Reflecting on Our Practice

Image by Manfred Steger from Pixabay

A recent ALSC blog post had some powerful suggestions on ways to stop dashing headlong about, without reflection, in our day-to-day work as youth librarians. Stopping to smell the roses, or reflect on what we're doing can add a very useful tool to our toolkit of youth services.

Lisa Bintrim, a member of ALSC's School Age Programs and Services Committee writes: "I often feel like I’m in perpetual motion. As soon as one program is done, I’m onto the next one. I’m racing from storytimes, to class visits, to meetings, to outreach commitments. And there’s always work to do: weeding, shelf-reading, tidying the children’s area, cleaning the toys and games, and on and on.  Hitting the pause button, even for a few minutes, can feel impossible. But for the past six months, that’s what I’ve been trying to do: setting aside about fifteen minutes each week to pause through reflective writing." 

To read her thoughtful post with tips and suggestions, please stop here. [Reflective Practice in Children's Services.  Bintrim, Lisa. ALSC blog. February 25, 2023]