National Simultaneous Reading Day (Australia)

By Sue Kay
Thanks to Sue who this week has set up this display for National Simultaneous Reading Day which is next Wednesday (22nd May). This years book is called 'The Wrong Book' by Nick Bland.

Find out more by clinking on the following link:  National Simultaneous Reading Day

Hope the day is lots of fun Sue!

QR codes in the library

By Elaine Pearson

We have used IT librarians for a couple of years now to help with day-to-day computer problems experienced by library users. Now we are starting to build a bigger team of students to be on hand to help with personal devices and introduce new ideas and skills. We started off with showing off the augmented reality app associated with the 2013 Guinness World Records book. This generated a great deal of excitement!
This week we are using QR codes in the library in all sorts of ways. I made bookmarks with QR codes leading to authors websites. On the display are books with QR codes on the back covers.In the fiction area there are codes leading to series lists and You-tube clips of authors and on the non-fiction shelves codes lead to Te Ara and NZ Artists websites etc.
The IT librarians help with downloading apps and showing students how to generate their own codes using their own hand held devices and the desktop computers.
It has been great fun!
PS I made the poster using the 'Banner' format on Publisher.
PPS This is the QR code generator I found most useful: QR code generator

Shakespeare's Birthday - April 23

By Susan Duncan

Susan is the Library Assistant at Lester B. Pearson High School, Calgary, Alberta Canada. 

She has kindly shared this impressive display for Shakespeare's Birthday.

Here are her comments:

'I wanted the display to look like an old book so I used a background of Shakespeare quotes on distressed paper. The border is cardboard, also distressed with water and spray paint. Finding a portrait of Shakespeare in poster size proved difficult, so I made my own. Just in case you think I am artistically inclined, I have to admit that I did both the background and portrait by projecting the design from a Word document onto paper and tracing it with markers. I placed the tri-fold on top of a bookcase filled with a variety of Shakespeare books, movies, and novels. It was a lot of work, but worth the time effort I put in.'

Thanks very much Susan - it's a wonderful display and well worth the effort as you can bring it out every year - that's if you can stop the English Department from stealing it first!

Mad Libs!

By Elizabeth Walker

Here is Karen's latest display. I love the idea of providing something like this to keep hands and minds active while waiting. Well done Elizabeth - this is a great idea, and beautifully constructed.
Here are Elizabeth's comments:
'We like to have interactive displays for the students to play with in the hallway while they’re waiting for library time. Last year we made a Magnetic Poetry board, which was very popular, but (perhaps not surprisingly) our students (all boys) managed to create some… unsavory… poems, despite our best efforts to exclude words with possible double-entendres. So, this year, we’re hoping that the more structured nature of mad libs will encourage them to have fun and learn about parts of speech… and also keep it clean!'

World Oceans Day - June 8th

By Karen Waschinski and Trish MacGregor

Thank you Karen for sharing your inspiring displays. I like the way you have used the theme in a variety of ways for the different spaces of your library.

Here are Karen's comments:

'I'd like to share the displays currently up in our Library for World Oceans Day (June 8). We have a small display case on our main floor calling attention to the plight of our oceans in regards to plastic pollution. I became aware of the photos of the dead birds from the website Midway and the "water" behind the Lorax is simply newspaper bags. Our children's floor has a more inviting, bubbly display featuring "Dive Deep into Books" as a theme. Note that the backboard blue was inexpensively created using plastic table cloths which can be reused as craft drop cloths in the future (and then recycled!). Also, a lot of the watery props were originally used for a past summer reading program oceans theme, so they are also getting a second life!'

To find out more about World Oceans Day check out their website: World Oceans Day

Spring Tree

By Paula Ferreira

Paula is a volunteer at her local library which, since November, and due to budget cuts, has been running as a community library with the help of volunteers. The library is in Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England.
Paula organises the children's events and has sent in this 'interactive tree' display which she has used to brighten up a tired corner. I think it is a charming idea. Paula was helped by Becky, a talented 16 year old art student and three creative children aged 3, 6 and 8.

Congratulations to you all for an inspring and beautifully constructed display.

You can read more about it, and find some templates, on Paula's Blog

Lucky Dip

By Jennifer Judd

Thanks to Jennifer from Mahurangi College Library who has shared this version of Lynda Sisson's Lucky Dip display. It was a fantastic success.

Here are here comments:

'I was impressed by a display on your web site a few weeks ago by Lynda

Sisson, where she had covered books with plain paper and had posters of
a Lucky Dip. I decided to do likewise, but I could not see if the books
in her display were completely enclosed or not. I felt it would be more
fun if the students could not see the book at all. I cut a Herald
newspaper in half and the pages were then the perfect size for wrapping.
We wrote the barcode of the book on the newspaper so we were still able
to issue.
We feel it was one of our most successful displays ever; we have never
seen such excitement over a "mystery" read. The first afternoon 86 books
were "wrapped" and 50 were issued. This continued for the next two days
until the staff were worn to a frazzle and with extremely black hands
from the newsprint!! We encouraged the students to try at least one
chapter of the book after they had borrowed it - even if it was one they
would not normally have borrowed. One of our student librarians - a boy
- was seen reading a book with a pink cover; he said he would never have
chosen the book off the shelves but was really enjoying the story. This
is a great way to "move" books that are not often read, or to encourage
people to try something they would not usually read'.

Hungry for a Good Book?

By Heather Aston
Heather, librarian at Coppell Middle School East in Texas has kindly shared this cooking-themed display to highlight “food” books...all books showcased include food in the title or content.
Great idea Heather, thanks for sharing!

National Poetry Month

By Heather Aston
Heather, librarian at Coppell Middle School East in Texas has kindly shared this eye-catching display to promote National Poetry Month.

Text Messages

By Denise Borck

Many thanks to Denise who has shared more of her wonderful bulletin boards. 

Do visit Denise's Blog for more details: LIFE IN THE LIBRARY