Wakefield

Biblio Files

Blog

Welcome

BOOK LOVERS UNITE!

Our Biblio Files Blog will contain news from the Library-Learning Commons, and also short articles written by students related to great stories you have been enjoying. At this time Google Sites won't let us generate a Blog so we are going to entertain blogging replies and commentary through our Twitter handle @WHSbibliofiles. You can see an archive of monthly posts linked at bottom of this page.

ALSO. . .

Interested in submitting a short article/post? Submit your entry HERE (or click image to right). If you have other questions email Ms. Deaton. Also visit PAGES where the full features and Blog topics are found. It's still a work in progress!

BOOK DRIVE November 2021

The BOOK CLUB really wanted to do a service project and so is coordinating with the library to sponsor a BOOK DRIVE. We have already gotten books donated at the Mistletoe Market on the 13th. We will be accepting new and lightly read books until January. We are primarily hoping to get plenty of children's books but will also accept teen and young adult books too.

The donation boxes are at the entrance of the school and also the library. Help us Give the GIFT OF READING!!

Fall News from the Library October 2021

We have been super busy this quarter kicking off the year with a MASSIVE student laptop distribution that has lasted weeks. We finally put together a Newsletter (LINK to the newletter). We also put together a cool social media video for the 3rd annual Spooky Short Story Contest (to the right). If you are interested the "dead"line is October 24th at 11:59pm.

Our Book Club and Creative Writing Clubs have started with a big bang. Almost 45 people signed up for each of the clubs and we had a chance to meet many of them at our first meeting. If you are interested, go to the Club pages and join our Google Classroom to see what activities are happening.

Remember that the library is open from 6:55 in the morning and until 3pm (unless there is a faculty meeting). You all can drop in informally to study, talk books, write or just soak up some of the atmosphere!

2020-2021 POSTS below

Q4 Creative Writing Winners! & a new Book we are reading! April 2021

We had 13 submissions to our Spring Creative Writing Contest. The winner, Sage Cooley, wrote a short story called Before Dawn. On April 30th we had a live in-person and virtual MEET to announce the awards and give the stage to our talented poets. We have the recording posted ini case you want to hear it (20 m). What a thrill it was to hear their voices and hold an event in the library. Since April, our clubs have also grown in membership. Most impressive is our Book Club which gained 6 new members! We are reading Monster, by Walter Dean Myers as our wrap up for the school year. Here is a book trailer to MONSTER. Stay posted for more news from both clubs and consider joining this year, or next year when we start up again.

Spring Creative Writing Contest March 2021

It's hard to believe it is already March! The Creative Writing Club is gearing up for our Spring Creative Writing Contest. We will accept submissions from a variety of genres: poetry (lyrics), short short format, and spoken word/storytelling. All stories must be typed in a Google doc, and shared with us by Monday, April the 12th. We are hoping to have a LIVE EVENT to announce winners and feature a few read alouds.

Go to this LINK for more detail on the contest, submission LINK, and a story gallery for the submissions.

We also have books on display for MLK, Black History Month and a section devoted to Oprah's Book Club titles.

Presidents, Politics, Protests, Pandemic! January 2021

What are you reading during remote learning? Maybe an escape into fantasy or sci-fi, romance or mystery? If you dare to move a bit closer to reality, maybe a little historical fiction or how about some non-fiction? The library is featuring a variety of collections, from presidents and politics to protests and pandemics. I discovered a page turner called YEAR OF WONDER, a novel of the plague that is set in 1666 in an English. Full of death and horror, YES. But also resilience, survival, and how a community comes together. Surprisingly inspiring with a reminder that we can get through terrible times, together. Check out the other collections we have curated for you on Destiny Discover.

Winter Book Recommendations by Daijah DeForge December 2020

What a surprise to see one of our amazing 12th graders produce a phenomenal winter book recommendation video on Wakefield's Howler and on Youtube.

Daijah DeForge is an editor for Wakefield's Howler on-line newspaper and we were blown away by her video. Not only is Daijah a very big reader, she is also a terrific writer. In addition to her duties writing for the Howler she won our top prize for the Scary Short Story Contest. (Her story is called Circling of the Woods). Obviously this is one very talented young lady! Could it be in part because she loves to read? I think it might be!!

www.youtube.com/watchv=fVv0R9QTJmE&feature=emb_logo

WINNERS! November 2020

We had a very exciting LIVE MEET on October 30th to share the winners of the Spooky Short Story Contest, that included a great interview segment with the authors. I asked the creative writing club members to help lead the event and they did a really fantastic job, even last minute as it was. Some even dressed up. We all decided that it was a great success and we will keep up the tradition quarterly. Congratulations to the winners Deijah DeForge, Harper Stumb, Mary Marley, and Maddie Policastro. Their stories are archived along with the other authors' entries on the Spooky Short Story page.

Scary Short Stories October 2020

The WHS Scary Short Story Contest is back for it's second year. Last year we had around 50 submissions and we're hoping for at least that many this year! While last year we gave students the choice of how to submit their work, this year we will only be accepting digital submissions through the form that is found in the presentation to the right.

This is a great opportunity to show off your creativity and writing skills to the media staff here at Wakefield High, and you might realize how much you love to write after all! The top three submissions will win prizes and have an opportunity to have your story posted on the Biblio Files site.

For more information including rule and due date, click the prsentation link to the right.

What's New Wakefield! September 2020

Just like you, we are struggling with life in lock-down, remote connections and how we are going to reinvent our media center at Wakefield. Mr. Smith kicked off the summer break building up a new website with fresh resources and a new "identity" as not just a media center but a Learning Commons.

Then, as soon as school started in mid August we had to shift gears and become a kind of call center to help students and faculty solve login issues, password resets, finding cables and adaptors, building websites, updating tech requests and lots more. In contrast to the phones ringing and an endless stream of email we could not ignore the eerie silence that held the library hostage. With most lights out we are reminded on a daily basis that our beloved space is sadly missing its most important feature: students. Where are you? Are you ok?

After a few weeks once we had a moment to breath we sent out a survey to find out more about everyone's interest in reading, clubs and more. When we saw so many students anxious to connect in a book or creative writing club we started working on building a virtual space where we could begin new kind of connections. So, here it begins. While we have started, I venture to guess that we have yet to solve this technology riddle wrapped in a pandemic mask hiding in some remote little corner, next to a coffee table with a pile of books, or possibly under a tree, and a cup of coffee. Join us! Help us solve the riddle! ~ Ms. Deaton

BOOKS 2 GO Starting the week of September 14th

Books 2 Go is starting this week! We decided to jump into the remote book delivery service like everyone else. No drones, just curbside pickup kids! After the survey results we knew that students really do like print books. And now with being in virtual seclusion there is no better way to go to far away places while you are stuck at home. I always thought of the library as the place to travel without a ticket (inside a book); make friends with people you may never meet; and learn from people who have had different experiences. If you are utterly bored (which I know many of you are) consider an alternative to binge watching or gaming... and find an amazing story to curl up with.

In addition to Wakefield Library-Learning Commons Books 2 Go, what about the public library Books on the Go and access to ebooks, audio books and on-line book related resources? So if you do not have a Wake Co. Public Library card or ever used their ebook and audio book collection you are missing out on an incredible library system. Their collection is vast and the process is so easy to get either a print copy or digital books. You will be amazed. ALSO: I am trying to build a bookish library resource page on Biblio Files, with links to our own ebook and audio book collection and the infinite possibilities beyond our local libraries. Want more free books? Need inspiration on what to read next? Go to the LIBRARY And if you have any recommendations of great links, please let us know so we can update the ever evolving library.

Introductions - the librarians!

Joyce Deaton: I am new to Wakefield this year and am very excited to join Mr. Smith as one of your librarians (aka. media specialists). I am one part nerd, and equal parts artist and adventure seeker. Excited to work alongside students to re-inventing what we do and new ways to connect in this very weird time. If you want to learn a bit more about me and what I have been up to, go check out Joyce Deaton

John Smith: Hello. This is my 11th year in education, 8th year as Media Coordinator and 5th at WHS. I, too, like to read in my spare time.