Welcome!

Welcome to the Reading topic page. The purpose of this page is to engage and connect librarians in active dialog about reading topics in order to strengthen and stretch our thinking and practice. The resources found on this page are intended to spark interest and elicit discussion on various topics related to reading. It is not enough for us to read articles and books, listen to podcasts, or watch webinars. Instead, we must actively engage with this content AND connect with other practitioners and experts to discuss our thoughts, learnings, misconceptions, and questions. This page will be a place for you to dig deeper and to connect with other librarians as we grow both personally and professionally.

Melissa Thom
Teacher Librarian

Building Community
by Melissa Thom

The question of how we build relationships at the beginning of the school year is one of the most important ones we can ask. A recent tweet by Jess Lifshitz (@Jess5th) really resonated with me as I reflected on how I build relationships through reading with my school community each fall. Jess shared that "I'm thinking a lot about community these days and what I've learned about it. And so as I get ready to head back to school, I am thinking less about the back to school ACTIVITIES that will build community and more about the CONDITIONS I want to create to build community."

The articles and resources I am sharing with you have guided my thinking about nurturing a culture of reading. They have helped me to think more deeply about how I have done this in the past and how I will have to do this in the time of COVID-19 when I will be forced to teach from a distance without students' coming to the physical space of my library that I so carefully set up each year. Read More >>

Video

Building a Virtual Culture of Reading [15:52]

Topic Editor Melissa Thom talks with Tom Bober, Erika Long, and Courtney Pentland about ways to nurture a culture of reading while school districts adjust to online, hybrid, and in-person classroom models.

Article

Advocacy in Reach. Supporting a Literacy Ecosystem

in this article about creative collaboration, teacher librarian Stony Evans describes programs that promote literacy and offer new avenues for advocacy, from creative forms of textbook support, to an international book club.

Feature

Building a Reading Culture

School librarian Judi Paradis was thrilled when teachers at her elementary school started talking about the idea of developing a reading culture. In this article, Paradise describes the important role the library can play in this mission, and the coordinated effort required for a true cultural shift.

Feature

Are Author Visits Beneficial to Students? An Action Research Study

High school librarian Linda Hoiseth describes her recent action research process to formalize data about her school's author visit program. Her team's research addresses the important question: Are author visits beneficial for students? If so, in what ways?

Article

Personal Reading Consultations to Lead Students to Great Books

Tom Bober became a librarian because he wanted to help students in his school learn to love reading. He quickly learned there are many different challenges that come with being a building leader in the quest to help develop children's reading lives. In this article, Bober offers valuable resources that can support librarians in their efforts, and strategies to help connect students with books they will want to read.

Audio

School Librarians United Podcast: Amy Hermon with Amanda Johnson [44:10]

In this episode of the School Librarians United podcast, hosted by Amy Hermon, hear how Amanda Johnson is preparing to support her school community as the school year starts in a virtual environment.

Audio

School Librarians United Podcast: Amy Hermon with Kitty Felde [56:12]

In this episode of the School Librarians United podcast, hosted by Amy Hermon, Kitty Felde, host of the Book Club for Kids Podcast shares her insight and strategies for offering a virtual option to meet and build relationships with students as we read.