Launching a New Library Program by Natasha Goldberg

This past year, as strapping men and women in hard hats frequently traversed our library's 

grand staircase in pursuit of a 38,000 square foot addition to our marvelous school, the librarians decided (wisely, we thought) to lay low.  No matter how many beautiful articles Laura Bishop might pen about the value of school-wide reads, 2017 didn't seem like the right moment to dream big in terms of our library program. Nevertheless, our eyes glistened (with excitement? tears?) when the charismatic Head of Middle School Humanities approached us with the idea of launching a new type of summer reading program for our middle schoolers (grades 4-7).

Upon their return to school, Chapin’s middle school students will be clustering to discuss a common theme (kindness) as it appeared in the books they chose to read over the summer.  The hope?  To give seventh graders in their last year of middle school the chance to be leaders in mixed-age discussions while reinforcing two cherished community norms (reading + kindness!)

As I sit at home awaiting my own participation in these "Choose Kind" breakout sessions, I thought it might be -- well, kind, really --  to briefly share what I learned from getting this not-quite-Book-Day program off the ground.

•      Never be anything short of super-enthusiastic about a new community program, no matter how ill-timed it seems.  Negative chatter is the bane of any school.  I indulged in it briefly and got called out on it by a beloved colleague. Until then, I didn’t realize how desperately administration members relied on me as a standard-bearer of positivity.  Lesson learned.

•     Put most everything else aside -- and by that, I mean all those nagging everyday tasks -- recataloging and weeding come to mind -- and focus on the new program instead.  In the end, you’ll never be remembered for your perfect collection….but a new program?  Yes.  Or, at least -- hopefully.

•     Set up a time for the kids to physically interact with books that support the new program.  In my case, it was hosting a book tasting of books that met the “Choose Kind” criteria. This was in the final days of school (no small scheduling feat given all the end-of-year activities) but the girls were so eager to mingle and write their shortlist on a homespun bookmark.  In the end, I was able to guilt most of my colleagues into giving up 15 minutes of their classes that final week so that the girls could each choose a book appropriate to their personality and reading level.

•     Keep reading this blog and attending HVLA’s wonderful meetings.  It’s a great way to force yourself to dream big and stay open.  And the post-meeting social always reassures me that no, I’m not going crazy, our job really is that complicated.

Hope to see you all at our next event! 

Natasha Goldberg, Middle School Librarian, Chapin

Story Buddies: A Guest Blog Post from Constance Vidor

I joined sixth grade classes with second grade classes to hear and discuss a story together.  I paired each older student with a younger student for "turn and talk" times at various points in the story. The story I chose was Prince Janos and His Extraordinary Companions from Csenge Zalka's Tales of Superhuman Powers (McFarland, 2013). In this tale, the Prince goes out into the world to "see what he can see and learn what he can learn," and meets five people along the way, each of whom has a special power, such as superhuman speed, speech, or hearing. He makes friends with each one and as the story progresses each friend comes forward to "save the day" with their particular special power.

Every time a challenging situation arose in the story I paused and asked the students to turn and talk with their buddies, then come up with suggestions about which one of the five extraordinary companions might be able to use a special power to help out. For example, when the King offers to let the Prince and his companions to take as much of his treasure as they can carry, which of the companions might step forward? The strong man named Carries Mountains, who can carry a mountain on his shoulder, is the story's solution, but the students made some different choices with excellent justifications.

Having buddies of different ages seemed to make my students especially well engaged with the discussions and the "turn and talk" activities. Moreover, this experience allowed me to "trick" my older students into listening to a folk tale!

For librarians who would like to try this, here are a few tips:

--Prepare name tags for each student. When students enter the space, have younger students sit on one side and older on the other. Hand out name tags and assign younger children to older children. You probably don't need to spend time trying to create "perfect pairs" because you won't know who is going to be in class or not in school that day.

--Tell each group of students what is going to happen and what to expect. Have a discussion with older students about their responsibilities as "mentors."

--I told the story but I think reading aloud could also work well. The benefit of telling a story is that no one is frustrated about not being able to see the pictures--we all see them equally well in our imaginations!

--A super-hero tale works well because it is appealing to such a wide range of ages and offers many opportunities for discussion. However, I am sure that anyone reading this blog post will have lots of ideas about ways to adapt a "Story Buddy" program for different kinds of stories.

Update From a Scholarship Winner

This week, we have a guest post from Christina Karvounis, winner of one of the HVLA scholarships this past year:

After having been in the classroom for over 10 years in a variety of capacities, I was ready to specialize and pursue a Master’s Degree. But in what? I had so many interests: MFA in Creative Writing, Reading Specialist, even Social Work. Libarianship has always been on my radar – even being my de facto ‘If you could be anything what would you be?’ answer. But it never truly seemed realistic. Libraries face cutbacks all the time. Books face challenges from their digital cousins daily. Librarians love their jobs and openings rarely become available.  

But a pivotal conversation while volunteering in my sons’ school library two years ago changed all that. I was shelving books and having a grand old time, when it struck me: I could be in a school library all day. I could pursue librarianship. On that day, it was none other than HVLA members Kathy Hartzler and Angie Ungaro who cheered me on and gave me the confidence to say, “Yes! I can!” 

I am just over the half-way point in my degree now, and hope to graduate in May of 2014. I am so excited and so gratified because, in addition to this, I was hired this past Spring to join Kathy in the BFS Pre/Lower School Library. My dream truly has come true.

With the HVLA Scholarship, I will be able to do something that would have been impossible without it: attend my very first AASL Conference in November. I will attend two preconference workshops and the independent school networking evening, in addition to standard conference offerings. This would not have been possible without the scholarship. I look forward to sharing the experience with HVLA via blog posts!

Thank you HVLA!
Christina Karvounis

The Gathering - A Guest Post!

Today's guest post is written by Eve Wolfsohn from Grace Church School in support of a conference she has attended in the past.

Event: The Gathering

Dates: Friday July 18 - Sunday July 21st
Location: LaPlume, Pennsylvania 

Website: http://thegatheringatkeystone.org/schedule

If you’re looking for a summer conference in which you can escape to a bucolic setting within driving distance of NYC, and immerse yourself in the company of creative and compatible people, come to The Gathering at Keystone College in LaPlume, Pennsylvania.  Each day, participants are treated to a combination of writing workshops, panel discussions, lectures and performances--all of which link up with a theme.  (Past Gatherings have focused on the metaphorical meaning of food, the connection between chaos and creativity, and interpretations of “Starry Night.”)   You’ll also have time to explore the wooded trails adjacent to the campus, to meander through a real labyrinth and to wine and dine with like-minded individuals.  If you’re an amateur writer, you’ll come away with practical tips and loads of support; if you are only a “consumer” of literature, you will feel inspired and rejuvenated.  

Here are a few of the highlights that I myself experienced while attending past Gatherings:

• Listening to Salman Rushdie and Gregory Maguire converse informally about the Fatwah, the Wizard of Oz and other scintillating topics
• Laughing along with the charming Billy Collins as he read his poems
• Learning from the experiences of Chris Abani, a novelist and poet whose writings were inspired by the time he spent in prison in his native country, Nigeria
• Hearing Katherine Patterson talk about writing and the world
• Eating food prepared by Michael Ableman, a master of sustainable agriculture

And just in case you are still not convinced that you would enjoy yourself, each Gathering culminates in a delightful outdoor brunch held at a local farm a short distance from campus.

Interested?  Check out the website or contact Eve Wolfsohn for more details.