The Librarian Influencer of the Week is Carrie Friday. Carrie works at a middle school in Florida where she moved from an ELA classroom to the library about 5 years ago. Click here to listen now!
Here are some librarian influencer tips Carrie shared:
Carrie gives all media specialists permission to be AWESOME their first year on the job.
People need to know all the awesome things that are happening in your library. This keeps you relevant and on top of their mind.
Carrie invites local business leaders to her library events so they can see the value of what she is providing to the students.
As people see how great the space can be, it gives more value to what you are doing. The guests see that what she does is critical and not just a fun extra.
Carrie Friday wants librarians to know everyone belongs in the school library. It should be the heart and hub of the school.
Look at your school and community population. Then go look at your collection. Are all the demographics represented? That includes race, religion, home circumstances, disabilities, languages spoken, etc.
Use your displays, book suggestions, staff resources wisely to help them see the value of this.
If only Language Arts and Reading classes are coming to the library, that needs to change. Expand your skills set and take some risks. Look for some Science teachers or Social Studies classes. Try Music or Art.
There are tons of ways to integrate what the library offers with all content areas. Even if you are “on the wheel” you can collaborate with others and build in what they are covering into your classes.
You can connect with Carrie Friday at:
Twitter: @carriefriday
Instagram: @carriefriday and @swmsmediacenter
Blog: alwaysfridaylibrary.blogspot.com --not updated but has some fun ideas on it
Glimpse into my library: https://sites.google.com/view/southwest-florida-power-copy/home
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