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I Don't Mean to Alarm You

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Hey gang! So, because of the snow we had this year, we're going all the way until June 19th! DOH! I mean, super! And if you're out of school already....well, I will try not to be salty about it, but I'm jealous baby! I'm looking at you Tiffany Whitehead! LOL (Baton Rouge, LA gets out EARLY!)

Around Memorial Day is when we start trying to get books back. Not from our active readers, but from those kiddos who have had books out for a long time. I'll share the back story below but the mobile suggestion right up front.
This way, you don't have to read me blather on (unless you want to!) to get this cool idea.  My lovely & wonderful Media Assistant Ms. Kathi Bell, came up with this, with a recommendation from her son (and good friend of our library) John Bell.

It's Alarming!
If a kid owes you a book, ask if they have their cell phone on them. My examples are for the Apple phones (because that's what I have) but I'm sure a similar technique works wit…
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Books That Celebrate Diversity

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A few of my MHMS friends & colleagues are taking a Cultural Proficiency course. Having taken that course a couple years ago, and as a passionate ally of the #WeNeedDiverseBooks movement, I offered to help them with their final project!

We decided it would cool to create a curated list of books on a bookmark that celebrate diversity. Feel free to Take, Copy, Use, & Share - it's all Creative Commons!

We made sure that the books listed were all books we had in our Middle School Library Collection and were ones that were sourced from the WeNeedDiverseBooks website. But you can do the same thing or use ours! See below for downloads.

 You can download the Diversity-Diversity-Bookmarks-PDF OR you can make a copy of copy of the Google Doc!
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4 Fab Text Generators

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4 Fab Text Generators 
for Web or Blog headers....or Just for Fun Geeky Stuff!
1. Ransom Note Generator
I really like this Ransom Note Generator...but it's a bit tricky...you have to play with it to get good results, adding spaces, capitol letters, and the like. But when you're done you can download the image to your HD & I crop it with PicMonkey or Photoshop,  but I think it's right nifty!

Here are some tips from the site:

Tips: Use the button at the top of your picture to download it to your computer! See this page for more ideas!

To align the text (left, center, or right) on this picture, just put spaces before or after any of the words until you like the way it looks.

This particular image generator's font can benefit from using various upper and lower cased letters. TrY DoiNG iT foR DiFfeRenT ResULts

Also, see my example above.....below the big BLUE ARROW.


2. Spell With Flickr
Spell with Flickr- Spell out any word using images from Flickr. (like I did up above....G…
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10 Coloring Pages for Women's History Month

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Hey gang!
I just want to share with you a few coloring pages I curated online & made into PDF's & JPEGS for my kiddos!  I love adding new coloring pages to our Makerspace, especially during special months and with themes. There are a LOT of FREE coloring pages out there for your Makerspace, you just know how to find them, adapt them, & follow the copyright licensing!

I uploaded the curated coloring sheets as Jpegs on Flickr embedded below and to download as Printable PDF's on Slideshare.

If you source or curate coloring pages make sure to research back to the origin or artist (RARELY it's Pinterest! Dig deeper!) and make sure to include the correct artist and attribution - and make sure it's been listed as FREE or Creative Commons. Am I harping on this too much? Librarian.

7 Easy Steps to Search for Coloring pages on Google:

Google any Topic - Example: Jane Austen Click over to ImagesClick ToolsClick Size (choose Medium or Large - over 1000px best!)Cl…
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7 Simple Steps for a Digital Detox

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(This is the full original version of the article I wrote for NEA Today Magazine - So, if your quote or mention doesn't make the mag or their webpage, you know it wasn't me! LOL)

Do you sleep with the phone next to your bed? 
Or worse, on or under your pillow with it pinging or vibrating with every text, Tweet, or notification?  Do you feel insecure if your device isn’t nearby or on your person?  
If you say yes, to any of these queries, maybe it’s time for a digital detox.  

If we are going to preach to our kids to be less dependent on technology in their daily life, to limit their screen time, then we should model balanced digital habits ourselves. To help with that, here are seven simple steps for a digital detox with no FOMO.

FOMO or the “Fear Of Missing Out” is the “fear that others elsewhere are having more fun, or that you are missing out on a rewarding experience. It can lead to feelings of anxiety, envy, insecurity, and loneliness.” 
- Dr. Jennifer Shapka, University of B…
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