DIY Pete the Cat Costume

I wanted to share this picture of Hannah, my Scholastic Book Fair Consultant, in her homemade "Pete the Cat" costume. Isn't it cute? She left instructions in the comments below...

Guide Words

Click on these links for activities to reinforce guide word lessons.

Quia: Guide Words to the Stars 
StudyZone: Practice Guide Words
TPT: Cheering for Study Skills
Thankful for Dictionary Skills


One or more of these resources was recommended by ElementaryLibrarian.com. It's a great source for library lesson plans that are aligned to CCSS.

Fiction vs. Nonfiction

Click on these links for activities about the difference between fiction and nonfiction text.

StudyZone: Fiction and Nonfiction Practice
Starfall: Fiction and Nonfiction
Earobics: Tina's World

One or more of these resources was recommended by ElementaryLibrarian.com. It's a great source for library lesson plans that are aligned to CCSS.

Build-A-Blog: The Fun Steps

Once I settled the fundamentals (see this post), it was time for a couple of fun steps: first to snag the web address and then to install the web template.

I used my Google account to sign into www.Blogger.com and  clicked "New Blog." At this point there are two boxes to complete: Title and Address. This provides the option for having a title that is different from your address. Since I prefer that they be the same, I just skipped the "Title" box and went straight to the "Address" box. I began typing in my ideas for blog titles. Blessedly, the one I wanted was still available, so I took it by clicking the "Create Blog" button!

Purchasing the blog design I wanted from Honey Bunch Blog Design was a great experience. By following their instructions, they were given temporary admin rights to install the design for me. Easy-peasy!

Build-a-Blog: Fundamentals

I began blogging in 2011 as a result of enjoying my friend Patty's lovely blog over at Pattyville. At Mom's Best Nest I write posts about my life as a Christian, a wife, a mom, a homemaker and a blogger. That little blog has become such a blessing to me! It's...

• an outlet for self-expression
• a way to meet lots of fellow bloggers and make new friends
• a way to create a searchable archive of things important to me. For example, I can't seem to remember my recipe for Crock Pot Meatloaf, but I can quickly access it via my blog anytime I like. If someone wants to see a picture of my dog, I can just go to my blog :)

As the school year began, I really wished I had a blog related to my career as a school librarian.  Hence, Library Safari was born! It would have been nice if I had written about how I created my first blog, but, alas, I didn't. So, just in case I decide to build another one someday, I've decided to blog about building this blog. Remember, I am NOT a professional blogger. In fact, these posts will prove that ANYONE can do it ;)


First I had to make a few decisions...

1. Blogger or Wordpress? After researching the two, I concluded that Wordpress has many more options, but Blogger is more easily administered. I chose Blogger, because my time constraints require point-and-click ease of use. 
2. Focus? I wanted to write about the things I did in my library and learn what other were doing as well. My mission statement: "The mission of Library Safari is to log what's going on in my elementary school library for reference and reflection and  to build a community of school librarians and literacy educators for support and sharing ideas." 
3. Blog Title? After deciding on a title and locating a beautiful premade design at The Honey Bunch, I happened to see this safari one on the same page and thought of a title to match it.

Next time, I'll share about signing up for the web address and about the design process. Thanks for joining me on my new blogging adventure!

Welcome!

I've been an educator for over 17 years - first as a classroom teacher in elementary and middle schools and later as a school librarian. Library Safari is my place to ...

• log what I'm doing for reference and reflection
• build a community of school librarians and literacy educators for support and sharing ideas

I absolutely love finding ideas for growing my students' literacy skills and love of reading. I'm looking forward to sharing these ideas and learning from you as well. I hope you'll join me on this adventure!