The Best Blogs that School Librarians must visit

 

School librarians, whether they work small college libraries, large research universities and departments, or elementary schools, need to stay current on the latest in technology innovation, reading lists, the publishing world, ebook trends, special project and lesson ideas, and a lot more. Luckily, you don’t have to think of everything all by yourself. These 100 bloggers serve as excellent reference resources for learning about everything from library technology to young adult fiction.Click on the links to visit these blogs and to see what they can contribute to you....

If you want to keep up with your technologically advanced students, you’ll need to visit these blogs for news, trends and product reviews about the latest tech toys. These blogs are especially helpful for those who want to learn how to use technology for education and innovation.

1. Gizmodo: Read Gizmodo to learn about all kinds of tech news and projects, including media players, DIY projects, censorship and more.
2. Wired: Wired.com is an excellent resource for getting product reviews and understanding the culture of technology.
3. TechWeb: Learn about Internet security, networking and new developments here.
4. Engadget: Engadget is a popular blog that often posts news and features about mobile tools, media players and more.
5. Good Clean Tech: This blog from PCMag.com is all about going green as you go tech.
6. Geek Dad: Read this blog to learn about tech projects you can do with kids.
7. This Day in Tech: Visit this blog to get ideas for lessons, themes and projects for your students.
8. Dangerously Irrelevant: This blog is written by an Associate Professor in the Education Administration program at Iowa State. Read it for news and tips regarding technology in the classroom.
9. Webmonkey: Webmonkey has great tools and tutorials for those who want to learn how to create their own website.
10. Weblogg-ed: Weblogg-ed is all about using the Internet for education.
11. Jane’s E-Learning Pick of the Day: Jane Hart of the Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies shares tips for getting kids hooked on the Internet for the right reasons.
12. Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Teachers and librarians can read this blog to learn how to more effectively use technology and the Internet for education.
13. Learning.now: Learning.now is a great blog from PBS that explores how educators are harnessing the power of the Internet and technology.
14. Infinite Thinking Machine: This blogs helps educators "thrive in the 21st century."
15. Bright Ideas for Education: Tom March is into podcasts, Web 2.0 and education.

Reading

Even with all of the opportunities and potential that technology brings, librarians are still committed to their books. Read these blogs for author interviews, book list ideas, and tips for getting your students excited about reading.

16. Bookslut: Bookslut is a blog that covers authors, publishing trends, children’s books, and more.
17. Ready Steady Book: The Ready Steady Book blog features lots of author interviews, book reviews, and more discussions about books.
18. So Many Books: This blog features in-depth posts about book awards, libraries, and beyond.
19. 3000 Books: If you’re afraid that you can’t read all the books on your list, read this blog instead. The blogger aims to read 50 books per year.
20. 1morechapter: This former teacher writes book reviews and gives herself book challenges to keep reading.
21. Biblio: Get ideas for reading and English lessons while you learn about the culture and history of books, libraries and reading.
22. A Striped Armchair: This blog features reading challenges, reviews, award-winning books, and plenty more.
23. Booking Through Thursday: Read this blog for ideas and discussion about reading tools, culture, projects and more.
24. Booklist Blog: Besides getting ideas for books to add to your students’ reading lists, this site features blogs from librarians, teachers, and more.
25. Can’t Sleep, Must Read: Check out this blog to get the perspective of a college student bibliophile.
26. Everyday Reads: Everyday Reads posts book reviews and book news.
27. Ex Libris: Read Ex Libris for author interviews, book lists, and stories that are relevant to librarians and library culture.
28. Red Room Library: This blog is a National Book Critics Circle member and discusses book news and more.
29. Weekly Geeks: This blog is for book addicts who blog. Get tips for refurbishing your site, catching up on your reading, and more.
30. Paper Cuts: The New York Times’ book blog will educate you on new, contemporary releases and authors.

Librarian Blogs

Get a first-hand perspective of and read reviews by librarians who have tried out the new tech tools, read the latest books, and more.

31. Librarian.net: This popular librarian blog is kept up by Jessamyn West who works in rural Vermont.
32. Peter Scott’s Library Blog: Here you can keep up with library and technology, plus book award finalists and more.
33. A Librarian’s Guide to Etiquette: This fun little blog has great tips for keeping your patrons in line.
34. The Shifted Librarian: The Shifted Librarian writes about public library projects, library and technology, and more.
35. Confessions of a Science Librarian: Science librarians will appreciate this blog from the Head of the Steacie Science and Engineering Library at York University.
36. Free Range Librarian: This blog comments on "librarianship" and beyond.
37. Libraryman: "Libraryman" blogs about modern day libraries.
38. The Days and Nights of the Lipstick Librarian!: Read this blog from a "library fashionista" who writes about the library profession, pop culture and libraries, and more.
39. The Travelin’ Librarian: This blogger is the Technology Innovation Librarian for the Nebraska Library Commission and shares tips for using technology for education and becoming more engaged in the greater discussion.
40. Librarian: This blog tracks "libraries as the future of culture and history."
41. The Ubiquitous Librarian: Brian Mathews writes about tech libraries and more.
42. The Other Librarian: Find valuable tips for keeping up with your students on this blog.
43. Krafty Librarian: School librarians can benefit from this medical librarian blog, too, by checking out the posts about networking, grants, and technology.
44. DIY Librarian: Tara Murray writes about "librarianship for the people," including conferences, evolving librarian systems, and more.
45. Connie Crosby: Connie Crosby is a law librarian from Vancouver who shares ideas for getting online.
46. Annoyed Librarian: The Annoyed Librarian now writes for LibraryJournal.com about workshops, the job culture, the Dewey Decimal system, and more.
47. Musings about librarianship: This blogger is a librarian at the National University of Singapore Libraries.
48. Library Grits: This school and teacher librarian shares tips for staying organized and staying sane.
49. The Inspired Library School Student: This LIS student blogs about library school, the changing landscape of libraries, and more.
50. The Handheld Librarian: Read this blog for ideas on how to make your library more technologically advanced.
51. From the Library Director’s Desk: Julie Milavec is Library Director for the Plainfield Library District.
52. Closed Stacks: Closed Stacks is written by a recent MLIS graduate, a media and technology services librarian and a large research university, a new law librarian, a library student, a librarian in the Midwest, and a YA librarian from Providence.
53. Wired Librarian: Recent posts from this blog include "Why DO We Need Libraries in Schools?" and "New Stragies for Digital Natives."
54. Reading 2.0: Sarah Librarian reviews books on her blog, which can help you generate your own reading lists.
55. Accidentally Curious: Charlotte is a young librarian who blogs to try to make sense of college libraries, technology use in libraries, and more.

Teens and Youth

These blogs discuss how kids, teens and young adults respond to reading and libraries.

56. Battle of the Kids’ Books: Learn about good kids’ books from the School Library Journal blog.
57. Alternative Teen Services: This blog is kept up by teen librarians who are passionate about keeping teen library services alive.
58. Bowllan’s Blog: This blogger has a knack for mixing books, pop culture, contemporary authors, and more.
59. Judging the Books: This fun blog takes a look back at classic young adult book covers.
60. Welcome to my Tweendom: This school librarian reviews great YA books, compiles tween book lists, and more.
61. ALSC Blog: This blog comes from the Association for Library Service to Children.
62. Librarilly Blonde: This YA librarian reviews books and meshes pop culture with librarian topics.

Project Ideas and Industry

Read these blogs to get ideas for using technology in your library, making your library a multimedia resource for the community, and for discovering projects to do with your students.

63. Google Librarian Central: Google blog for librarians features lots of tools and project ideas for using technology for education.
64. Blogwithoutalibrary.net: This blogger tracks all of the social media and technology that’s relevant for libraries.
65. LibrarianActivist.org: Read this blog if you want to get your patrons and your library involved in political and social issues.
66. David Lee King: David Lee King is a digital technology and library advocate who experiments with marketing, managing and usability strategies that help libraries.
67. Hey, Jude: Judy O’Connell is on the editorial board of School Libraries Worldwide and blogs about libraries 2.0.
68. Information Wants to Be Free: This young librarian and writer blogs about how libraries use tech tools.
69. Stephen’s Lighthouse: This blog comes from the SirsiDynix Vice President of Innovation.
70. jandawson.net: Recent posts from Jan Dawson’s blog address creativity and innovation in librarianship.
71. SocialNetworkingLibrarian.com: Learn all about how social networking can help your library and your career.
72. Designing Better Libraries: Read this blog for ideas on how to promote innovation and usability in your library.
73. In the Library with the Lead Pipe: This blog is maintained by a group of six librarians from different niche industries who are passionate about continuing the discussion about the future of libraries.
74. Virtual Dave…Real Blog: Virtual Dave is an associate professor at Syracuse University and blogs about information studies and more.
75. Tame the Web: Read Tame the Web to learn how libraries and library patrons are using the Internet.
76. What I Learned Today: Get library 2.0 tips from this blogger to keep up.
77. The Brewin’ Librarian: Read this blog for news and ideas about library innovation.
78. The Uncommon Commons: Here you’ll read all about IT and libraries.
79. Librarian by Day: This geek librarian blogs about library issues and trends, especially digital librarian trends.
80. Open Sesame: Learn about libraries and how they can use open source technology.
81. No Shelf Required: Join the discussion about ebooks and epublishing.

Humor and Library Culture

Give yourself a break from your crazy day by visiting these blogs that post rants, jokes and more.

82. Librarian Avengers: Why you should worship librarians: This pro-librarian blog should keep you motivated during a bad day.
83. The Society for Librarians who say "Motherfucker": This network posts rants, ideas, questions, and general musings about library patrons and libraries.
84. The Original Librarian Trading Cards: Trading cards are made of real librarians who also agree to be interviewed for this site.
85. Unshelved: Read library-themed comic strips on this blog.

Libraries and Associations

Find out what major libraries and library associations are talking about so that you can bring the discussion back to your patrons.

86. ACRLog: Check out this blog from the Association of College and Research Libraries.
87. LISNews: The Librarian and Information Science News blog is updated multiple times a day.
88. UoL Library Blog: The University of Leicester blogs about library things here.
89. Library of Congress Blog: Read the Library of Congress blog for news and information about new exhibits, library issues and trends, LOC culture, historical figures, and more.
90. ALA TechSource: Read about how the ALA is harnessing technology here.

Miscellaneous

From library software tools to the Dewey Decimal system to publishing, these blogs cover the rest.

91. Planet Cataloging: This network of blogs and bloggers covers cataloging and metadata.
92. Union Librarian: Librarians who want to be involved in social issues and library activism should read this blog.
93. evergreen-ils blog: Learn about open source library software here.
94. iLibrarian: Read iLibrarian for tech tools and tips you can use in your library.
95. 0.25.431 The Dewey blog: Learn all about the Dewey Decimal system here.
96. TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home: Read this blog for "news and views on e-books, libraries, publishing" and more.
97. Collecting My Thoughts: Norma blogs about library projects and more.
98. Bilingual Librarian: This blogger has lots of great tips for reaching out to your patrons.
99. Library Garden: Library Garden covers all types of librarians and libraries, including public, academic, YA, and more.
100. In the Bookroom: Learn more about publishing and the media as they relate to libraries.