New Update on my story

Today I received the official word from ALA that my story will now be on the I Love Libraries site beginning March 18th. A switch was made, but I was left out of the loop. Well, at least the mystery is solved.

I still do love libraries

Hmmm. Something’s up at the I love libraries site. According to the e-mail and excel spreadsheet schedule I received months ago, my story was slated to appear on January 23rd. Interestingly, the person who is currently on the site is not scheduled to appear until March 18th. Did I lose a few months, or did ALA change the schedule and not think about informing the rest of us? Enquiring minds want to know, especially since they have not answered my two e-mails asking this same question……..

P.S. – Shortly after I wrote this post, I was sent an e-mail from ALA saying they would look into this. The power of the pen?

Library Position

On February 4th, I will begin my new job as the Library Director of the Plymouth Community Intermediate School (PCIS) in Plymouth, MA. It is an exciting position for grades 5-8, and offers the opportunity for new and inventive ways to reach the student population.

I am eagerly looking forward to beginning my duties, and seeing how I can reach students and teachers with the world of librarianship and technology.

ALA Midwinter Conference in Philadelphia

I just got back from 4 days at the annual American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Conference in Philadelphia. While there, I got to walk over 15 miles back and forth from meeting to meeting, as I considered the conference buses to be too slow. I’m action oriented. LOL. Those 15+ miles did not include my 6 mile 7 AM run from my hotel to the Art Museum, up the Rocky stairs, my Rocky hops and jumps as I sang the famous song, and then along the Schuylkill River. What a treat!!

 I go to the Conference to participate in committees and the exhibits, so I can learn more about the profession, ways to reach my future students, and find out what is new in the world of children and young adult books. Since I won the highly competitive ALA 2006 Spectrum Scholarship, I am “giving back” by participating in the Spectrum Institute Planning Committee to plan the upcoming Spectrum Institute at Anaheim in late June.  I am also interested in the Children and Young Adult Field, so am on the REFORMA CAYASC committee. I submitted an article to the YALS magazine, so keep your eyes peeled for it. I am a big believer in the importance of advocating for school libraries, so am also on the AASL Legislation Committee. Whew!

I ran around, attended back to back meetings all weekend, and shipped home 5 boxes of ARC’s (Advanced Reading Copies) to sift through and see what new Spring ‘08 releases I would like to have in my library. On Sunday, I heard Dr. Kareem Abdul Jabbar speak about the wonderful historical novels he’s written, his love for basketball and his love for literacy. On Monday, I woke up early and attended the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Sunrise Ceremony, which was very moving and then ran to the “Librarian Oscars” where the winners of this year’s Newberry, Caldecott, Printz medalists and others were announced. What a thrill! These winning books are the best of the best when it comes to Children and Young Adult Literature in the United States.

It was a tiring, but learning and fruitful experience. I look forward to Anaheim ‘08 where I get to do it all over again! Gulp…..

I love libraries

Libraries are a wonderful place.  I have long loved libraries, since I was a little girl. My story about why I love them was chosen as one of the winners in a Woman’s Day contest about how the library impacted my life. It will appear on the I love libraries website beginning January 23rd. Take a look.