Wednesday, October 28, 2015

In Bellview: Teacher-librarian Weatherly Oakes

Beige-skinned woman with shoulder-length brown hair stands in front of a whiteboard in a wooden frame. She holds up a stack of posters with cartoon-style illustrations. The one on top reads, 'LIBRARY RULES: Always Walk, Never Run.' Behind her, books are arranged on library shelves

Teacher-librarian Weatherly Oakes presented her first library skills lessons in Bellview library today. Using colorful posters (and a Jeopardy-style game for the older children) she reviewed library expectations. Welcome, Weatherly!

Saturday, October 24, 2015

‘The Sign of the Cat’ by Lynne Jonell

Book cover, The Sign of the Cat by Lynne Jonell. Image depicts a red-headed boy with a white kitten on his shoulder, next to a tiger on a log raft with billowing sail
In the island kingdom of Arvidia, Duncan McKay’s mother insists he must always wear a cap with earflaps whenever he is outside. His grades in school must never be too good. And when he fences with the baron’s son Robert, he is (mostly) careful to lose.

Duncan’s cat Grizel taught him to speak Cat, but this too must stay a secret.

About his father, Duncan only knows what little his mother has told him: that he once owned a boat but he was not a fisherman, and was an excellent swordsman. To be near his father, Duncan can only visit a grave that his mother says is his.

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Project PALS module 2, ‘Arranging the Library Environment’

“Arranging the Library Environment,” Module 2 in the Project PALS online course, “Serving Library Users on the Autism Spectrum,” invites library professionals to critically evaluate the environment and the structure of activities in the library to consider the effect they might have upon autistic patrons.

STDL and autism: Are self-advocates part of discussion?

From Targeting Autism, a project and blog addressing library service to patrons with autism, I learned that Kate Niehoff, program and outreach coordinator with the Schaumburg Township District Library (STDL) in Schaumburg, Ill. will be part of a panel discussion that focuses on programs for adult patrons on the autism spectrum.

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Bellview Elementary School library ‘Top 10’

The Bellview Elementary School library “Top 10” represent the most often-checked-out books during the previous 30 days, as tracked by the Follett-Destiny online public access catalog. Roughly once per month, I like to create flyers that showcase these often-used resources.