Ask a Librarian!

April 10, 2024 Joanna Monahan

Meet Beimnet:

Beimnet grew up in Minnesota before moving to North Carolina in high school. She graduated from UNC Chapel Hill (Go Heels!) and began teaching middle school. When she learned that the middle school librarian planned to retire, she took it as a sign and got her graduate degree in library sciences. She has now been a middle school librarian for 4 years.

Happy Drop Everything and Read Day! I’m thrilled that my friend, librarian Beimnet Baissa, is here to talk about some of her favorite books, current trends in middle grade books, as well as offer some suggestions for encouraging lifetime readers.

About Beimnet: Beimnet grew up in Minnesota before moving to North Carolina in high school. She graduated from UNC Chapel Hill (Go Heels!) and began teaching middle school. When she learned that the middle school librarian planned to retire, she took it as a sign and got her graduate degree in library sciences. She has now been a middle school librarian for 4 years.

What's your line?

April 3, 2024 Joanna Monahan

I never realized how important first lines were until I started writing them.

Talking Tea and Writing with author Beth Weg

March 7, 2024 Joanna Monahan

One of my favorite Instagram accounts is @realbethweg. Besides being a writer, she is a tea enthusiast and has developed a dedicated following for her gorgeous social media posts.

I’m so excited to talk to Beth today about her writing and how she created one of the best author brands I’ve ever seen. Thank you, Beth, for joining me!

The Right Tools for the Job, or Lessons in Failing, Pt. 2

March 4, 2024 Joanna Monahan

When I was in high school, I learned the phrase “functional fixedness” which is the inability to see potential beyond an item’s initial purpose. I experienced this when I failed to see the potential (and indeed, the design) behind my new mascara.

Things I Didn't Know I Didn't Know: 2024 Edition

February 6, 2024 Joanna Monahan

Photo credit: Ana Municio @lamunix via Unsplash

Each February I make a list of some of the top things I’ve learned in the past year.

Turns out, I know less and less. (How motivating would that slogan have been in the 80s? “The Less You Knooooow…” Cue shooting star, music, end of commercial break.)

Here’s what 2023 Taught Me: