At the beginning of this semester, we
were encouraged to add a gadget onto our blogs that linked to a social media account. It seemed that X, formerly known as Twitter,
was the simplest one to add, so I created an account, not knowing much about
X. I never fully got comfortable with
the format and media on the X site, so I did not create any posts, I just
followed some library accounts. As an
avid Facebooker and Instagrammer, I decided to change directions and create an
Instagram account for the library of the primary school in which I serve as the
new librarian this year. Our school
already had a Facebook page dedicated to communicating and showcasing the events
and happenings of the school, which I am one of the contributors for now, so I
created an Instagram account this week for our school library. My hope is to get it linked to our school
Facebook page, but I am still working on that.
You can find us on Instagram as blacksburgprimarylibrary.
I plan on using this social media tool
to collaborate with teachers and come alongside them to create opportunities in
the library for students to grow as learners.
One such opportunity, recently presented itself for me. For the past few years, our second graders
have had the opportunity, provided by our local Clemson Extension Office, to
hatch eggs in their classrooms and experience the life cycle of chickens. Since our science standards were updated this
year, this is no longer a part of the second-grade science standards. Our local Clemson Extension Office reached
out to the librarians in our county and asked if we’d like to house the eggs in
our libraries this year so that our second graders wouldn’t miss out on this
amazing experience as well as to allow all of the other students in our school to
participate. I have loved hosting this
in the library, sharing it with our students, and have even created a live feed
for the teachers to be able to watch them from their own classrooms. This Tuesday, March 19th will be
the 21st day for the eggs in the incubator, so they should begin to
hatch this week!
Check out our live feed: https://www.youtube.com/@ErinHogue-bb7ip
I also want to use this Instagram page
to communicate with our teachers, students, and parents as to what’s going on
in our library. Jan Wilson says in her
article, “Make Your Library More Visible” that “connecting with staff and
students outside of the school day leads to increased interaction during the
day” (Wilson, 2017, p. 16). She also states,
“we can provide a space where students want to be. Get the word out by becoming active in your
space, in your school, and on social media” (Wilson, 2017, p. 17). This is just what I plan to continue to do as
I add media to our Instagram library page.
Hopefully, I can also advocate for the
learners in our school while being a voice of reason to the importance of the
library and the services we provide to influence the powers that be. Wilson says, “As school librarians, our
impact isn’t always apparent, and our roles are frequently questioned. That’s ironic to [her] because year to year
our role evolves more than that of any other faculty member. We must adapt and grow with changes in
curriculum, students’ needs, and the expectations of teachers and administrators……Our
priorities are student-centered and we strive for their success” (Wilson, 2017,
p. 16). It worries me as I hear from our
teachers, who were told at a recent district meeting on an upcoming reading curriculum
adoption and changes coming in future ELA standards, that our state legislators
are trying to pass a law where they will only be able to read books off of an
approved list from the state level. They
will no longer be allowed to rely on their school librarians to offer
suggestions for read-alouds that are not on this approved list. My hopes are to use this Instagram page to
increase advocacy for the importance of issues that affect all learners.
REFERENCES
Wilson, J. (December 2017). Make your library more visible. School Library
Journal, 16-17.
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