Call upon your congressmen; advocate in your local communities February 2, 2010
Posted by admin in : AASL News, Hot Topics , 1 comment so farIn addition to the press release going out across ALA and AASL communication channels in response to the President’s Budget Proposal, AASL is encouraging school librarians to write to their local media outlets and share with their communities the impact your school library programs have in your districts. To support this call to action, AASL has provided members with a sample letter to the editor, available for download on ALA Connect. Download and use the contents of this letter to draft your own messages to your local newspapers and radio stations. Ask your state representatives and senators to reject the proposals, include school libraries in the education increase and protect the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Program. Encourage your community, parent and youth organizations to do the same.
President’s FY2011 budget proposals calls for cuts to school library funding February 1, 2010
Posted by admin in : AASL News, Hot Topics , 5commentsFor Immediate Release
February 1, 2010
WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Obama’s FY2011 Budget Proposal to Congress released today included a $400 billion investment into education but did not include specific funds for school libraries. Additionally, the budget called for a consolidation of the funds for the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Program, which takes the funds out of reach for most school libraries.
“This Administration says it wants to focus on programs that are effective, but it has not only recommended policy that will keep school libraries underfunded, but it will also eliminate funds for a program that the Department of Education has evaluated twice and found to be effective both times,” American Association of School Libraries (AASL) President Cassandra Barnett said. AASL is a division of the American Library Association (ALA).
In January 2009, the Department of Education released the Second Evaluation of the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Program, which indicated that students attending schools participating in this program are performing higher on state reading tests than students in schools that do not take part in the program. Additionally, the study stated that in schools that participated in the program in 2003-04, the percentage of students who met or exceeded the proficiency requirements on state reading assessments increased by an extra 2.7 percentage points over the increase observed among nonparticipating schools during the same time period.
“In his State of the Union Address, President Obama stated that ‘In the 21st century, one of the best anti-poverty programs is a world-class education.’ Yet, the President’s budget neglects funding for a program that provides the type of learning experiences that develop the critical thinking and collaborative skills that are key to global competiveness,” Barnett said.
“School library programs focus on the skills that prepare students to be independent learners capable of assessing and recognizing their personal strengths and weaknesses thus graduating college or career ready. A world-class, 21st century education includes instruction from a school librarian – a teacher who knows the school’s curriculum and effective techniques necessary to cross disciplines and integrate information and technology literacy. Yet, Obama’s budget and policy proposals neglect to support the role of school librarians and, as a result, too many of our nation’s schools will not have school librarians or essential school library programs.”
Imagine the Difference You Could Have Made January 27, 2010
Posted by Angela Branyon in : Check this out! , add a commentAs I read the following article, I loved the wonderful things that the student learned while doing research, but I kept wishing that the student had asked a librarian for help in narrowing down the materials needed for research. We all know that every students does not enjoy the process as much as this one did. What a wonderful story though of one student’s adventure into research!
Washington Post: Education Blog: The Answer Sheet
By Valerie Strauss|January 21, 2010; 3:49 PM ET
That first big research paper
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/2010/01/17-week/
Are you the next AASL Award Winner? January 26, 2010
Posted by Wendy Stephens in : Check this out! , 1 comment so farWith school libraries across the country needing to justify their very existence now more than ever, there has been an unprecedented call for showcasing the progressive and technologically cutting-edge aspects of our media programs. What better way to call attention to your accomplishments than by winning a national award?
It is award application season at AASL. In most cases, nominations must be made by AASL members or applicants must be personal members of the organization. The deadlines for the awards below fall on Monday, February 1st, so you have a little bit of time to get the necessary materials together for consideration for these honors:
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Collaborative School Library Media Award
Distinguished School Administrators Award
Why get your application together at this late date? At least three awards — the ABC-CLIO Leadership Grant, Intellectual Freedom Award, and the Distinguished Service Award — had no winner in 2009, and the Research Grant was not sponsored between 2007 and 2009.
So whether your practice involves helping struggling readers or advocating for unfettered access for information for students, there might be an award to recognize your work. Who knows? It just might be your year.
AASL Members Making Inroads into ALA January 23, 2010
Posted by Nancy Everhart in : Check this out! , 3commentsAASL’s commitment is to seek ways for ALA to better understand and support the issues important to school librarians and their programs. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to have AASL members serve in ALA leadership positions.
Congratulations to J. Linda Williams, Coordinator of Libraries from Ann Arundel County School, in Maryland and former AASL President, who was elected by the ALA Council to the ALA Executive Board (http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/governance/officers/index.cfm) at the Midwinter Meeting in Boston. She will assume her position at the end of the 2010 ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. She’ll join Diane R. Chen from John F. Kennedy Middle School, in Nashville, TN and Stephen L. Matthews from the Foxcroft School, Middleburg, VA making it now a total of three members of the ALA Executive Board who are school librarians!
Some of you will remember that in the 2005 AASL Strategic Planning one of the objectives was making AASL members and school librarians more active and prevalent in ALA. By working to encourage members to get involved in ALA committees and ALA Council we have helped to bring awareness to school library issues! It certainly is exciting to see school librarians represent our field on the larger ALA Executive Board.
These three individuals, as have all of the members of the ALA Executive Board, have taken on the charge to be active in the association and we appreciate their time and energies working for libraries of all types.
There are many ways for you to be active and involved with AASL and ALA. AASL President-Elect Nancy Everhart is already looking for members to serve on committees. There are many opportunities, so take the first step now to get involved. Fill out the volunteer form and help be part of moving our profession and association forward. (http://www.ala.org/aasl/volunteer) The AASL Appointments Committee is also looking for persons to recommend for ALA Committee positions. Information on the AASL Appointments Committee and contact information for the chair can be found on the AASL website. (http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aboutaasl/aaslgovernance/aaslcommittees/appointments.cfm)
Midwinter Institute: Bringing ‘Em On: 21st Century Skills Aligning with Standards January 21, 2010
Posted by mblakemore in : ALA MW2009, Standards , 2commentsOn the Friday before midwinter, AASL hosted a pre-conference institute: Bringing ‘Em On: 21st Century Skills Aligning with Standards. Pam Berger, Director of Information and the School Library System of South Westchester BOCES and Adjunct Professor at Syracuse University iSchool, led us through a workshop which taught participants about the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) and the new AASL Standards for the 21st-Century Leaner.
We began the day by learning about the the Partnership for 21st Century Skills framework. This framework presents three categories of skills within the context of core subject skills, as well as the support needed to teach these skills. The Partnership for 21st Century skills is a collaboration between businesses and education organizations to determine which skills will be needed for our students as citizens, leaders, and workers through the 21st century.
Once we had a handle on P21, we looked at the new AASL Standards and how they fit into P21. As Pam stressed, the two models are not in competition. In fact, they work very well together because AASL is a member of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. AASL Executive Director Julie Walker is the next chair of the Partnership board.
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Who’re you gonna call? The “school librarian” January 17, 2010
Posted by Floyd Pentlin in : Check this out! , 22commentsAfter a discussion that involved all members of the board, AASL has redefined the term that describes the certified person who runs a school library (or library media center — that term wasn’t addressed) as a “school librarian”. Gone is the term “school library media specialist” which has been our official designation going back to the first Information Power (? – not sure about that).
While the discussion was friendly there were partisans for a number of designations but “school library media specialist,” “school librarian,” and “teacher librarian” (with or without the hyphen) were the top three choices of the group. Surprisingly “teacher librarian” fell by the wayside fairly quickly which will probably elicit some interested reactions by those who feel strongly that this is the appropriate label for our current teaching emphasis.
While the label has been a discussion item for some time, the Affiliate Assembly brought the issue to the Board’s table because of the lack of clarity of the various names we call ourselves was thought to be muddying our message and even our advocacy efforts.
When all of the dust settled (and actually there wasn’t much dust that was kicked up) “school librarian” was the overwhelming choice of those in attendance.
The next step will be to reboot the label into the twenty-first century and to blast away the accretion of negative stereotypes that have clung to the label over the years.
Maybe we can get J. K. Rowling to give Madame Pince a makeover in a later edition to get things off to a rousing start.
Volunteer for an AASL Committee January 16, 2010
Posted by Nancy Everhart in : AASL Affiliate Assembly, AASL Committees, AASL News, AASL Officers, Check this out!, Community , 2commentsI am seeking volunteers for AASL committees and encourage you to apply! Let’s also engage some new members in one of the exciting opportunities we have on AASL committees. Here is the link to a list of AASL committees and the electronic volunteer form. I need you! Please apply by February 1, 2010.
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aboutaasl/aaslcommunity/volunteeropps/aaslvolunteeropportunities.cfm
Choose Privacy Week kickoff and “Peep Culture” event at ALA Midwinter Meetin January 13, 2010
Posted by Melissa Jacobsen in : Check this out! , add a commentThe ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) will launch ALA’s new privacy initiative, Choose Privacy Week, at an exciting event featuring social critic Hal Niedzviecki, author of “The Peep Diaries: How We’re Learning to Love Watching Ourselves and Our Neighbors” (City Lights Books, 2009).
This event will take place during the ALA 2010 Midwinter Meeting from 4 – 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 16 (note: this event takes place during AASL All-Committee), in Room 252 A/B of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, and will offer snacks and beverages for attendees. ALA President Camila Alire will be in attendance to welcome Niedzviecki and to introduce ALA’s first-ever Choose Privacy Week.
Niedzviecki’s talk will focus on what he terms the age of “peep culture”: a tell-all, show-all, know-all digital phenomenon that is dramatically altering notions of privacy, individuality, security, and even humanity. Peep culture is rapidly causing some of the core values and rights we once took for granted to be renegotiated, often without our even noticing. Following the program, the author will sign copies of “The Peep Diaries,” which will be given away for free to the first 100 attendees.
The event will also highlight key resources to aid libraries participating in the first-ever Choose Privacy Week, which will take place May 2-8, 2010. This civic engagement campaign invites library users into a national conversation about privacy rights in a digital age. Those attending the Saturday event at Midwinter will learn about new tools for libraries that will help to educate and engage their users, and encourage citizens to think critically and make more informed choices about their privacy. An exclusive discount and limited giveaway items will be provided at the event. Don’t miss it!
Those unable to attend ALA 2010 Midwinter Meetings can follow the event at http://twitter.com/privacyala. For more information on this event or on ALA’s privacy initiative, visit www.privacyrevolution.org or contact Angela Maycock, Assistant Director, Office for Intellectual Freedom.
Midwinter meeting (and Youth Media Awards) from home January 13, 2010
Posted by Wendy Stephens in : Check this out! , 1 comment so farEven if you’re not headed to Boston this weekend, you can still take advantage of the fun and learning opportunities at the ALA Midwinter meeting.
ALA is providing a clearinghouse site to bringing together photos posted to flickr and twitter posts with the appropriate tags.
Alternately. you can follow events throughout the meeting by searching Twitter for the hashtag #alamw10, which tweeps will use to associate their micoblogging messages with the conference. YALSA’s local teen panel on the Best Books for Young Adults (Sunday, January 17 at 1:30 p.m. EST) will probably produce some lively Twitter conversations.
For many school librarians, the Youth Media Awards announcements are the highlight of the meeting as this year’s Newbery, Caldecott and Printz winners and honor books are designated, among more than a dozen other awards.
There are a number of ways to get the news, which will be announced in Boston on Monday, January 18 at 7:45 a.m. EST. You can watch the action LIVE via the web, but there are a limited number of spots available for the webcast , filled on a first-come, first-seated basis. The awards webcast will be archived afterwards.
There a number of social media mechanisms that will be spreading the Youth Media Award winners, too. There’s a Twitter feed (@ALAyma) dedicated to the awards. Remember you can read tweets from an open feed like this one even if you aren’t a Twitter user. If you are a Twitter user, you might want to enable SMS messaging for that account to have the winner delivered in real-time to your cell phone.
The winners will also be announced via Facebook, and ALA Island in Second Life will host the Youth Media Awards for in-world viewing later in the day on the ALA Island at the Main Stage.
While there’s nothing quite like the spectacle of being at the Youth Media Awards in person, technology can help compensate for those who can’t get away from school.
