Rural Education Needs

Image source:  Pixabay As someone who grew up in a very rural area (graduating class of 32, but 3 were foreign exchange students!), and someone who works with libraries serving rural communities, I’m glad to see national attention focused on the particular needs...

Power Up Reflection #2

On Friday morning of the Power Up Conference, I attended two back-to-back sessions about inclusion that set me to wondering.  The first was called But I Loved That Book as a Kid:  Leading Staff to More Inclusive Practices with Angie Manfredi.  The...

Power Up Reflection #1

Image from PixabaySo, I guess I took March off from posting to the blog.  Nothing like abdominal surgery to slow a person down.  I am back, and full of ideas for posting, so hopefully content will be more regular from here on out.  Remember that I am...

Talking Is Teaching Bundles

I’m working with a few IFLS-area libraries and a marvelous load of other partners on the Talking Is Teaching Chippewa Valley initiative.  The goal is to empower parents and caregivers with the knowledge that the more they talk (and listen!) to their kids,...

Thinking about Dr. Seuss

Read Across America Day is coming up, and many of you have fun activities planned for your communities, encouraging family reading and celebrating the fun of literature.  Since this celebration of reading happens on March 2, which is the birthday of Dr....

Parents Interacting with Intention

Wow, I cannot believe that February is half-over and I haven’t managed to write a blog post till now!  Remember, if you have a program or something you’ve been thinking about you’d like us to highlight, those are always the most popular...

Youth Media Awards!

I was moderately interested this morning when the newscasters, with bated breath, announced the Academy Award nominations this year.  But give me some Caldecott, Newbery, Coretta Scott King, Schneider Family, Pura Belpre, and Printz Awards action (not to mention...

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Image from PixabayHonoring the work and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. should be something we do year-round, and not just on a particular day or month.  But since it is MLK, Jr. Day today, it seems important to think about some things we can do that...