Library Makeover: What We Gained by Letting Go

This year I was blessed with a job in a high school library media center. The school is celebrating its 40th birthday, and many of the materials in the library are quite dated. My staff and I, with the ongoing help of parent and student volunteers, weeded 6,440 books from our collection this year.  During the process,Continue

5 Reasons to Embrace Your Inner Weeder

Over the years I’ve come to realize that there are two types of people in this world: keepers and weeders. Keepers tend to hang onto physical items even if they are currently serving no purpose. Weeders, on the other hand, get frustrated by clutter and have a much easier time letting go of the physicalContinue

7 Tips for Making Over Your Learning Space on a Budget

When I started my new role as a high school librarian two years ago, the space was less than welcoming. While the architecture was beautiful – two-story ceilings, lots of windows with natural lights, great traffic flow – the furniture, paint, layout and overall atmosphere left something to be desired. So with very little budget,Continue

Celebrating a Culture of Respect and Appreciation

The high school I have spent the last two years working in has a fairly diverse student body. There are a variety of ethnic groups, sure, but even more than that, there are SO MANY amazing groups of kids who are celebrating what they love. There are sports and activities and clubs for everyone, andContinue