I created a 30 minute information literacy seminar, aimed at grade 11 or 12 university level classes. It could easily be altered to fit any subject by changing the subject searches and database. The lesson plan includes active learning activities and pre- and post- assessment. I found that very few students had any background experience… Read More Effective Search Strategies: High School Information Literacy Seminar
We all know about Passive Reader’s Advisory: booklists, displays, posters. Book suggestions that our patrons can browse on their own time. These are extremely valuable tools to librarians – we can’t be everywhere at once after all! I, and most librarians, believe that a reference interview is usually the best way to match a reader… Read More Personality Tests in the Library
National Poetry Month is approaching, and my library is preparing with a Poem-A-Day contest – the winners of which will be displayed during the month of April. There are three age categories, children, teens, and adults. Guess which one has received the fewest entries. Teens! We decided to run a lunch hour “Poetry Blitz: Inspiration Station”… Read More Teen Poetry Blitz: Inspiration Station in the Library (with free downloadable toolkit!)
Still looking for a Valentines Day display? It’s not too late to put together a Blind Date With a Book display! I’ve seen variations of this display, and absolutely love the effect. A patron looking at a wall full of appeal factors has a more interesting decision to make than a patron looking at a… Read More Blind Date With a Book – Tips and Tricks
Christmas is coming and I’m a busy girl! December means lots of extra shifts for me (since everyone else is going on vacation), many trips to local independent boutiques for Christmas shopping, 7 Christmas parties, and a very long book wishlist. What I Read The Tiny Wife by Andrew Kaufman is an absurdist’s dream come… Read More What I Loved This Month #7 – Outlander, Canadian Music, 3D Printing, and Buttons
“Seriously though. How many MLIS-learned skills do you feel like you’re actually applying in your jobs?” I was recently reconnecting with a couple lovely MLIS (Master of Library and Information Sciences) grads. We were all talking about our shiny new jobs when one of them asked that question. My instinctual response was “Yes, of course I… Read More How does an MLIS transfer to the real world?
What I Read The thing about working in 2 library systems is…that there’s just so much more to read! I’ve read so many books this month – I’ll just have to give you bite-sized reviews of each of them. 1000 Feelings For Which There Are No Names by Mario Giodano: New to our non-fiction collection,… Read More What I Loved #6 – Belzhar, Zita the Spacegirl, Meditation, Uptown Waterloo, and Graduation
This month as I begin my career as a public librarian at two different libraries, I’m doing a few things. I’m moving to a new city and buying a car. I’m memorizing piles of important information about the different systems. I’m meeting dozens of new (amazing) coworkers. I’m trying to master the “neat” bun hairstyle.… Read More 3 Best Librarian Characters in Fiction
It’s been a crazy month, filled with travel, adventures, and of course new music, shows, and books. One of my favourite things about librarianship is the spirit of curiosity. All the librarians (and future librarians) I know are always on the look out for new media to consume and new adventures to experience; and we’re… Read More What I Loved This Month #4: Sandman, Orphan Black, New Brunswick, and July Talk
Welcome to suburban Seattle in the 70s: where a mutation based sexually transmitted disease is transforming teenagers into monsters. Although sometimes housed in the adult graphic novel section, Black Hole by Charles Burns is certainly a story for teens sixteen and up. Through the perspective of several high school students, the reader witnesses a sweeping… Read More YA Book Review: Black Hole by Charles Burns: a fast-paced sci-fi horror hybrid for the masses
Ontarian Librarian 