About Me
My name is Cari Young, and I'm an elementary school librarian in San Antonio, Texas. Right now I work in a preK-5 school in the suburbs, with about 950 students, but I've worked in small towns and small schools, too. This is my eleventh year in education--before that I practiced law for several years.
My school district was named the National School Library Program of the Year in 2011. I work with some AMAZING teacher-librarians! I love to collaborate with my colleagues, virtually or in person, to make the library the center of twenty-first century learning in our schools.
Learning centers have made my library more engaging for my students and a happier place for me to work. The main focus of this blog is helping other librarians to learn more about library centers, but often we digress to other topics about elementary school libraries and how to best teach our students.
As you can see in my photo, my favorite thing to do in the summer is read at the beach. I'm proud to be the mother of three awesome sons, two grown and one finishing high school. I have a dog named Pinto who is an amazing pup we rescued from the pound.
My days of teaching and blogging are fueled by my inner joy, boosted by Sonic Cokes and sugar cookies! Yum! (I really try to eat healthy foods, but I do have a weakness for sweets.)
I love reading comments like these, from visitors to The Centered School Library:
- Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom! I think using library centers may just be a life-saver for me this year!
- I'm implementing centers in my library, I read your book. I love your blog!
- Love this!! I am spending hours looking through your blog, I am trying to go with library centers this school year :) Thank you!
- Thank you for sharing so much great stuff!
I also love questions about how to get started with library centers, or how to get teachers on board, or how to handle accountability to your principal. I hope you'll jump in to our community, leave a comment, and join the conversation! Welcome to The Centered School Library!
Here is my disclosure policy, aka the lawyer-y fine print!
This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog may accept forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.
This blog abides by word of mouth marketing standards. I believe in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. I try to be objective, but in this imperfect world, the compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post will be clearly identified as paid or sponsored content.
The owner of this blog may (someday) be compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though I, the owner of this blog, may (someday) receive compensation for my posts or advertisements, I always give my honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blogger's own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.
This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.
(To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org)
Cari,
ReplyDeleteI thought I saw a post where you had labels that you (or another librarian) had printed. They had polka dots. And the post also had signs in the library that another librarian had made for the non fiction section. I can't seem to find that post. Could you help.
Thanks,
Kathleen Wilverding
scarletrose@comcast.net
Kathleen, those signs and labels are on The Library Patch blog. She blogged a series called Dewey-ing it My Way. They are great!
DeleteCari,
ReplyDeleteThis is my first year as a librarian! I stumbled onto your blog this summer and started implementing centers during the 3rd week of school. I only have a few out right now, but the kids are LOVING them! I am also loving how much more learning is taking place in the library. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your incredible resources!
Mollie Goings
Mollie, thanks so much for your encouraging words! I'm so glad you gave learning centers a try. They're almost magical, aren't they?
DeleteKeep me posted on how it goes!
Cari
Hi Cari! I have been using centers in my library with much success for about 3 or 4 years now, and am actually presenting a workshop on it at the New Jersey Association of School Librarians conference in November. Imagine my surprise to see your book while looking through the Scholastic catalog a couple of weeks ago and I just had to buy it! You do many of the same things I do, but you also gave me some great ideas too. I saw a pin about this blog on Pinterest and I see it's you! So I figured I'd say hello from another Centered Librarian! ;o)
ReplyDeleteHi Holly! I'm glad to (virtually) meet another Centered Librarian! Do you have a blog? I'd love to see what you're doing with your centers.
DeleteAnd I didn't know Scholastic was carrying my book, either. That's more great news!
I do not have a blog, well not about school anyway. It never occurred to me to start one. And it looks like someone else has my "liberry teacher" nomenclature! I do have some slide shows and pictures, though I can't put the pictures online due to privacy concerns (do they have those laws in Texas?). I'll have to consider it.
DeleteHolly, I've had a lot of fun blogging. It has challenged me to try new things in the library that I might not have tried otherwise.
DeleteWe do have privacy laws. In the photos, if you can see a student's face, I use Picmonkey to place a shape over the student's face so that it isn't visible. I try to take photos from the back so that you can see whether the student is engaged or not, but you can't identify the student.
I'm sure you could come up with a cute blog name, even more distinct than "liberry teacher!"
Hello!
ReplyDeleteI saw something on Pinterest with apps that address the various Bloom's levels and was directed to your site, but I seem to find it!
Please help!
Thanks,
Kara Day
kday@lcisd.org
Kara,
DeleteThe link is at the top of this post: http://librarycenters.blogspot.com/2012/07/smore-tech-summer-camp-day-27-one-ipad.html#.UIiP8mmMUwE
You can always use the "search this blog" box on the right hand side of the blog to find things quickly.
Thanks for your question!
Cari
Hi Cari! I'm in my first year of teaching library. I bought your book back in the fall and have been thinking greatly of doing centers in my library. I really need some advice though to some questions I have. Currently, I see each class once every six days except 1st grade who comes once every seven days. Do you keep the same centers for all grade levels or in between each class, do you switch out some centers? Also how do you suggest dividing students up to visit the centers? Currently I've been teaching/reading a book for about 15-20 min. then the remaining of time is for searching/checking out a book. During those last 15 min., the students certainly get bored and that is why I want to bring in some change. I thought about each week having a different set of students go to a different center but if I had something seasonal, only about one group would get to do it before that activity was no longer in season. Hope I'm making sense. If you do let them just choose where they want to go, how do you eliminate too many people at one center, arguing or center hoppers (those who can't sit still)?
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of starting with 5 basic centers:
Puzzles
Computers
Reading Center
Bookmarks
Listening Center
Any help would be appreciated! Love your blog, your TpT site and book! THANK YOU for being a leader in this profession.
Hi Sara!
DeleteI'm sorry it took me a few days to reply. I had lots of company over the holidays.
Anyway, I keep the same centers for all grade levels. As I look at your 5 basic centers you plan to start with, I can see all of those working with all grade levels. I don't divide up students to visit the centers. The first students to get books checked out are the first to choose a center. If a center needs to have a capacity limit, I put that on the sign for that center. For example, the reading tent says "limit 3 students" so that 10 kids won't try to squeeze into one little tent. For other centers, like computers, no capacity sign is needed. It's obvious when all the computers are full. Students tend to go to the center that fits their learning style/interest/mood at the time. There are some students who hit the puzzle center every time. That's OK with me. They've probably been confined to a desk chair for an hour or more and they need to MOVE. Other students gravitate to the centers with drawing or an artistic component. I haven't had a problem with center hoppers. Usually students find a center they WANT to participate in. That's one of the things I LOVE about library centers. No more students playing tag in the library! If I had to give a grade on center participation or skills mastery, I would probably feel compelled to maintain control over who goes where. But my goal is to make the library a fun place for reading and learning.
I hope this answered your questions. Please let me know if I can be more help to you!
Cari
Hi, i'm a huge FAN of your posts, blog, was a fellow Smore Tech Camper, and book. I'm ready to dive into the Centers- as soon as I'm ready to take the leap!
ReplyDeleteI did the Reading is Sweet program for the December holiday. My school is PreK-4, has about 420 students and I got about 150 gingerbread cookies back! I was thrilled. They look AWESOME! I want to show you a few....is there an email I can send to?
thank you for sharing your work and ideas.
Alison
Richmond Elementary, RI
Hi Alison!
DeleteThanks for the encouraging words! I would love to see your gingerbread cookies. What a great response you had!
You can email me at librarycenters at gmail {dot} com. Can I share your photos on the blog? Let me know in your email.
Cari
Hi Cari!
ReplyDeleteI stumbled upon your blog through a link on Pinterest. This is my fifth year to be a School Librarian for PreK-5th grade. In the past, I have done a unit with library centers, but this is the first year where I have ongoing centers.
Two librarian friends of mine are starting to try library centers too. In fact, we are presenting on this topic at the LA Library Association Conference in Baton Rouge this March. I want to share with the attendees your blog and information on ordering your book. Is it ok if I distribute a few handouts that I have found from your blog to about 35+ other library friends?
I am pulling resources that my two presenter friends and I have used to make a packet. And I wanted to get everyone's permission. So, thank you for your response.
:)
Emily Burks
Shreveport, LA
Hello!
ReplyDeleteI will soon be returning to an elementary library after being put in a 4th grade classroom for the last year and a half and I can't be more excited! After coming across your library centers idea that's all I've been thinking about and have prepared about 10 already without having started in my new k-3 school library! Your ideas are fantastic!
I was wondering if you ever considered center notebooks/folders/files for each student? I realize seeing every student in the school, this could create a logistical problem as to where to keep these kinds of things or even ordering them. Most of the activities are either incorporated into the library or put in a "done" pile and then you collect them?
Also, do you have checklists for students to use so they can keep track of which centers they've used? How do you manage if the same students always go to the same center?
Thanks so much for your awesome blog and wonderful ideas!
Jessica
Mechanicsburg, PA
Jessica, I'm so glad you get to return to the library!
DeleteI don't create notebooks or files for each student because (1) I have 850 students, and (2) I don't give grades. Most of my activities that generate paper are designed to be used as a bulletin board or some other form of library decoration. For example, the students might write a book review on a paper leaf, and I will include that in a fall bulletin board. I don't really do "worksheet" type activities at the centers. Sometimes I do a written activity with a small reading group that I work with, and in that case I grade it and give it to the teacher for the gradebook. But that isn't really one of my library centers.
I do have library folders for each 2nd through 5th grade student, with their library bar code on the front. We use these folders to keep papers in when they are working on a longer research project. I provide the teacher with a magazine holder to keep all her library folders in, and that magazine holder stays in the classroom.
I don't keep a checklist either. I see students once a week, and I change the centers every week. So students may do the same type of center twice in a row, but the activity won't be exactly the same. Typically I don't even keep the same type of center two weeks in a row. For example, I use the listening center one week out of the month, the Nooks one week out of the month, and so forth.
Does that answer your questions?
Cari
Hi Cari,
DeleteThanks so much for your reply, and sorry for my late one! Could you estimate about how many centers you go through in a year? Just thinking ahead to next year to figure out how many I would make and adjust throughout the year. I will see third grade twice a six day cycle so may do something different for them.
Thanks so much for your response!
Jessica
Hi Cari,
DeleteThanks so much for your reply, and sorry for my late one! Could you estimate about how many centers you go through in a year? Just thinking ahead to next year to figure out how many I would make and adjust throughout the year. I will see third grade twice a six day cycle so may do something different for them.
Thanks so much for your response!
Jessica
Hi Cari,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your reply, and sorry for my late one! Could you estimate about how many centers you go through in a year? Just thinking ahead to next year to figure out how many I would make and adjust throughout the year. I will see third grade twice a six day cycle so may do something different for them.
Thanks so much for your response!
Jessica
Hi Jessica!
DeleteWell, I typically have about 4 centers going per week, so for 36 weeks, that would be 144 total. I repeat several centers once a month: listening center, Nooks, puzzle, color bookmarks, Whispy read to self. Those require little prep, once you print out your "I Can" signs. On a shelf in my library closet, I keep a big accordion folder with all of my center signs and my acrylic frames for the signs. I have never been organized to make my centers for the year ahead of time!
Cari
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Thank you so much for your time and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
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“A library book, I imagine, is a happy book.” – Cornelia Funke
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Hi Cari,
ReplyDeleteI follow your blog and have your book too. I love your philosophy a centered library and want to fully immerse myself in it next school year (I've been dabbling up until now). I also want to put a spin on your library centers and add a makerspace theme. I've started a Wiggio group and I'd love for you to check it out. I'd love for people to share ideas, documents, resources, etc. If you have time here is the link:
http://wiggio.com/group_open_join.php?groupid=1777392&password=nhslma&ref=1729271
Jessica,
DeleteThanks for the invitation! I've just written a blog post about makerspaces and encouraged others to join the Wiggio group too. I would love to add this to our library centers at school!
Cari
Hi cari, I need your suggestion. How would you suggest I handle the checking out of the book titled The Jolly Postman or Other People's Letters? This book is one of my faves from when I was a young student so I'm dying to share it with the kids in the library but I am not sure about all the little extra pieces you play with inside the story? Do you have any expert advice on keeping kids returning it back to you in perfect condition? Thanks, Gina ginavo779@aol.com
ReplyDeleteGina, I don't remember where I saw this suggestion, but I copy all of the extra pieces before I put the book in circulation. That way, if/when the little letters get lost, I can put another copy in its place. I don't buy many books with removable pieces, but if you love that book, your students will catch that enthusiasm!
DeleteThanks for your question!
Cari