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AASL News July 30, 2008

Posted by mjones in : AASL News , add a comment

AASL Web site to be locked down during the month of August
In mid-July, ALA announced that its Web site, including the divisions, offices, and round tables, would be locked down during the month of August for the implementation of a Web site redesign. This means that AASL will not be able to publish any new information to its site between July 31 at 5 p.m. and September 2. New AASL press releases will still appear, and wikis and blogs will not be affected. Fall Forum registration and ALA/AASL membership renewals will not be affected. The redesign of ALA’s Web site will have no visible effect on the AASL Web site.

ALA announces 2009 National Library Week Grant
Libraries across the U.S. are invited to apply for the $3,000 Scholastic Library Publishing National Library Week Grant. The grant will be awarded to a single library for the best public awareness campaign incorporating the 2009 National Library Week theme, “Worlds connect @ your library®.” This year’s application deadline is October 17, 2008. National Library Week is April 12-18, 2009. A grant application form and guidelines are available on The Campaign for America’s Libraries Web site. The winner will be notified and announced following the 2009 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Denver, Colorado.

You can also learn more about last year’s winner, the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, Charlotte, North Carolina, on these pages.

Information Literacy and the Fate of the Free World July 27, 2008

Posted by jhurd in : Standards , 2 comments

I’m one of those really annoying people who struggles over every decision: Chinese or Italian for dinner , do I honestly need an iPhone, will CQ Researcher or SIRS be the better database (that one took WEEKS to decide!)? Self-centered narcissist that I am, I subconsciously assume the Fate of the Free World rests on every decision I make.The past month or so I’ve started redoing the library website. I’m currently working on the database page and now struggle with another seemingly inane conundrum. While looking at several model library websites, I noticed many of them list their state-sponsored database collections (such as iConn or AccessPA) individually, rather than as a collection. They group them under appropriate headings (e.g. General or History) making it far easier for the students to decide which databases to search.

Great idea, thought I. Keep the iConn link, but also add links to specific databases. Then, of course, the second thoughts kicked in. It seems like a particularly ridiculous question over which to vacillate. What does it matter, really, how one links to the databases?

Except.

I posted a while back about whether pathfinders were doing students an information literacy disservice, guiding them to relevant materials and websites rather than providing them the opportunity to hone their search and web-evaluation skills. I’ve (finally!) decided to lead them more to the large portals such as Best of History, PBS and the LII, than leading them to specific sites. They’ll still need to use their search skills at least, and do some web evaluation as to which sites are relevant to their topic, even if deciding the site’s authority becomes less of an issue.

The database decision falls into this category. As school librarians, with a mandate not just to find resources for our “patrons,” but also to educate them, we walk a fine line between helping the students to have a successful research experience and over-simplifying the process for them. It’s not easy, especially when teachers, parents and administrators or so thrilled to have long lists of materials students can immediately access, saving considerable time in fruitless search.

We know, however, that those fruitless searches, with helpful guidance and questioning from information professionals, can be powerful educational experiences, as students discover what works and what doesn’t. Thus, our job becomes not just to educate the students, but to educate the faculty as to the importance of information literacy skills.

This seems like a no-brainer, but I’m often surprised at what teachers don’t know about the search process, the resources available, and how bad students are at accessing this information in a thoughtful manner. Like most non-information specialists, they assume that just because students can text, chat, and use Facebook like a pro, they’re web savvy and don’t need teaching beyond the basics.

The NY Times had a great case in point today, in their article: Online, RU Really Reading, (a much more balanced look at online reading than The Atlantic’s Is Google Making Us Stupid last month). Towards the end of the article, after showing that only 39% of students demonstrated core competencies on ETS’ new iSkills test, they reported

Some simply argue that reading on the Internet is not something that needs to be tested — or taught.

“Nobody has taught a single kid to text message,” said Carol Jago of the National Council of Teachers of English and a member of the testing guidelines committee. “Kids are smart. When they want to do something, schools don’t have to get involved.”

Right….

As I said, the teachers need educating just as much as the students.

And, so, while a part of me likes the idea of giving links to specific databases, I’ll probably resist that urge, and merely provide a link to iConn, forcing students to think about which database will provide the best results for their given topic, giving them as many opportunitieas as possible to practice those essential skills.

Though I might hedge my bets and make a few suggestions.

AASL, Charlotte, and Web 2.0 July 24, 2008

Posted by Floyd Pentlin in : AASL2009, Conferences, Hot Topics , 11 comments

A group of us got together recently via Skype to discuss AASL’s great leap forward into the 2.0 world. Specifically we were talking about how the next AASL conference could take advantage of the collaborative and transparent nature of 2.0 to make the conference more available to AASL members as well as make the conference have a life beyond the few days that we would be able to spend in North Carolina in November 2009.

The discussion was pretty spirited as we talked about what it would look like to make the conference more interactive. So much of the conference is lost after the moment and events like the Exploratorium which have so many specific activities taking place within a short period of time could really benefit from additional exposure. The general excitement of the conference could be reflected through postings to Flickr and workshops could be streamed through software like Ustream. It would allow someone in Minneapolis to see the same thing that someone sitting in Charlotte would see. It wouldn’t be the same experience but it would be an experience that someone who can’t attend the conference personally would miss out on completely otherwise. I suppose one could even twitter your comments about the presentation at the same time it was happening. (Be nice!)

Needless to say this brings up all kinds of questions. What kind of technical resources would be required to do this effectively? What are the copyright implications? What might the frustration level be for someone who is trying to participate virtually with little or no technical support? Can we extrapolate from the conference experience data that might be useful in helping the organization know more about its users? How do we extend the use of 2.0 in school libraries when so many school districts filter many of the most popular 2.0 software?

From all of these questions, the group began a philosophical discussion of where all of the 2.0 technology puts the library media specialist. Everyone in the group feels that librarians continue to be in the cross-hairs of a technological revolution that will continue to redefine our position within the educational structure. If we don’t model the use and knowledge of this environment, then someone else will take up the mantle. The fact that 2.0 ties in so closely to a broader interpretation of information literacy means that we have a natural entrée into this world. If that is the case then AASL needs to interlace aspects of the 2.0 world into its next conference. The question is how and in what way?

We are looking for suggestions.

Over to you.

AASL News July 23, 2008

Posted by mjones in : AASL News , add a comment

One week left to apply for AASL sponsorship in the class of Emerging Leaders
AASL will sponsor two members for the 2009 class of Emerging Leaders. Those selected will each receive $1,000 for travel expenses when attending the ALA Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference – $500 for each conference. AASL’s Emerging Leaders will have the opportunity to participate in projects crucial to the profession. During conference, they will also benefit from attending specific workshops geared toward networking with fellow peers in the program. For more information about the program, please visit the Emerging Leaders wiki or contact Beatrice Calvin at bcalvin@ala.org. The deadline to apply is July 31. Those requesting consideration for the AASL stipend should indicate that on the application.

New videos posted on American Libraries (AL) Focus

These videos are available for your use. Feel free to link to them, share them with members or colleagues, or embed them in your own Web site or blog. More videos are available on the AL Focus Web site.

Information Literacy session July 16, 2008

Posted by Debbie Stafford in : NECC2008 , 1 comment so far

The very first session that I was able to attend at NECC08 was Information Literacy: Concrete Strategies to Bring Students Aboard Presented by Eric LeMoine Session Links www.trackstar.4teachers.org (Tracks #354932 and #354698)

I can’t really say that I picked up anything new about Information Literacy but what I found most interesting was that this session was presented by a K-5 Technology/Curriculum Coach. The material contained all that might have been at a similar sessioon presented by a school library media specialist. IS this significant? I don’t know. Certainly Information Literacy is not something that belongs just to SLMS but it is one area that we push as a reason for our existence. I decided that it was a good thing that Information Literacy was being pushed whether from a SLMS or a Technology Coach.

At any rate, it was a good session, well attended and well presented.

One tip that I did pick up; have students create their slide show in outline view. Don’t allow them to move from outline view to slide view until the outline has been reviewed to make sure the content is there before the bells and whistles go in.

Debbie