Library Media Tech Talk

AI Basic Training: What Happened When a Librarian and Coach Brought the Army and AI to Middle School Coach Whitlow and I brought Army training culture into the library for a middle school AI best practices lesson. The handouts said UNCLASSIFIED TRAINING MATERIAL across the top. I was in Army camo. Coach Whitlow was in her camo. And her middle school class was about to get their first real lesson in AI best practices. That's how AI Basic Training was born. An Unexpected Conversation Coach Whitlow teaches Career Development and Tools at our middle school, in addition to her coaching responsibilities. Because of our different schedules, we had barely crossed paths before she approached me about doing a collaborative lesson on AI best practices. It happened while I was talking to the Vocabulary & Numeracy teacher, who is also a Coach. That coach and I had done several literacy based collaborations, and I can't help but wonder if she had told Coach Whitlow about our library anti...

Something kept nagging me to create an annual report this year, even as summer arrived. I'm glad I listened. Since returning to public school librarianship this year after 5 years away from the profession , I've been doing a lot of reflecting now that the school year has come to a close. At first, I didn't consider creating an annual report. In the past I used Microsoft Sway for library annual reports. I had almost talked myself out of it since summer is here. The results took me down a path of inspiration that I didn't expect. I'll explain more about how it impacted me to go down this thought path. Being my first year back, I was overwhelmed with the K-12 schedule. We had many celebrations through the year, increased circulation, steady foot traffic,  some powerful community building through RTI programming , and even some collaborations with teachers ( one that resulted in an Outsiders program  based on the S.E. Hinton novel!). I started writing these thoughts dow...

Complete transparency: my first year back in a school library was a challenge. After five years balancing roles as an Army National Guard Company Commander and a public library administrator, I had forgotten the sheer pace of the K-12 world. I traded administrative meetings for constant foot traffic and a 30-minute lunch crammed somewhere between checkout lines. But as the final weeks of the year arrived and the shelves began to fill back up for summer, I decided to try something new. I wanted to see the year through the lens of a student. How did the library impact them? What would they remember? The best way to find out is to ask! Field Day provided all-day traffic to the school library The Simple Prompt During Field Day, I rolled out a long sheet of bulletin board paper and wrote one simple question: "What will you remember most about the library from this school year?" I left out markers and let the students respond—some signed their names, others stayed anonymous. The f...

When I worked as a school librarian from 2008-2020, I always opened the library before school so that students can access the space and resources we have. When I started this new position in August of 2025, I decided to continue this practice of opening the library before school each day.   Creating a Morning Sanctuary The response was immediate. Within two weeks, word had spread, and we reached "capacity" by 7:40 AM most mornings. While having to cap numbers due to seating is a challenge, it is a "good problem" to have—it proves the demand for a safe, engaging morning space. To maintain a balance of productivity and fun, I curated a variety of "Morning Stations": Literacy: Independent reading and book discovery. Gaming: Strategic classics like Chess and Uno. Digital Learning: Educational gaming via Nitro Type, Gimkit, and Blooket. Makerspace: Hands-on building kits and puzzles. The Strategy: To manage hall traffic, I require students to stay until th...

Students examine historical newspapers I've been experimenting with using our weekly 35-minute RTI (Response To Intervention) enrichment time to bring engaging, real-world programming into the library. This flexible time allows us to schedule programs for students who don't require mandated remediation, offering valuable enrichment instead. The need for local connection became profoundly clear when I discovered how few students connect with the Malvern Daily Record , a paper with a deep history in our county. It was surprising how many students don't look at the paper—one even told me they had never physically held or read one! To bridge this gap, I decided to invite Mrs. Heather Bennett Ritter , Staff Writer for the Malvern Daily Record , to present during one of our library sessions. We had an excellent turnout for the event. Mrs. Ritter and I take a moment for a photo! Building Connections and Learning History Mrs. Ritter took time to talk about the history of the newspa...

After returning to the profession as a school librarian this year, I quickly realized a critical gap. In my previous positions, I had always worked with at least one talented adult paraprofessional who handled decorations and displays. Now, as the sole teacher librarian, I was concerned. Creative ideas came easily, but the execution —making it look professional, appealing, and polished—was rarely my strength. I knew I couldn't ignore this essential component of library visibility and community engagement. I needed a sustainable solution that would turn my personal challenge into a programmatic opportunity . The answer, I soon discovered, was right in front of me: my students. The Experiment: Putting Students in Charge With several student workers lined up for the 2025-2026 school year, I immediately began assessing their talents. I noted that I had students with particular strengths in drawing, coloring, and digital design. "Fall Ball" Display I began challenging the kids...