Image by whoalice-moore via Pixabay.
Articles
Why so many kids struggle to learn by Natalie Wexler, The American Scholar
A very interesting article looking at a lack of engagement with cognitive science within US education faculties and the context around it. This is the first time I’ve seen this website – interesting, though very US-centric (shock!).
‘What’s an avocado?’: Localising NAPLAN questions lifts scores by Jordan Baker (Sydney Morning Herald)
An interesting article about how NAPLAN reading comprehension scores rise when texts are based on local experiences, so that students in remote outback areas aren’t having to figure out what avocados and Westfields are, for example.
Listening to Richard Fidler’s interview with Stuart Kells kicked off a whole bunch of reading. Thanks, internet! ❤️
Blood, bookworms, bosoms and bottoms: the secret life of libraries by Stuart Kells (The Guardian)
A fascinating look at books and the body via pulp fiction covers, Shakespeare’s DNA and our souls.
Loudest Libraries by Stuart Kells (The Wheeler Centre)
A wonderful essay on the tradition of silence in the library which begins with Ghostbusters and ends with a lament for library closures and books lost to war: “By destroying libraries, marauders have silenced the voices of the past.”
The Strange Magic of Libraries by Stuart Kells (The Paris Review)
Utterly beautiful discursive piece about how people feel about libraries: “In the human mind, the word library seems to sit alongside other pregnant and evocative words such as garden, forest, galaxy, and labyrinth. Book lovers speak of their possessions as beautiful flowers, verdant leaves, precious fruit, flowing fountains. Books are stars and planets and meteorites. To browse library shelves is to wander in a maze or a mirror gallery.”
Bibliomania: the strange history of compulsive book buying by Lorraine Berry (The Guardian)
A fascinating, very readable essay about 19th century bibliomania.
A Simple Way to Encourage Students to Read More Broadly by Julia Torres (Edutopia)
A thought-provoking article about genrefication and its role in creating more empowered student readers. Thanks, Dr Kay Oddone for this one (Twitter).
The Trouble with Dewey by Elisabeth Gattullo Marrocolla (School Library Journal)
I found this link through Torres’s article (above). Dewey is really under fire from US librarians at the moment… and I can see why! This article delves into EGM’s library’s move to what she calls “Dewey-Lite” to redress some of Dewey’s prejudices and his odd 19th century ideas about categorisation of animals.
How Genrefication Makes School Libraries More Like Bookstores by Gail Cornwall (KQED)
Another article linked to by Torres! Takes an overview of the genrefication trend and some of the reasons for and against it. Enjoyable read. Genrefication seems unstoppable! (I love it.)
How we will separate you from any lingering hope and other important topics of today’s faculty meeting by Julie Cadman-Kim (McSweeney’s)
Funny satirical article about online teaching during a pandemic. McSweeney’s is brilliant in general, and if you like satire, you should check it out.
Podcasts/radio
Decolonising Libraries: Who controls the narrative? (ABC radio)
Christine Anu interviews Kerry Klimm and Kirsten Thorpe about the need to rid libraries of outdated and offensive materials about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Thorpe also talks about the need for libraries to purchase more resources created by Indigenous Australians, and her hopes for more Indigenous representation in the library sector. (2021)
The history of libraries from before stone tablets to printed books (ABC radio)
Richard Fidler interviews Stuart Kells who had, at time of recording (2016) recently published a very appealing-looking book about libraries. An entertaining whistle-stop tour of the library through history – highly recommend. (Just realised he has another book called Shakespeare’s Library. Luckily, my local library has them both!)
Digital body language: how to work online (BBC Radio 4)
Top tips in case we have to return to zoom teaching. 😕
Finding Joy (School Libraries United)
This was a very entertaining episode of the SLU podcast, mostly because the guest, Arlene Laverde, is so dynamic! She talks about finding joy in her career, but also has top tips on advocacy, like advocating libraries to people who aren’t librarians! Talk out, not in!
Blogs/blog posts
Genrefication motivation by Julia Torres (on her blog)
I followed this link from Torres’s Edutopia article (above) – it’s a fascinating, in depth case study of her implementation of genrefication in her school library, her reasons for it and the results. Beautiful looking blog, too!
Videos/YouTube/TikToks
See Sally Research by Joyce Valenza (TedxPhiladelphiaED)
Amusing…
I am hungry by Michael Rosen
My primary teacher cousin put me onto Rosen’s cool picture book/performance poetry videos. So fun! (& very multimodal)
Websites
A cute little page of free images and videos, some quite quirky.
I’m particularly enjoying the illustrations on this site – found above.
Tweets
https://twitter.com/suejohnston/status/1480736670559309826
https://twitter.com/Sli_Library/status/1480791788008869890
MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE LIBRARY... 