Forum Newsletter - Massachusetts School Library Association

Picture Book Column: #OwnVoices, Authentic Voices

10/18/2022

Francesca Mellin is the Head Librarian at The Pike School in Andover, MA.

In the ephemeral world of hashtags, #OwnVoices has been around for a long time. In 2015, author Corinne Duyvis first recommended it on Twitter as a possible way to recommend children’s literature about diverse characters written by authors from that same diverse group. Since then, its popularity has grown, and some have raised concerns about the term. In June 2021, We Need Diverse Books announced that it would no longer use the term, stating that the broader use of the hashtag by the publishing industry is problematic and potentially unsafe for authors with marginalized identities. More recently, Grace Lapoint offered a detailed critique of the term in a Book Riot post, voicing concern that it had been weaponized, especially by readers.

When I recommend books to faculty, I have started to use the term “authentic voice” instead of “own voice,” and have become much more diligent about researching what authors say about their works so I can speak as accurately as possible. These are some of my favorite recent picture books that have authenticity at their core.

Graphic Novels Column: Medium Matters: Comics in the Classroom~ Notes from the Field

10/18/2022

Liza Halley is the Library Teacher at Plympton Elementary School in Waltham, MA

In this article I want to start off discussing some language I use when talking about the medium of comics. People often ask me: What’s the difference between a graphic novel and a comic? What do you mean by comics in the classroom? What classroom are you talking about? Which teachers are you referring to? Here’s a simple boilerplate to explain:

Graphic Novels Column: Medium Matters: Comics in the Classroom~ Notes from the Field

5/17/2022

Liza Halley is the Library Teacher at Plympton Elementary School in Waltham, MA

Two Roads Converged In the Yellow Woods: Poetry and Comics

As a reader of my column, you know by now I am obsessed with reading graphic novels and finding ways to connect comics to the classroom. What you might not know is that I set my alarm extra early every morning so I have time to write and read poetry. I am a person who is moved by the power of language. Since middle school, I have been writing and reading poetry, attending workshops, teaching poetry in my children’s schools, and, as a teacher librarian, working to connect students to poetry all throughout the school year. As I write this article we are in the waning days of National Poetry Month and I want to turn your attention to the convergence of poetry and comics.

Go! Go! Go! Don't stop believing...in all you can do! "Memoirs of a retiring Librarian"

5/17/2022

Patsy Divver is the Library Teacher at Millis Middle/High School in Millis, MA
and the recipient of the 2022 Judi Paradis Action Grant

At the end of June, I will be retiring from a role that I’ve held for over 33 years. This “library person” identity began back in 1988 when I officially was ‘the library mom’ for my oldest daughter’s kindergarten class. What fun going in and digging through those many picture books, introducing the art of reading to young minds! From the beginning, I was hooked on books, and I have enjoyed my role as school library teacher over the past 25 years.

Picture Book Column: Have a Heart: Exploring Generosity and Compassion

2/15/2022

Francesca Mellin is the Head Librarian at The Pike School in Andover, MA.

“No act of kindness goes unrewarded,” said the late, great author and illustrator Jerry Pinkney. In these times, empathy, compassion, and helping others feel more important than ever. I’ve gathered some noteworthy titles that touch on these themes for you to read with your classes or recommend to colleagues, just in time for Random Acts of Kindness Day on February 17th!

Secondary Column: Notes from the Middle: Curating a Middle School Collection in a Decentralized Library

2/15/2022

Colleen Simpson is the Library Media Specialist at Lester J. Gates Middle School in Scituate, MA.

As curators of library collections we all face the many questions involved in creating libraries full of titles that are appropriate for students academically, socially, and emotionally. One of the biggest transitions I faced when I moved from high school ELA teacher to middle school librarian was not just about movement to earlier grades, but how delicate the balance is to creating a collection that is both challenging and age appropriate while also complementing the curriculum. I quickly learned that while I knew a lot about teaching literature and writing, I had a lot to learn about reading beyond my role as an educator particularly when it comes to taking on a student perspective.

Graphic Novel Column: Medium Matters: Teaching with Graphic Novels- Notes From the Field

2/15/2022

Liza Halley is the Library Teacher at Plympton Elementary School in Waltham, MA.

Do you want to use graphic novels in the classroom or are you looking for ways to encourage teachers to do so? This year I’ve been reaching out to librarians across the country asking them how they’ve been using graphic novels in their schools. Here are some examples of what I’ve found. Below are both collaborations between library teachers and classroom teachers or other specialists, and also stand-alone ideas for using graphic novels in the library curriculum.

Tech Column: SORA- Expanding Engagement with eBooks & Audiobooks

2/15/2022

Tricia London is the School Librarian at the Abington Middle/High School Library in Abington, MA.

Are you a librarian at one of the 552 school libraries, who already belong to the Commonwealth Ebook Collection (CEC) and uses the Overdrive app, SORA, developed for schools to access these titles? If so, you may want to just skim this article and skip to the bottom to read the advanced SORA information. There you can learn about assigning simultaneous use titles to classes, taking notes in eBooks, and running insight reports since you already know the basic good news about the CEC and SORA.

Advice Column: Ask a Library Legend

2/15/2022

Valerie Diggs is a former President of MSLA and currently works as a Senior Visiting Instructor at Salem State University, where she also serves as the Graduate Program Coordinator of the MEd Library Media Studies program.

What's your take on leveling books? I work in a middle school where we have fifth to eight grade, and I label YA books with a YA sticker. The YA books, in our policy on the website, are for seventh and eight graders. However, I will sometimes allow sixth and sometimes fifth graders who want those books to take them. I never tell a kid they can't read a book, but I will ask for a parent email or a teacher conversation. This feels like a violation of privacy, but kids seem willing to do it. Is this censorship, or self-censorship, or self-selection, or am I worrying about it too much?

This is a great question and one that has persisted in the school library world for as long as I can remember. This is a very subjective question, but also one we must consider very carefully when considering the answer through the lens of intellectual freedom and privacy concerns.

Graphic Novel Column: Medium Matters: SEL & Graphic Novels

10/19/2021

Liza Halley is the Library Teacher at Plympton Elementary School in Waltham, MA

Many schools turned the lens on social emotional learning (SEL) as the stress of COVID impacted students’ lives. As a librarian, you can serve as an asset to teachers within these SEL initiatives. I urge you to keep in mind graphic novels for your own lessons and as you recommend tools to teachers, social workers, and support staff in your schools.

Picture Book Column: Storytelling Art: Wordless Picture Books

10/19/2021

Francesca Mellin is the Head Librarian at The Pike School in Andover

Wordless picture books are the ultimate example of “show, don’t tell.” Artists using this format have fewer constraints (no blocks of text to plan around) but also the greater responsibility of creating characters and advancing plot solely through visual means.

Graphic Novel Column: Medium Matters: Graphic Novels as Essential Reading

5/4/2021

Liza Halley is the Library Teacher at Plympton Elementary School in Waltham, MA.

In March, I was sitting on the front porch of a friend’s house, about ready to begin the Passover seder. We had a stack of all different kinds of Haggadot - books we use for readings, prayers, and images to go along with the Seder - when a fellow adult seder attendee grabbed Jordan Gorfinkel and Erez Zadok’s beautiful Passover Haggadah Graphic Novel saying, “I’ll take this one. I never learned to read anyway.”

Little did my new friend know, he was sitting next to a librarian who has made it her special mission to disabuse teachers, parents, administration, and students of this very notion: sequential stories - graphic novels, comics, graphic nonfiction - are really books that you read, and your brain is doing a ton of work while you read them. They are for all readers.

Secondary Column: Banned Book Opinion Writing

5/4/2021

Felicia Quesada Montville is the Library Teacher at Charles E. Brown Middle School in Newton, MA.

While we are still in the midst of what feels like a never-ending year, September will be here before we know it. The optimist in me sees a blur of back-to-back library orientations, a flurry of check outs as students select their first independent reading books of the year, and sessions training student library helpers. Banned Books Week (September 26th through October 2nd this year) so often sneaks up on me, but at least ALA’s amazing graphics make it easy to put up an engaging and informative display.

A is for Alphabet Book

2/23/2021

Michael Caligiuri is the school librarian at the Florence Sawyer School in Bolton, and a recipient of a 2020 MSLA Super Librarian Award.

Alphabet books have been around for a long time. The first hornbooks designed to teach students the alphabet can be traced back to the 15th century. Alphabet books have come a long way since, “In Adam’s Fall/we sinned all.” I teach in a K-8 school where, in normal times, kids attend a library class once a week. Of all the alphabet books on my shelves, there are a few I read with classes every year and they never get old. They are among my most engaging read alouds.

Independent Reading: One Town's Process to Support Choice

2/23/2021

Laura Harrington is the Library Media Specialist at North Andover High School, and a recipient of a 2020 MSLA Super Librarian Award.

As I sat in Barbara Mahoney and Kim Claire’s workshop, Game of Tomes: An Independent Reading Collaboration, at Teen Library Summit X, I broke out in goosebumps. The day before, October 3, 2018, the head of guidance at my school, North Andover High School, sent out a call for new course proposals.

I immediately emailed Christy Morley, a NAHS English teacher who had been increasing her students’ independent reading time. I enthusiastically supported Christy’s ideas to restructure her class time, providing students reading time in class and trips to the school library for book shopping. I had a feeling that Christy and I might be able to make an Independent Reading elective a reality at our school. She replied within the hour later that she wanted to have a meeting the following day.

Picture Book Column: Honoring Indigenous Peoples

10/6/2020

Francesca Mellin is the Head Librarian at The Pike School in Andover

In these turbulent times, I find myself looking for silver linings and “small wins” wherever I can. I am encouraged by the increasing number of Native folks serving in Congress and the recent commitment by a professional football team to change an offensive team name. The number of books published by Native creators is on the rise, and recognition of problematic narratives is generating much-needed conversation. Just in time for Indigenous Peoples’ Day on October 12, here is a selection of recent picture books that reflect a wide array of Native perspectives, identities, and activism.

Building a Culture of Reading with a School-Wide Reading Challenge

2/11/2020

Lynda Moylan is the Library Media Specialist at Peabody Veterans Memorial High School in Peabody, MA and a recipient of a 2019 MSLA President's Award.

Stepping into the role(s) of a Library Media Specialist after someone else can be daunting, especially if that person was in their position for a long time. When I started at Peabody Veterans Memorial High School I was coming from the elementary level into a school that was just starting to rollout a 1:1 Chromebook program. The previous library media specialist was retiring and I was excited to be a part of this unique time of change in the Library and in the school.

One thing I noticed about my new school was that the culture was very different from the elementary level. Teachers mostly kept to their own departments and there wasn’t much of a collaborative culture. I wanted the library to be the heart of the school so I focused on ways that I could create a positive culture in the library that would hopefully influence other areas of the school. I started Instagram and Twitter accounts for the library and took advantage of our new switch to Google Apps for Education to make a new library website. Once I created an online space for the library, I wanted to update the physical space. I painted over the existing brown cork boards with chalkboard paint and put out colorful chalk to encourage students and staff to write down their current reads right in the library entrance. A Special Education teacher was running a free “store” in her classroom where students could take clothes that were donated but since her room was being used most of the day as a classroom I offered to move it to the back corner of the library so it would be accessible to everyone throughout the day. The IT specialist for our school moved his office to the library so we could be a one stop shop for tech support.

Community Read

10/8/2019

Cathy Collins is the library media specialist at Sharon High School

“Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created and recreated by the author.” - Rudine Sims Bishop

In efforts to build community, a “Community Reads” program was planned at Sharon High School in which all staff and students read and discussed On the Come Up, by Angie Thomas. Our Community Reads Committee, spearheaded by ELA Coordinator Rebecca Smoler, met several times to come up with discussion “norms,” plan logistics and a format for the school wide discussions, as well as to create strategies and question prompts for staff around the book talk.

Picture Book Column: Shaking up Storytime!

10/8/2019

Kelly Depin is the head librarian at Derby Academy in Hingham, MA

Imagine yourself reading a picture book to students. If you’re a good sideways or upside down reader, you can keep the pictures in view the whole time. You may use different voices for each character, using inflection the way a chef uses a knife. A little library instruction may start or end the session : ‘What does the author do?’, ‘The illustrator?’. You might even draw attention to how the cover does this or that. But have you ever discussed the gutters or layout? How about the typography or endpapers? Megan Dowd Lambert, author of Reading Picture Books with Children : How to Shake up Storytime and Get Kids Talking about What They See does exactly that. In association with the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Lambert has developed the Whole Book Approach, a dialogic method used to read with students, not to students.

Challenge your students to travel the World by Reading!

10/8/2019

Ms. Samantha Silag is the Library Teacher at Manchester Memorial Elementary School

How can you get your students to learn about different people, places and experiences through literature? How do you get them to try a book outside of their comfort zone or frame of reference? And then how do you keep them reading? These are the questions I set out to answer a few years ago sparked by two unrelated messengers.

Using Technology to Promote Reading at the High School Level

5/7/2019

Janice Alpert is the Library Media Specialist at Lynnfield High School
and received the 2019 Peggy Hallisey Lifetime Achievement Award

“There are many little ways to enlarge your world. Love of books is the best of all.” – Jacqueline Kennedy

Enticing students to read has become a difficult endeavor especially at the high school level. Books are in competition with homework, sports, clubs, jobs and let's not forget, social media, video games, and YouTube videos. Every time new books come in to the library media center, I try to think of ways to display them in an appealing and attractive way. I’m constantly brainstorming about what would stop a teenager in his/her tracks and draw attention away from the screen of a phone and towards a new book release.

Picture Book Column: How do you solve a problem like Picture Books?

5/7/2019

Kelly Depin is the Head Librarian at Derby Academy in Hingham.

When I worked in the children’s room of a public library, picture books were some of our biggest movers. Adults and children would come in and take out armfuls, anticipating times spent reading together or looking through the pictures, telling stories of their own making. I hoped for some of the same circulation numbers when I became a school librarian. In my fantasy, students in the lower elementary grades would come in and beg to take home more picture books - or come in during free time and swap out the books they just got a few days before. Well, I’m not sure what it’s like in your elementary libraries - but that scenario has not happened in mine. Yet.

Creating independent reading opportunities in Vocational Technical Programs

5/7/2019

Ariel Dagan is the Library Media Specialist at Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical School in Franklin, MA and
received a 2019 President's Award.

The following is a letter, written by partner teacher Suzanne Dodakian, describing the independent reading initiative that Ariel Dagan has started at his vocational school.

In October of 2016, Mr. Dagan instituted an Independent Reading through Book Love exploration with the Grade 10 students in Medical Careers. This was a very important initiative, which involved the students taking an initial survey to measure their personal reading starting point. They, then, were able to select genres of reading material that were of interest while being able to swap a book if they did not care for it. Students then completed a book form and tracked individual progress through fun game challenges. This Book Love initiative was met with enthusiasm for the majority of the Grade 10 students.

Secondary Column: The Summer Reading Struggle!

10/2/2018

Zoe Keenan is the Library Media Specialist at Frontier Regional School in South Deerfield.

My school has struggled with summer reading for many years now. It’s been a pull and push from both the English Department, the Library and the Administration on expectations of what students should read, how they should be assessed on it, and what culminating event should we do to wrap up the program?!?!

When I started at my school three years ago, all three departments had separate ideas about what makes a successful summer reading program. The Administration wanted results and proof of assessment, the English department wanted students to read a wide variety of eclectic books and, as the new Librarian, I wanted students to enjoy reading again. I remember getting to know the students during my first year and asking them how they liked the summer reading book. Many hadn’t read it, since they knew from past years that there was no assessment to be passed in or graded. Of the handful who read it, mistakenly thinking they would be tested on it, only a few enjoyed it. I remember thinking that it was going to take some time and lots of effort to change this program around.

Tech Column: How to Technify Your Reading Challenge

5/1/2018

Margaret Kane Schoen is a Library Teacher at Newton South High School.

A Reading Challenge can be a great way to encourage independent or free reading in your school. At our school, we often tie our challenges to our House Cup contest, where homerooms compete to win points for one of the four houses in our school. We’ve tried several versions at our school: March Madness tournament of books, and a “shelfie” challenge where students submitted photos of themselves reading.

These contests have all been great ways to encourage reading and boost school spirit. When meeting with the House Cup team, I always try to see how we can use technology to spice up the contest (and make it easier to track and total our entries!).

This year, we wanted to encourage students to stretch their reading to new genres. We also wanted a way for the faculty to compete. We ended up with a category challenge: the library staff came up with 23 different categories of books (books set in the past, short story collections, memoirs, etc), and challenged the homerooms to see who could check off the most categories.

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