The Librarian Influencer of the Week is Texas librarian, Shawna Ford. She has worked in an elementary librarian, a central office curriculum position, and now Region 11 Education Service Center as a library services consultant where she serves 77 school districts and also manages a statewide library consortium for 142 districts. Click here to listen now!
Here are some librarian influencer tips Shawna shared:
Connect with other librarians through social media to learn with and from your peers around the world.
Keep the main thing the main thing. The books can wait. Focus on building relationships.
Keep building your virtual library space and be sure your patrons know how to access your virtual space.
Find ways to support your virtual learners: let students place books on hold for pickup or create a form where you can recommend books for students.
Librarians can empower students:
Involve the students in redesigning your library space.
This process also creates ownership where the students will help take care of the library spaces they designed.
Allow students to guest blog in the library’s blog.
Allow students to present to adult audiences when invited.
Librarians can provide experiences for students in a safe, learning environment.
Help students “find themselves in the library.”
Listen to what your students are passionate about and find a way to incorporate their ideas in your library.
Develop a student leadership team for your campus.
Be open minded to learning from others, including your students!
You can follow Librarian Influencer Shawna Ford at:
Twitter: @ShawnaFord1 and @ESC11Library
Facebook: @ESCRegion11LibraryServices
Instagram:@ESC11Library
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