Endings lead to new beginnings

After posting on this blog for nine years, it just felt like the right time to freshen things up.  I'd love it if you'd find the new &  improved The Sassy Bibliophile at https://sonjaschulz.blogspot.com/


Thank you! 
Sonja

Tayshas 2019 Book Trailers (part 1)

Options for Unbroken Spine Book Club ---Fall 2018

The Disappearance of Sloane Sullivan by Gia Cribbs

from a Goodreads Review:
When Sloane Sullivan was 12 years old, she witnessed a murder and then her parents were killed, and she was quickly put into the witness protection programme under the guardianship of Agent Mark. For years they have been changing names and moving around, now that she is nearly 18 years old, this is her last stop and then she is free to go to college and become Sloane Sullivan for good. Sloane has been great at keeping under the radar until the first day of her new school; she bangs into a guy who is very familiar - Jason Thomas. He was her best friend, before the incident. Though it has been six years and she has changed her eye color, he can't have recognized her or has he? Now Sloane should tell Mark but she doesn't want to move, and she wants to be free finally, so she keeps it a secret and eventually becomes friends with Jason and his group. My heartfelt for Sloane as when she visited Jason's house and saw the picture of her mother, someone she hadn't seen in six years. What will happen though when she is finally tracked down by the guys she has been running from? Then Agent Mark - her protector for the past six years goes missing. Soon truths, secrets will come unraveling out, and Sloane will discover that everything she believed for the past six years was a lie. Who can she trust when ones she loves and law enforcement are telling her not to trust the one who has been there for her for the past six years? The ending of this book reminded me of the TV show that aired a few years ago -Finding Carter. If you love YA, mystery and suspense novels with high school life chucked into the mix, then check out The Disappearance of Sloane Sullivan by Gia Cribbs today

Coypright & Fair Use for Woodson's Journalism Classes

Fair use permits people to do things that could otherwise be decided upon as illegal under copyright law.  For instance, using clips from a TV show in a video to comment on controversy related to that TV show.

FOUR FACTORS for FAIR USE:

1. The Purpose and Character of the use
2. The nature of the copyrighted work
3. The amount and substantiality of the portion used
4. The effect the use has on the market for the original work

https://www.teachingcopyright.org/curriculum/hs/3.html

Ask yourself:

• Has it been transformed?
• Have I used the smallest amount possible to get my point across?
• Am I lowering the money they will make on the original?

This photograph was used to make this T-shirt.  What do you think the courts said about it?

Screen-Shot-2014-12-22-at-4.41.29-PM-300x211

For images, try Creative Commons.
For more info, try Penn State Library's copyright portal.
For more info on research visit our past blog post HERE.
For info on spotting fake news visit our past blog post HERE.

Spring = Research

image from http://www.quotelotus.com/images/3180/the-credible-hulk

Be sure to use credible sources!

Using Google to find your sources isn't always a great idea.

Be sure to cite your sources---this includes IMAGES.

Try Creative Commons for any images you need.

Click HERE for links to the NHS digital resources and online catalog.  

*Login info shows up when you hover over the Symbaloo. 

For more detailed info on MLA format see Purdue OWL. 

Click HERE for a quick *mostly fun* refresher on plagiarism. 

Looking for more research fun? Try EXPLORING.

The curtain closes, but the band plays on {#sol18 day 6}

Welp.
Old habits die hard, it's true.
I get so excited each year as March approaches. I'm filled with a desire to renew my daily writing habit, which generally has become a less-than-daily writing habit by this point.  I have participated in the Slice of Life challenge for several years now, and each year it's the same.

And then the challenge begins. I write and I write.  I dig deep and find things to slice about even on the days I have the I-don't-wannas.  I read other participant's slices, and always find new bloggers to follow--writers whom I admire and who inspire. I comment on as many as I can.  In fact, I have been a part of the Welcome Wagon multiple times now, because I know how important that feedback can be.  I have participated in the Slice of Life challenge for several years now, and each year it's the same.

Each day, after I post my slice, I check for comments. Yes, it's a bit Sally Fields "they like me, they really like me," but I can't help it.  It means something to me for someone to read my words and comment. I have always been a writer--a lover of words and a keeper of journals.  I have 2 novels in the works that may always be in-the-works-and-never-done, but still.  My point is---I write.  I blog to have some interaction with others regarding my thoughts and writing because the bulk of the writing I do is already just for me.  Often when I comment on slices, I am one of 10-20 commenters.  That is a beautiful thing for those writers.

Last year it really hit me that perhaps this isn't my tribe.  It is a GREAT group, mind you---zero shade thrown---but my posts clearly aren't meaningful enough to enough of the folks who slice to get many comments.  Should it matter?  Whatever your answer may be to that question for you, the answer for me is clearly it does. It is incredibly discouraging to see zero to two comments day in and day out.  (and for those of you who have left me comments---I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  It truly means so much to me.) I have participated in the Slice of Life challenge for several years now, and each year it's the same.

And so, as a gift to my sanity I'm choosing to bow out of the remainder of slicing this month. I will still participate this year in reading and commenting on the slices of others, especially my new folks as I'm part of the Welcome Wagon.  I'll still read the daily inspirations.  I'll definitely still write.  I just won't be posting my slices regularly and most of my writing may very well be in my own journal or Google doc.  I gave it the ole college try---but honestly, life is hard enough for me at this point to feel like my voice doesn't matter.

Best to everyone as March continues onward.

Celebrating Today {#sol18 day 5}

Today I am celebrating.
My oldest made it a whole day at school.
She felt awful most of the day, but she stuck it out and we made the day.
I cannot tell you what a huge WIN this feels like.
This, after missing 3 days of our 4 day week last week,
And many more days before that.
Since the week before midterms she has missed more school than in her entire school career up to this point.
Me, too.
This, after starting new meds that make her mostly feel sickish and swimmy.
I bribed, I cajoled, I encouraged, but ultimately
SHE made the day.
She wiped away her tears at multiple points, but
SHE made the day.
And so today we celebrate. 

because I'm irritable and need to be reminded {#sol18 day 4}

Because I'm irritable and need to be reminded of all the WONDERFUL qualities my husband possesses, here's a list of some things I love about him.  I have been super inspired by all the numbered posts such as this one , and I suppose I could go with "the hubby turns 48 on Tuesday, so here are 48 things I love about him" but, like I mentioned in the opening, I'm irritable today, so we're gonna go with being happy at whatever amount of things end up on this list.

1. He is incredibly loyal.  
2. He is a devoted husband and father.
3. He is willing to eat anything I cook and he is always grateful for whatever it is.  True, this is probably mostly because he cannot cook a thing without burning it, bless him, but still. 
4. He is the most honest person I have ever known.  I really do appreciate this about him even though it means I never ask him if my pants make my butt look big.
5. He seeks continual growth.  He is always open to learning and improving.
6. He makes me laugh every.single.day.  Even days like today when I'm irritable. 
7. He is always on my side, and always my biggest fan.
8. He isn't intimidated by a strong woman. Did I mention I'm a first-born child & Aries?
9. He gets me. He doesn't try to control me or change me. 
10. More important than "getting me" is that he loves & appreciates me exactly as I am. I am always enough and never too much (even though I totally am sometimes).
11. When he is into something (archery, running, whatever it may be) he learns everything he can about it and he becomes an absolute expert.  
12. He has the ability to super-focus on whatever he is working on. 
13. He'll watch chick-flicks with me.
14. He is incredibly goofy at times.  I LOVE this! 

If I could change just one thing {#sol18 day 3}

I have to be honest here.
It irks me when anyone replies to the questions of if you could go back in time and change something...? with the answer I wouldn't change a thing because it made me the person I am today.
Total copout of an answer.
Total and utter ridiculousness.

(okay, sidebar to say that the person who really irks me the VERY MOST that said this publicly was my starter husband.  we are friendly-ish with each other now after 25ish years, but buddy....he sure could have answered this better.  if he needed help making a list I coulda got that bad boy started for him...)

I mean, clearly we are, in part, the sum of what our choices has made us, but....if I could change something, if I could right some wrong, if I could be a kinder, gentler version of myself in multiple instances I totally would.

• I wouldn't make that neighbor boy eat dirt.  I was heady with power at the age of 4 and it made me an awful despot.
• I wouldn't have ever made my mama cry from my attitude towards her as a teen.
• I wouldn't have tucked those mean words from that boy I thought was so cute into my heart and felt less-than for YEARS because of it.
• I would have let my weirdo flag fly much sooner without worrying so dang much about the judgement of others
• I would have spent much more time with my grandparents
• I would have bought the red shoes
• I would have listened more and talked less
• I would have loved myself enough to leave situations that made me feel icky instead of trying to be cool
• I would have stressed less over the small stuff.
• I would never ever have answered this question with the dumb lame-o answer of "um...nothing...because it made me the person I am today." ever.

These are just a smattering of the things I could go back and change if such things were allowed in the space-time continuum.  

Hurry Slowly {#sol18 day 2}

I don't think anyone in my younger years would have described me as a patient person. Antsy? yes. Wanting, no NEEDING answers RIGHT NOW?  yes.
But patient?
Not even close.

I'm learning. The Universe has giving me many opportunties to learn.
I first heard the term Festina Lente in a book.  (imagine that! you can read a blog post about it here.)
It resonated with me immediately.  I knew I needed more of this ability in my life.
Recently I heard about the Hurry Slowly podcast. Again, I was drawn in immediately and am now a regular listener.

I learned some level of patience when I first started teaching.  Kindergarten babies require it, but they are so darn cute and made from pure spun sugar, so its easy to be patient (well, mostly.)
Then, I learned a bit more while working at a middle school.
Um...yeah.
Not so much spun sugar, but I so totally empathized with the sheer heinousness of being a middle schooler that I found some more patience way down deep inside me.

I thought I had arrived.
I thought wrong.
I am learning the true meaning of patience, and of what it means to hurry slowly right now.
Much of it isn't my story to tell.
Well, it is, but mostly I can't tell my story without spilling tea that isn't mine.
I will say this...
Being the mom of a chronically ill kiddo is not easy.
We got used to the lovely ease that is remission and this autoimmune flare-up has hit us all hard.
I often don't know exactly what to do.
What's best.
What the right thing is.
I'm flying by the seat of my pants here.
I've missed more work this year than I ever have before. I'm totally out of days.
My kiddo looks perfectly normal.
She doesn't look sick.
Most folks find this difficult to wrap their heads around.
We have had the coldest, most rainy season on record in my area.
We've had summer band with intense Texas August heat and too little water allowed.
We've had starting high school with all it's stressors.
We've had folks we thought were friends show their true colors.
We've had hard, hard things.

I'm learning it is often best for me to not force it.
The Universe is teaching me to breathe and take a moment before jumping to conclusions or decisions or a new gallon of Blue Bell's Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream.

I'm a work in progress, y'all, but I'm learning to hurry slowly.

Festina Lente. 

Roll with it, baby {#sol18 Day 1}

This week has been a roller coaster of a ride, y'all.
Lots of changes.
And we are currently having rain.  Again.
(seriously, it's like living in the Amazon.  or Seattle. except in small-town Texas.)

My February was pretty brutal in many ways, and I couldn't be happier to see it go.
Despite this, and my joy at seeing March arrive at last, one thing remains the same.
The library is the happiest place on earth.
When everything else is falling apart, helping a kid find just the right book, or helping them locate digital resources for a paper, or talking with a teacher to plan a breakout EDU event soothes the soul.
It is my place, and my joy to make it so for others, as well.

Despite all the shifts, all the negative you hear in the world, all the chaos we've been going through personally with some health issues in our family....the library remains a haven.

When everything feels like a crapshoot, being in my library still feels like I've hit the bigtime winner table, and I'm so very thankful.

I'll roll with the changes---whatever will be, will be, right?
I'll roll with the weather---what else can we do? (although growing gills feels like it may be a thing)
Whatever comes I'll roll with it, baby---as long as I've got the ability to breathe the rare air in my library.

Tayshas & More (Day 2)

2018 Tayshas Preview & a few more

FAKE News?!

(for Ms. Woodson's Journalism classes )

There are SO MANY places to get information these days, but how can you be sure the info you get is actual factual REAL info and not someone trying to bend the truth?

Today we are going to explore this thought. 

1. Follow this link and do the quiz.  You might be surprised at how good folks are at making fake news look and sound real!

2. Follow this link and read the article.  If you have earbuds or headphones you can also listen to the video. 

3.  Go to Google.  Type is this question:  Is water wet?  Now, check the source of the first link that pops up.  Many people NEVER look beyond the first link that pops up. Is this site a credible source for accurate information?

4.  If you want to be sure your sources of information are credible (ones giving you real, accurate info) you can count on using the digital resources found on our library webpage.  

• follow that link
• hover over the word library in the bar at the top. See the drop-down menu? Click the "NHS Digital Resources" button. 
• You will see a Symbaloo with many resource buttons.  
• If you hover over the buttons you will see the password hints. Fill in the missing letters and you have the passwords!
• Pick a topic and search.  See what you can find on various topics. 

Here's to 2018

For the past few years, I've chosen one little word to guide me through the new year rather than a list of resolutions that never seemed to change from year to year.  Like most people, it seems, resolutions just don't work all that well for me in changing my actual behavior.

Last year my word was Cultivate.  I had grand plans.  Some worked out, but mostly 2017 seemed to be a year of misplacing my mojo.

Y'all.  It was a hard, hard year.

I'm not ready to say I've lost my mojo---but it has definitely gone MIA.

I'm pretty sure my mojo and my joy ran away together.  They are probably living it up on a sandy beach somewhere at this very moment when I am putting fuzzy socks on my feet since it is a brisk 25 degrees outside here in my neck of the woods this morning.

I am a joyful person by nature.
I don't typically run to melancholy.
Kids often tell me I'm happy all the time.
But 2017 just felt...meh.

People don't always like to talk about the hard times.
Sometimes it is viewed as being negative.
The truth is, though, that life happens to all of us.  Some good, some bad.
Pretending everything is great all the time doesn't work long-term.
I'm not about to bad-mouth anything or anyone.
I'm not even about to share details.
But I am speaking my truth when I say this year has been a heckuva hard year and I am changed.

So, this year, I'm setting out to find my missing Joy.
I know my mojo will return with it----they are besties and partners-in-crime.
I am remembering my locus of control.
I am remembering that the answer is also to love more, not less.
I am remembering that perfection is an illusion.

“I just do the best I can to face what life brings. That’s the secret, you know. That’s the way you change your fate.” 
― Alice Hoffman, The Rules of Magic

Whaaa? It's September already?

As much as I want to keep new posts up on the blog,
As much as I truly believe consistency creates a presence,
As much as I love to write,
As much as I have a passion for librarianship,
Life still happens.

I admire the folks who can remain consistent in their blogging despite busy-ness that clearly happens for all of us, but I am apparently not one of them.  At least, not yet.

I have learned that I need "white space" in my life in order to be my best self.  I need time to think and breathe and be.  With school starting and hurricanes blowing and training a new assistant and one of my kiddos now attending my school and us both adjusting to her being in high school (and dealing with some serious mean-girl issues) and the other having after-school transportation issues-----well, something had to give.

I've come home weary and unable to "brain" well after shifting back into beginning-of-the-year school mode.
I've come home most school nights with barely enough energy to feed my family, do enough dishes and laundry to keep us rolling, and take hot Epsom salt baths.

My bullet journal and my workouts have suffered, too, and I've passed on nearly every invitation I've received to get together with friends whom I love.  Y'all, sometimes I just can't do one more thing.

And I refuse to feel guilty about it.

I think it is far too easy to fall into the trap of believing you have to do all the things and be all the things for all the people all of the time.  I don't want to let folks down, but I also know this is truth for me---if I do not practice self-care and self-compassion and listen to my gut about what I need to function as my highest self then I will run out of steam, catch every cold that comes around, feel resentful, act like a martyr, and ultimately be no good for anyone around me.

I'm beginning to catch my breath with this new school year.  I'm settling in and feeling less like I'm drowning.

And so here it is---September 9th---and I'm blogging again.

I hope your school year has started off beautifully.
Be gentle with yourself and listen to your gut, friends.

Summer PD

We were fortunate this year that our upper admin granted us time to hold some summer professional development days---two days paid, two days comp days, which was awesome.  I have never had a district admin team show as much support for libraries and librarians as my current team and it is much appreciated.

Y'all, we had a blast.

We have 2 new members of our team and another who just joined us in the spring, so not only did we do a lot of learning, we did a lot of bonding this week.  I sent out a Google form in the spring so everyone could give their input on what they wanted to learn/work on and what book they wanted for our book study this year. Everything we did was designed & taught by our very own team. Flexibility was intentionally built into our schedule so we could run with those teachable moments and move along quickly when everyone already "got it."

We went over our proposed new state standards, Future-Ready Librarian information, and maker-spaces for all levels. We worked through the process of creating a new Mission and Vision statement.

 

We played with an Epic Instagram Challenge I used Canva.com (my fave!) to create this challenge as a way to help us think beyond our usual go-to's with photos and social media updates of library happenings. We didn't all actually post our pics on Insta, but this was practice for the upcoming year. (feel free to use it if you like it)

#booksonashelf

We had time to play with Canva.com, Google, and our Texquest resources and brainstorm ideas about how to get the word out to our stakeholders about all things in library land.

We discussed Gary Hartzell's work about building influence and specifically referenced Doug Johnson's blog post about making the principal your ally.

We got our new book-study books and I AM SO PUMPED.

We broke into elementary/secondary specific sessions, too, for a bit.  Author visits and Bluebonnet Battles were planned. We came out of this week with a new shared Google Drive folder and are looking forward to building content together.

We discussed the power of Twitter chats for awesome continued growth, and are planning to do one as a team to get the newbies used to them. You just can't understand the amazingness of them until you live it.

On the next-to-last day our Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction stopped by.  We were energized as a team to see their genuine excitement and support of our library programs.  Without a shadow of a doubt, we know that they recognize that strong school libraries support student achievement---and that is super-affirming.

I want to thank my new partner-in-crime for stepping up to take the lead elementary librarian role.(She blogs over at MrsTaylorsTales, so go check her out!) We have a shared vision and are working towards excellence!

I am so energized for this coming year, guys.  What are you doing to get inspired?  I'd love to hear all about it.

Literacy Honor Cords

     

I'm super excited to get LIT this year with literacy honor cords available to earn from the library! I've been looking for a way to really create a culture of literacy at my high school, and I think this is a fun and important step to take in that process.

A few weeks ago I posted on the ALA Think-Tank Facebook group asking folks to share their fabulous secondary library webpages.  One of my new librarian friends shared her website and it included info about their literacy cords.  I was intrigued and began searching out info from other schools who also gave these.  I only found one other school (full disclosure I did not spend weeks upon weeks searching---this from a cursory search) who bestowed these, but I love the idea and decided to run with it.  I messaged my friend, too, and she clarified a few things about their specific program for me.

After coming up with an initial list of requirements, I met with the National English Honor Society sponsor to get input, and now I've  sent it to our principal for approval.  I'm meeting with him next week to see where things stand.  Once I have it set in stone, I'll post it on the blog.

Honor cords weren't a thing when I graduated oh-so-long ago, and I didn't realize what a HUGE deal they are to the kids until I moved up to work at the high school 3 years ago.  Dude! They are serious about these and it becomes almost a competition of sorts to see how many you can earn. 

I'm all in.  While I don't love giving trinkets for reading, I DO love the idea of treating reading as something worthy of honor at graduation.  Let's reward our students for their hard work and commitment to reading. 

#IMWAYR

Still in my #Tayshaslist reading quest, I've managed to read a couple more this week.

The Dark Days Club, by Alison Goodman, is a fantasy set in the Regency era.  I happen to be a super-fan of this time in history, and love a good paranormal mystery.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait for the second book in the series to be available.

I'm still reading The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz. Currently, I'm about half-way through it and am enjoying it so far.  The main character is on the young end for a typical YA, but it has been interesting to take a look at the time period (the story is set in 1911) and I'm quite fascinated as this book was inspired by the diary of the author's grandmother.

On Audible, I've got book Hush Now, Don't You Cry by Rhys Bowen, the 11th book in the Molly Murphy mystery series.  Weirdly, I've found I can enjoy cleaning and decluttering to this book better than anything else I've tried.  Whatever works, I guess!


What are YOU reading?

It's Monday! What are YOU reading?

I'm finding that much of my reading is falling into two distinct categories this summer.  Tayshas list books and books on hygge.  There are a few other books I'm reading here and there, but I'll put all of them into miscellaneous--a bit of leadership, a bit of pedagogy, a bit of non-fiction on non-hygge topics and a mystery or two--but for the most part I'm on a Tayshas/hygge roll here.

I took Lara Avery's The Memory Book with me to Austin this past weekend.  I was attending Texas Library Association's Annual Assembly and my meetings were staggered at weird intervals which meant I would have some reading time in-between.

This book.  Oh, my heart.  I loved it, so.  Written as journal entries into a book to help retain her memories, Sammie shows us what it is to be human.  I finished this book right before my last meeting of the day on Saturday and went in weepy.  This book is gorgeous and hard and requires tissues. Loved this #tayshaslist book.

I also took Jeff Zentner's The Serpent King with me.

I've just started reading this one, but am totally intrigued by the characters thus far.  Another #tayshaslist book.  If you didn't get a chance to listen to the #KidsDeserveIt podcast or watch it with Todd Nesloney interviewing Jeff Zentner, it is worth going back to watch. Lawyer by day, writer by night?  Dude, I need some lessons.  I have been working on book ideas for ages and find it exceedingly difficult to wrangle the time between my library work and my mama work.

My newest book purchase.  After my final meeting of the weekend, I just had to swing by Book People.  I should probably mention that it is one of my most favorite places on earth.  I could easily spend hours there.  Anyhow, I went in looking specifically for this book--it was only available through my public library on ebook, and truly I hate reading on my phone.  Also, it just doesn't seem very hygge to read on a phone to me, not to mention that it was checked out already anyway.  I started it last night and am enjoying it.  It is a beautiful little book and I feel more surrounded and filled by hygge just by reading it.

Have I mentioned that my goal is to have the most Book People-ish high school library in the world? #goals #hygge

What are YOU reading?