Librarians are Community Builders: with Kim Johnson
The Librarian Influencer of the Week is Kim Johnson a high school librarian in Maryland where she is also active in her state library association Maryland Association of School Librarians. Listen to her interview here: http://laurasheneman.libsyn.com/librarians-are-community-builders-with-kim-johnson

In this podcast, Kim does a wonderful job describing her first year in the school library.
Having a mentor and working closely with her clerk made a big difference for her
Focus on relationships because you are really building your clientele at the high school level since you are not part of a specials rotation like elementary library time often is.
Don’t feel like you have to do trendy things like Makerspaces. Find your own passion within the school librarian space!
Here are some Librarian Influencer strategies Kim shared:
Community = shared experiences and a sense of belonging.
Interactive displays and spaces - the space becomes their own and evolves over time (whiteboard walls, puzzles, post - its, thank a teacher/ thank a student - shared by the librarians at Hillcrest High School @readonthehill on Instagram)
Human Library, Kim has plans for the Longest Table
Creating a community with staff - school librarianship can be alienating, but you are a connector between departments.
We are outreach connectors too - the public library, local colleges, local businesses (experiences passes)
Book recommendation: Wait, Rest, Pause: Dormancy in Nature by Marcie Flinchum
You can follow Librarian Influencer Kim Johnson at:
Twitter: @kapjohnson
Instagram: @whs_owls_library
Email: kajohns@carrollk12.org
***Scroll to the bottom of the page and subscribe to our mailing list. Stay up to date on latest blog posts, podcast interviews, and other related topics.***