Carl A. Harvey II

Prior to my current position, I was a school librarian for 4 years in MSD Warren Township. I have a B.S. in School Media Services from Ball State University and a M.S. in Education (focus on Educational Technology) from Indiana University. I have been active and served in various leadership capacities in both national and state professional associations. 

Mostly notably I’m a past-President of the Association for Indiana Media Educators, Indiana Library Federation, and American Association of School Librarians. I have written numerous articles for professional journals and I am the author of 4 professional books published by Linworth/Libraries Unlimited.


ABOUT YOUR JOB

I am the school librarian at North Elementary School in Noblesville, IN and the Department Chair of libraries for Noblesville Schools.

As I enter my 15th year in the field, I think the most interesting think about my job is that no two days have ever been the same. I am always looking for ways to do what we do better the next time around. 

Carl A. Harvey II

So, even lessons or projects that we’ve repeated year after year are constantly being tweaked and adjusted based on feedback from teachers, students, administrators, and me. One of the elements I like the best about being a school librarian is that constant journey to improve and get better and better.


ADVICE 

The most important advice I can give is to build relationships. The key to school libraries (and really any type of library) is building relationships with your patrons. They have to trust you. For school librarians, it is building trust with administrators about how you move your program forward; it is building trust with teachers that you can teach their students just as well as they can; and it is building trust with students that the library isn’t yours, but rather there for everyone…especially them! When you have those links and connections, the possibilities of your program are limitless.

Dr. Gary Hartzell has said that principals know about librarians and libraries from their days in school. So, every new administrator I’ve had, I have tried really hard to paint the picture of what I think a school library today should be all about. I think that is part of creating that 21st Century school library is creating that vision and then going full force to implement it.


JUST FOR FUN

As far as breaking stereotypes, I can remember interviewing for my first job, years later the principal said she saw this young guy get out of the truck, and she said, “Surely this isn’t the guy coming to interview for the librarian’s job!” I was…and I got the job!


E-mail Carl at carl@carl-harvey.com


And if you haven't liked/followed the Blog over at our Facebook page, I hope you'll take a moment to do that too! 

Kate Kite

I started at Wood River Public Library as a page in 2002 while pursuing my B.S. in English at SIUE. After a couple years at the library, I realized I was much better suited to a career in Library Science than in High School English education. I graduated from SIUE in 2005 with a B.S. in English, and from GSLIS at UIUC with a MSLIS in 2007. I was an on-campus GSLIS student, and through fortuitous timing I was able to return to Wood River Public Library after graduating. I was the Youth Services Librarian for both Wood River and neighboring East Alton Library until May 2008, when I became a full-time staff member at Wood River.

ABOUT YOUR JOB

I am the Assistant Director/Youth Services Librarian for Wood River Public Library. My responsibilities include all programming for youth, collection development for books in the Juvenile and Young Adult sections, cataloging all print and nonprint materials for the library, coordinating Homebound services, and numerous other duties. I am currently a member of the Illinois Library Association's Youth Services Forum, the iRead Summer Reading Program Committee, and an active member of my regional Southwest Advocates for Youth Services (SWAYS) group. No two days are ever the same!

Who is your greatest ally and why?

Wood River Public Library's Director, Diane Steele. She aided me in my pursuit of a Library Science degree, and her values of collaboration, cooperation, and involvement in the library community have shaped my views as a professional. Diane's support of new ideas and programs at the library challenges us to grow as an organization and staff. She welcomes outreach relationships within the community, encourages staff to be active in regional and state committees, and her guidance in pursuing grants has been indispensible.

How do you measure success?

When measuring success, I opt for qualitative rather quantitative. Every time I have a positive interaction with a patron, that is a success. Every time a child or teen has a great time at a program, that is a success. Every time I am able to find the answer to a patron's question, or connect a patron with a book or author, or provide a service to our community, I consider that a success. By measuring accomplishments in these terms, I almost always feel like a day has been successful!

What's the best part about working with young people?
The best part about working with young people is their honesty and creativity. If they are enthused, you'll know it, and if something isn't grabbing their attention, you'll know that, too! I try to choose crafts and activities that allow children and teens to express themselves creatively, and I am constantly amazed at what they come up with.

ADVICE

How do you decide what's important?

Anything that directly affects the patrons is important - programming, new materials, outreach, services.  Providing these things to the best of your staff's ability should be the highest priority at your library.

How can you get the most out of attending conferences?

Get social! One of the best things about going to conferences is the face-to-face time you get with colleagues. Take advantage of the social events and mixers and don't be afraid to take the initiative in talking to people. Also, learn the watch words in the program descriptions to find what will be beneficial to you. For example, sessions that advertise innovative programming using "creative staffing" may not be beneficial if you're the only staff member in the Youth Services department. 

JUST FOR FUN

What fictional character would you most like to be for a day?

Harriet M. Welch from Harriet the Spy, BEFORE everyone finds her notebook. I've always wanted to ride in a dumbwaiter, and wouldn't mind living on the Upper East Side in New York City.

How do you hope to spend your retirement?

I hope to purchase an RV and spend my retirement travelling around the country and world with my husband. That's a long way off, though!

E-mail Kate at kate@woodriverlibrary.org

Sandy Fouts

My previous occupations: Professional ballerina, department store clerk, elementary school teacher, Jazzercise instructor.

I began my library career as a substitute clerk at the Livermore Public Library in Livermore, California. Within a few years, I became a permanent clerk at LPL, and a library assistant in another town. In 2003, I decided to go back to school, at the age of 44, and become a librarian.  I was hired by the Hayward Public Library while completing the MLIS, but have returned to my home, the Livermore Public Library, where I now serve as a Supervising Librarian of Children’s Services.

ABOUT YOUR JOB

Tell us about your current position?

As a Supervising Librarian of Children’s Services, I share employee management duties with the Supervising Librarian in Adult Services.   A  few of my responsibilities include, scheduling staff, reviewing time cards, collection development, outreach to schools, collaboration with community groups, program creation and implementation, staying current, and  my favorite part, serving my staff and patrons.   

What are the best and worst parts about working with young people?

The best part about working with young people is they love to have fun.  When they’re having fun, I have fun too. 

The worst part about working with young people can be the parents that accompany them.  While most parents are engaged, friendly, and cooperative, some parents can be absolute “fun suckers” — complaining about everything, never participating with their children, or are pushy and forthright.  

Some parents enjoy using the library as a babysitting service while they chat away on their smartphones and use the computer for hours through naptime and meals.  This drives me crazy!

Where do you see yourself making the biggest difference?

Nothing is more heartbreaking than meeting children who dislike or “hate” reading.   I often wonder where we went wrong, what made this happen?  As a librarian, I can make the biggest difference by providing abundant and varied choices in reading materials that are most popular and interesting for children.  

I provide programming that will connect children with books and the library.   I have the freedom, knowledge and ability to find that perfect book that will spark a child’s love for reading and learning and turn reluctant readers into readers for life.  

ADVICE

How do you respond when someone asks you, “Isn’t everything online?”

I answer, “There’s a sea of information online, the good, the bad and the unreliable!”  I am always surprised to find out how many children, teens, adults, educators, and professionals have no idea what reliable research tools the library provides.  This ongoing problem is the reason why I go out to the schools each month to teach research skills and library website navigation.

What’s the best piece of professional advice you’ve been given?

An incredible former Supervising Librarian at the Livermore Public Library said to me one day, “I never go home until I’ve helped or inspired at least one person each day.”  I strive to live up to her example. 

FOR FUN

What fictional character would you most like to be for a day?

Jennifer “Cam” Jansen from the Cam Jansen Super Sleuth series.   Having a photographic memory would be nice at my age.  Solving crimes would also be fun for just one a day.

How/where do you hope to spend your retirement?

I’m looking forward to spending my retirement on our Catalina 38 sailboat, visiting far away places.


E-mail Sandy at 

slfouts@livermore.lib.ca.us

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