Easy Like Sunday Morning: Booklists, Sadness and Activism

This week was extremely hectic, emotional and eventful.  Despite this, the work continues.  Stay tuned for the BCALA and ALSC Summer Reading Booklist for PreK-8th graders.   I am happy to announce that I will be engaged in a couple of exciting projects and speaking opportunities that I will share here in the months to come, stay tuned.  Finally, please when you have an opportunity, please support #DCPS Librarians by signing our petition to ensure that a full-time librarian is staffed in EVERY DCPS school 

#LibrarianLiteracyLeaders
#DCPSLibrariansChampionLiteracy #DCPSNeedsLibrarians
Petition - https://www.saveschoollibrarians.org/d_c_increases_education_budget

Here's a couple of highlights of my week through some of my social media posts on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter. 

Best, 
K.C.

My booktalk on Library Love Fest sponsored by Harper Collins
Link to Facebook LIVE Recording

#BlackoutBestsellerList #BlackPublishingPower

The Black Caucus of the American Library Association and the American Library Association's Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table collaborate on new Black Lives Matter Comics Reading List Join us:  #SayTheirNames #BlackLivesMatter - http://www.ala.org/rt/gncrt/-black-lives-matter-comics-reading-lists

Antiracist Booklists: 
https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/reading-resistance-rise-antiracist-book-list-n1225661

#JusticeForGeorgeFloyd

The Long View: 
John Lewis, Congressman and Civil Rights Legend, Will Never Lose Hope
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/john-lewis-good-trouble-interview.html

#JusticeForBreonnaTaylor must extend beyond the passage of the new law in her name,
but also the arrest and conviction of the police officers responsible for taking her life.

Many thanks to DC resident and community activist Suzanne Wells for her testimony in front of the Washington D.C.  Joint Budget Oversight Hearing for Education Agencies.  Her testimony can be read in full here: https://w6pspo.org/2020/06/04/suzanne-wells-testimony-digital-equity-and-financial-literacy-council-hearing-2/

Honored to be interviewed! 
https://www.nmrt.ala.org/notes/perspectives-k-c-boyd/

I'm quoted in an EdTech Digest Article
https://edtechdigest.com/2020/06/11/not-all-heroes-wear-capes/

Easy Like Sunday Morning: My Spirit Has Been In A Constant State of Distress

For several weeks I've experienced some distressful events that has affected my spirit:

- Fighting with fellow library media specialists in Washington D.C. to maintain library programming    and positions in all areas of the city (this fight is still ongoing)
- Seeing the impact of a pandemic and my friends lose their loved ones to Covid-19,
- The slow response of districts across the country reacting to children living in poverty and
  provide virtual learning opportunities. (side note: I'm not a fan of charter schools mainly because of their treatment of black students and lack of school library programming/certified librarians but Perry raises some good points in this clip)

Then the violent murders of:
 #JusticeforAhmaudArbery  
 #JusticeforBreonnaTaylor
 #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd 

The news junkie in me has been visually traumatized.  My spirit is broken and in a constant state of distress.  I am functioning but I'm not doing well.

I know deep down I need to pull it together.  In this moment, I'm thinking about the bravery of Claudette Colvin, Congressman John Lewis, Fannie Lou Hammer, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dorothy Height, James Farmer, Jo Ann Robinson, Baynard Rustin, Rosa Parks, A. Phillip Randolph, Ella Baker, Malcolm X, Amelia Boynton Robinson, James Meredith, Daisy Bates and countless others who bravely demonstrated while fighting for equal rights in this country.  They pulled it together, never gave up...they give me the inspiration that I need.
(Note:  If you do not know the contributions of these people I named, I suggest you stop and read about them for yourself, I'm not providing links here.)

- However what keeps me up at night is my fear for my nephew, brother, uncles, male friends being unjustly targeted by the police.
- What keeps me up at night is the inequities of cities that have historically looked the other way
  when black men and women have been attacked by the police.
- What keeps me up at night is the efforts to defund the police is ignored by government leadership yet they want our vote every four years.

Working in education, I've seen year after year how the funding support is prioritized for the police department in the cities I've lived/worked in.   I've also seen how education budgets have been  dwindled down and directly affected the work that I'm expected to perform daily.  To be clear, I'm not against the police, I'm against the rogue police officers that plague our police departments across the country and illegally commit crimes against black people.

As I watch social media posts, there's been some genuine and some surface leveled expressions:
- I wonder how long will this last?
- Are the chants, marches, social media posts and declarations to 'stand' with African-American
  organizations truly sincere?
- Three months from now, will people go back to their previous behaviors of being concerned about
   self instead of 'standing' with African-Americans who have historically suffered in this country?

In terms of my job as a library media specialist, working in the K-12 schoolhouse:
- Will I ever be respected by educators as a African-American library media specialist who possesses skills beyond leading PD around race/equity, multicultural literature, management of student behavior?
- Will I ever be respected by educators as a African-American library media specialist who possesses skills of leadership, program administration, curriculum development and technology implementation?
- Will I ever be respected by educators as a African-American library media specialist that should be  given a seat at the table or do I have to buffalo my way in and bring the folding chair.  I shouldn't
   have to do this, I should automatically be invited.

At this point, I could care less if my colleagues respect me or not.  You will hear my voice more than ever before.  Racial microaggressions, implicit bias and lack of cultural competencies have run rampant in K-12 education way beyond Brown vs Board of Education and it's time for it to end.   In particular in the field of library information science (public, school, academic and special), it's totally out of control and on steroids.

I'm certain school districts across this country are amping up to provide some type of 'racial professional development,' this fall.  Books like 'The New Jim Crow, The Fire Next Time, White Fragility, Stamped, and Courageous Conversations About Race,' will probably be used.  My question

is:  Will educators really read, make an effort to understand and respond with sincere change?  Will that change positively change K-12 education in regards to education laws, policies, instruction, selection of curriculum and most importantly, treatment of African-American students?  Honestly, based on my previous experiences, unless school districts make these required readings mandatory not only in reading but also in action can change truly be achieved.   Our students social/emotional welfare, rights to an equal and a just American education system are of utmost importance now than ever before.

So to my new followers on social media, I celebrate the beauty, achievements and history of the African-American community 365 days of the year on my social media platforms.  My posts will confuse and anger you....either learn or get over yourself, I'm not changing anything for your comfort.  If you can't handle my views, don't follow me on social media.

Right now, my spirit is weary and hurt. Historically, I've always been the 'forever optimist,' hoping and sometimes praying that things will change for the better.  My mind is now run over with doubt and cynicism....this is a space I'm in that I don't like.   I'll get it together in time, listen to music, read and turn off the television.

I'll be back and will be better.  - K.C.

Additional Resources:
AASL Office Hours - May 14, 2020
Black Lives Matters Defund the Police Petition 

Easy Like Sunday Morning: Just A Friendly Reminder...

     There’s allot of things that I’ve been reflecting on since school ended on Friday.  My greatest challenge this school year so far has been to rebuild my school’s library program.  This involved me physically organizing/re-shelving books for my school’s new  library.  This rebuilding also included moving towards a change in view that the library is more than a ‘meeting’ space or activity area for large groups of students/adults.  This re-building also meant that I had to say, ‘No,’ to teachers/staff because we all need to work towards utilizing the ‘program’ to its maximum potential instead of falling back into ‘old habits.’  By no means is my library program ‘perfect,’ growth in mindset of the program and my role is still on the agenda as we head into 2020.

     This brings me to a New York Times article that was written by Erica L. Green and Dana Goldstein back in October of 2019.  The article, ‘Reading Scores On National Exam Declines In Half The States.’  I can remember how I initially cringed when I read the title of the article that was widely circulated on social media. Now months later I’ve processed it and have a deeper view.  

     The authors highlighted two standouts of all of the 50 states and Washington D.C.  Mississippi’s fourth  grade reading scores improved and caught up to the national average.  Washington D.C.’s 8th grade scores jumped three points but were still below the national average.  Now I learned a valuable lesson while working at Phillips High School:  celebrate all  academic gains, this means whatever you are doing right, continue the practice. So, I’m celebrating those three points. 

     

     I can’t comment on what Mississippi is doing right, but I have a little insight on my district that was highlighted in the article.  This is my third urban school district I’ve worked for and my third year working for the District of Columbia Public Schools System.   Though the authors did not articulate this in the article, school libraries and school librarians were a part of the success of the improvement in reading scores for 8th grade.   So essentially I’m viewing this with ‘fresh eyes, and of all of the districts I’ve worked for, DCPS is on point. Here’s how I see it:

8th Grade Improvement in Reading Scores:  Washington D.C.

1.)  Strong school library programming in all schools.

2.)  Certified/university degree school librarians

3.)  Dedicated school library budget for new books.

4.)  Leadership at the district level (Assigned Manager and Director of Libraries)

5.)  Targeted professional development for school librarians and encouraged use of PLN’s (personal learning networks).

6.)  Access and use of various platforms of technology by school librarians to support and help drive  classroom instruction.

7.)  District supported school librarian leadership opportunities within and outside the district. 

8.)  Classroom libraries that further encourage students to seek expanded and additional resources from the school library collection. 

9.)  Use of middle school or young adult bibliotherapy/social emotional themed books for leisure or book club reading.

10.)  Ongoing partnerships with library programming with the District of Columbia Public Library System. 

     Some of my district colleagues may argue some of the above ten items still need some sizable improvement.   Others may argue all ten items on my list are not present in their school, guess what?   All ten items are not present in my school either but collectively as a district, there is evidence that they are there and working.  I agree 100%, there’s always room for improvement, and I’m looking at this critically.  In my opinion, what should be noted is the staffing, funding, support and programming that is in place and how it has had an impact on reading.  What also should be noted is there are other districts across this country that have all of the above ten components of a strong library program in place but were not highlighted because the article focused on states and not so much on districts.  

     I want to be crystal clear about this: school librarians are not looking for the fanfare ‘public accolades,’ for their work. More so, just a simple acknowledgment that the work that we do everyday to support academic achievement in our schools/districts is a part of the success equation and is noted and appreciated.  

 

Easy Like Sunday Morning: The #SchoolLibrarianStruggleBus

As much as it seems like I have it all together, honestly I don’t. When one visits my library media center/Makerspace you will see books placed neatly in order on the shelves, displays, and a burst of colors that are pleasing to the eye.   What you don’t see is the frustration in developing a program, display, activity or de-escalating stereotypes or major ‘asks,’ from the principal/staff.  

If there’s one thing I am is a very creative person.  I come up with my best ideas in the morning and jot them down in the notes section of my iPhone.  This area of my phone is filled with tons of ideas.  Some I’ve implemented, others I’m still developing.   I can also create something on the fly and run with it. Sometimes it’s very successful and sometimes not.  Despite this, I continue to push the envelope of on-the-fly/creativity because those are usually examples of my best work.  

Yesterday morning, I saw a Twitter post from someone I follow that expressed their frustration with a patron that used a piece of gum in the book as a bookmark and left it in the book for the circulation desk librarian to remove....eeeew right???  I started thinking, school librarians have some pretty unique and funny things that we experience.  Some are highly relatable and represent a unique struggle that public, academic and special librarians don’t experience.  

I created the hashtag #SchoolLibrarianStruggleBus on the fly yesterday morning and posted ten examples of it on Twitter.  The responses and DM’s I received were hilarious.  That said, I want to share them here along with a couple more that really describe our pain and downright funny situations we find ourselves in as school librarians.  Remember this is all in good fun, the posts are based on my current and past experiences (I have to say that because my co-workers follow me online) so enjoy and comment.

Until next time....

#dcpslibrariestransform #dcpslibraries #tlchat #schoollibrary #schoollibraries #schoollibrarians #LibraryMediaSpecialist 

#TrojanLMCMakerspace 

How I look when visitors in my library media center say to my face, ‘Well, you don’t look like a librarian!’....*sigh #SchoolLibrarianStruggleBus

Eating way too much of your parent give-away candy for SLC Night. - #SchoolLibrarianStruggleBus

When my students are having an ‘off behavior’ day and you have to say this phrase after making an example out of one of them. #SchoolLibrarianStruggleBus

When your darling cat named Daisy Lee insists on destroying your Golden Pathos propagation project. - #SchoolLibrarianStruggleBus

When you are asked to watch students during your lunch break and the person asking clearly sees that you are eating and says, ‘Well they can sit over here on the side and they won’t bother you.😤 - #SchoolLibrarianStruggleBus

When a staff member is clearly trying to ‘unload’ students from their watch and they bring them to you stating, ‘The students can help you shelve books and do anything during the period!’ - 

#SchoolLibrarianStruggleBus

#TheSchoolLibraryShelvingLife

This is my nineteenth school library I've been charged to physically set up for students.  This means shelving new or existing collections in Dewey Decimal order...yes, I'm ole' school.    You can search this blog and learn how my experience spans three school districts, two district library managerial positions, five schools...and thirteen principals. 

My school, Jefferson Academy in Washington D.C. was modernized over the past year.  Over two-thirds of the library collection was packed and stored in the district's warehouse.  The remainder of the library collection was moved into a temporary trailer for one school year for student circulation.   In addition, the library was moved back to it's original location in the building, given a traditional/modern blend layout and cool furniture. 

The Main Lobby

The Non-Fiction Room

The Fiction Room

One of the things I enjoy the most is there are three separate rooms within the entire library media center:  the lobby where there's soft seating with a very large circulation desk, the fiction room with a blend of soft/table seating and a Smart Board,  the non-fiction room with a drop down screen and soft lounge seating and a bonus space:  a maker space lab with high tables/stools for students to work collectively on various hands on projects. 

Pre-Shelving Picture

While I'm excited about working in a newly designed space and working in a Makerspace similar to my library at Wendell Phillips Academy High School in Chicago, my priority right now is shelving the collection. 

The Makerspace Lab

The Makerspace Lab

While those who are not familiar with the process view shelving as tedious, arduous and downright time consuming, I actually enjoy it.  I started shelving books in the non-fiction room first.  Boxes had to be separated (fiction/non-fiction) and physically be moved to the correct staging side of the library media center.  I cannot tell you how many visitors stopped by the library with raised eyebrows and surprised I was working in peace.  The mountains of boxes looked like disorganization to some, but made perfect sense to me!

The Non-Fiction Room

The Fiction Room

The Fiction Room

Here's a couple of things I have done over the years to remain focused and on track throughout the process:

1.  I took pictures of the library before I began the shelving project, this has and always helped me remain motivated.
2.  Having confidence in myself and my ultimate goal of creating a wonderful space where my students would be able to learn, discover and collaborate with their peers/teachers had to be established prior to the start of the project.
3.  Remaining calm and not freaking out about the magnitude of the project is critical, doing so can hinder the process.  There's always going to be some type of hiccup, deal with it and move on.
4.  Setting goals for the amount of shelving that is to be completed each day helps you stay on track.
5.  I always ignore the visiting naysayers and don't take their comments personally.
6.  I arm myself with caffeine in the morning and a sweet drink after lunch.
7.  When I feel tired, I make myself take a break. 
8.  Stick to the local/state/national school library guidelines, remember the school library program is not like other programs in the school.
9.  Listening to reggae/rap music, podcasts, and political interviews while shelving keeps me entertained throughout the process.  Keep a portable speaker charged and ready to go.
10. Taking pictures of the library after the shelving project is complete and again after decorations and signage has been added will make you appreciate your hard work.

The Non-Fiction Room

The Non-Fiction Room

Next week, Washington D.C. Public Librarians will be stopping by to assist me with shelving the fiction room.  Once that's completed, signage, decorations and placement of real/artificial plants will be added.  Then the real fun begins, inviting classes down to the library for orientation.  Stay tuned for more posts over the next school year.  

“In Praise of School Libraries & Librarians” by K.C. Boyd

“In Praise of School Libraries & Librarians:  Being a SCHOOL LIBRARIAN is a labor of love, even if it means getting into “good trouble” 

DA op-ed: In praise of school libraries—and librarians

👉🏾https://districtadministration.com/da-op-ed-in-praise-of-school-libraries-and-librarians/ 

Being a librarian is a labor of love, even if it means getting into “good trouble”

By K.C. Boyd

I love libraries. It’s a love that began when I was in preschool and continues to this day. My love of listening to and reading stories dates back to my early childhood in suburban Chicago. Libraries sparked my curiosity and imagination so much that every day I would beg my teacher for a pass to the Hickory Elementary School library. 

I enjoyed reading the works of Virginia Hamilton, Judy Blume and Paula Danzinger and anything that had a Disney stamp on it. And I spent hours reading books after school and on weekends at the public library.

My parents, both teachers, were born and raised in the Jim Crow South: Shreveport, Louisiana, and New Orleans. Along with their ancestors, they were a part of the great 1960s migration of African Americans who escaped the Deep South for the promise of a better life and better jobs in Chicago.

For them, libraries served as a conduit to freely dream, imagine and excel academically. They were ecstatic that my school library and the public library were well stocked. And they were relieved that I would not be denied the ability to enter and take out books because of the color of my skin. 

My joy every couple of days was visiting the library to check out unlimited books and magazines. The library was a place of solace for me—an introverted girl. 

Libraries gave me a voice that I didn’t have before and strength that I didn’t know existed within me.

Finding my passion

In college, I majored in mass communications with an emphasis on broadcasting for television. I worked for a couple of years for a local origination satellite company, and then I moved on to corporate America.

But then I had enough, and it was my late father who sat me down and made me realize that I was not working in a field that I was passionate about. When he suggested school libraries, it made sense—but I didn’t want to go back to school. 

My father eased my fears and assured me that because I was passionate about reading, I would breeze through school, and he was right. But I quickly learned that sometimes the path taken is filled with challenges, confusion and events that make you stronger.

Getting into ‘good trouble’

I have served children, teachers, staff and communities for more than 20 years through school libraries. My experience spans three school districts, two district library managerial positions,  five schools, two departmental directors, and 13 principals. I have learned to adjust, bend and comply. 

And from time to time, I even got into what civil rights hero and Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., has famously called “good trouble.” As Lewis has explained: “Sometimes you have to get in the way. You have to make some noise by speaking up and speaking out against injustice and inaction.”

All but one of the schools that I served were designated as Title I, and in all of these schools, I had to clean up and rebuild the library. I was often the lone voice that defended student choice, The Right to Read, and student access to technology.

Riding a roller coaster

Working in school libraries is not easy. It’s a roller coaster of events and emotions that are not for the weak. Committed warrior librarians possess the same driving force: a deep and abiding love for libraries. 

It’s also not easy to remain focused at a time when school librarian positions and programs are being written out of the district budgets across the country. 

As school librarians, we serve others and provide a safe, warm and inviting haven for all students every day. 

I want all of my students to have the same feelings and experiences that I had as a child each time they walk through the doors of my school library. 

I see small pieces of myself in each of the students who attend Jefferson Middle School Academy in Washington, D.C.—from a smile, a laugh and a love of hip-hop music to even a side-eye of frustration when they learn that the copies of The Hate U Give, Amulet or Thirteen Reasons Why are still checked out. 

I love being a school librarian because I believe it is the best job on the planet. Getting into  good trouble is worth it because my students deserve the best. I am a school library media specialist, and I’m proud to serve.

K.C. Boyd is the library media specialist at Jefferson Middle School Academy in Washington D.C. 

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 “Originally published in District Administration magazine, August, 2019. Used by Permission.”

District Administrator District Administrator