Handy sites for working with photos

Three websites that are handy if working with photos to promote the library.

First up - pixlr - you can use it online or download it for free. It allows you to edit, add effects and similar.

Want a giant poster for the library wall? Head to Block Posters which lets you create a giant version of the image split onto A4 sheets so you can print them off and pin them up. (This President Obama poster is one from the selection by SLA)

If you are creating images to share online and want to make a collage try -pic monkey - simply click on the collage button, upload the photos, arranged as desired and you can then download the collage to share as you wish.

Superhero Battle Brawl

As part of the JYHS Library's recent Comic Con pupils spend an hour and a half creating their own superheros and then battling it out to win their hearts desire. It was a huge success so I thought I'd share how we made it happen.

Step 1 - Set the scene 
The year is 2046 the country has been ravaged by a mixture of alien invasion, nuclear attacks, blundered science experiments and radioactive leaks. This has lead to the emergence of a race of superheros and villans which the nation decided were too dangerous to be free. They have imprisoned them in the school - which is now a maximum security prison. Due to an electrical surge the doors of the cells have opened and all the prisoners are now free but only one can fight their way out and claim their hearts desire.

Step 2 - Character Creation
Hand each team paper and pens. Ask one team member to come up and pull two abilities and one weakness from the buckets of decision (or whatever receptacles you have to put the two piles of cut up bits of paper with weaknesses and abilities written on them). Then giving five minutes (or so) for each task get them to make up a name, backstory, mission (what is the heart's desire their character is fighting for?) and outfit.

Step 3 - Defense and Attack Moves
Based around Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock each team has two defense moves and two attack moves. After demonstrating how to perform each move get the teams to create names for these.

Step 4 - Battle Brawl
One person from each team comes forward and presents the character they've created. Then chooses a move and on the count of three performs move. Best of three wins.

This game was created by pupil David Forrester, school librarian Kateri Wilson-Whalley and Reader in Residence forWest Lothian Libraries Harry Giles. The event took place at The James Young High School.

Save Libraries Poster

Sarah McIntyre has created a couple of wonderful posters in support of school librarians. 

Download and print out your own from her website for free.

What does a School Librarian do?

School Librarians do a very varied job though we all have the core aim of helping young people discover reading for enjoyment and information and helping them gain the skills they need to find and use information.

There are two excellent sites where you can get more of a flavour of what we get up to:

23 Librarians is created, edited and maintained by Anabel Marsh, offers a flavour of the range of library and information work in Scotland today.  Five different school libraries feature on the blog and share what attracted them to the job and a typical day in their current jobs.

Heart of the School, created by Caroline Roche to celebrate and showcase the work of school librarians in the UK offers a more specific school library focus. The name come from the quote “Libraries should be the beating heart of the school, not mausoleums for dusty books.” (Stephanie Harvey). There are a series of Day in the Life posts showing how varied and interesting a job it is.