professional development and networking that could be achieved if I joined the organization. The Listserv offered for members to be able to connect and post issues would be beneficial to gain information from other rural librarians.
Virginia Association of School Librarians. (2021). Virginia Association of School Librarians. vaasl.org
The Virginia Association of School Librarians (VAASL) runs this site that has professional development, advocacy and resources. It also divides up the state by geography. The site showcases some initiatives taken from the VAASL and how to participate as a school librarian. The main focus seems to be bringing together a group of school librarians to encourage collaboration and information sharing. I have always taken a collaborative approach in my career so I am looking forward to learning from other librarians utilizing sites such as this.
Whitehead, T. (n.d.). Mighty Little Librarian. www.mightylittlelibrarian.com
This blog site offers useful resources, ideas, and plans for a school librarian. The site offers relevant information and tips on what Tiffany Whitehead, the owner of the blog is currently dealing with as a librarian. So many ideas of how to engage students are included in this website including polling students, games to play and celebrating national days related to libraries like National Poetry Day. One benefit of this site to other sites from professional organizations is that it gives real insight into being a librarian. The blogger, Tiffany, often writes about the struggles, and challenges she faces as librarian which I find gives a great perspective.
Trapped, L. (2022). Trapped Librarian. www.trappedlibrarian.org
This blog is written by an elementary school librarian with over 15 years experience. The site features bulletin board and display ideas, fun lesson plans and helpful hints. There are also technology, book tips and what to teach per month. The site has a find it faster section to make it easier to navigate. The blog has a lot of information that is free to access but also offers lessons and projects that can be purchased. The author of the site also has Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook pages as well.
Common Sense Media (n.d.). Common Sense Media https://www.commonsensemedia.org/
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization that’s mission is to help provide trustworthy information. The site has information for parents, and educators. Reviews and lists are provided for tv shows, books, podcasts, apps and movies. The website also includes lesson plans and quick activities for digital citizenship for teachers and librarians to be able to use. Professional development for educators and toolkits to work with parents is provided.
WETA. (n.d.). Reading Rockets https://www.readingrockets.org/
Reading Rockets is a website that is managed by WETA as a national public literacy initiative. Resources to help struggling readers including determining the problem, and reading interventions are provided. It offers book lists, book finder, author interviews and nonfiction tips. It has the option of viewing materials by audience including parents, teachers, principals, librarians, etc. Reading Rockets also has a variety of reading resources from A-Z.
Cool, K. (2022). Staying Cool in the Library. https://www.stayingcoolinthelibrary.us/
This blog is written by a school librarian living in Virginia. The blog articles have information on book check out, reading recommendations, and project/program ideas. There is a search bar available to search the different topics. Some information on the site is available for free but there is some paid information that connects to the Teachers Pay Teachers site. The author of the site has an option to sign up for a VIP resource library that offers additional information and emails.