#62 Music

The traditional area of the curriculum associated with the library is English, for obvious reasons.
However, any area of the curriculum can help to raise the library’s profile and encourage daily use. Music is one of the obvious targets. Music is an extremely powerful medium and is eternally popular with young and old.
If you have the [...]

#61 Google Alerts For CPD

If you have a Google account (or something similar, they usually offer the same facilities), you can setup an alert on any topic that takes your fancy.
In Google, it works this way. Once you’ve logged in, click on ‘Settings’. Click on the ‘Accounts’ tab.
From there, choose ‘Google Account Settings’ and choose ‘Alerts’ from the list.
After [...]

#60 RSS For CPD

Another good way to gather information is to set up RSS feeds which will keep you updated about the library world with minimal effort. A previous post went into detail about setting up RSS Feeds.
Select your sources, and the information will come to you. Simple, easy to use and a great tool.
Some suggestions for CPD [...]

#59 Professional Research

Many librarians might claim that they don’t have time for this sort of thing.
However, if you make the time for it, it may save you a lot of time and effort in the long run, and will certainly enhance your professionalism and career prospects. It doesn’t need to take up much of your time (perhaps [...]

#58 Mailing Lists And Web Groups

Mailing lists and web groups are a brilliant way of keeping in touch with other professionals. When you sign up to a mailing list or group, you are usually given option about how you are updated. You can usually be emailed instantly when someone puts up a message, choose to be emailed at regular intervals [...]

#57 Helping Reluctant Or Poor Readers

There are many avenues open to you to try and help those who are poor readers, or who just don’t want to read.
For the reluctant reader, you can try alternative media: graphic novels, comics, magazines, Internet pages, audio books. In many of these cases they will be taking in the information and sometimes reading in [...]

#56 Disability Discrimination Act

This is legislation that anyone working in the public sector should be aware of, particularly those who are working with young people with special needs, and those with physical disabilities.
At one level, it is about equal opportunities for those who have disabilities, both in terms of inclusiveness and physical access. However, it is usually more [...]

#55 Games

Games. Yes, traditional, old fashioned board games.
Great fun for pupils and the librarian. Who can resist a game of Scrabble, or a Dominoes session?
There are serious reasons for having a games club, apart from the perfectly legitimate reason of serious fun. Hand/eye co-ordination skills improved, social skills improved, face to face interaction, get their faces [...]

#54 Mind Maps

Mind maps: you either love them or hate them. Many see mind maps as a gimmick, no better than upmarket versions of good old fashioned ’spider’ diagrams and no more useful.
However, it’s worth trying them out before making a judgement. I was introduced to them by a teacher about 5 years ago, and I was [...]

#53 Quizzes

Quizzes are great fun for adults or for children.
They are inexpensive (pen and paper) and can create quite a buzz and a healthy touch of competition. All that is required is a bit of research and a good deal of preparation. Points to note:

have your teams set up and entered BEFORE the event
decide whether an [...]