Linda Diekman

What's your current job?

I am a National Board Certified school librarian at Roosevelt Elementary School in Park Ridge, Illinois. After over twenty years in the business world, I received my Masters Degree and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Library and Information Science from GSLIS at the University of Illinois. I also obtained my teaching certificate through their K-12 program. 

I have been an elementary school librarian since 2006 and previously worked in Lake Bluff and Glenview, Illinois. I have taught as an adjunct faculty member in National Louis University’s school library endorsement program concentrating on collection development and research methods. In addition, I have taught the non-fiction literature course at GSLIS.

I have recently started a blog concentrating on reviews of intermediate grade books. Check it out at http://msdreads.wordpress.com/

How do you manage your time?

At Roosevelt School, I work with an amazing group of students and educators. There are almost 700 K-5^th grade students passing through the library each week. The most challenging part of my job is, with a flexible schedule, to get books in reader’s hands while I work with teachers to plan and deliver collaborative lessons. With almost 700 students, there are just not enough hours in the week. In order to stretch the time available, I’m in the process of reinventing the LRC website so that tutorials and book recommendations are available 24/7. While I can’t clone myself, “going virtual” with my lessons, plans, and programs may help move the library beyond its physical walls.

What's the best professional advice you've ever been given? 

Linda Diekman

The best piece of professional advice I’ve been given came from Vi Harada at the University of Hawaii. When attending a conference session on assessment, she encouraged us to “start small and start friendly.” I think of that every day as I reach out to teachers initiating conversations that, I hope, will lead to collaborative opportunities. I incorporate that advice into my own presentations, hoping to spread that sentiment.

You can have any superpower, what would it be?

I’ve been thinking long and hard about what superpower I would like to have and I think I’d like to be a super-speed reader.  I’d like to just pick up a book, whiz through it, and still get the beauty of the writing, characters, and plot along with instant recall to be able to present a booktalk. That would take care of the problem of “too many books and too little time.”

Email: lmdiekman@sbcglobal.net