Tag: school librarian

Fabulous Face Masks for School Librarians

(Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links, and if you click through and make a purchase, I will receive compensation at no additional cost to you.)

This image is a derivative of a photo by Robert Wilkos from Pixabay

I will admit it…face masks freaked me out at first. When people first started wearing them regularly in my area of the world, seeing folks wearing face masks would put me in a melancholy mood. Masks seemed like such a bold reminder that everything had changed. I remember distinctly when I started spending time at school again in August to get ready for the school year, I felt so awkward wearing a mask and seeing my colleagues wearing them. And when school started and I kept seeing all those cute little grins covered with masks, the sight made me feel so sad.

My school has been fully in-person, five days a week since August, and that has given me plenty of time to get adjusted to the face mask thing. Little by little, I became accustomed to the new normal, and now, once in awhile, I actually feel a little bit naked when I take my mask off.

This Week's Coupon at Michaels.com

I even discovered benefits to wearing a mask throughout the school year (in addition to the obvious benefit of reducing the spread of COVID). A mask DEFINITELY keeps your nose warmer during recess duty on a cold day, and I made it through the winter without getting chapped lips this year. A mask is great for “eeek…I have a big zit!” and “oh snap, some of my lunch has been stuck in my teeth all afternoon!” days. And finally, some masks are pretty adorable. And some of them are even library-themed!

My Favorite Four Masks for Librarians

These are my favorite library-themed masks in my collection. (You should know before purchasing any that I prefer my masks to be pretty full-coverage, to have a nose-wire, and to have a filter pocket, so if you prefer a small, thin mask, these are probably not for you. Also…Disclaimer: I’m recommending these because I have had positive experiences with them, but I can’t weigh in on whether they are effective at protecting against COVID because that is not my area of expertise!) I have found that these masks fit me well, have lasted through numerous library lessons, and usually prompt several compliments each time I wear them! 😁

This was the first book-themed mask I purchased, and probably the one I get the most compliments on:

Here’s a bookshelf themed one:

Here’s another bookshelf mask that is super colorful and cute:

And here’s another stylish librarian mask, which combines design elements of the other three:

So, that’s the round-up of book-themed face masks I recommend. (Please remember that I’m basing this on personal experience as a teacher…I’m not an infectious disease expert, so I can’t speak to the effectiveness of these masks in terms of controlling the spread of illness! I just think they are cute.) 😊

Feel free to purchase these masks for yourself and be my twinsie!

The 2018 Teacher-Librarian Stores Catalog is Here!

Since you all know I’m a book person, I guess it doesn’t come as a big surprise that I am also a catalog person. (Well, at least I was when I was a kid and didn’t notice all the clutter that goes along with being on mailing lists!)

I remember afternoons as a kid, sitting there and thumbing through the glossy pages of the JCPenney catalog, looking at all the pretty things set up on pretty pages. I don’t subscribe to many catalogs anymore to try to avoid unnecessary piles of paper in my house (as opposed to the necessary piles that already take up too much space!). But now that back to school is approaching, I do allow myself to flip through the occasional back-to-school circular…and I also spend some quality time with the digital (so, not glossy, but still pretty) Teacher-Librarian Stores Catalog by my TpT colleague Mrs. J in the Library!

TpT is awesome, but let’s face it – it can be overwhelming sometimes! If you go to the site without a specific resource in mind, but instead you just want to window shop to find inspiration and ideas, there is a ton of stuff to wade through. I just typed “library” into the search bar and got 42,236 results. What?!

Mrs. J in the Library has been compiling this catalog for several years now to help offer school librarians a simplified, streamlined process for shopping for Teachers Pay Teachers materials for their school libraries. This year, it features ten teacher-authors who specialize in resources for the library/media center, and each page is full of clickable links to fabulous products that will work well in the school library. The catalog also includes back-to-school tips and ideas so you can do a little PD while you are browsing.

I am excited that my store is part of the catalog this year! Feel free to download it and look at the beautiful displays of libraryliciousness…without cluttering your desk.

(I will be doing the same!) 🙂