Joint Meeting with Uniondale Public Library

Uniondale Public Library via kwout

We held our annual joint meeting with the Uniondale Public Library librarians on December 21. We appreciate the librarians' gracious hospitality and the opportunity to share information about programs and initiatives. A sampling of these is listed below.

1. The public library is investigating the possibility of adding VMWare to two of its computer workstations--one for elementary students, and one for secondary--to allow student patrons who visit the library to log onto their files and access programs stored on the Uniondale School District network.

2. The winter reading club sponsored by the library is in full swing. With a theme of monster trucks, students who participate will have the chance to be part of a raffle that awards the lucky winner with a visit to the Monster Jam Truck Show.

3. The public librarians shared information about other reading programs including Together We Read for grades 1-5 and Bilingual Adventures for students in grades K-3.

4. Global Village will be held on January 22. California Avenue Chorus and the high school jazz band will be among the special groups featured.

5. Spanish-speaking parents are invited for conversation in English and Spanish a few times a month.

6. A book discussion group in Spanish is planned.

7. School librarians were asked to remind students and their parents/guardians of the museum pass program which allows reservations for free museum visits.

8. Library card registration can take place online. Once the process is complete, residents have to show identification with an address in person at the library. Work-in-district library registration also can take place online. Proof of employment and one additional identification item must be shown.

9. The Young Adult Services division is planning a LI Empowerment Academy--6 week program to motivate teens, expose them to the arts, provide practice in conflict resolution, offer a book discussion, boost self-esteem. Participants will share what they learn with their peers.

10. Outreach to the middle and high schools will be increased this year through visits to classes cooperatively arranged through the librarians and Gear Up.

11. The library is facilitating reading on mobile devices by implementing a "try before you buy" program. Residents can use varied devices in the library and have the support of a designated staff member who will assist.

The school librarians will continue to promote the use of the public library by publicizing programs with their students. The school librarians discussed how the introduction of common core standards is impacting collection development as well as teaching and research strategies. We all look forward to future collaboration as our partnership continues to flourish.

Libraries and Loaded eBook Readers

I know we've all had questions about this issue, so here is the answer from the LibraryLaw Blog.

Why Kids Can't Search

Clive Thompson on Why Kids Can't Search | Magazine via kwout

QR Codes--a Test Drive

QR Codes
This post was created thanks to the QR Code Generator.






How can students use iPads?


Here are some of my favorite links concerning iPads:



OK, so how can this be used with students? And what's the value?

Expand upon learning, point of view, perspective. For instance, I just read an amazing book, State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. The story itself was compelling, but what made it especially rich was the sub-text, the underpinnings of the story. One theme deals with the ethics of medical research. Another has the reader question whether anyone's life has more value than another's. A student could be asked to take a position and share a succinct opinion based on research, and link that opinion to sources found on the Internet.



I recently went to the Museum of Modern Art and the entire exhibit (Talk to Me: Design and the Communication between People and Objects) was extended through the use of QR codes. Each display was accompanied by a strange little icon. A quick scan of that icon on a smart phone offered additional insight into a particular display.



The Daring Librarian has an example of a scavenger hunt embellished through the use of QR codes:

thedaringlibrarian - QR_Code_Quest via kwout

Department Meeting, September 21, 2011

1. Welcome back!
2. Elementary Social Studies Digital Resources
3. Summer reading program
4. Follett
5. Common Core Standards
6. Online Databases
7. Staff Development for November
8. Websites of Note:

Children's Books Forever via kwout

Welcome to Open Library (Open Library) via kwout

Open Library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published

Oprah's Book List for Kids

Kids' Reading List - Oprah.com via kwout

Audiobook Community

Sync: YA Listening - Audiobook Community via kwout

Your place to share YA audiobook recommendations, get YA audiobook news, and find special offers, giveaways, and goodies.

Books Should Be Free

Free Audio Books - Download an audio book in mp3 or iPod format today! via kwout

Free audiobooks in the public domain, available to download in mp3, iTunes or iPod format!

Department Meeting, May 18, 2011

1. Visual Thesaurus training
Access: log onto your eChalk account. Click on My Account/Applications. From this point, you can log on without entering a username and password.
http://uniondale.visualthesaurus.com/

2. Summer Reading incentive baskets and flyers ready for pick-up.

3. Articles sent:
Cyberbullying, LUCY, a New Path to Diversity, The Role of School Librarians inPromoting the Use of Educational Technologies, What's New in Math Oriented Picture Books, Signs of a Welcoming Library, Tween Girls Want Chick Lit, Too, Primary Civil War Resources

Librarian 2.0

Department Meeting, March 16, 2011

1. Purchase orders due by April 1
2. 2011-2012 budget update
3. Requests for staff development--let me know if you have any special needs or requests so I can plan. Feedback indicated that some of you would like to deliver staff development. If so, share with me particulars of what you are willing to do.
4. LITE Bytes article--showcase an aspect of this year's library program.
5. Summer reading--Consensus was to do the baskets once again.
6. Self-evaluation tool follow-up--Pick one area of the self-evaluation tool that you would like to improve and make plans for that to happen.
7. Multimedia report--In the Y drive, there's a folder in Librarians/District called Multimedia Reports. Inside that folder, you'll see a document called Multimedia Report Ingredients. Use that as your template. Rename the file and save it to the folder I created within the Multimedia Reports folder named for your building. Save a few pictures of students that show them engaged in the library.
Websites of Note:

2011 Reading Challenges Top Shelf via kwout

Consider participating in this reading incentive!

Information Fluency
Teacher Librarian Ning
Information Fluency Continuum
Information Fluency Benchmarks and Assessments

At a Glance Comic Tutorials inspired tutorial posters on Neverending Search. Animations courtesy of
GoAnimate– http://goanimate.com/character_creator/cc2

Library Routines Wiki with note and highlight courtesy of Awesome Highlighter

Department Meeting, February 16, 2011

1. Netbook use procedures
2. Wiki Project from LRMS Library
3. Document Camera
4. School Library Media Program Evaluations
5. Videoconference sharing
6. Follett eShelf

Must read!
"Going Out of Print", District Administration, February 2011. http://www.districtadministration.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=2684

Assessing information literacy skills for students in grades 3, 6, 9, and 12:
Trails

TRAILS: Tool for Real-time Assessment of Information Literacy Skills via kwout

Department Meeting, January 19, 2011

1. Staff Development Day, January 31, 2011
Videoconferencing at BOCES all day unless you're an eChalk site manager in which case please attend site manager training in room 309 at the high school from 12:30-3:00.
2. Collection development presentation to PTA Council Curriculum Committee
3. State Education Department School Library Media Program Evaluation
4. Kindles in the high school library
5. Global Village at Uniondale Public Library, Sunday, January 23, 2 pm
6. Library websites

Of note:
School Libraries Cultivate Digital Literacy

Together We Can: Collaborating to Meet the Needs of High Risk Students