Library Exchange Podcast

• Postcards from the Library - E123

  Visit the Library Exchange official website to submit a story, ask a question or request to be a guest at https://www.libraryexchangepodcast.com  Looking for some new swag for your library, yourself or a favorite book loving friend? Visit: http://libraryexchange.etsy.com  Check out the Postcrossing program here: https://www.postcrossing.com/  Episode Description: Hosts Julie Saunders and Jan Wilson talk with Laura Silver, a New York City high school librarian, about bringing Postcrossing to students. Learn how the program uses postcards to teach geography, writing skills, language use, and empathy by connecting students with people around the world. The episode covers how Postcrossing works, classroom and privacy tips, memorable exchanges, and simple steps to start a similar passive program in your library.   More resources for student-centered letter writing projects: American Philatelic Society: Educator Resources https://stamps.org/learn/educator-resources * request a free box of cancelled stamps. We have used them for inquiry lessons and art projects. Students love to add the stamps to their phone cases. Compassion Prison Project https://compassionprisonproject.org/services/letter-writing-campaign/ FIUTS (Foundation for International Understanding Through Students) https://www.fiuts.org/be-a-pen-pal GlamourGals https://glamourgals.org/my-dear-friend-main Invites students to create greeting cards for seniors Inclusive Schools Pen Pal Exchange https://inclusiveschools.org/isw-activity/pen-pal-exchange/ Letters Against Isolation https://loveforourelders.org/learning Love for Our Elders https://loveforourelders.org/learning The National Postal Museum https://postalmuseum.si.edu/ Library of the National Postal Museum https://library.si.edu/libraries/postal-museum/collections Postcards: The Write Stuff https://postalmuseum.si.edu/sites/default/files/education/pdfs/postcards-the_write_stuff.pdf Operation Gratitude https://www.operationgratitude.com/volunteer/anywhere/letters/ Student Letter Exchange https://www.pen-pal.com/ Trucker Buddy (for younger students) https://truckerbuddy.org

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• The Power of Play - E122

  Visit the Library Exchange official website to submit a story, ask a question or request to be a guest at https://www.libraryexchangepodcast.com  Looking for some new swag for your library, yourself or a favorite book loving friend? Visit http://libraryexchange.etsy.com  Click this link for more information and resources provided by Jessie Storrs: http://tinyurl.com/YDFlib  Episode Description: Teacher librarian Jessie Storrs runs the El Centro Junior Senior High School library inside the Sacramento Youth Detention Facility, serving residents and staff with books, DVDs, and 50+ board games. She uses strategy games like CuBirds to teach SEL skills—accountability, emotional resilience, and responsible decision‑making—and runs virtual field trips tied to popular series like I Survived. Her central goal is to inspire residents and reduce recidivism by providing consistent caring, literacy access, and community through gaming and programming.

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• Level Up: New Connections - E121

  Visit the Library Exchange official website to submit a story, ask a question or request to be a guest at https://www.libraryexchangepodcast.com  Looking for some new swag for your library, yourself or a favorite book loving friend? Visit http://libraryexchange.etsy.com  To follow Rebeca Fox: TikTok: @thefoxreads Click this link for more information and resources: beacons.ai/thefoxreads  Episode Description: Rebecca Fox, a veteran school librarian who recently moved to a high school position in Texas, shares practical strategies for building relationships with teachers and students, using input forms, creating popular book subscription boxes, hosting homecoming mum-making, and partnering on cultural programming like Día de los Muertos to make the library a welcoming, student-centered space.  

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• AI in the Library - E120

  Visit the Library Exchange official website to submit a story, ask a question or request to be a guest at https://www.libraryexchangepodcast.com  Looking for some new swag for your library, yourself or a favorite book loving friend? Visit http://libraryexchange.etsy.com  You can find more information about Elissa Malespina and her AI information at ElissaMalespina.com. Elissa also has an AI School Librarians newsletter available on Substack. Episode Description: Teacher-librarian Elissa Malespina breaks down practical, ethical ways to use AI in K-12 schools. She shares real examples using ChatGPT for content creation, NotebookLM for research organization, Canva Bulk Create for presentations, Storm for topic overviews, and Screencastify for captions. She also explains how librarians can lead AI literacy, support differentiation, and reclaim time for student-facing work.  

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• Grant Strategies - E119

  Visit the Library Exchange official website to submit a story, ask a question or request to be a guest at https://www.libraryexchangepodcast.com  Looking for some new swag for your library, yourself or a favorite book loving friend? Visit http://libraryexchange.etsy.com  Connect with Amy @amybrownlee93 on Instagram and BlueSky or visit bibliobrownlee.weebly.com for more. Episode Description: In this episode of Library Exchange, hosts Jan and Julie interview Amy Brownlee, the pre-K-12 librarian in a small public school system in Kansas, about her successful grant work and teacher-study travel. Amy explains how she has secured nearly $97,000 through local and regional grants for books, STEM, technology, and professional learning.  She shares practical strategies for securing these grants through application strategies, tracking the funding, and demonstrating student impact. She also describes several funded professional-learning trips including a Fulbright project in Ethiopia, an NEH institute on graphic novels with Comic‑Con, a transatlantic study trip to Germany, and the White House History Teacher Institute and how she brings artifacts, lessons, and cultural experiences back to enrich student learning in a small, rural district. Listeners will leave with clear grant-writing tips, examples of funded projects, and resources to explore; connect with Amy at @amybrownlee93 on Instagram and BlueSky or visit bibliobrownlee.weebly.com for more.  

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