NEWS RELEASES > JUNE 5, 2020
BY SHANNON MAUGHAN, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The sudden closure of schools across the country in mid-March and the resulting pivot to distance learning has meant that the role of school librarian has shifted into a whole new gear. Certainly, the picture looks different from district to district and even school to school, but the American Association of School Librarians has been staying in touch with its membership in a number of ways, including a periodic survey that offers a snapshot of what the school librarian’s work looks like during the pandemic. AASL’s second such survey was conducted at the end of April. The information from 975 respondents represents 1,087 schools and more than a million students. We consulted those survey results and contacted some individual school librarians to highlight a range of experiences and best practices.
Craig Seasholes, teacher librarian at Dearborn Park International Elementary School in Seattle, has been hosting two weekly Book Chat sessions during which he invites students and staff to share what they’ve been reading via “60-second lightning book talks.” From that point, he says, “Information goes out in our district Learning Management System, and readers contribute titles in a shared PowerPoint slideshow unique to each session.” The recommended titles are then added to a growing Follett Destiny® Collection. In addition, Seasholes says he attends teachers’ classroom online meetings and “adds [his] ‘3 minutes from Bookman’ presentation highlighting print and online resources appropriate to each class.” He also participates in three Read-a-Rama Virtual Storytimes hosted by Michelle Martin and Rachelle Washington on their site each week…
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Holden, my 21-month-old, has fallen in love. His early morning snack and “couch time” includes a dose of “Tiger!” This is toddler for, “Mom, turn on Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.” It inevitably leaves me singing whatever jingle is repeated throughout the...
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LOCAL BUSINESS DONATES SALES TO KIDS IN NEED
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McHenry, Ill., Apr. 10, 2025 – Edythe's Book Nook, the employee bookstore of McHenry’s Follett Content, is proud to announce the donation of $1,300 from its January and February 2025, sales to Kids in Need McHenry County. This generous contribution will support the organization's...
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McHenry, Ill., Mar. 12, 2025 – Follett Content, the largest provider of educational materials to 86,000 PreK-12 schools globally, today announced a strategic alignment to better serve its customer base with an enhanced sales organization and by establishing distinct pillars.Each pillar –...
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Follett Educational Foundation Partners with MCC to Offer 10 Annual Full-Tuition Scholarships
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CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill., Jan. 28, 2025 – The Follett Educational Foundation has partnered with the Friends of McHenry County College (MCC) Foundation to establish ten annual full-tuition scholarships for students graduating from McHenry County high schools and attending MCC. The Follett...
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Follett Educational Foundation funds book drive for Native American students
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MCHENRY, Ill., Jan. 16, 2025 — More than 160 K-8 students, who reside on a Navajo Indian Reservation in rural Arizona, will have their home libraries enhanced courtesy of a book donation from the Follett Educational Foundation.Every student from Jeddito Public School,...
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How McHenry-based Follett Content grew from a family business to an international company
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Follett Content CEO Britten Follett always said she never wanted to be a part of the multi-generational family business because she wanted to do her own thing. For 10 years she was an Emmy Award-winning TV reporter before joining Follett...
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