Join Me For The Upcoming Follett Software Webinar...Self Checkout and Patron Readiness, Better Records, Smoother Service

 

We have an exciting new Follett Software webinar coming up on September 15, 2026. It's called Self Checkout and Patron Readiness: Better Records, Smoother Service. 

As shared in the invite, 

Students today need the library to be easy to use, welcoming, and ready to support learning every day. Strong patron management helps make that possible by keeping records accurate, supporting smoother circulation, applying policies consistently, and improving service for students and staff.

Join award-winning teacher-librarian Shannon McClintock Miller for a practical session on strengthening patron management and creating a better self-checkout experience for your school library. Shannon will share actionable ideas for reviewing and maintaining patron records and using patron and teacher photos to support daily workflows. She’ll show how to plan self-checkout in ways that save time, reduce lines, and give librarians more flexibility, such as allowing time to better collaborate with teachers when they are in the library.

In this session, you’ll learn how to:

• Review and purge patron records at the right times and for the right reasons

• Manage patron notes more confidently and keep patron information appropriate and up to date

• Use patron and teacher photos to support smoother identification and service

• Plan for self-checkout stations, including placement, quantity, scanners, and barcodes

• Create a checkout experience that is more efficient for staff and easier for students to use

• Discover small ways to make checkout more fun

Whether you’re a librarian, paraeducator, or district leader, you’ll leave with practical ideas you can apply right away to strengthen daily operations and improve the library experience for all readers within your school community.

Can’t attend? No problem – register, and we’ll email you the recording.

A certificate of attendance is available upon request.

Register here, friends. 

Introducing PebbleGo Playground: A New Adventure for Young Readers!

 

PebbleGo Playground from our friends at Capstone is here!

I couldn't wait to share this exciting news! PebbleGo Playground is the newest addition to PebbleGo, and it's filled with three amazing, high-interest mini-modules that invite our young learners to discover, explore, and wonder.

One of my favorite things about PebbleGo Playground is the choice it gives students. They can follow their interests, explore new topics, and enjoy reading about the things that spark their curiosity. I know this will become one of those places students choose to visit during independent reading time—whether they're in the classroom, the library, or curled up reading at home.

I'm also excited about all of the ways teachers and librarians can use PebbleGo Playground to enrich learning. It will be a wonderful addition to lessons, inquiry projects, literacy centers, independent reading, and so much more. The engaging content encourages students to ask questions, think critically, build media literacy skills, and continue exploring the world around them.

Most of all, PebbleGo Playground reminds us that learning begins with curiosity. When we give students opportunities to explore topics they care about, we nurture a lifelong love of reading, discovery, and learning. I can't wait to see where their next adventure begins. 

Let me show you around the PebbleGo Playground. 

Now, at the bottom of PebbleGo, you will find...

...PebbleGo Playground...

...and Patio de Juegos!

The three mini-modules include Foods Around the World, Mythical Creatures, and Sports.

Within each mini-module, there are lots of new articles in each. 

Our students will love these!  

There will definitely be something for everyone. 

Within each article, you will find tabs filled with content around that topic.

At the bottom of each article, there are several interactive activities that will inspire and encourage our students to explore, read, and create.

One of my favorites can be found in Mythical Creatures and is called Puppet Stories. When they go to Puppet Stories, it gives them three directions, Plan your story; Color, cut and glue onto craft sticks; and Act it out. 

A simple PDF can be downloaded and printed for students to work from.  I love the  storyboard that will give students a place to create after they read about all of the fun mythical creatures. 

I can already see this will be the perfect opportunity to get out the portable puppet show in the library this year. I can't wait!  

There is Would You Rather with...

 downloadable project sheets, 

Recipes, 

Share What You Know sheets, 

jokes, 

videos, 

...and my other favorite, each article has it's own Trading Card!  We are going to have so much fun with these as we start back to school and introduce PebbleGo Playground to our kids. 

One of the things I appreciate most about PebbleGo Playground is that it was created with both students and educators in mind. Every article is engaging enough to spark curiosity while also offering meaningful opportunities to extend learning through reading, writing, discussion, and creative projects. Whether you're introducing a new topic, supporting inquiry, adding to a literacy center, or simply giving students time to explore their interests, PebbleGo Playground makes it easy to turn curiosity into learning.

I can already picture our students comparing mythical creatures, trying recipes from around the world, sharing sports facts with friends, collecting Trading Cards, and asking, "Can I read just one more?" Those are the moments we love to see because they're the moments when authentic learning happens.

PebbleGo Playground is a wonderful addition to the PebbleGo family, and I know it's going to become a favorite destination in our library and classrooms.

I can't wait to see where PebbleGo Playground takes our students this year. Happy exploring, friends.

You can read more about PebbleGo Playground on the PebbleGo site here.

First Chapter Fridays & Author Book Talk Videos from Follett Content!

 

I love sharing book recommendations with our readers. And I love it when they come straight from the authors! 

My favorite place to go to find amazing author book talk videos is First Chapter Fridays from our friends at Follett Content. 

On this site, we can listen to authors read the first chapter of their books. It's so much fun to meet the authors and hear them read their amazing books. 

There are dozens of author book talks to choose from and something interesting, engaging, and fun for all grade levels and interests. 

Follett Content shares these on Fridays so follow along here and on their Instagram at @FollettContent.