SW BOCES SLS

 

Kristin Fontichiaro, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI and Buffy Hamilton, Creekview High School, Canton, GA have announced the electronic publication of a free crowdsourced ebook -- School Libraries: What’s Now, What’s Next, What’s Yet to Come.  This eBook is now available for free download on Smashwords, an ebook publishing and distribution platform for ebook authors, publishers, agents and readers.

Download it - you won’t be disappointed. This unique ebook has diverse perspectives on where school libraries are and what school librarians are doing to redefine, stretch, and expand traditional services from 50 authors.

Go to http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/96705  and choose one of a one of three formats (PDF, mobi, epub). I just downloaded  a copy onto my Kindle; I'm looking forward to reading it on the flight to the AASL Conference in Minneapolis, MN later this week.

Buffy and Kristin encourage you to share this link with your colleagues, administrators, professional and union organizations, Board of Education members, and more. “Help us spread the word and build the conversation about the possibilities of school libraries!”

School Libraries: What’s Now, What’s Next, What’s Yet to Come

Editors:
Kristin Fontichiaro, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Buffy Hamilton, Creekview High School, Canton, GA

Foreword:
R. David Lankes, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY

Photographs:
Diane Cordell, Retired Teacher Librarian, Queensbury, NY

Contributors:
Kelly Ahlfeld, Mettawee Community School, West Pawlet, VT
Diane Erica Aretz-Kernahan, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Emilia Askari, Living Textbook Project, McCollough Unis School, Dearborn, MI
Kathleen Atkin, Louis Riel School Division, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Robert Baigent, National Library of New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand
Susan D. Ballard, Consultant and Simmons College, Boston, MA
Angela Washington-Blair, Emmett J. Conrad High School, Dallas, TX
Dan Bowen, ICT Learning and Teaching Consultant, Surrey, England, UK
Holli Buchter, St. Vrain Valley School District, Longmont, CO
Jennifer Branch, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Len Bryan, Cedar Ridge High School, Round Rock, TX
Jennifer Colby, School of Information, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Diane Cordell, Retired Teacher Librarian, Queensbury, NY
William Cross, Copyright and Digital Scholarship Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
Meg Donhauser, Hunterdon Central Regional High School, Flemington, NJ
Joanne de Groot, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Stacy Dillon, LREI – Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School, New York, NY
Andrea Dolloff, Ethical Cultural Fieldston School, New York, NY
Meg Donhauser, Hunterdon Central Regional High School, Flemington, NJ
Laura Fleming, Cherry Hill School, River Edge, NJ
Lorna Flynn, American International School in Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
Elizabeth Friese, University of Georgia,Athens, GA
Rachel Goldberg, East Middle School, Plymouth, MI
Beth Gourley, Western Academy of Beijing, Beijing, China
Dorcas Hand, Annunciation Orthodox School, Houston, TX
Alida Hanson, School Library Teacher Program, Simmons College GSLIS, Boston, MA
Violet H. Harada, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI
Heather Hersey, Lakeside School, Seattle, WA
Valerie Hill, Ethridge Elementary School, The Colony, TX, and Texas Woman’s University School of Library and Information Studies, Denton, TX
Kimberly Hirsh, Butner-Stem Middle School, Butner, NC, and G. C. Hawley Middle School, Creedmoor, NC
Shannon Hyman, Byrd Middle School, Henrico, VA
Pamela Jackson, East Wake High School, Wendell, NC
Melissa P. Johnston, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
Jesse Karp, LREI – Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School, New York, NY
Sara Kelley-Mudie, The Forman School, Litchfield, CT
Tricia Kuon, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX
Neil Krasnoff, New Tech High School at A. Maceo Smith, Dallas, TX
Jennifer LaGarde, New Hanover County Schools, Wilmington, NC
Teri S. Lesesne, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX
Margaret Lincoln, Lakeview School District, Battle Creek, MI
Kate MacMillan, Napa Valley USD, Napa Valley, CA (see also Chap. 9)
Adrienne Matteson, White River Elementary, Noblesville, IN
Kathleen McBroom, Dearborn Public Schools, Dearborn, MI
Walter McKenzie, ASCD, Alexandria, VA
David Meyer, TMC Furniture, Ann Arbor, MI
Ben Mondloch, Cherry Lake Publishing, Ann Arbor, MI
Leslie L. Morgan, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN
Cathy Jo Nelson, Dorman High School, Spartanburg District 6 Schools, Roebuck, SC
Beverley Rannow, Otsego Public Schools, Otsego, MI
Howard Rheingold, UC Berkeley, Stanford University, San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Nikki D. Robertson, Auburn High School, Auburn, AL
Daniella Smith, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas
Evan St. Lifer, Scholastic Library Publishing, Danbury, CT
Jennifer Stanbro, South Portland School Department, South Portland, ME
Caitlin Stansell, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Jeff Stanzler, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Carolyn Jo Starkey, Buckhorn High School, New Market, AL
Wendy Steadman Stephens, Buckhorn High School, New Market, AL
Michael Stephens, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA
Linda Straube, New Trier High School, Winnetka, IL
Cathy Stutzman, Hunterdon Central Regional High School, Flemington, NJ
Mega Subramaniam, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Margaret Sullivan, Smith Systems, Plano, TX (see also Chap. 6)
Joyce Kasman Valenza, Springfield Township High School, Erdenheim, PA
Karen Villegas, Grosse Pointe North High School, Grosse Pointe, MI
Jeanna Walker, Portage Public Schools, Portage, MI
Donna Watt, Invercargill City Libraries, Invercargill, New Zealand
Holly Weimar, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX
Senga White, James Hargest College, Invercargill, New Zealand
Erin Drankwalter Wyatt, Highland Middle School, Libertyville, IL
Amanda Yaklin, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Alice Yucht, Retired/rewired Teacher-Librarian, NJ
Marci Zane, Hunterdon Central Regional High School, Flemington, NJ

 

School Librarians Invited to Review & Comment on Regents' Preliminary "2020 Vision" for Libraries

Jeffrey W. Cannell, Deputy Commissioner for Cultural Education, New York State Education Department, announced  that “Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Services in New York State: Preliminary Recommendations of the New York State Regents Advisory Council on Libraries to the New York State Board of Regents”  is now available at http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/adviscns/rac/index.html. 

Deputy Commissioner Cannell and the members of the Regents Advisory Council (RAC) encourage New York’s library community to comment by November 15 on this first draft of a new vision and statewide plan for library services.   You can send your comments to NYSLRegComments@mail.nysed.gov by Tuesday, November 15^th, 2011.  RAC will use these comments to develop a second draft for broader dissemination to all New Yorkers early in 2012. An open meeting, 2020 Vision for Library Services in NYS: The Discussion Continues is scheduled for Friday, November 4^th from 3:45 to 5:00 pm at the Saratoga Hilton, Ballroom 2 during the 2011 New York Library Association (NYLA) Conference in Saratoga Springs. If you're planning to go to NYLA, please join me at this session; we can share the highlights of the discussion with our colleagues on the listserv when we return.

I encourage you to read the full 16 page document, but for the moment check out the recommendations for school libraries:

 “School libraries are deeply engaged in the implementation of the New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards. There is a well documented connection between student achievement and effective school libraries. The role of school librarians is evolving as they teach students information literacy to be savvy consumers, producers and judges of appropriate content in all formats. School librarians are increasingly collaborating with teachers in designing curricula and developing learning experiences that are ideally placed to support differentiated instruction and facilitate special programs for the gifted as well as students with special needs. The school librarian is unique in that he/she addresses the depth and breadth of the entire curriculum, and leads in teaching a 21st Century curriculum of inquiry, problem solving and content creation.

Models for Success:

The best school libraries are fully integrated into the P-12 learning experience and are building / district wide phenomenon, reaching into every classroom and students’ home. The school librarian is a true partner with every teacher and administrator in providing the best possible learning experience for each child. Information literacy is recognized as a critical aspect of every student’s education.

Recommendations:

The Board of Regents and State Education Department should formulate policy and regulation that will:

• Create a statewide Pre-K-16 information fluency curriculum framework that will provide equitable access to information skills instruction, tied to the success of meeting the New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards.
• Mandate an elementary school librarian in every school to strengthen instructional leadership in meeting the P-12 Common Core Learning Standards, and enforce library staffing regulations in all public schools.
• Encourage school districts to actively promote access to the school library collection of online resources and e-books available 24/7 and 365 days a year to create learning and enrichment opportunities beyond the school day.
• Create incentives to open school libraries evenings, weekends and summers to encourage year-round learning.”

What are your thoughts? Do you agree with these priorities: statewide information fluency framework, mandate elementary librarians, e-books, and increased library access? Is something missing? Share your opinions, click on “Comments” below.

New Essential Database Packages!

 
Budgets are tight and librarians need to make tough decisions on which resources will best support the teaching and learning needs of their faculty and students. As we talked about this at networking meetings, we started to question, What are your favorite database? Which ones do the students use the most? If you could only have five databases which ones would you choose? Through discussion and responses from librarians at meetings and online surveys we got our answers – the result is a new set of cost-effective online database packages entitled “Essential Database Packages for Secondary and Elementary Schools.”

These packages include the most popular databases used by your students at the lowest possible prices. After working with our vendors we were able to get a savings of $6,594 over the list price with the secondary package and a saving of $1,762 in purchasing the elementary package. We’ll revisit the packages next year and possibly add or delete databases based on your feedback.

In addition, we will also be hosting free Webinars to members of CoSer 513 focusing on the use of specific online databases to support the curriculum and the Common Core Standards. Librarians will be encouraged to invite a teacher/collaborator to participate with them.  A big thanks to all the librarians who helped us put these packages together.

Go to http://www2.lhric.org/libsys/Databases/OnlineCatalog513.pdf to see the full database catalog. “Essential Database Packages for Secondary and Elementary Schools” is on page 3.

Ebooks and School Libraries

2010 was a good year for ebooks. In July, Amazon announced that it was selling more ebooks than hardcover print books, approximately 143 digital editions to every 100 print sold. Then a few months later the New York Times announced its decision to add ebooks categories to its venerable best-seller lists, tracking both fiction and non-fiction sales. A research report was conducted at the beginning of this year to find out how teachers and librarians are using ebooks personally and in the classroom as well as their usage, attitudes and trends. The study shows that librarians are leading the way in bringing ebooks into our nations’ schools. More than 92% of librarians say that at least some of their ebook purchases are funded by their school; only 30% of teachers say the same thing. In Clearwater High School Florida all 2100 students were issued a Kindle. Pamela Smith, the schools’ library media specialist, reports that the students are reading more than they used to, and her math and English textbooks are on the Kindle with plans to have next year’s textbook for all classes on the e-reader.

However, all is not as rosy as it seems; libraries are getting the short end of the stick. According to Paula Hane of Information Today “There are few opportunities and patrons are frustrated on lending, numerous restrictions on lending, device incompatibility, proprietary systems, interface issue, privacy issues and more.” These are important issues; join us in the conversation.

Teacher-Librarians Embrace Web 2.0 Tools

 
"Click, Create and Collaborate,” a SW BOCES School Library System professional development program, places the school librarian in a leadership position to support teachers and students as they learn the new 21^st century tools for information literacy.

In addition to teaching students and teachers how to navigate information, libraries have now become a place where students go to create and produce products using Web 2.0 tools such as podcasts, videos, animoto, glogsters, wikis, blogs and more. Social media is collaborative, visual and creative; a new kind of media that encompasses content and multimedia and adds interactivity that engages and motivates learners.  “Click, Create and Collaborate” addresses the need for continuing education and training that allows school librarians to become full teaching partners in the implementation and integration of Web 2.0 tools, aligned with Common Core Standards and the AASL Standards for 21^st Century Learner.

Offered as competitive mini-grants, twenty school librarians from SW BOCES and twenty school librarians from Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES formed a learning community and collaborated onsite, in 2 full-day, hands-on workshops on Sept. 21 and Nov.17, and online to discuss, create, integrate and critique innovative curriculum uses of Web 2.0 tools. Participants will receive a Flip video camera, a Logitech webcam and a copy of Choosing Web2.0 Tools for Teaching and Learning in a Digital World (Pam Berger, Libraries Unlimited, 2010).

For more information about the project and an application to participate in the next round of mini-grants visit the new Click, Create & Collaborate wiki: http://clickcreatecollaborate. wikispaces.com.

If you have any questions, please contact Pam Berger pberger@swboces.org,    Director of Information and the School Library System.

Teen Video Contest

 

Alert your students! Teen ages 13-18 can work alone or in groups to create original videos on why they think libraries are needed now more than ever. The Why I Need My Library Video Contest is an initiative of 2010-2011 ALA President Roberta Stevens to engage teenagers as library advocates. Winners can identify either a school or public library as the beneficiary of cash prizes: 1 winner - $3,000 for their selected library; 2 second place winners - $2,000 each; and 3 third place winners - $1,00 each. Contest runs through April 18. For more information and guidelines.