Ideas

Quilting, knitting, and creating by hand foster collective learning. Plus: Top 10 crafting tips; Five outstanding crafting programs

“I’m still a big Dr. Seuss fan—The Sneeches, Horton, and all that stuff,” the President told middle schoolers during his visit to the Anacostia Neighborhood Library in Washington, DC. Watch the full video.

At a visit to Washington, DC’s Anacostia Neighborhood Library April 30, President Barack Obama announced two new initiatives that promise to rally America’s libraries, publishers, and nonprofit organizations to strengthen learning opportunities for all children, particularly in low-income communities. The plan, dubbed the ConnectED Library Challenge, will engage civic leaders, libraries, and schools to work together to ensure that all school students receive public library cards. Commitments from 30 library systems are already in place.

Recovered! After a transition to a new CMS a few years back, we lost some of our multimedia files. Here's what remains from a trove of readings School Library Journal recorded in 2007 for National Poetry Month.

What are minicomics? "Good Comics 4 Kids" blogger Brigid Alverson sheds some light on the independently created format, shares tips on how librarians can acquire minicomics for the collection, and suggests ways they can encourage creativity in teens.

Pat Scales responds to a kindergarten educator who questions the age-appropriateness of This One Summer as a Caldecott Honor Book and an English teacher who grapples with what to do about her student teacher from a Christian university who has asked to opt out of working with To Kill a Mockingbird.

During librarian Dawn K. Wing's time as a high school ESL teacher years ago, she developed curricula that enabled English language learners to practice their English language skills across all modalities by reading and creating visual narratives.

School librarian Katie Llera talks with her students early, when they're sophomores, about the SAT, ACT, and possible careers—and about their financial needs. “I haven’t heard of many other librarians getting involved [in college guidance],” she says.

The award honors creativity in school library programming and lesson plans that incorporate hands-on learning.