Passion.Literacy.Collaboration

Over the summer I attended Alan November's BLC11, I left inspired and energized to begin the school year focused on three main things: passion, literacy, and collaboration. The year has been racing along with an amazing flutter of activity sustained with the momemtum of these 3 words.

Passion gets me through my day. I think I have the best job ever. A typical day in the HS library looks like this: Arrive at school by 7:15 to a crowd of students waiting to get into the library; help various students and staff members before the first bell rings - tech issues, just in time instruction and curriculum needs. Collaborate with teachers with cool eduation tools like LibGuides, NoodleTools, Turnitin to integrate information literacy. Co-teach in all disciplines and grades with various creative research projects (see some HERE) and literacy initiatives. View the finished product and give input for assessment: logos, debates, citations, notecards, presentations, projects. Take every opportunity to greet each staff member I encounter during the day. Make connections. End the day with a crowd of students in the library after school utilizing the space for collaborations, socializing, clubs, technology, a safe space, research, gaming or reading, or meeting with me for our Teen Advisory Board. It's an action packed place.

 A whirl wind of activity with a consistent moderate buzz; a constant juggling of priorities. It also gives me a lot of freedom to re-evaluate, reflect and to constantly modify the space and my goals.  At this half way-ish point in the school year, I am using that freedom to  think about these goals. Here's how I am doing so far with my focus words - passion, literacy, and collaboration:

• Sincerely launching myself into every moment of my day. Connections, conversations, smiles, sharing knowledge and ideas
• Finding opportunities to collaborate with teachers by meeting them in their "space" - thinking differently about what I "can" do
• Involving myself with the entire project - from start to finish
• Willing to let all of this look "messy"
• Allowing myself to make mistakes
• Laughing every day, making others laugh
• Listening
• Learning a lot
• Breaking stereotypes and barriers:
• High school kids do read
• Librarians are cool
• Libraries are collaboration spaces
• Libraries are for all students

Life is a process and a journey. It's complicated, fast paced and ever changing.  A library is much like life.  A librarian has a unique opportunity to be a catylist for change. This librarian is using 3 words to facilitate the growth.