Teen spirit: How to get teens back to the library

By: Sarah Cooke | August 14, 2019 |

What can libraries do to make sure their young-adult readers stop by for a visit—and then keep coming back? Get tips from School Library Journal’s Karen Jensen.

Ohio author launches book drive for town hit by tornadoes

By: Rhonda Mihalic | July 09, 2019 |

In Celina, Ohio, more than 50 homes were destroyed by tornado and everything was lost: furniture, clothing, photographs, mementos and, central to this story, books. So a local children's author started a book drive.

ALA 2019: The week I became a library

By: Rhonda Mihalic | July 01, 2019 |

I asked myself, “If you had to sum up your ALA experience in three words, what would they be?” Easy, I thought: Inspiration, innovation and interaction.

JLG Titles Dominate Excellence in Graphic Literature Awards

By: Sarah Cooke | June 17, 2019 |

The 2019 Excellence in Graphic Literature (EGL) Award winners were recently announced at the Denver Pop Culture Con, and the competition was stiff.JLG's Graphic Novel categories are among our most popular—and we are thrilled to see so many JLG selections honored in this year's EGL Awards!

Teaching Teachers the Value of the Graphic Novel

By: Julia Bannon | May 15, 2019 |

“Graphic Novels are just superhero comic books.” “They’re not even real reading.” School librarians hear these types of comments every day. So, how do you explain that Graphic Novels are a valuable part of the reading landscape and that they teach comprehension and literacy? Find out.

Forgiving fines through reading gets more kids into the library

By: Julia Bannon | April 05, 2019 |

A librarian’s dream is to have every seat in their library filled with eager young readers. But what if kids stay away because of fines? One library system is allowing kids to read their fines away - and it’s bringing students back in droves.

Reading, Writing and 'Rithmetic? What Makes a Good School Story?

By: Deborah B. Ford | August 24, 2016 | Shelf Life

Between back-to-school sales and the calendar itself, it's not terribly difficult to see that the end of summer is almost here. It's time for school to return to session. I remember when school ended at Memorial Day and restarted after Labor Day. Today's schools often go into July and resume in August. What happened to June, July and August? Read More

Curious Findings in Books

By: Deborah B. Ford | March 22, 2016 | Shelf Life

I have never been a fan of putting my hand behind a row of books. I've touched one too many nasty wrappers. It's one reason I always say "let them eat cake." If we allow them to eat in the library, give them a food trashcan, and encourage them to exercise some responsibility, kids quit sneaking food into the library. Your hamburger paper behind the biography problem will just stop. But I digress. Today as I was doing my morning pinning (schedule your social media for consistency) when I discovered an interesting article: 15 Curious Things Found in Library Books. Considering the things I have personally found in books and behind the books, I was a smidge anxious at clicking through to the article. What I found in the article was charming. Read More

PPP Irving ISD: Ensuring Diversity in Your School Library Program

By: Deborah B. Ford | March 17, 2016 | Shelf Life

What is diversity? Is it race, gender, ethnicity, ability, or culture? Is it all of the above and more? If we work with diverse students and patrons, shouldn't our teaching strategies, programs, and literature collection be a reflection of our community and beyond? Librarians are faced with the challenge of linking these students and arming them with tools for life beyond academia. Read More