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What does it mean to be an advocate for public school libraries in the broadest sense of the term? Erika Long's Twitter feed is a window into deeply engaged, committed library advocacy on the state and national level. A school librarian and Apple teacher, Long posts about about state legislation she champions in her home state of Tennessee as well as her engagement with professional groups like the ALA, AASL the Tennessee Library Association (TNLA), and the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color. Long's posts often focus on issues of intellectual freedom and supporting librarians that stand up to banned book measures as well as legislation that curtails schools from discussing our racial past, current racial discrimination and LGBTQ and gender identify.

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The author of Reimagining Library Spaces: Transform Your Space on Any Budget, Media Specialist/Teacher Librarian Diana Rendina created this blog as a way to share her knowledge about establishing library maker spaces and library redesign. While the book chronicles every aspect of Rendina's journey in redesigning her own 6-12th grade library, the blog offers clickable, easily digested hints and tips like "Cardboard Challenge Tips" and "5 Ways to Up Your Library Orientation Game." This blog provides practical, relevant advice for librarians interested in transforming static library space into a collaborative, inviting environment and for those who want to introduce engaging makerspace opportunities for their students.

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Virtual PD Hack: Sketchnoting Conference Recordings

Virtual PD Hack: Sketchnoting Conference Recordings (and Webinars) Like many other educators around the globe, back in March I quite suddenly found myself teleworking. As a librarian, I struggled with this, since so much of what I do is about connecting with teachers and students. I worked at our online student help desk, trained our ... Read more

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Virtual PD Hack: Sketchnoting Conference Recordings Virtual PD Hack: Sketchnoting Conference Recordings (and Webinars) Like many other educators around the globe, back in March I quite suddenly found myself teleworking. As a librarian, I struggled with this, since so much of what I do is about connecting with teachers and students.

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Instagram/This Picture Book Life @writesinla

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Instagram/This Picture Book Life @writesinla

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This creative, playful Instagram feed (and blog) is created by author and book enthusiast Danielle Davis. Danielle creates fabulous book lists that emphasize diversity. Her short reviews are insightful and helpful for developing well-represented library collections. However, what drew me in is her posts in which she invites a crafter/maker to design a fun activity/craft to pair with a featured picture book. These activities are perfect fodder for librarians interested in creating low-cost, hands-on maker opportunities to pair with books.

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Created by children's book enthusiast John Schu, this blog showcases new picture book and middle grade titles, featuring plentiful author interviews and book trailers. Schu, in collaboration with Colby Sharp, also created a Mock Caldecott list with title descriptions, videos and trailers. This blog will alert librarians to up-and-coming books that they might have missed otherwise. Students will enjoy learning more about children's book authors through the interviews. Mr. Schu has been on the scene for a while--I'm not sure how I stumbled across him but I think it may have been when he was speaking at a children's book conference!

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Exploring Children’s Literature through Interviews and Book Trailers

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Don't Shush Me! Adventures of a Twenty-First Century High School Librarian

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This energetic, colorful blog, created by Kelsey Bogan, a Pennsylvania-based high school librarian, focuses on diversifying library collections, harnessing social media platforms for library advocacy and community building, and improving library instruction. What's not to love? Bogan offers plentiful posts for librarians interested in dipping their toes into the tide of TikTok, as well as info about conducting diversity audits and tips for engaging library organization and displays. I found Bogan's blog via my Feedly account (brand-new as of last week)!

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#BookTok: 5 Things Librarians Should Know

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Continuing on the series of “Librarians on TikTok” blog series, today let’s talk about the mysterious, amazing, and POWERFUL #BookTok! #BookTok is something that is having a huge …

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This blog is the brainchild of former elementary school librarian and author/illustrator Carter Higgins. Beautifully designed, the blog features conversations with picture book illustrators with "sneak peeks" into their design and art processes. The "Illustrator Feature" posts include book dummies and early drafts that really give a behind-the-scenes look at making books. This is great material to share with students, demystifying the book creation process for them and by extension, allowing them to imagine themselves as creators.

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words by Carter Higgins / pictures by Zachariah Ohora / Chronicle Books, 2019

So there's something wild about being a picture book author. You start this lump of an idea in a legal pad or a Google Doc or anywhere you can scribble. And it's half a thing. It has to be-a picture book is only half baked when it's just words.

After we were all finished, I asked Zach some questions about how this book came to be on his end. It's incredible to see how he visualized a lump of words that started with me. Now, it's a full-fledged book with heart and depth and a pretty magnificent page turn at the story's highest point. It was so much fun to make up this neighborhood. I think you'll find a home here.

Bikes for Sale is out today, anywhere great books are sold.
DPB: How did you come to illustrate Bikes for Sale?
ZO: I've been talking to Chronicle for a few years now, both of us trying to get something together. I've seen a number of manuscripts in that time but this was the first one that really spoke to me and the characters just popped off the page, I could see them almost immediately.
DPB: When our editor first mentioned approaching you, she noted something about how much she loved the way you drew people-and then you (perfectly) populated our neighborhood with creatures. How did you cast this crew?
ZO: Haha! That's funny! I did not know that! Usually I hear that people prefer my fuzzy animals to my people so thats really encouraging to hear. Something about the names you chose, Maurice and Lotta, I don't know, they just seemed more like fuzzy creatures than people.

DPB: I've been totally into your #notonspotify Instagram stuff. If this book had a soundtrack, what would it be? Related: what does music do for your art-making?
Aw thanks! That's been a fun way to show what I'm listening to any given day. And also an excuse to dig deeper into my collection to pull out records that I haven't listened to in ages or forgot that I even had. Music is crucial to my art-making and pretty much my whole life, the only time I'm not listening to music is when I'm writing or asleep.

Funny you should mention a soundtrack for Bikes for Sale. I did in fact, create a Spotify playlist to inspire me while I was working. It's of bike and park themed songs and of course it includes songs about people accidentally running into each other and it changing their lives. If anyone is interested in a fuzzy, sunny day in the park playlist I made it public and you can check it out .
DPB: What was your process like for making this book?
ZO: Well, like I said earlier, the characters just jumped off the page for me. So the first thing I did, even before signing a contract was to paint Maurice and Lotta.

I pictured Maurice as a google-eyed chipmunk. And Lotta I was at first thinking hedgehog but I feel like I've been seeing a lot of nice hedgehogs in picture books recently so I went with a spiny-anteater also known as a Echidna.

Then I had to think about what I kind of bikes they would be riding so I started Googling all the dream bikes from my childhood. Like The Raleigh Chopper (re-named The Chomper for Lotta) and of course Maurice's Lemonade bike.

After painting the main characters it was back to the drawing board and try to figure out what their world would look like. I've been playing with doing some spreads that have sequential or comic books style bits in them. And I'm glad that I was able to incorporate those into this book, I feel like it was a break through for my illustration and its something I'll continue to do in future books.

I loosely based the park and the end pages on an old map of Prospect Park in Brooklyn. We used to live a block away and spend a lot of time there. I also used to live for years by Golden Gate Park in SF so its built on mental images of both parks.

I make pencil drawings that I trace a postcard for a rough approximation of a mini spread based on an 8.5 X 11" book
DPB: Is there anything else you want us to know about this book?
I scan the drawings and clean them up and re-size stuff and then add color in Photoshop.

The finished art is all acrylic paint on paper.

ZO: This snack bar mushroom house I stole from Richard Scarry, who I steal everything I can from! And the bears working on the sign are a nod to when I worked as a sign installer and finisher for years in SF before I went back to school for Illustration.

And check out some unused cover ideas.

Zach and I really really really hope you like this wacky little neighborhood. Thanks for reading!

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Bikes for Sale + a Conversation with Zachariah Ohora

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words by Carter Higgins / pictures by Zachariah Ohora / Chronicle Books, 2019 So there's something wild about being a picture book author. You start this lump of an idea in a legal pad or a Google Doc or anywhere you can scribble. And it's half a thing.

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We Need Diverse Books is a nonprofit organization that grew out of the Twitter hashtag #WeNeedDiverseBooks in 2014. Because of its Twitter origins, doesn't it just make sense to honor WNDB's seismic influence on children's book publishing by following its Twitter feed? WNDB posts information about its grants, internships, mentorships and workshops for emerging writers and illustrators. The feed also features new diverse titles and links to interviews with authors and illustrators. This is a great way to connect with diverse book resources to help build library collections.

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Betsy Bird, Evanston public librarian extraordinaire and children's book author, is very, very social. In other words, she hosts a podcast, webcast, blog (Fuse 8 via SLJ.com), and this Twitter feed. Why did I choose her Twitter feed over all of her other social media platforms? Because Twitter serves as a handy hub, letting followers connect with Bird's various endeavors as they choose, while also benefitting from Bird's interactions with the (book) world at large. Her feed includes both links to her podcast discussions or book promotions *and* reposts from authors she admires and other book-related current events (recently, sadly book banishments). Generally, Bird's feed is positive, funny, and well-informed. Bird's blog is one of several excellent blogs hosted by SLJ.com, along with 100 Scope Notes, Teen Librarian Toolbox, and Good Comics for Kids.

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First, become a member of the Massachusetts School Library Association. Second, immediately sign up for the member e-mail group. The weekly digest provides a list of recent queries & contributions without overwhelming your inbox. Members share information about statewide databases, curriculum mapping, reading challenges, Titlewave questions (and alternatives), book recommendation, project ideas, and more. Tapping into the knowledgable hive mind of the Massachusetts school library community will alert you to resources, welcome you to active debates, and give you a space to pose your own questions.

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MA School Library Association Members MSLAmembers@groups.io

A private listserv for current members of the Massachusetts School Library Association (MSLA).

All members can post to the group.

Posts to this group do not require approval from the moderators.

Messages are set to reply to sender.

Subscriptions to this group require approval from the moderators.

Archive is visible to members only.

Wiki is visible to members only.

Members can edit their messages.

Members can set their subscriptions to no email.

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A private listserv for current members of the Massachusetts School Library Association (MSLA). All members can post to the group. Posts to this group do not require approval from the moderators. Messages are set to reply to sender. Subscriptions to this group require approval from the moderators. Archive is visible to members only.

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K.C. Boyd calls herself a "school library activist"; Library Journal named her a "mover and shaker." The recognition is well-earned and Boyd's Boss Librarian Twitter feed reflects that. Her engagement with issues ranging from intellectual freedom, diverse book representation, mental health, information literacy and more (way more). Boyd also posts about nuts and bolts school library issues, hosting conversations like "What I Wish My Administrator Knew" and sharing lessons, ideas, displays and resources for school librarians. K.C. Boyd came to my attention from Amanda Jones's article "Get Your Selfie Out There" in Knowledge Quest, February 2020.

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