Welcome Back School Librarians!

Many of you are reading this blog post as you prepare to begin the 2019-20 school year, and some of you are already weeks into the new year’s work. Either way, “back-to-school” is always a season bursting with energy, excitement, and enthusiasm. It is also a time of goal setting and planning. Although your list of things to do may already be long, I encourage you to check it over to make sure these are included:

1. Review your library plan. Make sure you have scheduled time and resources to work toward your goal areas. If you are still working on your library plan, set a timeline to complete this work so you can implement. And, if neither of these options describe your library plan status, please visit the School Library Planning WISELearn Group, review the introductory slide presentation, and get started! Feel free to connect with me at any point in your journey with questions or concerns.

2. Remember that BadgerLink will be down September 6-9 for upgrades. Make sure to read about the details and schedule time to update the URLs on your library webpage.

3. Set a plan to collect data throughout the year. Demonstrating the impact of your library program and being able to effectively reflect on your year in May depend on the data collection strategies you implement now. Consider the ideas in my June 2018 post The Importance of Meaningful School Library Data to get started.

4. Schedule time to grow as a professional. There are so many ways to network and learn; take advantage of the variety! Joining professional organizations, such as AASL, ISTE, or WEMTA, will provide you with articles and books to read, webinars to view, conferences to attend, and professional networks to join with people as close as the next district and as far as you can imagine. Also, check with your local CESA for networking groups and learning opportunities.

5. Practice self-care. There will be long days and weeks ahead, and they will be rewarding and challenging - sometimes at the same time. In order for you to provide the best library services to your students and staff, you also need to take care of yourself. For example, you might want to consider a mindfulness practice. Put that time in your calendar, too!

My list for the year includes helping you accomplish the things on this list and any others you throw my way. I am especially excited about some new opportunities for professional learning, library planning, and public library collaboration that will be announced in the upcoming weeks! Until then, wishing you all the best for 2019-20 and beyond!