The Librarian Influencer of the Week is Lucy Podmore. She works in a high school library in San Antonio, Texas and also has middle school library experience. Click here to listen now!
Here are some librarian influencer tips Lucy shared:
Don’t be afraid to try new things when you are starting out. If it doesn’t work out, then choose not to continue with it. It’s OK.
She worked hard in the beginning to be welcoming and build relationships. This was done to help reshape how the teachers viewed the librarian role.
Work with a sense of urgency, but be patient with yourself.
Take care of yourself this summer. You can’t pour from an empty well. Give yourself a rest from screen time.
This article was mentioned in our conversation: Making This Summer about YOU: Self-Care for School Librarians by Rachel Grover on 6/2/2021.
Lucy thinks that the pandemic helped showcase that the library is the heart of the school.
Lucy worked hard to let people know she was there to help them. But, she also wanted to be careful and not overwhelm them.
She used Instagram Live to help connect with the students. This put the library in a position to be the source students could go to for information.
Consider your audience and choose tools that will reach them. For example: Twitter - Central Office, Instagram - high school students, etc.
Find ways to help your administrator and others keep your library program in the front of their mind.
School librarians are school leaders - use that position to build a strong community.
You can connect with Lucy Podmore at:
Twitter: @lupodmore @clarktxlib
Instagram: @clarktxlib
SoundCloud: clarktxlib
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