This weeks task is to explore LibraryThing. While it has been a while since I've looked at it, I still think I prefer, at least at this point, Shelfari. As I've already set up an account in the past, I'm going to continue to use it until I feel there is something else worth switching to.

 
Not that I think LibraryThing is bad. They all do a similar thing. What I like about Shelfari, is the ease of use and the fact that I can share my list, via the Bookshelf, on my blog. Which, as you can see, I've now added here. 

 
I think something like this is especially important as I begin my career as a librarian. I think it's important to model to students that we are readers as well and this is one public way of sharing what we are reading. I also really like YA fiction, so I think it's great to share with my students that I'm reading some of the same books they are reading. 

 
Obviously, I have a lot of work to do on my account, maybe that can be one of my winter break goals, to input as many books as I can remember that I've read. 

The thing I like about the blogs I read is that every time I read them, I find another great idea. Two blog posts I read today gave me great ideas I want to use in my library someday. The first is book trailers. I've read and seen a lot about book trailers, about having kids make them, but I didn't really get it before. Then I watched this book trailer on TLC = Tech + Library + Classroom

Now this is a professional looking trailer but boy is it it fun and catchy. Now I get how I can use them. I think these can be a great tool to get those kids who aren't "readers". They may find this visual much more engaging than reading the description or even a book talk. 


Reading the blog about the video trailer also lead me to A Year of Reading blog where I found another great idea. Here the author talks about getting to think of kids as readers and describing what that means. I think this can be really great and the list of items she came up with to start her 100 things about me as a reader list is great. Doing this kind of activity can really open kids up to the possibilities of reading as they may think of it in a whole new way. I would think it would be especially helpful to have kids share some of there 100 things to give each other ideas. Love these ideas. 


I also want to share that blogs are great for personal things too. I learn a ton about cooking, scrapbooking and fun activities to do with my friends and family through blogging as well. So although this is my professional blog where I can reflect about what I'm learning in Grad School and through work, I always remember that learning doesn't stop once I leave school. In fact, I taught myself photoshop through online scrapbooking sites such as this: http://spraguelab.squarespace.com/  Through this blog I learn about scrapbooking and about fun activities as the author, a pro at all this, shares her life and her love of scrapbooking.