Library Visits: Ooh Rah!

Many of us school librarians have off for Presidents’ Week.

This past week, I had the opportunity to visit Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, NC. As with so many other vacations, I found a library to visit. Shocking right? This is my second military library. My first was the library at Quantico (VA).

Whether I’m traveling nationally or internationally, exploring local libraries will always be a favorite activity. I usually sign up for preconference library tours. My favorites have been organized by SLJ Summit and IASL (a tour of public and school libraries in Long Beach, CA).

Four years ago this week, my husband and I traveled to Ireland. I chose our hotel in Dublin based on the fact it was across the street from the National Library. Of course we visited the Long Room and Book of Kells at Trinity College. We even talked our way into day passes into the college library. And in my opinion, no trip to Dublin is complete without a visit to the Beatty Library.

We learn so much from visiting each other’s libraries – programming, displays, furniture set up and more. During my visit to Lejeune, I spotted signage advertising sewing in their makerspace; it was positioned in the 600s near the DDC for sewing. Brilliant idea! Meet the patrons where they are.

Meet the patrons where they are.

I hope you have a restful and productive week off; a week filled with new ideas and new experiences to share.

Tidying Up

Our staff book club is reading Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. It has sparked numerous conversations! 

Beginning a new year always seems to inspire a fresh start. You try something new, lose weight, tidy up your abode. This year Netflix’s new series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, has encouraged even more people to tackle their accumulation of ‘stuff’.  

As my readers know, most of my posts focus on helping others, alleviating suffering or upcycling. So, this post is no different. I wish to share with you how I am riding myself of years of collecting and providing others with options as well. Let’s face it, we can’t all just throw our stuff out; our garbage dumps are full enough! There’s quite a few programming ideas here too. Your library makerspace/programming may be able to capitalize on the KonMari craze and score some wonderful assets. Here are a few ways you can help others and yourself: 

Clothing 

  1. Donate to thrift shops or consider selling your items to local consignment shops. I’ve used an online consignment shop, ThredUp, to sell my good quality, still usable items. They take clothing, shoes, handbags, scarves and costume jewelry. 
  2. Cotton t-shirts can become dog toys for an animal shelter or rescue group. 
  3. Bras. Let’s face it we’ve all purchased a bra or two (or more) that looked and felt fine in the store for the five minutes we had it on in the dressing room. Now what to do with it after we discovered the painful truth. Donate to Free the Girls, or another upcycler/recycler organization
  4. I found some socks leftover that I’ll make into catnip toys

Books

  1. Donate to Friends of the Library at your public library or a local group collecting books. We have the Book Fairies nearby. 
  2. We host an annual Read to Feed book sale. We gather used books and sell them students and staff for a nominal fee in our school library. All proceeds go to Heifer International, an organization striving to end world hunger. 
  3. Upcycle for crafts. Blackout poetry. Using die cuts (I.e. Ellison) cut out letters for library displays. Decoupage. I written about sustainability and also have a LibGuide on upcycling various household objects.

Papers 

  1. Over the course of tidying up, I’ve shredded quite a bit of paper. We use the shreds to supplement our pet rabbit, Gin’s, habitat.  
  1. Non-sensitive paper items can be put in the recycle bin. Help the world! 

Komono (Miscellaneous) 

  1. While going through my make-up draw I found several eyelash/eybrow items. Wash these up and send them to Wands for Wildlife
  2. Fun programming idea: Turn that draw full of takeout chopsticks into Harry Potter wands!
  3. Towels can go to your local animal shelter.
  4. Turn pillowcases into Little Dresses for Africa. Our animal shelter will take pillowcases – they use them to capture and collect snakes!

Sentimental 

  1. My husband passed away this summer, so this is a difficult category for me. I’ve offered my children various items. One son has my husband’s stethoscope, and another has his art easel. I believe these sentimental items will ‘spark joy’ in their homes. 
  2. I can’t seem to part with my husband’s favorite shirts, so I believe I’ll have teddy bears made from the fabric. I’ll give these bears to future grandchildren and great-nieces and nephews. Since I can’t sew well, I’ll turn to Etsy for this.
  3. If you’re looking for memorial ideas, take a look at my Grief and Bereavement LibGuide
  4. Every year I go to ALA Annual and some years, MidWinter. While there, I always buy a conference t-shirt. I don’t actually wear t-shirts (ever), but they take up an entire drawer of space. So, I’ve decided to make them into a quilt using Project Repat, one of many online quilting services. Now I’ll have a needed blanket for my guest room and it will ‘spark joy’ remembering all the conferences, people and places. 

When handling your items there are three categories: throw away, keep, relocate. Try to upcycle as much as you can when throwing away. And don’t forget to thank each item! 

Crafting our Grief

‘Tis the season to be jolly…
True but not for everyone. Students and staff members who are grieving are most likely struggling to come to terms with their loss and the holidays with its fond memories can be exceptionally difficult. My husband, Alan, passed away this summer, only a few weeks after the anniversary of his initial brain bleed. These past three months have been a whirlwind of emotions.  Grief and bereavement can be overwhelming – a journey with many ups and downs. This struggle challenges the mourner to his or her very core on an average day. So how do we address the needs of our students and staff during the holidays? I’ve been thinking about this – a lot.

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When old traditions become too difficult to bear, perhaps it may be time for new traditions. Last month was the first time in 29 years that I did not spend Thanksgiving at my father-in-law’s house, instead we drove to Pennsylvania for a change of scenery. During our meal we gave thanks and remembered those no longer with us by lighting Four Candles. This new tradition is one that we’ll keep through many holidays and family celebrations. As our family celebrates Hanukkah this week, adding a few more candles to light won’t pose a problem. But I’ve been feeling that we should be doing more in remembrance during the long holiday season. And since misery loves company, I’ve organized a holiday grief program at our high school open to students and staff: Crafting Your Grief through the Holidays.


Many of the crafts involve remembrance – a memory ornament, a memory box, a memory jar and the like. I love the memory ornaments but as we have never had a Christmas tree or ‘Hanukkah bush’ it has taken an effort to explain to my children that just because I buy a tree doesn’t mean we’re converting! Our memory tree will hold the newly made ornaments, made from my husband’s shirts, and when we are all together during the holiday, we will plant the tree in the back yard. This is our first year without my husband, so we’ll see how it goes. As for the craft program scheduled next week, I’ll let you know how it turned out.


*Caveat: I consulted with our mental health professionals within our building and have attended an 8-week grief support group. Please use caution when implementing a grief program. A keepsake ornament does not replace my dead husband or make me feel better or happy. I’d prefer to hold my husband, not an ornament. Our students, too, feel a range of emotions about the loss of their parent, grandparent or other loved one. Also, there needs to be a familial discussion as to what items can be upcycled (i.e. cut up and permanently damaged). I will be writing an online article on “how-to” implement a grief program in your school at anytime of the year. When it’s complete and uploaded, I’ll add a link here.

 

In loving memory of Dr. Alan Jay Seymour (11/10/60 – 8/28/18)

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Critical Rhode Island

 

It’s been a long day and perhaps more accurately, a long year. August 11, 2017 my life changed. I had been having a great summer of travel for professional learning first attending ALA Annual in Chicago followed by the NYLA-SSL Leadership Institute at Cornell (NY), then on to Long Beach (CA) for IASL and visit with our son. I was in California when I received the life altering phone call. “Is this Mrs. Seymour?”  Dread upon hearing the words ‘brain bleed’ and ‘lifesaving measures’ while giving consent for intubation for mechanical ventilation in order for my husband to be transported to a higher-level care facility by helicopter. The flight back to NY is long under good circumstances; this trip was the longest of my life. I felt like I aged ten years upon disembarking and the night wasn’t over. In reality, my – no our – new life was just beginning. 
A life of ICUs, hospitals, rehabs, angiograms, EVDs, craniotomies (one to remove his occipital bone, the other to remove his AVM), tracheotomy, PEGs, EKGs, EEGs, CSF leak, VP Shunt, a blood transfusion, aspiration pneumonia, acute pancreatitis and the list goes on. Did you know patients are no longer called ‘John Doe’ but a series of other monikers, as in my husband’s case – ‘Critical Rhode Island’. We drove through that state once in the ‘90s. 

Today was an emotional day for me and at times I found it hard to pull myself together. There has been much stress and anguish over the past year. And while my life changed, it changed in many good ways. You may find this hard to believe but let me explain.

We went from a two-income household to just my salary. That’s not a positive! Especially with all the medical bills. But I learned to look at every expenditure in a new light and realized there were many unnecessary household services and expenses. I’ve learned to no longer embrace wastefulness and have become more fiscally disciplined. I’ve even learned all about the federal income tax schedules and various deductions. I have become an advocate and mentor amongst my friends and colleagues to get legal paperwork in order – Usernames, passwords, wills and the often-overlooked Power of Attorney. As a spouse I can assure you, you can’t talk to anyone or get anything done without a POA. I also learned to budget my limited time and to say ‘no’.  I should have taken Diana Rendina’s advice earlier and embraced the power of slowing down sooner. I am now more selective and productive with my time and energy. 

I’ve become physical therapist, occupational therapist as well as speech therapist. I can manage a feeding tube, Yankauer, catheter, and know a whole lot about pulmonary toileting (love that term.) None of these skills I learned in library school. But I have learned I can empathize more with my students and families who arrive with assorted medical issues. I have used my extensive training and background in medical libraries to understand exams, diagnoses and other interventions. I am grateful for this knowledge and that I had to opportunity to meet and fall in love with my husband over thirty years ago at Cabrini Medical Center Medical Library – he a medical student, me a library assistant.

The power of friendship is a healing salve. I’m very grateful for anyone who feeds me as it is evident I can not live on tea, wine and chocolate. Well, maybe tea. I am very grateful to the Lit Wits (a drinking club with a reading problem). This group of librarians allowed me to feel ‘normal’ again, if only for a few hours at a time. I am surrounding myself with family and friends – it doesn’t get any better. I have embraced Gratitude as my OneWord2108 and reflect on this word daily.

Last week I flew to Houston to work with Fort Bend ISD librarians. I rented a car and handled Texas highways (with a few U-turns and ‘re-routing routes’). This was out of my comfort zone but I did it. Some days I don’t recognize the new me. While my confidence is enhanced, I still go through bouts of sadness and loneliness. It’s okay to be sad. As teachers we arrive at school with emotional baggage, too – divorce, new house, illness and other stressors. But we need to help ourselves so we can see to the social emotional health and wellbeing of our students. We need put on our oxygen mask on first. I know I need to continue working on this, but I have embraced a new mindset for healing – positive affirmations, relaxation and healing music and a routine mani/pedi. We all have moments when healing breaths where we breathe in gently through the nose and out through the mouth (aka smell the flowers, blow out the candles) are beneficial, if not essential.

During this past year I’ve amped up our stress related library programs and plan to implement new ones for students and staff. For instance, Habro’s companion pets that I wrote about previously. I spotted a companion cat at Clements High School Library (FBISD) and got great feedback.

I have a new point of view when it comes to disabilities. It is frustrating trying to get my husband’s wheelchair into tiny elevators and narrow hallways in medical buildings. It might be handicap accessible on paper, but walk a mile in my shoes! I look at my school, library and really all facilities and programs with a new lens. I hope I can make a difference in someone’s life. As for assistive devices:

  • I love any writing or drawing implement in triangular shape. It’s just easier to hold. I’ll be adding this to my makerspace.
  • I’m thinking there maybe a place for Alexa in the library as it has proved helpful in a nursing facility setting.
  • Don’t ban plastic straws. Just don’t take them if you don’t need them. Many people, my husband included, have swallowing issues. Once an item is labelled an assistive device, the price goes up. Having a disability is expensive enough.

It has been a year now and my husband is still not home yet. It’s going to take a while longer, but I know

I am strong
I am brave
I’ve got this 

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A New Arrival

My eyes misted over with tears of joy for you finally arrived. I held you in my arms, first in a warm maternal embrace, then up high for the world to get a glimpse at you…

While writing Maker with a Cause, I often likened the process to pregnancy.

Months 1-2: Waiting to confirm, “Am I really pregnant?” “Are they going to offer me a contract?”

Month 3: Yippee! I’m so excited. “What shall we name her?” There’s so many things to pick out.

Months 4-5:  Wow, I’m gaining quite a bit of weight… (Sitting at a computer day after day, noshing on pretzels and other goodies will do that to you.)

Month 6-7: Trying to convince myself this WILL be worth it.

Month 8: Ugh, I’ve got to go out and buy more clothes, nothing fits.

Month 9: When is this going to be over!!!!

Labor: Breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth. Smell the flowers, blow out the candles. “Seriously, more copy edits???” “Get it OUT!”

Delivery: “Awww, isn’t that the most beautiful thing you’ve laid your eyes on?” “I’m so proud!” “Look what I created.”

Well, in honesty, I didn’t create this book on my own. There were so many encouraging family, friends and colleagues along the way. First, and most of all, my husband, Alan for whom the book is dedicated. He is the most supportive, awesome-est husband ever. He schlepped with me to Anaheim, CA to attend a service learning conference. Made me countless cups of tea – the only thing to calm me and keep me focused. And, even while a patient in the neurosurgical ICU with a cerebellar brain bleed/AVM, his first words to me were to encourage me to finish the book when my only thought was – I hope he makes it through the weekend.

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As a mom, I am habitually proud of my children. This past year the roles were reversed as our children, Joseph, Joshua, Jacob and Hannah, were my cheer squad. My sisters managed my husband’s office while I focused on him and finishing edits. (Hint: never trust hospital Wi-Fi.) My niece, Kelly, was my go-to proofreader. Even though she has a full-time job with a commute and a 3-year-old, she managed to find time to help me.

Early on when I had no clue how to read a book contract, Heather Moorefield-Lang and Diana Rendina both came to my rescue patiently answering the most generic questions. Thank you! I am grateful for public libraries for that is where I wrote most of the book. Grateful for the peace and quiet and no eating rules. (Gained too much weight snacking at home!) And grateful for countless librarians and educators across the country who shared stories with me, kept me focused and most of all encouraged me.

At work I am grateful to Heidi Stevens, our FACS teacher, who helped me with many of the sewing projects. Rita Dockswell, who reminded me I know how to crochet. Most of all, it was my principal, Mike Mosca, who let me ‘do my thing’ day in and day out. This level of support allowed me to collaborate with so many to empower our teens to make a world of difference through our MakerCare program.

I hope you’ll love my new arrival as much as I do.

Gina

Squeeze & Relax

MakerCare Lit Connection Series

Today therapy dogs visited our school bringing smiles and respite from a busy week filled with final exams and Regents test prep. I’ve written of my gratitude for therapy animals (yes, dogs and therapy bunny!). Animals can decrease stress in humans. However some students, like me, are allergic to animal fur. The alternatives are hypo-allergenic breeds, social robotic pets or other stress reducers.

Project (Title): Stress Balls

Lit Connection (Test Anxiety):

Check out this list of books

Lit Connection (Service/Therapy Dogs):

Ben: The Very Best Furry Friend, I Know My Name is Love, Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship

Alternative Titles:
PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR FAVORITE TITLE IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!

How To:

You’ll need empty water bottles with caps, Magic Beadz, a teaspoon, funnel and balloons. Pour 1 tsp of Magic Beadz into a water bottle and fill with 2 cups of water. Allow 2-3 hours for beadz to absorb water. Pour out any remaining water. Put balloon over neck of bottle and pour (squeeze, really) the beadz into the balloon. Knot off the balloon. Squeeze and Relax!

Worry Not!

Now that my book, Makers With a Cause, is complete and soon to be released, I finally find myself with time to write about literature connections to some of my favorite maker projects. I started last month with Memorial Day themed books, but now I’d like to focus more on compassionate making (aka #MakerCare) lit connections.

Each month I’ll describe a maker project that espouses compassion, empathy or social action and match it with a book to read aloud or as part of a reading group.

So, here goes…

Project: Worry Dolls

Why: Our kids are stressed out!

“According to the Mayan legend, when worrying keeps a person awake, he or she tells a worry to as many dolls as necessary. Then the worrier places the dolls under his or her pillow. The dolls take over the worrying for the person who then sleeps peacefully through the night. When morning breaks, the person awakens without the worries that the dolls took away during the night.”

When: Anytime, pre mid-term and final testing period, Mental Health Awareness Month (May)

Literature Connection: Silly Billy by Anthony Browne

  

 

Alternative Titles:

Trouble Dolls – Jimmy Buffett & Savanah Buffet

Secrets of Worry Dolls – Amy Impellizzeri (312p novel)

PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR FAVORITE TITLE IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!

How To:

Cut one pipe cleaner into 1/3 & 2/3 lengths.

Wrap yarn around your hand several times and slide it through the 2/3 length pipe cleaner. Slide a wooden bead up the bent pipe cleaner holding the ‘hair’ in place. Trim ‘hair’ as desired. Draw face on bead, as desired. Wrap the 1/3 pipe cleaner around the ‘body’ forming ‘arms’. Using yarn, cover the exposed areas of the pipe cleaner

 

Remember

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance; a day when we honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country.

Poppies are a symbol of the sacrifice and courage of our service members. It was during World War I that Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote a poem, “In Flanders Fields“, reflecting and commemorating the sacrifice and loss of life.

in flanders fields

It was Moina Belle Michael, a Georgia schoolteacher, whose perseverance convinced a nation to accept the poppy as symbol of remembrance.

the poppy lady

So as we approach Memorial Day, how will you remember the fallen? Here are a few ideas:

  1. I love the beauty in symbolism displayed in the Missing Man Table tradition. Need a read along companion book? Try this book by Margot Theis Raven, my favorite!

americas white table

2. Make some poppies with your students (or family). One example is of a poppy field after reading A Poppy is to Remember.

a poppy is to remember

3. Dedicate a #POPPYINMEMORY through USAA. Or, experience a poppy field in VR while learning about the causalities of war while on the USAA site.

poppy USAA memorial day

More ideas can be found on The Compassionate Maker: Patriotism/Appreciation LibGuide.

Mental Health Month

May is Mental Health Month and as a high school librarian, I have seen my fair share of stressed out teens. How can we help our students alleviate anxiety and stress? While we cannot take the place of trained and certified therapists, we can offer a listening ear or a word of support and encouragement. We can also provide some tools and comfort for promoting good mental health.

Here are five simple ideas for promoting and augmenting mental health. Each is implementable through library programming or makerspace activities.

Stress Balls – Sometimes you just need to squeeze and squish something. Follow directions for hydrating Magic Beadz. Instead of a bowl, use a water bottle, this will make the straining and pouring beads into a balloon easier. Place beads in a balloon and tie a knot at the top. Start squishing! Alternatives to Beadz: use rice, beans or play dough. Some instructions call for flour. If (ahem, when) the balloon breaks, the mess is of astronomical proportions.


Positive Pencils (link) – Everyone needs a reminder. You are strong! You are brave! You’ve got this! Positive affirmations can increase feelings of self-worth. Research shows us that thoughts have a direct impact on emotions and feelings. So, make them positive!

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Social Robots (link) – Hasbro’s Joy for All companion pets can provide comfort to students in school without having to deal with allergies or vet bills. This is great alternative to live animal pet therapy programs.
companion-pet.pngJournaling – Write down thoughts, dreams, and questions in a daily journal you create for yourself. Using Modge-Podge craft glue and images cut from upcycled magazines, cover a marble or spiral notebook for a creative personalized journal. Journaling can help you manage anxiety, reduce stress and cope with depression, among other benefits.
journal cover
Jump Ropes (link) – Daily exercise is good for overall health, both physical and mental. Even just a little activity is beneficial. Make these upcycled plastic (plarn) jump ropes as a fun way to exercise.

Also, check out this resource – 12 Resources to Help You Address Mental Health in Schools.

Stay healthy! Stay strong!

Social Robots

Robots & Us: Can Robots make us feel better?

My husband has been hospitalized for the past 8 months. In the course of that time we’ve had our fair share of mechanical interventions. From ventilators to feeding delivery systems, programmed machines have improved our quality of life.

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Nate’s Get Well Bot is a ‘robot’ designed (albeit, by a 3 year old) to make Uncle Alan feel better. Worked like a charm!

This got me thinking. Can robots make us ‘feel better’?

I’ve been on the look out for other ways robots can make us feel better – not medically but more along the lines of social-emotional well-being.

Companion Robots

We’ve experienced multiple therapy dogs over our stay and recently a therapy bunny. Many of these service animals only visit on certain days and depending on the unit (for example, the respiratory care unit) they may be banned. What to do when you need or want a companion, but don’t have access to a live, furry critter? Companion robots.

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Hasbro Joy for All (https://joyforall.hasbro.com/en-us) –  is “designed to bring comfort, companionship and fun to elder loved ones. With realistic fur and pet-like sounds – and sensors that respond to petting and hugs with familiar pet-like actions – Companion Pets deliver a soothing, joyful experience that inspire smiles, laughter and fond memories for people of all ages.” We own the silver cat and he (Bingo) spends his days with my husband. Not only does Bingo provide comfort and companionship to my wheelchair bound husband, he also brings joy and comfort to me. Best of all no vet appointments, clean ups or allergy attacks!

I think this product would make a great addition to our other stress reducing activities and plan to purchase one for our school library.

BUDDY (http://www.bluefrogrobotics.com/en/buddy/) – “is the revolutionary companion robot that improves your everyday life. Open source and easy to use, BUDDY connects, protects, and interacts with each member of your family. Not content with being just a companion, BUDDY is also democratizing robotics. BUDDY is built on an open-source technology platform making it easy for global developers to build applications.”

There are other “social robots” such as Jibo (https://www.jibo.com/) and Pepper (https://www.ald.softbankrobotics.com/en/robots/pepper). I’m more partial to the furry robots than the humanoid robots.

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I was fortunate to meet Dr. Julienne Greer, a senior lecturer at UT Arlington, while attending the Texas Library Association Conference (2018) in Dallas. She had several robots with her and she explained her work with the theatre arts department in relation to the computer science department. Fascinating work being performed across the country. If you want to read more about Dr. Greer and her work in the emerging field of social robotics and human-robotic interaction (HRI), check out this article: Why we want our robots to like us. In the future, I think we’re going to being hearing a lot more on the topic of human interactions with emotional robots. I can’t wait!