To all of my St. Louis friends and my librarian friends who will be in on Wednesday for AASL, I want to invite you to a talk with my amazing friend Amanda Jones where she’ll share the story behind the story of her bestselling book That Librarian. RSVP here: www.left-bank.com/event/amanda...

When a kinder wants a “research book” about snails because he hopes there’s a new pet on the way, you stop everything to find that book. I can report that he left very happy.

Reason #238 to befriend your art teacher: when you lose a button at school she can set you up with needle and thread to get you good as new. Thanks Tiffany!

Spending lunches reading to kids who voluntarily come up for a story time. Not a bad part of my day. 📚❤️

By this time next week I’ll be wrapping up my Keynote at the Tennessee Association of School Librarians’ annual conference! Honored to be asked to close out the event and share with colleagues. If you’ll be there, below are my sessions and Keynote times and topics.

Excited for AASL to be in St. Louis next month and also excited to be able to do all kinds of sharing over Friday and Saturday. If you're there with me, here's where you can find me!

An awesome morning hosting Aaron Reynolds for his newest book with Jasper Rabbit, Troubling Tonsils! This guy has some energy! He signed our wall right next to the Creepy Carrots Peter Brown drew for us a few years ago. 🥕❤️

New NF hitting shelves today and on display for easy access!

Day 3 of school: What did this student say when she checked out these books during her first visit to the library for the year? “THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!” P.S. School Libraries are Important ❤️📚❤️

Second day of school: S: Do you have another book like Magic Ramen? Me: Sure! What did you like about it that you’re hoping to read in another book? S: Like another biography with noodles in it. Me: Actually, I don’t have anything like that. 😂🍜

Student on the second day of school: “I read a whole Weird But True book last night. I was only supposed to read for 30 minutes. But I extended that.” 📚❤️

When you feel seen by your local Kaldis Coffee… #BackToSchool

If you're a fan of Chronicling America's 23+MILLION pages of full text historical US Newspapers, you may have already seen that their Beta site has now officially gone live. There's a great write-up to check out here: newsroom.loc.gov/news/library...

The JAMS Library Project continues! Phase Two is here: comfy furniture, more books students love, & better library tools. We’re not done yet—help us keep building! Blog: bldglibraries.substack.com/p/were-back-... @librarianjones.com @captainlibrary.bsky.social @andreatrudeau.bsky.social

Big thanks to @kidsdiscover.bsky.social for being part of our buildinglibraries.org journey! Their engaging nonfiction inspires curious minds every day. Read more: bldglibraries.substack.com/p/partnershi... (link in bio)

It was such an honor to participate in @lieberrian.bsky.social's program Ducks 4 Laryssa in memory of her sister. If you find yourself at a library somewhere in the world, you can post your own ducky pic here: sites.google.com/view/ducks4l... #ducks4laryssa #bldglibraries #internationallibraries

This post went up a couple of days ago, but I neglected to share it here. I think it’s a testament to the students we’ve met on our trip. Look for the Helpers (part 1) substack.com/@bldglibrari...

Hard at work and loving every minute of it! Today we’ve been busy labeling books for the library at JAMS in Kenya—getting each one ready to inspire, empower, and educate. Every sticker is a step toward building something beautiful for this incredible community. #LibraryLove #BooksChangeLives

Today we visited the Masolo family and the Jane-Pauline Audi Research Library, a community library they run from their home in memory of their daughter. Out of heartbreak, they’ve built something full of hope, love, and purpose.

Saturday nights are for dancing like nobody’s watching… because tomorrow we alphabetize like everybody is! 🕺📚💃 #LibraryLife #WorkHardShelfHard

“If you build it, they will come.” And they did—big time! 🤩 Today, the JAMS library was alive with energy! Students browsed and checked out books, played games, colored, relaxed, and connected with friends. It wasn’t just a library—it was the place to be. #JAMSReads #BldgLibraries #TLsky

We are deeply grateful to award-winning author @poetnikki.bsky.social for her generous donation to JAMS in Kenya. Her powerful stories and poems now line the shelves of the school’s library, inspiring young readers. Thanks a Million, Nikki, for investing in the minds and 💕 of the next generation.

Check out our latest blog post, “Hidden Gems,” about rethinking what we give and how it makes kids feel. We highlight the new and rediscovered books now proudly on display in the school library. bldglibraries.substack.com/p/hidden-gem...

We've been hard at work at the library renovation at Jane Adeny Memorial School in Kenya! I've written about some of our first steps here: bldglibraries.substack.com/p/seeing-the... You can also subscribe to our Substack for future posts coming over the next few weeks!

After a tornado, 2 days with no school, and 4 days in other buildings, we returned to Captain on Wednesday with 425+ books out. Amazingly, just 2 days later, we ended the year with about 25 books out & lost. Huge kudos to our students, parents, & teachers who helped get every 📖 back on the shelf!

Great conversation with Tom Nixon about all things library!

I saw this last night. I know you could say he’s done 100+ worse things in these 100+ days. But I know the good work Dr. Hayden has done. I worked at this place. I’m friends with people who still work there. And I professionally value what they do. This one hits me in a different way.

The school-wide art show was last week. Two of the pieces came from the library’s new 3D printer, providing new opportunities for students to share their work. Another was informed (and maybe inspired) by a library book on magical creatures.

We finished the week right with a visit from Max Brallier where he shared his new Last Comics on Earth series and he talked about how his daydreaming as a kid led to so many awesome books!

This may be the best birthday news I could have received!

Spent the morning at the MO History Museum LRC with 4th graders. I had met with staff in the fall to ask about modifying a middle school program for our elementary students. And. It. Went. Great! Kids were engaged, analyzing sources, and taking in secondary source information to make connections.

Spent the last couple of days in DC on behalf of the American Library Association speaking about the importance of libraries and the value to Missourians of federal funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Service and the Department of Education.

If you teach the Cold War or know someone who does, check out this new Primary Source Set from the Library of Congress! www.loc.gov/classroom-ma...

We just started our news literacy unit. So many elementary Ss are paying attention to the news (even though there were some misconceptions) to a level of detail that I think would surprise you. And they are getting it from everywhere. Teaching news literacy at the elementary level is a must!

If you’re a Chronicling America user you might have seen the new beta interface. But you may not have noticed that the “old” site is not being updated with new pages anymore. The url will be redirected this year, but until then, you can find the beta version here: www.loc.gov/collections/...

We couldn’t thank all of our donors and bidders more! Thank you for being part of this journey with us!

Today is the day! Get that last bid in for great PD, author visits, signed books, and more! bit.ly/LBLAuction

Knowing what is available is the first step in using #PrimarySources in your school or library. Check out the new Prints and Photographs available at the Library of Congress! blogs.loc.gov/picturethis/...

Just a couple days left to bid on some incredible items! What are you waiting for? Check them out at bit.ly/LBLAuction

Looking for PD for you, your district, your region, or state organization? We’ve got you covered. Checkout the offerings at bit.ly/LBLAuction

Ready to take that next step in your writing? Or thinking about putting pen to paper? Check out these great opportunities to meet with a literary agent and authors to start that next chapter! More at bit.ly/LBLAuction

Find amazing Author Visit opportunities at our online action! Open through March 20th Explore at bit.ly/LBLAuction

I love this idea and cause, and three incredible librarians are leading it. Check out their silent auction! Lots of cool books and webinar opportunities! www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticket... @captainlibrary.bsky.social @librarianjones.com @andrea-trudeau.bsky.social #TLsky #EduSky #KyLChat

A tried and true strategy that works great with Ss new to primary sources or complex images that may be challenging to take in all at once!

It is always great talking with Amy, especially about a project we’re passionate about. Hear about our upcoming auction items here!

These amazing #schoollibrarians are building a #library in Kenya this summer! Learn how you can help this Fri March 7 #episode 311. #tlsky @captainlibrary.bsky.social @librarianjones.com @andrea-trudeau.bsky.social

Excited to share this #episode and conversation with @captainlibrary.bsky.social @librarianjones.com and @andrea-trudeau.bsky.social #schoollibrarians #tlsky #librarians

Excited to share 3 #schoollibrarians and their summer project to build a #library in Kenya! @captainlibrary.bsky.social @librarianjones.com @andrea-trudeau.bsky.social

Sometimes working on primary sources skills is parallel to the content learning we’re doing. The whole school is learning about Pullman Porters (and their unionization a century ago). This week, some Ss are practicing reading cursive/script with this letter from a man asking for a job as a porter.

This past year, I had the honor of chairing the Notable Children's Books committee. We were tasked with creating a list of the best books published for children in 2024. If you're as into children's books as I am, you may want to check out the list here: www.ala.org/alsc/awardsg...