The story of how came to appear in that publication is closely related to another conversation from the AASL Forum, one talking about penetrating administrator’s conferences to showcase and advocate for library media work. Catherine Gewertz, the reporter for Education Week, had seen me present alongside my principal, assitant principal, and the head of our English department at the National Association of Seconary School Principals (NASSP) last February. My administration considers my work and the school library to be vital to the school’s overarching goal. The conversation on the forum asked about strategies to present at administrator’s conferences without an administrator “buddy” to include them.

The more I have thought about it, the more I am not sure that would be effective. When we are working with allied educators, the principal (or classroom teacher, or reading specialist, or guidance counselor) helps to contextualize the library media work within the larger school. Without that sense of how the school media center can work with the rest of the building, I don’t think an LMS would pull much of an audience.

How many of us would turn out to hear a classroom teacher presenting a solo session on collaborating with school media specialists at a library media conference? Perhaps instead of trying to infiltrate their ranks on our own, we should be exploiting our close relationships with other educators to demonstrate the power of school libraries within an existing framework other educators can readily understand. How have you had success in presenting 21st century school library work to other educators?

A media blitz is underway, showcasing the exceptional level of staffing maintained in K-12 media centers in that state’s public schools. Staffing in the vast majority of Alabama schools currently reflects the levels mandated by the SKILLS Act, now before Congress as a stand-alone bill.

Alabama School Libraries Week

What does Alabama School Libraries Week mean for school media specialists? At North Highland Elementary School, Michelle Wilson has brought in guest readers, including administration from the central office who often don’t get to see school libraries in action. Her students are capping the week with a character dress-up day Friday.

On my own campus, we’re connecting Alabama School Libraries Week programming to ALA’s National Gaming Day @ Your Library. Our high school library will be opening early and staying open late all week to give students an opportunity to enjoy both board and video gaming in a social and celebratory environment before and after class.

A press release shares local contact information for AIMA board members who can point the press to exceptional school libraries in their area. A comprehensive database of participating schools is being compiled by Dr. Ginger Eastman, Technology Initiatives, Alabama State Department of Education. Bookmarks, activities, and other resources are available from the AIMA website.

As Linda Sue Park said at AASL’s closing author breakfast, children should take library access for granted but grow into adults who NEVER take library access for granted. Alabama’s strong school libraries are helping to create those adults who appreciate the role of a variety of information agencies in creating lifelong learners.

In addition, we are still looking for long-time conference attendees to drop by and provide your valuable insights. If you are willing, please drop me an e-mail at: cjbansbach@yahoo.com to let me know you are coming.

Don’t miss your chance to be a part of virtually the biggest event for school library media specialists outside of Charlotte. 

You may also wish to earn up to 3.0 graduate credits while you “Rev up learning @ your library.” 

Explore b there today! 

 Registration levels designed to keep you in the driver’s seat: 

Spectator (Lane 1): For non-members and non-conference registrants who just want to have a look around, AASL has designed access to for you to join the community and network with your peers. 

Pit Stop (Lane 2): For AASL members, b there special benefits have been created to allow members to not only network with peers, but also gain access to select conference content and discussions. 

Track Pass (Lane 3): Gain full access to b there. National conference registration automatically gets you a Track Pass. Can’t make it to Charlotte? b there from anywhere and register for a track pass today!

Go to http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/conferencesandevents/national/charlotte2009/forattendees/bthere/bthere.cfm for more information and pricing.

Linda Sue nabbed the 2002 Newbery Medal for her unusual historical novel, A Single Shard, set in 12th century Korea. With twelve published novels to her credit, she is also the creator of picture books, poems, short stories and the on-going chapter installments to, “A Long Walk to Water,” published by Breakfast Serials and printed in newspapers nation-wide.

Well known for her lyrical literary style, Linda Sue’s stories recreate time and place, lacing the past with tangible conflicts and humane emotions.

We look forward to hearing Linda Sue present at the AASL Author Breakfast on Sunday, November 8th, from 8:30 – 11:00. She shares the podium with notable novelist Richard Peck.

With that message reinforcing the value of information agencies and professionals in an era of ubiquitous access to online sources of ranging quality,  President Barack Obama proclaimed National Information Literacy Awareness Month at the requests of Senator John Kerry and the late Senator Edward Kennedy, who noted in their August  1 letter of support that that information literacy was particularly critical “at a time when more and more information comes from the Internet and media.”  The annual focus on information skills is a project of  National Forum on Information Literacy (NFIL), an organization established by the American Library Association in 1989 “dedicated to mainstreaming information literacy and practice worldwide.”

The month-long national spotlight on these essential skills provides an ideal opportunity for re-tooling our own professional toolkits. For more print and online resources, consider the  AASL Essential Links wiki for Information Literacy  and, for high school librarians, the ALA INFOLIT discussion list and the ACRL Information Literacy Standards for Higher Education provide useful frameworks for preparing out students for what’s next. As the NFIL notes, the month-long focus can remind “every American, every employer, every government agency and every institution, in every community across this land, that having an information literate citizenry will help pave the way to 21st century economic prosperity, wider educational opportunity, fairer social equity, stronger national security, and an enhanced quality of life for every American.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6ZyUDqbZf8

There’s Still Time to Nominate a School Librarians for 2009 I Love My Librarian Award  
             
Nominations are still open for the 2009 Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award.

The award invites library users to recognize the accomplishments of librarians in public, school, college, community college and university libraries for their efforts to improve the lives of people in their community.  Nominations will run through October 9 and are being accepted online at www.ilovelibraries.org/ilovemylibrarian.  

Up to 10 librarians will be selected.  Each will receive a $5,000 cash award, a plaque and a $500 travel stipend to attend an awards ceremony and reception in New York, hosted by The New York Times in December.  In addition, a plaque will be given to each award winner’s library.

Each nominee must be a librarian with a master’s degree from a program accredited by the ALA in library and information studies or a master’s degree with a specialty in school library media from an educational unit accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education.  Nominees must be currently working in the United States in a public library, a library at an accredited two- or four-year college or university or at an accredited K-12 school.

Nominees will be judged by a selection committee based on quality of service to library users, demonstrated knowledge of the library and its resources and commitment shown in helping library users.

In 2008, Carnegie Corporation of New York awarded the American Library Association (ALA) $489,000 to support the award, which will continue annually through 2012.  The award continues in the tradition of one The New York Times presented from 2001 to 2006. 

Last year, more than 3,200 library users nationwide nominated a librarian, and 10 librarians received the award.  For more information on last year’s winners, visit ilovelibraries.org/ilovemylibrarian.

The award is administered by ALA’s Public Information Office and Campaign for America’s Libraries, ALA’s public awareness campaign that promotes the value of libraries and librarians.

Carnegie Corp. of New York was created by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to promote “the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding.”  For more than 95 years, the foundation has carried out its founder’s vision of philanthropy by building on his two major concerns: international peace and advancing education and knowledge.  Each year, the private grant-making foundation invests more than $100 million in nonprofit organizations to fulfill Mr. Carnegie’s mission, “to do real and permanent good in this world.” 

The New York Times Company, a leading media company with 2008 revenues of $2.9 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily newspapers, WQXR-FM and more than 50 Web sites, including NYTimes.com, Boston.com and About.com.  The Company’s core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.