AASL News August 29, 2008
Posted by Melissa Jacobsen in : AASL News , add a comment ALA Web site “lockdown” update for AASL membersToday ALA announced that its Web site launch scheduled for September 1 will be postponed until later in September in order to further develop various areas of its new Web site. AASL’s Web site will continue to be affected by this delay only in that new information will not be available until the new ALA Web site is launched. In the meantime, AASL will continue to communicate to AASL members through our various communication channels, including the AASLblog.As was the case before, member renewals and registration for AASL’s 2008 Fall Forum will not be affected by the lockdown.
Save before September 12 on registration for AASL’s 2008 Fall Forum
Early bird registration ends September 12 for AASL’s 2008Fall Forum. The professional development event for school library media specialists will be held October 17-19 in Oak Brook, Illinois (near Chicago). Register now to save!At AASL’s Fall Forum, “Assessment, Part II: Constructing and Interpreting Viable Tools for Effective Student Learning in the Library Media Center,” you will gain valuable knowledge from experts in the field and have the opportunity to draw perspectives and knowledge from your peers. You are guaranteed to take home new ideas and resources to incorporate into your school library media program immediately!
Back-to-school is the time to plan for data-driven programming August 20, 2008
Posted by Wendy Stephens in : Check this out! , add a commentA new school year provides opportunities for fresh evaluation and strategic justification of our instructional programs. Our existing automation systems provide sophisticated capabilities for reporting about what is going on in our school libraries, but are we making use of them? The start of the year offers an ideal opportunity to set up your automation system to inform long term planning
Circulation statistics are limited as a measure of library activity. Per-student circulation figures reveal who is using the library in one particular way. But most systems allow you to finesse your transactions to depict more than grade and homeroom breakdowns. In addition to the complete demographic information imported from the student information system, my district’s Sagebrush InfoCentre software provides ten user-driven fields. Using these fields affords new ways to understand the nuances of circulation.
I am excited about increasing the range of data, circulation and otherwise. Last fall I saw Nancy Teger speak about how Florida’s SUNLINK union catalog, with patron records that followed students K-12, was giving librarians and administrators new insight into the relationships between student library usage, collections, and achievement. The unified database enabled the examination of the connections between student reading assessment scores and the age and usage of school collections. SUNLINK provided baseline data for all the schools in the state, demonstrating the increased meaning of data tracked across larger contexts.
In the past, I used one of the user-defined fields to track the checkout history of a student group. Our school hosts dozens of school groups each year looking for ideas on improving adolescent literacy. Using the automation system in a consistent and meaningful way allows us to provide those visiting educators with a bibliography of accessible titles that are proven favorites with students in developmental reading classes. These statistics also provide important justification of the acquisition of some edgier titles. When a particular author or title is proven to appeal to reluctant readers, its inclusion in the collection is shown to support the school’s overarching focus on improving adolescent literacy.
This year, I plan to use a single field in the student patron record to underpin a focus on equity. I am going to use information imported from the student information system to look at gender and the role it plays in usage and collection development. I have a hunch that a disproportionate amount of our budget supports recreational reading materials with feminine appeal, which results in higher circulation among girls. Data can help me better understand the types of materials chosen by male students, so I can increase these sorts of holdings.
Data from the automation system can also help with external funding. In a county system, approaching local governments using data breaking down usage by zip code provides evidence of the importance of the collection for students in certain municipalities. These local governments might provide funding to support the education of their constituents.
Because the relationship between libraries and student achievement goes beyond circulation, I am also thinking about ways to associate non-circulating use of library resources. My school hasn’t been running the pages output from library computers or photocopied from reference books through the circulation system. Is there a way to represent this usage and associate it with particular students so the library can be reflected as a factor in their success?
Building a meaningful body of evidence is more important than ever, as schools face budget constraints and challenges to the very role of the media specialist. These quantifiable measures are irrefutable. Ensure your library automation system has the mechanisms in place to generate robust and meaningful data, with consistent fields established for the patron records of transfer students. The existing automation system can be an asset in substantiating the added value that qualified library media specialist provide in schools.
Virtual Poster sessions: Promote your library’s community involvement August 17, 2008
Posted by Sara Kelly Johns in : Check this out!, Community, Opportunities , add a commentWhen I read this press release on the ALA site, I immediately thought of the many school libraries who are vital to their communities. Here’s a chance to promote your library program (Nov. 15 deadline):
This year, under American Library Association (ALA) President Jim Rettig’s leadership, members will have new opportunities to participate in ALA and to communicate their success stories. One of these opportunities is an ALA-wide virtual poster session.
The first of two poster sessions will debut this fall. Its focus is “Community Central.”
Share your experiences of making your library vital in your community (any kind of community). The possibilities are almost endless. Are you reaching underserved populations? Are you vital to local political activity? Is your library a center of learning? Are you visible outside the building? Demonstrate the specific purpose of your community involvement and the ways that you have achieved that purpose. Photos, images, and sounds may accompany your presentation.
To be considered for inclusion in the poster session, please send a proposal in the form of a summary of your library’s efforts, making sure to address the following points:
- Question or problem (need not be stated as hypotheses)
- Environmental context of the question or problem (such as public libraries, academic libraries)
- Organizational context of the question or problem (internal services, outreach, community analysis, etc.)
- Approaches to address the question or problem (i.e., the specific ways the library and its staff have addressed the kinds of programs and activities mentioned in the Community Central description)
- Outcomes (details on the effects of the approaches, including data, testimonials or other evidence of community involvement)
The summary must be no longer than three pages, double-spaced (one or more photos or images may be included as part of the three pages).
The deadline for submitting proposals is Nov. 15. Approximately 25 submissions will be selected and will be available for viewing during January 2009. Please send the proposals via e-mail to Dr. John M. Budd at BuddJ@missouri.edu.
A second virtual poster session will take place in the spring of 2009.
Rettig’s initiatives for his presidential term are about “Creating Connections” –connections among our libraries; connections between the communities we serve and those who make funding and policy decisions; connections with prospective library workers; connections with ALA members. His initiatives address three critical issues: Advocacy, Diversity and Member Participation.
For more information about ALA President Jim Rettig’s initiatives, please visit http://jimrettig.org/content/initiatives/initiatives.htm .
AASL News August 13, 2008
Posted by Melissa Jacobsen in : AASL News, AASL2009 , add a commentDeadline approaching – AASL seeks presenters for its licensed institute focused on K-6 reading
AASL is currently seeking presenters for its “Reading and the Elementary School Library Media Specialist” licensed institute. Potential candidates should apply before the deadline at 4:30 p.m. CDT on August 18, 2008. More information is available on the Licensed Institutes pages of the AASL Web site. Applicants must submit a letter of interest that includes travel availability, a resume, and three references pertinent to this type of presentation. Submissions should be sent to Kelly Bishop, Manager of Professional Development, AASL, American Library Association, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, Illinois, 60611. E-mail submissions will be accepted at kbishop@ala.org, and faxes may be sent to (312) 280-5276.
AASL seeks applications from Spectrum Scholars to attend the AASL 2008 Fall Forum
AASL will sponsor the attendance of up to two Spectrum Scholars at its 2008 Fall Forum. The 2008 forum, entitled “Assessment, Part II: Constructing and Interpreting Viable Tools for Effective Student Learning in the Library Media Center,” will be held October 17-19 in Oak Brook, Illinois (Chicago area). The travel stipend is generously provided by Capstone Publishers.
Applicants must be currently pursuing a library science degree with a concentration in school library media, or working as a school library media specialist. Each of the selected scholars will be provided with complimentary registration to the Fall Forum and a $750 travel stipend to offset travel and housing expenses. Spectrum Scholars will be paired with a mentor for the duration of the institute and will receive special recognition at key events.
Those who wish to apply can find a copy of the criteria and application guidelines in the Fall Forum section of the AASL Web site. Submissions are due on September 12, and winners will be announced on September 18. For more information visit the Spectrum page on the ALA Web site.
AASL seeks proposals for 2009 National Conference
AASL is currently seeking proposals for preconferences at the AASL 2009 National Conference in Charlotte, NC. The theme of the conference is “Rev Up Learning @ your library.” Submitted proposals should be for half-day workshops that will be presented to school library media specialists November 4-5, 2009. Each proposal should address at least one of these themes:
- Technology
- Collaboration
- Gaming
- Reading
The deadline for proposals is 4:30 p.m. CDT on Monday, September 15. Proposals can be submitted electronically to Kelly Bishop, manager of professional development, at kbishop@ala.org, or by fax to (312) 280-5276. They can also be submitted in writing to Kelly Bishop, Manager of Professional Development, AASL, American Library Association, 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60611.
AASL News August 6, 2008
Posted by Melissa Jacobsen in : AASL News , add a commentAASL seeks presenters for its Licensed Institute focused on K-6 reading
AASL is currently seeking presenters for its “Reading and the Elementary School Library Media Specialist” licensed institute. In order to be considered, potential candidates should apply before the deadline at 4:30 p.m. CDT on August 18, 2008. More information is available in the RFP on the Licensed Institutes pages of the AASL Web site. Applicants must submit a letter of interest that includes travel availability, a resume, and three references pertinent to this type of presentation to Kelly Bishop, Manager of Professional Development, AASL, American Library Association, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, Ill., 60611. E-mail submissions will be accepted at kbishop@ala.org, and faxes may be sent to (312) 280-5276.
Proposals for Concurrent and Exploratorium sessions for AASL’s National Conference now being accepted
AASL is currently accepting proposals for its Concurrent and Exploratorium sessions at its 14th National Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. The conference, “Rev Up Learning @ your library,” will be held November 5-8, 2009. Those seeking to submit a proposal are encouraged to visit the National Conference pages. Concurrent session proposals will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. CDT on Monday, December 1, 2008. Topics should address the three areas of responsibility as identified in Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning. Exploratorium proposals will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. CDT on Monday, March 30, 2009. Examples of acceptable proposal topics include, advocacy, collaboration, copyright, meeting special needs, and reading promotion.
Showcase your talents through AASL’s 2009 awards program
AASL 2009 award applications are now ready for download. This year’s prestigious awards program will offer more than $45,000 in awards to AASL members. The nine awards recognize excellence and showcase best practices in the school library media field. They include research, collaboration, leadership, and innovation. The 2009 applications can be viewed and downloaded on the individual awards’ pages.
Bookstore divisions or Dewey August 1, 2008
Posted by Debbie Stafford in : Hot Topics , add a commentThis topic was addressed on this blog by Shonda Brisco (“Dewey” Need Dewey? June 1, 2007). Yesterday I was looking for a title at my local bookstore and my experience made me revisit this issue.
First, I found a mystery paperback at the library and was intrigued to find the first book of the series. The library did not own it. Later I was at the book store and decided to see if they had it. I knew enough about the organization of the fiction section to know that I needed to find the mystery section and I knew the mystery section was alphabetical by author. The problem was that I didn’t remember the author and wasn’t sure I had the correct title. So, I went looking for a “card catalog”. No luck. All the clerks were busy at the counter. I did get to ask an employee who looked it up for me. I asked whey they didn’t have a “card catalog” and her answer was that we could always ask a store employee.
Now, both the book store and the library I visited had the books in the fiction, mystery section. Both had staff members who could help me if I had asked. But at the library I could use the tools to find out my question for myself.
So my questions/thoughts are;
I knew the “system” in both cases but knowing the system didn’t help without the tools to help myself. In both cases I could have asked for help but one let me help myself, much more satisfying at last to me.
If a school or public library wants to do away with Dewey as a system and replace with some other system, they really do still need a tool to find where the books are. It also still helps if people know what the system is, Dewey or bookstore.
I must admit, other than fiction I often wander the bookstore looking for the section I want. I don’t “understand” the system of non -fiction.
Anyway, my musings on a hot August afternoon.
