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You are here: Home / Archives for Library Advocacy

January 9, 2021 by: Laura

School Librarian Professional Development Just for YOU!

School Librarian Professional Development

How many times have you found yourself sitting in the middle of a school professional development aimed at classroom teachers? I know I’ve been there. We doodle in our notebooks and daydream of school librarian professional development just for us. We need PD that addresses the many facets of our roles within our schools. Our professional development must prepare us to meet the needs of

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July 13, 2020 by: Laura

Back to School in the Library During Covid-19

Trapp Back to School in the Library During Covid-19

Educators across the country (and the world) are getting ready to go back to school. However, many of us still don’t know how to plan for a successful start to the school year. If we want to be successful in getting back to school in the library, it’s time to start planning. Even if your school or district has not yet released plans for the

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June 22, 2020 by: Laura

More Ideas for Collaboration in the School Library

More Collaboration in the School Library

As school librarians, we are constantly striving to form collaborative relationships with classroom teachers and content area teachers. We know that school library collaboration strengthens and deepens learning for our students. When we work with teachers to support and augment classroom instruction, our students benefit greatly. In my last post, Students Benefit from Collaboration in the School Library, I shared some ideas for collaborating with

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June 15, 2020 by: Laura

How to Effectively Advocate for your School Library

School Library Advocacy Trapp

School library advocacy is more important now than ever. Get tips for how to effectively advocate for your school library.

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June 12, 2020 by: Laura

Why You Should Advocate for your School Library

Why You Must Advocate for your School Library Trapp

Education in the midst of a pandemic brought a great deal of uncertainty. School districts had to cut back on budgets and eliminate positions as they reorganized for the 2020 – 2021 school year. As librarians we had to refresh our advocacy skills and learn how to effectively advocate for our school library programs. Since we never know when future budget cuts may threaten our

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July 25, 2017 by: Laura

Everyday Should Be Library Day!

I was just getting ready to print my library day bookmarks for the upcoming school year when a conversation (started by the wise Jen Jones of Hello Literacy and continued by the inspiring Jessica Martin of The Whimsical Teacher) erupted on Instagram about the fact that some schools are so strict with “library days” that they won’t allow students to check out books or visit

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thetrappedlibrarian

📚 Elementary School Librarian
🌟 NBCT 2011
👩🏻‍🏫 Teacher Author
Blog: trappedlibrarian.org

📚 Don't miss the Back-to-School issue of the Libra 📚 Don't miss the Back-to-School issue of the Library Helpers Newsletter!

Some of you are heading back to school THIS WEEK (how is that possible?!), while others still have a few precious weeks of summer left. 💜

No matter where you are in the countdown, Julie and I put together this special Back-to-School issue with YOU in mind!

Inside you’ll find:
✨ Practical ideas for starting the year
📚 Book recommendations and read-aloud ideas
🎁 FREE resources
💡 Tips for new and experienced librarians
🗓️ 10 National Days with ideas you can use in your library
💜 Lots of encouragement from two retired librarians who remember just how busy this time of year can be!

We hope you’ll grab a cup of coffee (or your favorite cold drink!), download your FREE copy, and find a few ideas that make your back-to-school season a little easier.

⬇️ Head to the blog to get your copy! >>>>>> https://trappedlibrarian.org/elementary-library-newsletter/
Have you downloaded the free Library Lesson Guide? Have you downloaded the free Library Lesson Guide?

Get ready to feel organized and prepared for each month of the school year. No more giving up your nights and weekends for lesson planning! This free resource will help you plan your lessons for the month, quarter, semester, or year!

✅ Take the guesswork out of what to teach and when
✅ Get idea for engaging interactive lessons
✅ Grab links to helpful products for every month of the school year

⭐ Grab this free guide today and make your library the center of your school! ⭐
https://the-trapped-librarian.myflodesk.com/3f88ae34-9844-4298-8238-66aa8a25836a
💜 Back to school is a great time to start building 💜 Back to school is a great time to start building positive connections with your colleagues!

A little encouragement, a fun surprise, or a simple act of appreciation can go a long way toward helping staff feel connected and valued. And it’s even better when you have those ideas ready to go before the busy school year gets rolling!

✅ My Staff Morale Booster Bundle includes 9 low-prep activities, one for each month from September through May. Each one includes signs, poems, instructions, and inexpensive treat ideas to make it easy to spread a little kindness and fun throughout your school.

⭐️ Start with You’ve Been Schooled! in September, then you’ll be ready with a new theme every month for the rest of the school year.

And you’ll save over 25% by purchasing the bundle instead of the individual resources!

➡️ Take a look at the preview and get your whole year of staff appreciation ready to go! >>>>> https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Staff-Morale-Booster-Bundle-for-Staff-Teacher-Appreciation-Youve-Been-Booed-16669185?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=TL%20Staff%20Morale%20Booster%20Bundle

#SchoolLibrarian #ElementaryLibrarian #SchoolLibrary #TeacherLibrarian #StaffMorale #StaffAppreciation #TeacherAppreciation #SchoolCulture #BackToSchool #TeachersOfInstagram
📚 September is here! If you’re looking at your lib 📚 September is here! If you’re looking at your library lesson plans and wondering how you’re going to fit everything in, I’ve got some help for you. 💜

My September Library Bundle brings together some of my preferred activities and resources for this time of year, so you don’t have to spend hours searching and planning.

You’ll have resources to help you:
⭐️ Teach and practice important library skills
⭐️ Introduce digital citizenship
⭐️ Get students excited about books with a Book Tasting
⭐️ Organize your library and get your Library Helpers started

Best of all, you’ll save over 30% compared to purchasing the resources separately!

➡️ Take a look at the preview and see if this bundle can save you some time this September.

#SchoolLibrarian #ElementaryLibrary #SchoolLibrary #LibraryLessons #TeacherLibrarian #SeptemberActivities #thetrappedlibrarian
🍽️ What’s on the menu in your library? BOOKS! 📚 A 🍽️ What’s on the menu in your library? BOOKS! 📚

A Book Tasting is such a fun way to help students explore your shelves and discover books they might otherwise pass right by!

Set out a variety of books, add the menus, table signs, and a little restaurant flair, and let your students start “tasting.” It’s a great beginning-of-the-year activity for getting kids excited about reading AND helping them add some new titles to their reading lists. ❤️

This Book Tasting Kit includes lesson plans for K–5, editable menus, bookmarks for younger students, genre and category table signs, posters, and more.

📚 Help your students discover their next great read!

⭐️ BONUS: It’s also included in my September Library Bundle, where you can save over 20%!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Book-Tasting-Activities-2082366?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=TL%20Book%20Tasting%20FB
🩵 Hello library friends... Need help planning your 🩵 Hello library friends... Need help planning your lessons for September?

🎒The beginning of a new school year is always full of excitement! 

It’s important to start with engaging activities and lessons that will set the stage for a year full of active learning for all students. 

🎒Get ideas for your September library lessons over on the blog >>>> https://trappedlibrarian.org/2021/09/22/september-library-lessons/
💜 If you're just heading back to school, this one' 💜 If you're just heading back to school, this one's for you.

There will always be lessons to plan, books to process, displays to finish, and a hundred other things calling for your attention.

But here's the reminder Julie and I are sharing in our Back-to-School Library Helpers Newsletter:

🩵Focus on people first.

Get to know your students. Connect with your staff. Find your library people. And give yourself permission to grow slowly.

You don't have to have everything figured out on the first day. 💜

⭐️ Our FREE Back-to-School issue is full of ideas, resources, book recommendations, freebies, and encouragement to help you get started.

We hope it feels a little like having two librarian friends cheering you on!

⬇️ Download your free copy on the blog. >>>>> https://trappedlibrarian.org/elementary-library-newsletter/
Kindergarten is coming at 9:00. Fourth grade at 9: Kindergarten is coming at 9:00. Fourth grade at 9:30. Then second grade…and somehow you need a meaningful lesson ready for EVERYONE. 😅📚

Sound familiar?

One of the best things I learned as an elementary librarian was that I didn’t need to reinvent the wheel for every single grade level.

In this blog post, I’m sharing some of the strategies that helped me plan more efficiently, including grouping lessons into grade bands, building skills from year to year, planning ahead in batches, and keeping students actively involved.

➡️ If you’re working on your library lesson plans, I hope these 6 practical tips give you an idea or two that you can put to use right away! 💜

>>>>> https://trappedlibrarian.org/2024/02/08/library-lesson-plans/

#SchoolLibrarian #ElementaryLibrarian #LibraryLessonPlans #LibraryLessons #SchoolLibrary #ElementaryLibrary
📚 Getting your library organized for back to schoo 📚 Getting your library organized for back to school?

Over the years, I found a few simple systems that made a BIG difference in keeping my library lessons and supplies organized, especially when classes were coming in one right after another!

In this blog post, I’m sharing 4 of my favorite back-to-school organization tips, including:

💜 Color-coding by grade level
💜 Organizing supplies for small groups
💜 Keeping lesson plans organized from year to year
💜 An easy way to communicate Library Day information with families

Nothing complicated. Just practical ideas that helped me save time and stay organized throughout the school year!

➡️ Take a look and see if one of these ideas might work in your library!

https://trappedlibrarian.org/2021/08/27/get-organized-for-back-to-school-in-the-library/
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