Edublog Awards

I am so honored to make the list of nominations for this year's Edublog Awards in the Best New Blog category.

When I returned to blogging around this time last year, I could have never imagined where it would lead. I appreciate all the support and votes. Please take the time to explore all the great bloggers and tweeters out there that are nominated in the various categories this year. 

Whew! What a "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" day!

Last Wednesday as I perused Twitter I came across the SLJ Jeff Kinney webcast for the release of Cabin Fever. I immediately registered and then emailed my staff to see if anyone was interested in participating. One of my enthusiastic 6th grade Language Arts teachers responded and an idea was born. We decided to make a whole day of it with the entire team of 100+ students.

My day started at 6:30 am as I went to Wal-Mart to buy 10 copies of the book. I spent the morning getting ready for the day which started with the 10 am webcast. What a great job Kinney did getting the students excited about the new book. It was also a treat that the actors from the movie were also present. Now, we had planned everything around an hour long webcast, so when it ended at 10:40 we had to do some rearranging.

Immediately following the webcast we did a bullying activity that our counselor helped me develop. Students were able to draw or write about a time they were bullied. After students had time to respond, we allowed them to share their experiences and talk about ways they could handle these situations. Originally we had planned to have them role-play these and the solution, but with so many students in our media center with limited space it just was not practical.

A majority of students had read at least one of the books in the series, so we were able to ask questions related to the book. Prior to lunch we played a game of True or False with questions from event kits associated with the release of the various books.

After lunch we came back and did a trivia game with DOWK aficionados on a panel. The winner of each of the three rounds received candy. I took some time to introduce the book and encouraged students to make some predictions. We then did a lottery for the opportunity to be one of the first 10 to checkout the book. Needless to say there were some very excited students. The best part is that two of my most avid DOWK fans won the lottery. The dancing that ensued brought tears to my eyes.

BEST. BOOK. RELEASE. DAY. EVER.

**Thank you card from the students.

Feeling Like a Celebrity!

My time since I returned from AASL11 has been crazy, amazing and overwhelming. Placing third place in the Follett Challenge has brought a lot of attention to my media program. While this is amazing, I must admit that it is also intimidating and overwhelming. It has pushed me out of my comfort zone, but as time progresses I am finding that I am adjusting. It is nice to have recognition for my school and media program, but now I am analyzing all the places where my program is lacking. I have not done this, I have not done that and I really should focus on.... The list goes on and on. Well, I am letting that go for a few minutes. All the great things....

1. $15,000 for our media center -- AWESOME!
2. My school's name has been mentioned in multiple places

• Follett Challenge site (check out our project and the projects of other schools)
• Big6 site 
• Hendersonville Times News
• and more

3. Manicure/Pedicure gift card from my husband (isn't he the sweetest?)
4. A day of gifts

Ok, you are probably wondering what I mean by a day of gifts. To be honest this is the primary reason that I am writing this blog entry. I need to give special thanks to my exploratory community at school. Last Monday when I returned from Minnesota, I had a day that was so special. It began around 8 am with the delivery of roses and the comment "one of us will be thinking of you every hour." Odd comment? Yes. Slow to catch on? Yes. It was 10 am before I caught on that they were bringing me gifts every hour. That's right! Every hour! Chocolate, flowers, and a multitude of other goodies. It was too much, but it is also something that I will remember forever.

Aren't those bags beautiful?! I am so fortunate to work with such a supportive group of people. They make my job easy.

AASL11 Reflections

While the Follett Challenge was an exciting component of my recent attendance at AASL11, the influence of the conference extends far beyond that. First, it was so amazing to get to meet some of those I only know virtually.

Brandi Heinz Brown and Melissa Fuentes were the first of the virtual crew I had the honor to meet. Love these two ladies from Follett and their excitement. Shortly after the Follett Challenge announcement, the AASL attendees filtered into the Exhibit Hall. Gwyneth Jones, aka Daring Librarian, came up to congratulate me. Love Gwyneth ever since she came to NC. She fits in great with us Southerners, especially those named Jennifer, which she may believe is one of the most common names in the South after her trip. With Gwyneth was Tiffany Whitehead, who I was just excited to meet as she was to meet me (thanks for including me with such a great group in your blog post, Tiff).

Friday and Saturday were filled with great sessions, ideas and meeting more fabulous people. I ran into Diane Cordell in the Learning Commons. It was great to talk with her. I wish I could have spent more time talking photography with her, but I had to jet off to Kareem Abdul Jabbar's book signing. The things I will do for my husband. Yes, he was with me in MN, and yes, he could have stood in line himself as a conference attendee but he was off visiting the University of Minnesota (btw he claims the campus is even more beautiful than Virginia Tech). In case you did not know, visiting colleges and universities is our geeky thing to do together. Hate that I missed that one.

Other authors that I had the opportunity to stalk while in MN included Maggie Stiefvater and Joan Bauer. I did not stalk Origami Yoda author Tom Angleberger at AASL having already met him at my state conference but did get the opportunity to speak to him prior to boarding our plane to Charlotte.

A few ideas that I am looking forward to implementing into my library include a student book swap and video or audio book talks for teachers. A session on Big6 with Bob Berkowitz has inspired me to do a training for parents on the Big6 and how they can use the steps to help students complete basic tasks such as homework. While I did not attend the 23 Things session, I have been toying with this idea. A librarian in my county started doing this a couple of years ago, and I just have not taken the time to develop this. Tiffany Whitehead came away from that session really excited and inspired me with her enthusiasm.

Probably the highlight of the entire trip was lunch on Saturday. Tiffany orchestrated a lunch outing on Saturday for a few librarians and the group continued to grow while we sat there. Could not believe the number of library rockstars at one table. This is where I met so many of those who I knew virtually but had never had the experience to meet in person. Totally amazed by the energy of all of these ladies, and I look forward to learning more from them in the future.

Another great experience from AASL was the shock of my principal at this school library world. On the plane he said to me "So, you have a blog." Turns out he was doing his research about AASL before we arrived in MN and came across my blog. Kudos to him for wanting to learn more. I believe this experience was eye-opening for him. He already supports school libraries, but I have no doubt that being among all you fabulous school librarians out there really helped him learn more about what libraries have to offer our schools.

Follett Challenge: A Journey

Who knew that one phone call in the middle of September would totally change the outlook for my library this year? The day I received the news that my school was a finalist in the Follett Challenge is one that I will never forget. The six finalists had no idea of their final placement and results would be revealed at AASL11. So not only would we be receiving a budget boost, but I would get to attend the conference. I truly thought that AASL in Charlotte would be my first and last, but fortunately that was not the case.

Now I have to admit, flying is a little intimidating to me, but the trip to Minneapolis was overall pleasant. We did arrive on Thursday and as soon as we were able to get into our rooms, we had to get ready to meet the great people from Follett at the Convention Center. In addition to my husband and my principal, I had made arrangements for some truly great friends and colleagues to meet me for the Big Reveal. Kelly Brannock, Jenny Umbarger and Kate Fisher were all there to share this experience with me. It was fantastic to have familiar faces in the crowd.

As we entered the Exhibit Hall, everyone from Follett was lined up to greet us with applause. Soon the announcements began and I got more nervous by the minute. Best Video was announced, then fifth place, then fourth place....Then we were announced as third place for the History Our Way project that I featured in our video. Take a few minutes and see all the great things that are happening in the libraries recognized by Follett in the Follett Challenge. I am honored to be a part of this innovative group of school librarians.

Soon after all winners had been announced the Exhibit Hall opened and there were many who dropped by to convey their congratulations. Many of these were those who I had only met virtually. It is amazing the bonds that can come from online communication.

Part of what emerged at Follett from the challenge was a desire to advocate for school libraries. I have been truly impressed by the plans they have to help others see what we have to offer. Part of being a Follett Challenge winner included a video interview on Friday. I have to admit this is one of my weakest areas and I can only hope that what I had to say is valuable to promoting school libraries. My anxiety during my interview was such that I cannot even tell you what questions were asked. Some of you who know me are probably surprised that I struggle talking to the media. I am very secure in most areas, but sadly this is not one of them.

Friday evening we had an awards dinner at a local restaurant. We were fortunate enough to sit with Todd Litzsinger from Follett. The company and the food were superb. Clips from our videos were shown and we were all again honored. This time we did have to say a few words. I was able to thank my students, my principal, my collaborating teacher, and my amazing husband. All of these contribute to my program in varied ways but without them I would not be able to have the program that exists today.

Thanks to Brandi Heinz Brown for the picture.

Stay tuned tomorrow for my reflections on AASL.....

NCSLMA Conference 2011

Hello, My Name is ......was the conference theme for NCSLMA 2011. Yes, I returned from NCSLMA last weekend, and I am just now getting around to blogging about it. That might be because My Name is Totally Exhausted (but in a good way). This year's conference kicked off early for me on Thursday as I left with two other Jennifers on the road to Winston-Salem. We had to arrive relatively early for my pre-conference presentation, with yes, another Jennifer.

I had the honor of presenting with the super amazing Jennifer LaGarde. She has already blogged about our pre-conference session, so be sure to read all about it. I have to admit, this was a great experience for me. I was totally inspired by watching Jennifer in action, and I look forward to what our future adventures may bring. Watch out NCSLMA 2012!

This year's conference was full of great fun, new friends, fabulous authors, amazing ideas, and entertainment. I had the pleasure of finally meeting the most famous redhead in school library land, Gwyneth Jones. In addition, I presented with not one but two Jennifers during the conference. On Friday, I had the honor of presenting with first year Media Coordinator, Jennifer Abel. We gave our attendees a brief overview of what we are doing to provide interactive Media Centers. Friday night's reception was the best yet. Lots of authors, including the uber-fabulous Frances O'Roark Dowell. There was unexpected entertainment with the sounds of Melvil Dewey and just an all-around good time.

Three Jennifers and a Gwyneth

Saturday was a busy day with sessions, author breakfast and lunch. Had a great dinner that evening with some fabulous ladies, but I must admit that I was definitely wearing down. Sunday ended with an Executive Board meeting, and my first day as Secretary. The ride home was with Sarah Justice, current NCSLMA President, and the genius behind this year's conference. Well done is all I can say!

Be There or Be Square

Did you know that this year's NCSLMA conference is fast approaching? Actually, it is a month earlier this year and it would be terrible if you missed out on this great experience, so be sure to visit the website and register. There are only 18 more days until this year's conference kicks off. I look forward to this conference every year because of the great opportunities it provides for me to discuss my profession and what others in NC are doing to promote and advocate their programs. This year, however, I am extra excited for a number of reasons. First, it was planned by my friend (and college roommate) Sarah Justice. Second, I am presenting a preconference session with Jennifer LaGarde (I am so not worthy). Third, I am presenting a concurrent session with my friend and former partner in crime, Jennifer Abel (now on Twitter, so be sure to follow @abellibrarian). Fourth, there are some great authors to stalk!

Those are my personal reasons for being super-excited about this year's conference, but there are many professional reasons to be excited as well. Reasons that I hope make you find a way to attend this year's conference some way, some how. You have likely noticed that this year's conference dates are a little bit different. What is great about this is that you can use this to help convince your administrator to let you attend. You will only need a sub for Friday since concurrent sessions take place Friday and Saturday. If you have not checked out the conference sessions, these are all available on the website as well. Check out all the great sessions from which you can steal ideas to implement into your own Media Center.

One of the biggest draws for this conference is Gwyneth Jones, the Daring Librarian. If you are not familiar with Gwyneth, who is also our conference keynote speaker, you are in for a real treat. I attended one of her sessions at AASL 2009 and have been a devoted follower ever since. I read her blogs and follow her on Twitter. To be perfectly honest I wonder when she sleeps. In addition to being the keynote speaker, she will also be the presenter for not one, not two, but three concurrent sessions. So I ask you, what are you waiting for? Sign up today!

Ok, as if Gwyneth Jones was not enough of a reason to attend this year's NCSLMA conference, there are also some amazing authors attending this year's conference. Friday's Luncheon Author is Jennifer Pharr Davis, local Hendersonville girl, who recently accomplished the amazing feat of being the overall speed record holder on the Appalachian Trail. Sarah and I saw Jennifer speak at a local bookstore last year and were overwhelmed with her stories about the AT. I was so amazed by what she endured on her first hike of the AT and cannot believe she has taken on this journey more than once. The author luncheon on Saturday features Frances O'Roark Dowell. I absolutely adore Frances. She was the first author I ever had visit my school and she was awesome. After that I was hooked on author visits. The Toast and Tales author, Allan Wolf, has also been a visitor to my school. I have never been more entertained throughout one day. His energy is contagious.   Alan Gratz, another featured author at my school, will also be in attendance at this year's conference. Be sure to visit him during his concurrent session. One author who I have not had the pleasure of meeting, Tom Angleberger (yes, he did write Origami Yoda), will also be in attendance. Looking forward to meeting him as well as several of the other authors that will be involved with the Author Autograph Session.

Look forward to seeing you in Winston-Salem, so sign-up today.