New Library Books!!

Beyond stoked. Our new books for the library and the English dept turned up. 

'The Hate U Give' and 'On the Come Up' by Angie Thomas, 'He Kupu Tuku Iho' by Wharehuia Milroy and Timoti Karetu, and 'Telesa' by Lani Wendt Young. 

#OClibrary

Library Discussions - 17th June

I had in-depth reading discussions with three students today. Four books were borrowed today. Two books returned. One upset student because I'd given the book she'd started reading (and left behind last week) to someone else to read first. That student's excited facial expressions when she saw Telesā.  Excitement and enthusiasm - for reading.

Small changes. Slowly. The reading culture at Ōpōtiki College still has a heartbeat. I see it coming back each day. Slowly and slowly. ♥️ Beautiful. 

#OClibrary

OC Library: Update - New Books!!!

We've been so busy!!!!!!

Book club is going well.

I've weeded nearly ALL of the old magazines and am slowly distributing them to other teachers who might want to use them.

Yesterday Juls from the Ōpōtiki District Library came to help me with weeding the 700s and organising the chaos. We found SO many new books under the bench. Sooooooo many new books. Exciting!!! I straight up nearly cried. Frustrating but also awesome. Even a 2019 Guiness World Records. How early do you order those things? I thought it wouldn't have come out til early this year but someone obviously bought it last year and put it in a box and put it under the bench.

So much to learn.

So much to organise but we're getting there. The bench is clear. We have less books sitting in stack. Preferably I don't want a stack. It'd be great to have everything of use on the shelves. And weed anything that is irrelevant.

We're getting there. It's taking shape. I can see the vision in my head and now we just need to keep going. Bits and pieces and slowly we'll get there.

Loving the space so far. Moments of worry but also big moments of excitement.

Huge shoutout to Juls and my newbie librarians. ❤❤❤

OCLibrary: Progress Update

I'd say small changes, yet when people have been coming into the library they are impressed with the amount of space I've created so far. They comment on the vibe, the wairua in the library. People look around and actually come into the library now.

To be fair, I've caught out a few students trying to use the library as a thoroughfare and a circular roundabout to jump out at their friends walking down the corridor.

All these little things and yet, when students happen to walk in, I say hi and welcome them in. They are even more surprised when I ask them what their last book they read was. I'm getting quite a collection so far.

I have big plans for our library. I also have moments of true excitement where I can see the coherence and collaborative opportunities arise with the library as an information hub.

I want to create new posters and make our library a bright place to hang out in.

To do:
- make a reading log for the book challenge
- make or find new genre posters
- cut out the rest of the bookmarks for colouring in
- cut the edges of the laminated bookmarks
- make a wall display for 'What was the last book you read?'
- make a poster for the books to movies display?
- get the big library desk moved out and finish organising the new space in the corner
- bring a jug and milk to bookclub for Milos etc
- make a wall display for upcoming competitions and events

Literacy Strategy Planning at Ōpōtiki College

I was reminded yesterday by a new colleague librarian from Tokoroa High School how fortunate I am with my new roles here at Ōpōtiki College.

When I got my job, I applied for everything I could because I wanted to be here in Ōpōtiki with my whanau. Plus of course, I desperately wanted and needed a challenge. The English Curriculum Advisor role is a really special one. It helps me connect with the teachers in our team and lift them up where they want/need. I'm able to deliver PLD and share resources, create resources with them collaboratively and design relevant programmes of learning for our students. I think part of the reason I got the job was my vision for an integrated literacy programme throughout the school using the 'Coast by Nature' framework.

I've already mentioned in a previous post about my excitement for teaching English and being able to 'look after' the library. I keep forgetting that the library is a full-time job in and of itself. For now though, it is what I make of it. I have a great team of Book Club students and this Thursday will get ideas from our English Department on what we need to do in our space to make it useful, functional and relevant to our students and staff wants and needs. I want the library to be an information hub. A place where students can get the information they need for their assessments. Where students can ask for help and be pointed to the right direction. Where students can develop more confidence in their reading skills too.

Last week my new role was announced. I've been given the Kāhui Ako / Community of Learning role as the Pedagogical Leader of Literacy. This was a big decision as my first focus has to be on uplifting the English Dept and building literacy throughout the school comes hand in hand with that. The workload was a serious outlier and one that I'm still navigating.

With these two roles as my pou, I can see my overall goal of lifting literacy have more focus and drive. Using the library as our main space to celebrate and build these skills is absolutely awesome and necessary.

I'm absolutely looking forward to the PLD this week with Cathy Dewes from NZCER. I'm a bit gutted about missing my 9&10 Tihi class again this Friday though!!

More thoughts to be thought. New Assessment Resource Bank (ARBs) to be thought of in relation to our goal of an integrated literacy programme throughout OC. Need to catch up with our social scientists and English kaiako for help with identifying what needs they have of the non-fiction section for their student's assessments.

OC Library Vortex - 31st March

Me - "I'll only be a couple hours, K? See you when I get home!"
Also me, "Wow... It's already been six hours organising and tidying in the library. Probably should go home..."

😂 #OCbookclub #OpotikiCollegeLibrary #explore2019

I am beyond excited about my find at CREW today! A mobile book display for our OC Library!! ❤❤❤ Just needs a little bit of paint and it will look awesome with all of the new books coming into our library. Still so stoked with the amount of new books we found hidden in the boxes under the computer bench yesterday. Massive thanks to Juls from the District Library for all her mahi and help. And another awesome thanks to Vickee for introducing me to CREW today. Found heaps of new frames too to finally put my travel photos in ❤❤❤

Alternate Future Career Pathway: Librarian

One of my alternate future career Pathways was becoming a librarian. Being a kid obsessed with reading thanks to my nan and my genetic disposition to reading thanks to my Molloy side, it's of no wonder why this was always going to be a possibility.

And so, with this in mind, I'd just like to point out how excited I was on my first day at Ōpōtiki College (literally - at my interview) when I was showed the library and the DP said they were looking for someone to take over the library to bring new life to it. I put my hand up as high as I could (while standing behind her in the corridor).

Of course, I'd be keen if I got the job. And I did. And now... I am working towards my alternate career pathway. Because there are SO many things I didn't know. That I would obviously have to know as I move forward building the library in our space and making it a fun, functional and interesting place to be.

No before photo... But there will be plenty of after photos as we start to bring it all together.

What I need:
- positive and negative experiences of using libraries
- what aspects you like about being in a library eg asthetics, seating choices, cool things your library does etc
- what aspects you don't like
- ideas for bringing students into the library eg competitions, food, book club etc
- ways to encourage staff members to use the library
- ideas for easy (and cheap) giveaways eg bookmarks etc
- any library geekiness I need to know

I've already got some awesome support people at kura and some great support at our Ōpōtiki Library in town too. The youth librarian there Juls is freaking awesome. And am hoping to get in touch with the Trident librarian soon as well.

Many thanks in advance ❤

#opotikicollegelibrary #OCLibrary #librarygeek #OCbookclub