Appy Hour

Sneak Peek of a presentation I will be doing during Family Literacy Night. It's all about those apps and QR codes. Helping families master 21st century skills.

Plotagon

I'm always up for trying something new that will engage students or showcase the school library. Check out Plotagon a great way to allow your students to be creative.

CSLA Conference 2016

It's coming and it will be here before you know it. What's coming you ask???? The CSLA annual conference. February 4 - 7, 2016 in San Diego, California. If you don't know what CSLA is then click here and make sure to register for the annual conference.

May the Force be With You!

My students got a kick out of this meme I created. As educators and librarians we always have an opportunity to connect with our students. #stayrelevant

What is coding????

Check out this short (When I say short, I mean short) video clip on "coding" and check out the Para Symposium on January 13, 2016 "Coding" in the School Library! 

An Opportunity to get New Books into the Hands of your Students

Check out and register for the Molina Foundation you never know what could happen. This is a great way to be able to get new books in to the library as well into the hands of your students. The Molina Foundation

Diversity in the School Library

Now is the time to take an opportunity during this holiday season to incorporate "diversity" into your library program. There are many books and activities to share with your students.
Christmas ~ The Polar Express by: Chris Van Allsburg
Hanukkah ~ One Candle by: Eve Bunting
Kwanzaa ~ Seven Candles for Kwanzaa by: Andrea Pinkney

                  

Great Winter Read Aloud

Here is a great read aloud to share with your students before we leave to go on Winter Vacation.

Finally! Perfection! Creating a Makerspace in your Library

After several technical difficulties... It is finally as close to perfection as it's going to be. :-) So check out the webinar on "creating a makerspace in your library." Hopefully this will be useful to you and your colleagues.

Coding Workshop

Enjoying the Coding Workshop @ Southwest College today. Coding can happen in the school library. What a GREAT way to engage your students.

Victory for Libraries ~ ESEA

It is a significant victory for libraries today as President Obama signs ESEA into law. Check out the article!

Creating a Makerspace in your Library

Recap TONIGHT!! of #parasymposium webinar "Creating a Makerspace in your Library. Watch LIVE on YouTube: Library Queen E

Para Symposium TODAY @ 5:15 PST

Don't forget to check out the Para Symposium webinar today either on YouTube: Library Queen E of through Google Hangouts today at 5:15pm PST "Creating a Makerspace in your Library!"

63 Things Students need to know in a Digital World

Can you find ways that your school library fits into these things??? 63 Things Students should know in a Digital World Incorporating technology into your library program is beneficial and vital for the success of your students. We can't get students 21st century ready using 19th century skills. #schoollibrariesareimportant

Coding in the School Library

How are you using coding in the school library? Don't know what coding is or how to do it??? Visit code.org and found out ways to use coding in your school library.

 

#HourofCode  #SchoolLibrariesCodeToo  #HourofCode2015

Reference Books

Short video on four different types of reference books: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Encyclopedia, and Atlas.

Classic read for the holiday season

Here is a suggested read-a-loud to share with your students with many extension activities/lessons you can do to engage your students.

The School Library Paraprofessional and Strong School Libraries

Time to Take Action for School Libraries

It's time to Take Action! and support our School Libraries. Please check out the article link and do your part.The House is scheduled to vote on the Every Student Succeeds Act later this week and passage is most definitely not guaranteed. Please take a moment to take two vital actions:

1. Contact your Representative to let them know how essential this bill is to our children’s education and futures.  
2. Contact absolutely everyone you know and ask them to do the same thing.

 ~ Send an Email  ~ Make a Call  ~Send a Tweet

ESEA Reauthorization

Thanksgiving Read-a-Loud to Share

A great story to share with your students about a turkey who tries everything to avoid becoming Thanksgiving dinner. There is a variety of extended activities you can do with your students grades K-6.

Supporting Classroom Instruction through the School Library

In case you missed it, here's a recap of this month's Para Symposium. Check out the Para Symposium every 2nd Wednesday of the month beginning at 5:15 p.m. (PST) 

Paraprofessional Symposium Today!

Remember the Para Symposium every 2nd Wednesday of the month beginning at 5:15 p.m. (PST) Today's topic is: Supporting Classroom Instruction through the School Library.
Para Symposium

McGraw Hill Leadership Symposium 2015

Amazing, Inspiring, and Very Encouraging presentation by Vicki Gibson Ph. D #literacysymposium #mcgrawhill

To Weed or not To Weed that is the Question

Sooooo..... you want to know what you should get rid of and what you should keep in your school library. Well here is a useful brochure from the California Department of Education entitled: weeding the school library.

First Para Symposium Webinar was a Success!

In case you missed it, here is the para symposium webinar from yesterday. Make sure to tune in every 2nd Wednesday of the month @ 5:15 p.m. (PST) for the Para Symposium. Yesterday's topic was: Transforming your Library into a Learning Commons. Check it out!

Tune In this Wednesday

Tune in this Wednesday at 5:15 p.m. (PST) for the Para Symposium! You won't want to miss it!

Para Symposium

A great webinar for school library paraprofessionals that will be taking place every 2nd Wednesday of the month beginning at 5:15 p.m. (PST). Make sure to mark your calendars, tune in and tell a friend!

Find your Joy!

An inspiring message from Deborah Ford on finding joy in what you do. Remember what you do is not about YOU but about the many students you encourage and inspire to find possibilities in a book!

California School Library Association ~ Southern Section Conference 2015

I had an amazing time, with amazing people at the CSLA Southern Section Conference this year. So excited that I had the opportunity to present on integrating social media into your library program. #CSLASR15 #SchoolLibraries

California School Library Association Southern Section Conference

Having a blast at the CSLA SS conference. Lets get this day on the way! If you are not a member of CSLA..... you need to join! #CSLASR2015

8 ways to Rescue Public School Libraries from becoming Obsolete

A powerful article written by Matthew Lynch in Education Week Magazine. It should be of interest to those that work in public school libraries.

Promoting your School Library

I make sure to grab every opportunity I can to promote and advocate for strong school libraries. I created a commercial to do just that!

School Libraries and Librarians are RELEVANT!

Do you think that school libraries are becoming a thing of the past? Are you worried about your job, or feel like you are not important? Well my friends that is totally NOT TRUE!!! I know you hear talk about common core over and over again and you're probably wondering where you fit in. Well the truth of the matter is you fit right in the MIDDLE of it all. If your school district is talking about common core and you are feeling like the school library and your job is left out of the loop, then it is time to educate yourself. School Libraries and Librarians are going to be the link that brings common core together. I have attached a very insightful document to this post. I encourage you to take a look at it and see the importance of the school library and you!
School Libraries and Librarians connect to the Common Core Perfectly

Never Forget

Two great books to share with your students to bring understanding to the events that occurred on 9/11 and why we "never forget." 

America is Under Attack: September 11, 2001: The Day the Towers Fell (Actual Times)
by: Don Brown

The Man who walked between the Towers 
by: Mordicai Gerstein

All about those Books

Oh yes...... I'm all about those books, bout' those books, no t.v.

Heading back to School!

Most of us are heading back to work if we're not back at work already. Well check out my library lessons page to get some fresh, new ideas for your library. A good orientation presentation gives you an opportunity to not only share the rules of the library and your expectations of your students. You also can showcase the importance of using the library and why it is a "valuable" resource. If you are able to, think about attending your school's Back to School night so that you can showcase the library to your parents as well. Welcome back to school library friends! :-)

Where are all the Book Readers???

Another video to get children/teens excited and motivated to read!!

Book Funk

Check out this awesome video created by yours truly. A great motivator to get children/teens reading. A big shout out and thank you to Russell, Zamara, and Sophia! Awesomesauce!!

Groundbreaking victory for school libraries

Check this out! The Us senate voted July 8th, 2015 in favor of the bi-partisan Reed-Cochran amendment to S.1177, the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015. This amendment will make explicitly make effective school library programs part of the Re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Stay tuned as the bill moves forward.

S.1177

Bringing the Library to the forefront

Here is an awesome video on "What is smart" presented by Shannon Ozirny who happens to be a Librarian. It's great when those who have an opportunity share the importance of Libraries and Librarians.  Check out this video!

Two great books for children to check out this summer are:

Dork Diaries 9 Tales from a NOT-SO-Dorky Drama Queen by: Rachel Renee' Russell

I will take a Nap!by: Mo Willems 

                   

Excited to start Blogging!

Well welcome to my blog: Tales of a Library Queen. My name is Erica or sometimes I go by my alter ego "Queen" of all things literacy. I hope you find my blog helpful and enlightening. Browse my blog for library lessons, innovative ideas, and entertaining posts. Anyone who has worked in a school library knows that you could probably write a book on your daily encounters. Please feel free to contact me by email: libraryqueenel@gmail.com, leaving a comment, or following me on twitter @libraryqueene