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Wendy Garland

@wendygarland.bsky.social
448 followers 500 following 582 posts

Elementary school librarian & reader who loves using technology to spark creativity. Dancer, figure skating enthusiast. All opinions are my own. she/her listenconnectempower.blogspot.com

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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 20h
5th grade book tasting was interesting. I chose chapter books that don't go anywhere but have potential (or so I thought). A small handful walked away with a book. When dismissed for checkout they FLOODED the graphic novel section. Trying to expand horizons. #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
Students look at library books from a bin on a table.
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Check out these adorable bag clips I found at Marshalls! They are perfect thank you gifts for Book Fair volunteers! #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
Bag clips with ghosts reading books and a thank you note reading “Thanks for holding everything together”
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Every time I do this catalog activity I thank @illinimccoy.bsky.social for it! Students get to choose which topics they are interested in and provide a fiction and nonfiction choice for a student. Voice and authenticity! www.ahoymrsmccoy.com/library-less... #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
Student library catalog work including the title, call number and genre (fiction or nonfiction) for a topic
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Little 3 yr old engineers are wrapping their heads around how to build and stack with cups. Some of my favorite materials are simple, inexpensive items! #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
Colorful cups are stacked to form castles and towers
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
2nd graders were exploring our biographies and a student commented “Simone is so beautiful.” Response “She’s too old for you.” My response “And she’s married. Sorry!” Glad we got that squared away! 🤣 #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
Biography about Simone Biles
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
What a colorful collaboration for #DotDay!
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
I can not sing the praises of our volunteer team enough. They sold books (not during library time) and cleaned this entire fair up while I recovered from a visit to the ER with a devastating migraine. I couldn't even string together a sentence, but they took over and got it done. #grateful #TLSky
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Reposted by Wendy Garland
Lori Tecler @loritecler.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Yesterday was the 1st Fun Friday in the makerspace. Kids were so happy to be back in the makerspace & 2nd graders loved their 1st opportunity to join in. We made worry dolls with mini clothespins & embroidery thread. #SchoolLibrary #TLSky #EduSky
Sign with information about Guatemalan worry dolls in a clear stand on a woodgrain table. Small gray plastic containers in front of the sign hold mini wooden clothespins and bundles of embroidery floss 5 student created Guatemalan worry dolls on a woodgrain table 3 student created Guatemalan worry dolls on a woodgrain table
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
A little note goes a long way. My principal at the building I share left this for my colleague and I. #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
A 5th grader on a scavenger hunt of books by call numbers referred to graphic novels as “the holy grail of the library.” Circ stats confirm this. 🤣 #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Now that students can take up to 5 books home, we are practicing being respectful and making selections that include “2 of a kind” so there are some for others. #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Inspired by @illinimccoy.bsky.social I created a video to explain how Open Library works. They are riveted. The live version of "me" is just not as enticing. #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
New signs in our fiction section help readers find what they want. A volunteer lovingly created these. #dynamicshelving #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Teamwork! 1st graders are going on a scavenger hunt in our nonfiction section to see what kinds of books we have. #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
❤️❤️❤️ This is special and beautiful in so many ways! #DotDay
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Reposted by Wendy Garland
Jenny Lussier @jluss.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
We are so excited to meet #Snickerdoodle & #victoriakann tomorrow for our 1st #authorvisit of the year! We combined #dotday too by creating cats & dogs out of dots. #brewster13reads Thanks to #rjjuliabooksellers for making this happen! Happy book birthday Snickerdoodle! 📚🍎 #edusky #TLsky
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Happy #DotDay! Our choice time is Dot Day inspired! @peterhreynolds.bsky.social #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Kindergarten visual agenda is up! Now we have a permanent reference while our slides roll. #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
4th graders drew their "reading identities." These two students discovered they were *almost* reading twins. We are looking at our reading habits and preferences to kick off the year. listenconnectempower.blogspot.com/2021/02/my-r... #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
5th graders are thinking about our circulation policies - why they exist. They also have an opportunity to weigh in as to how fair they feel these are. I want them to have more accountability in our library. #TLSky #SchoolLibraries listenconnectempower.blogspot.com/2023/10/circ...
listenconnectempower.blogspot.com
Circulation Policies in our Library
Circulation policies in our school library
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
To celebrate #DotDay we are experiencing the joy of hole punches! Students are punching holes and collaging them to make bookmarks. @peterhreynolds.bsky.social #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
Student-created bookmarks made by collaging different sized and colored dots.
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
We started our year thinking about what kind of (1st-5th) graders we want to be. Day one and we are already practicing talking to each other. Learning, talking, and working together is something we are going to practice this year. @peterhreynolds.bsky.social #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
The cover of the book When You Dream Big! by Peter H. Reynolds
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Check out this fine bling! On my last day of vacation I picked up the last pair at Target! #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
My college student reported, "Mom, I actually feel like I understand how coding works because I did Kodable with you in elementary school!" Others are not feeling so confident as they embark on a journey through several coding languages required by the business school. #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Here are some highlights of my summer "Once Upon a Dance." We explored dance, movement, and stories while creating. Anchored in two things I love most (dance and books), I was determined to create a week of joy. Mission accomplished! #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Found this awesome library on our Austrian adventures this summer! #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Chatting with Steve is always a pleasure! Thinking about programming for your year? Definitely consider Students Rebuild for engaging students with books, conversation, and creating meaningful change! www.studentsrebuild.org #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
studentsrebuild.org
Students Rebuild | Engaging Youth to Change Our World
Students Rebuild inspires young people to engage with our world’s most pressing issues and channel their creativity to create meaningful change.
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Brilliant, Amanda! Now others who use the space can return it to where it is supposed to be. AND... you are empowering students to do the work!
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Opening the door was every bit as magical as I anticipated. Admont Abbey Library, Austria. The books, the art, the beauty of it all! #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Oh, the glorious smell of old books! Admont Abbey Library in central Austria did not disappoint. stiftadmont.at/en/about-the... #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Reading provided a mental escape from Dachau concentration camp (if prisoners could find the strength to do so). I discovered pieces of a camp library when visiting Germany this summer.
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
While adventuring in Salzburg, we found the oldest book store in Austria!
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
What does a librarian do before traveling to historic WWII sites? Read about the time period of course! This was an epic series of books! #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
This book has made me think a lot about the importance of mattering and our relationships with one another. As I prepare to go back to school, this is where I am going to spend some carefully curated time. #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Check out these library friends! They are living and breathing book love in the library! #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
A former student recommended this to me and I am in LOVE! Great middle school read about friendship, relationships, connection, gaming, knitting, and AWKWARDNESS! Thank you @jodimeadows.bsky.social for this gem! #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
This beautiful, quiet space makes for a lovely reading retreat! I am so grateful for the public space adjacent to my neighborhood. My commute? A 5 minute WALK!
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Greetings from my mobile office! My backpack beach chair has a pocket probably designed for a beach towel, but my dad absolutely chose it to carry my BOOKS!
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Day 1 of vacation - Book Nerd Boot Camp at a local library! The timing couldn’t be more perfect. Bedazzled my first book and enjoyed their thematic snacks. #Skybrarians #TLSky
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Summer teaching is now behind me. Celebrating my first day of freedom. #TLSky #Skybrarians
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Oh, Knowledge Quest, how you are speaking to my heart! I just shared this article with my colleagues and some ideas about using district initiatives (& language) to demonstrate how the libraries are already aligning with these & are essential to moving them forward. #TLSky #SchoolLibraries #AASL
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
This Knowledge Quest article affirmed my thoughts about the hidden value to conferences - the PEOPLE! Conversations in & around sessions are often the GOLD and what will live beyond the conference @caharvey2.bsky.social @churchap3.bsky.social #AASL #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Wow! Knowledge Quest is usually a fruitful read, but this issue is particularly applicable and speaking to me! #AASL #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
This was a fantastic book to read on our final week. I was able to send classes off with this phrase. Longest school year ever is now complete. #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Our top 10 circulations confirm my suspicions. Fiction collection collects dust while the Wimpy Kid books take over the world. Thinking about how to gently inspire readers to try other books. Nonfiction shows a little bit of variety. Reflecting and planning for next year. #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
My favorite project this year was Students Rebuild, hands down. When we can interact with each other, create, and do this with purpose, beautiful things are born. buff.ly/j1muNBc #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
I knew graphic novels and nonfiction were the top circulating collections. The numbers show just how close. I take a close look at trends and make notes now so as I let things marinate over the summer, I can make decisions accordingly. #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
The last two years have taught me that our oldest students (5th graders) really thrive when they play. They actively choose magnatiles, legos, and games over chromebook activities. When they play, they are collaborating and communicating. We need to let them play! #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
I keep a folder of drawings, notes, etc that students have sent me over the years. It is a place I like to return to on occasion (especially when I need a reminder of my "why"). I am adding this beauty to my fine collection. #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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Wendy Garland @wendygarland.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Survey says... attitudes towards the library diminish as school years progress. No surprise here - I've felt it in the lack of interest in checking books out and behaviors. However, I WILL say that the 5th grade responses feel higher than past years. #TLSky #SchoolLibraries
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