New Chapter in a Past Place

Sunset in Madison, WI

After a brief interim, I've landed in a new job. I'm now one of the Implementation and Training Specialists at TeachingBooks.net. What's interesting is that my "territory" is California. So, long story short, I'll be traveling back to where I came from before I moved to Ohio.

The California State Library did a wonderful thing--they acquired three databases for the entire state of California. Every public school. Every County Office of Education and every charter school will have access to TeachingBooks.net, ProQuest, and Encyclopedia Britannica.

“It’s a simple idea: Help more California school kids succeed by being able to find more reliable information more easily where they look for it the most – online,” said Greg Lucas, California’s State Librarian.

Here's where I fit in. My job will be to reach out to administrators, teachers, and librarians to set up training. From workshops to webinars, I'll be working with everyone in CA from the redwoods to the border. I'll still live in Ohio, but I'll travel to CA and also to the home office in Madison, WI from time to time.

I'm so excited for so many reasons. I'm delighted that someone is footing the bill for every child, teacher, and administrator to have access to these online resources. Being able to work in CA with colleagues I've loved for 17 years is amazing. I've used TeachingBooks since it began almost 20 years ago. I can't wait to share it! Bringing authors and illustrators--right into every school and home.

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The Shoe that Didn't Drop

I suppose I've read too many YA novels. Teen angst. Murder. Betrayal. Lies. Or maybe I've been watching too much TV. Yesterday I finished Secret Sisters of the Salty Sea by Lynne Rae Perkins. Not that Perkins is known for stories with tragic events, but in her latest, there's the ocean and a warning to not go out too far. (The girls are safely recovered.) There's an opportunity for two sisters to become enemies, each one jealous of the other. Yet by the end of the book, they are closer than ever. The parents are present--and smart, and funny, and love each other. So why then, was I so worried? THE COVER IS BLUE! For those of you who've been following me for a while, you know my theory: books with blue covers make you cry. Often they make you sob. I remember when I first connected the dots in 2016 that by the time I got to When Friendship Followed Me Home by Paul Griffin, I was terrified to read it. The cover is blue, the title is blue and there is a DOG on

November: National Novel Writing Month

Who will write the next Great American Novel? PBS recently sponsored the Great American Read , featuring 100 of our favorite novels. What makes a novel great? Is it characters, plot, setting or resolution? Is it what we learn about ourselves as a result of reading it? Is it the feeling we have when we think about it? Is it the impact a novel makes on the world or the reader? Every author has a different explanation on the process of writing. In a TeachingBooks.net movie, Lois Lowry talks about how she doesn't use an outline , but allows the story to move and shape with each new event. Kate DiCamillo shares how she reads her draft aloud --which may contribute to why her books are great read alouds. And then there is the question of where do stories come from? Jack Gantos keeps journals --boxes and boxes of journals as idea sparkers . David Weisner's newest book, I Got It , came from an idea he had as a child--what happens in your mind can seem much longer than what happen

I'm Back!!

On the road again... After years of publishing on other blogs and websites, I'm back to writing my own. Here you'll find my thoughts on leadership, tips and tricks for busy librarians, and other ideas for implementing in your program. Find out what books I'm loving. Since I'll still be traveling a good bit, I'll probably post some travel tips as well. I'm excited about my next chapter. I hope you'll come along for the journey. Follow me @libdeborahford. Email me at dfordsalyer@yahoo.com

Deb's Musings | Books and Beyond

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