Now that Summer Reading is over, we can take the time to reflect on what worked, what didn’t work, and how to improve our services for future years. Given larger-scale concerns about screen time and technology usage, it’s timely to evaluate the format of summer reading logs at the library: should we use physical logs or digital apps? There are pros and cons to both methods. This blog post will delve into each as well as discuss where this falls in the scope of current events.
Category: Blogger Joannie Lauria
Back to School Picture Books
Back to School is here! This season brings a wide range of emotions for children. Whether they are excited or nervous, a great read aloud can help them to understand their feelings, connect with new situations, feel comfortable with change, and maybe even laugh about silly school shenanigans. The following books published in 2026 have stood out to me as great choices for this time of year.
Unearth Your Story
As librarians, we are highly skilled at telling stories. This summer, those stories are taking us on dinosaur adventures, prehistoric explorations, and treasure hunts. After the summer rush is over, I encourage you to hang on to this theme and think about your own story. Why did you become a librarian? What skills, passions, and experiences do you bring to the table? What goals do you have for yourself and your department? Let’s unearth your story together.
4 At-Home Summer Literacy Strategies
As summer approaches, families may be searching for ways to support literacy development at home. Last month, I wrote about how to speak with caregivers about literacy. In that post, I mentioned the importance of empowering families by offering a few practical suggestions that are easy to infuse into daily routines. Below are 4 simple strategies you can share that align with key literacy concepts. These strategies all follow Science of Reading principles. In addition to sharing with families, you can also use these strategies into your own programming to build literacy skills with patrons!
How to Speak with Caregivers about Literacy
As librarians, reading and literacy are concepts that have been ingrained into our practice. Growing up, many of us most likely enjoyed reading or being around books. However, that is not the case for all who walk through our doors. Many people have negative memories about learning to read, didn’t like reading, or didn’t have it as a routine in their home. When initiating conversations about literacy with caregivers, it’s important to know how to speak with respect on this topic so that we can empower and serve our patrons to the fullest extent. Here are some Do’s and Don’ts when talking with caregivers about how to support their child’s reading journey.
Parenting Trends: Analog Living
You may have heard the phrases, “Slow Parenting”, “Low-Tech Living”, or “Analog Living”. Whatever you decide to call it, the underlying trend is to have more screen-free experiences and unplugged moments. It’s not about removing devices and technology entirely. Instead, it’s creating healthy relationships with devices, which is an important skill to teach and model for children.
Silent Book Club: Kids Edition
Picture this: a room filled with children silently reading in comfy chairs, gentle music playing softly in the background, lights dimmed, and a magical sense of peace floating in the air… Does this seem too good to be true? I’m here to tell you that it can be done! The Silent Book Club phenomenon has taken the art of reading independently into a social event. It’s an excursion for readers to share a connected space of imagination as they read their own book while physically being in a group setting. These events have predominantly taken off in adult circles, but they have started to trickle down into teen and children’s spaces as well.
Winter Mindfulness for Kids
Winter is here! These cold winter days can mean lots of time cooped up inside with little opportunity for children to release energy. For many who already struggle with regulating, this season can feel especially hard. Librarians can step in to teach and model mindful strategies to help them feel more grounded. Mindfulness in the Library Practicing mindfulness is important to help children regulate, sustain their attention, and manage their emotions. As librarians, we can subtly infuse mindful practices into our programming to support kids. One strategy is to use cozy picture books to offer winter relief, as blogger Erika Hogan shared. Another strategy you could try is implementing “One Mindful Minute” of deep breathing or other stress-reducing activity into your programs. To take things a step further, you could try building an entire activity or program that is centered around mindfulness. As a Certified Yoga Teacher, I have a…