about librarian in the middle

Welcome to Librarian in the Middle!

My name is Sarah and I have almost two decades of teaching experience in middle school as a former English teacher and now as a school librarian.

As a librarian, I have presented nationally at AASL and at the district level about the Guided Inquiry Design research process and instructional technology integration. But, my passion lies in helping school librarians create a library their patrons will love by building a strong library culture and applying business branding and marketing strategies. I can't get enough of applying my Library Branding Cycle to ensure that I am being efficient and effective with my time.

Everyone deserves to know the power of the school library, especially those who use it most!

It was in this desire to share school library awesomeness, that Level Up Your Library: Branding Bootcamp for School Librarians was born. A course with content specifically for school librarians who wanted to best for their spaces, students and community, but were struggling with the exact steps to get there. I can't wait to help you create the program of your dreams!

B.A. English Education; M.S. Instructional Technology; Library Media Cert. K-12; Admin I

Sarah

Let's stay in touch!

My goal with this weekly, sometimes bi-monthly depending on how crazy life gets, letter is to chat about all the awesome library things, share some tips and tricks when it comes to library branding and support the amazing community of librarians out there just trying to get it all done.

At Librarian in the Middle and Level Up Your Library, we seek to support school librarians as they build strong library programs and elevate the experience for all patrons while achieving the visibility and engagement they desire.

We strive to help librarians advocate and educate others about the crucial role librarians and libraries play in student achievement through the development of branding and marketing skills. It is our goal to support librarians throughout their journey with a focus on developing trust, a desire to build relationships, and a commitment to personal and professional growth.

Trust

We believe you deserve to have someone in your corner who you can trust and who is going to tackle the challenges of being a school librarian with clarity and honesty. We know that there are a million things on your plate to manage, and that is just as a librarian.

You don’t need someone who is going to waste your time with fluff. We value your experience and strive to elevate the role of the school librarian with our work. It is our goal to provide you with the kind of meaningful and credible guidance to make your library and patrons ready for the 21st century.

Relationships

We are passionate about building a community. Connecting with others and building a supportive and collaborative space is a crucial part of any learning environment.

Our community exists to nurture progressive ideas about librarianship and the role of the library in the daily lives of our students and community. This includes work around anti-racism, inclusivity and representation not just in the library, but also in all areas of education.

Growth

We understand the importance of life-long learning as educators. To do that, it takes courage and risk-taking in an environment that supports being bold, knowing that if you fail, it is only your first attempt at learning!

We know that your self-improvement and education extends beyond required professional development days, to those things that pull at your heart and make the extra time spent to discover new ideas a part of your transformation, so you can share your ideas with the world.

A few of my favorite things...

This is a list of a few of my absolute favorite things when it comes to library branding and marketing your space.
I wouldn't put just any 'ole thing on this list, so you can rest assured that these are things I use, love and wouldn't share unless I thought you would love them too!

Full disclosure - These are affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you make a purchase, but at no additional cost to you!

Canva PRO

This is my ride-or-die tool, friends! I swear by my Canva Pro account. You can get a free educator version for yourself that upgrades to Pro, but if you are looking to have your own personal account, the PRO version is a game changer.

Engage with Email Course & Templates

Crafting a thoughtful newsletter or email for your library is a valuable skill, not unlike email marketing. This Engage with Email course from Alissa McDonald is super awesome if you are thinking about branding beyond your school library. It is geared toward teacher sellers, but there are some great resources here that could be applied to a library setting if you make some tweaks here and there.