Virtual Storytimes are hugely popular right now, and for good reason. But a lot of librarians are new to video creation and don’t know where to start. Through trial and error, and some research, I’ve put together this list of best practices. Please leave your ideas and resources in the comments! The greatest challenge of… Read More Tips for Recording Virtual Storytimes due to COVID-19
Are you more of a brave Dog Man type? A creative, class-clown Harold? Sweet Li’l Petey? Or a sneaky, villinous Petey?! This personality quiz is the perfect activity for a Dog Man fan club, book launch, or party event at the library. In a few weeks I will be running a Dog Man Mania event.… Read More Which Dog Man Character Are You Personality Quiz
Note: this is not an advertisement or a sponsored post. Just a librarian’s honest opinion on a wonderful product. When I first heard of Big Blue Blocks, I knew that I wanted to bring them to my library. Not only do they encourage imaginative play and physical literacy, but they are durable, lightweight, and surprisingly… Read More Using Big Blue Blocks at the Library
This program was a huge draw (sorry I had to!) Kids come together and learn how to draw cute animals step by step. They also learn how to develop their own personal style, and how to infuse their drawings with characterization. It’s about drawing skills, yes. But it’s also about characterization skills. Storytelling. Humor. Artistic… Read More Draw Cute Animals – Tween Program Outline
Albatross by Terry Fallis (2019) Delightful is the word that comes to mind. Terry Fallis books are funny – they always have a strong comedic premise – but they also have depth. They have a clear moral without being cheesy. And this book is my favourite of them all. Adam is a teenager who wants… Read More Book Reviews: Albatross, The Whisper Network, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and The Need
Painting + Emojis + Galaxy?! It’s a kid’s dream come true! It’s my dream come true! I think most libraries could run this program once a month and it would fill up every time with new kids. It is incredibly appealing, plus it’s a skill-based challenge that both parents and kids love. I run this… Read More Emoji Paint Workshop
There are a lot of factors to consider when running a public library’s Instagram account: content, style, captions, frequency of posts, hashtags, stories, and engagement with users. But the most immediately impactful aspect is the quality of your photos. Most of the people who run their library’s social media accounts do not have degrees in… Read More Instagram Tips for Small Public Libraries – Photos
I heard through the grapevine that my neighbours to the south are celebrating A Universe of Stories as their Summer Reading theme this year! Canadians are celebrating Our Natural World. I know some people might not consider galaxies as part of our natural world, but I sure do. I imagine hundreds of American Librarians (hey,… Read More Galaxy Jars with Mini-Lesson on Nebulae
Bees are incredible creatures. And without bees, our ecosystems would be irreparably damaged. But bees have a bad reputation among children (they’re scary!), and I want to change that. I’m sharing all my resources for this program so that you can help change that too. If you are a teacher or a librarian, feel free… Read More Un-BEE-Lievable Science: A bee themed lesson plan for grades 3 – 6
NetGalley Reviews I have started reviewing advanced reading copies of books for NetGalley! If you’re a librarian and you’re not part of this amazing service, I highly recommend joining. You can request copies of upcoming books and read them on your Kindle, computer, or phone. I will be using the ARCs to inform purchasing decisions… Read More Book Reviews – October 2018
Ontarian Librarian 