Creating a Website for your Media Center

In one of my Library Media Technology courses, a classmate and I had to create a website for our imaginary media center. This was SO MUCH FUN, and an example of the type of helpful, interactive website your school can have. Keep in mind, this is two years old and there are much easier (and prettier) options for free web-building. Additionally, a Twitter and/or Facebook page for the media center are great ways to keep daily events posted.


https://sites.google.com/site/villagecharterhighmediacenter/

The Mysterious Old Secret in the Childhood Library Books

I just came across an article in School Library Journal about the link between literacy and imagination. It is a nice essay that ponders the current availability of reading materials and how the experience is different for person to person, culture to culture. It spurred me to recall if I remembered learning to read - when the connection between jumbled letters and the revelation of understanding happened. I cannot. I only remember always, always reading. 


When I was 8 years old, my family made the 130-mile move across Georgia from the metropolis of Columbus to Milledgeville. This was a devastating event, as summer had just begun and the new neighborhood had nary a potential playmate in sight (my dad was a prison warden, and the house was on State property, next to the town's legendary Mental Institutions).


That summer, my mom took us regularly to the city library, where I quickly discovered new friends: Nancy Drew, Joe and Frank Hardy, the Happy Hollister siblings, the Bobbsey Twins and, best of all, Trixie Belden. After dealing with my daily and very boring duties of snapping beans, helping mom can produce, household chores and tending to my younger sister (ack...such treasured memories, now!), I looked forward to spending free time with these upbeat sleuths and their interesting lives and adventures. Trixie was my favorite. She was closer to my age and we seemed to share the same spunk, curiosity and interest - except her new neighbor was a millionaire girl of the same age with horses and free vacation opportunities. But I digress - this is all fresh on my mind because I have recently reunited with some of these old summer pals. And boy, oh, boy, what a surprise. Nostalgia aside, I am aghast at some of the sexist and racist overtones (most prevalent in the original Bobbsey Twins - copyright 1904), not to mention just bad writing in some of the latter Nancy Drew stories. Some of these I could not even finish. However, the gal that still rings true to my heart, then and now, dear old BFF Trixie Belden is still tops. In rereading the adventures of these somewhat outdated kids, I am still struck by the repeated themes that reflect values and preferences I hold true today: the importance of friends and family, the love of productive work and good times, information-reasoning-deducting, a good pair of dungarees, and most importantly, the explorer's dream: a sack lunch of thick ham sandwiches and a thermos of lemonade. 

Here is my girl, Trixie, on the left in the Kindle edition (updated look, a little too glamorous, in my opinion), and one of my cherished collector volumes on the left.

As an educator and librarian, this is just further proof of the influence of early reading in our lives. The imagination that is spurred by context of the written word can make lifelong impressions. As much as I love sharing treasured books with the young readers in my life, it is also important to seek out what they like. Why do they like it? How do they relate their life to the story? Does the book spur ideas for what they would like to learn, to do, to be?

The Day Encyclopedia Britannica Made Me Wail

The moment is etched in my memory for good. March 13, 2012. I was washing dishes while making dinner (cuban black bean soup) when the radio news host nonchalantly said something like, "Today, Encyclopedia Britannica announced they would discontinue production of the printed editions, and move forward with the digital format." I froze, I had a huge flashback, and then I wailed. I will do it again: AWWWWWW!!! 


Yes, I am a trained media specialist. Yes, I love technology and online databases. Yes, I understand economics, profit and the bottom line. But I love printed books. Old ones, used ones, borrowed ones, new ones. And this just seems like the death of Book Beast. That flashback I had was this: In 1983, my wonderful mom purchased a set of World Book Encyclopedias from a neighborhood friend (remember those days? neighbors selling encyclopedias?). Ever the book-fanatic, I was so excited when they arrived. I helped mom unpack the box. While she decided the best place to put them on display, I opened the first volume, relishing the crackly burst of the brand-new spine, the soapy, woody smell of shiny paper, and the tons of knowledge inside. That is what ran through my head when I heard the announcement. It made me sad to think there could be a day centuries from now where a young girl like me would not know that experience. I doubt we will see the death of bound books in our lifetime, if ever. That tactile satisfaction, the comfort of the heft, the smell...these are all part of the reading experience.


For now, World Book and other, more subject-specific publishers will still be producing print versions. For those of use who want to research current information from Encyclopedia Britannica, we must be connected. And honestly, it is a wonderful resource, free to Georgia residents via Galileo.


Image courtesy of http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/13/after-244-years-encyclopaedia-britannica-stops-the-presses/

Laurel Snyder - Local Author Alert!

By an unexpected series of very fortunate events (thank you very much, Lemony Snicket), I have made the acquaintance of local Atlanta-literary-firecracker-supermom-author, Laurel Snyder. I would encourage any school library to arrange an author visit with Laurel. If she is unable to make it in person, she is a mad "Skyper" and can arrange a video-visit. Let's take a moment to showcase a few of her works: 

Inside the Slidy Diner


Kids will looooooove the awesomely icky-ness encountered at the Slidy Diner. Laurel's fluid prose and fun words work magically with the detailed illustrations. Great as a group read-aloud and definitely one kids will enjoy perusing on their own.

Baxter, the Pig Who Wanted to Be Kosher


Following Baxter in his desire to become kosher is a great selection for exploring Jewish tradition. While educational, it is also clever and funny. Baxter's story is at home in any library collection and a great learning tool for those of any faith.

Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains


I would have devoured this book in third grade and know there are many other young readers and adults who will do the same. Enter the land of Bewilderness ("nowhere near France or Topeka") as Lucy, the milkmaid, and her pal Wynston, the prince, set off on an adventure. Laurel has created a sweet, funny story that may work as stepping stone into the fantasy genre.

Bigger than a Bread Box


As of today, this is Laurel's most recent publication...and probably my favorite so far! Geared more for middle school readers, Rebecca is suddenly faced with the separation of her parents and a subsequent move and new school. These issues are not dealt with easily and Rebecca manages them as a "normal" girl would (no super-heroics...which is what I appreciated about it most). Magical elements enter when Rebecca discovers a wish-granting bread box. With this added twist, Laurel still manages to keep the story grounded in realism.  










Laurel is a force of energy, dedicated to education, reading, and her craft - I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.


Check out her fabulous website here.

Programs to Promote Reading

I recently came across an article titled Independent Reading and School Achievement (Cullinan, 2000). As a volunteer at a neighborhood middle school with a fledgling library program, I have been trying to refresh myself on ideas to promote reading among students. While many of these approaches are old stand-bys and no-brainers, our days are consumed with such a barrage of technology and the pressure of goals and exceptional performance, that we may forget ground rules that should be integral to the media center.


Per Cullinan (2000), independent reading is voluntary  - such as that for leisure or pleasure -  or that which is not required. Because literacy is related to school achievement, we must concentrate on ways to promote it:


Pre-School and Kindergarten

• The younger the child, the better. And don't just read. Interact: point, ask questions, label objects, discuss print. Let the child construct his or her meaning. 
• Encourage students' parents to "table talk" (or car, bath, bed-talk). In this, they will answer the child's questions, give them focused attention, and listen to their words. Children learn new vocabulary, clarify misunderstandings, and expand surface-level understandings 
• Common factors of successful programs for preschool children include active parent involvement, access to books and libraries, models in the use of books, and efforts to make people feel at ease in libraries.

Elementary: Grades 1-5

• Beginning readers or struggling readers should receive the support and modeling necessary to learn to read.
• Students who know how to read should continue to have models who read to them.
• Recruit advanced readers to help others. Student-based tutoring programs may not only help the students being taught but might also help those doing the teaching.
• Encourage browsing of new titles or relevant books by displaying to show the cover/front instead of the spine. Picture books, short chapter books, humorous stories, informational books, and magazines should also be showcased.
• All students are provided with adequate time for sustained silent reading and choice of what to read.

Middle and High School: Grades 6-12

• Encourage active parental involvement in student learning 
• Develop partnerships among community institutions 
• Promote collaboration among school librarians and teachers 
• The freedom of middle school and young adult students makes it imperative to give adequate time for independent, self-chosen reading, to demonstrate the value and pleasure of reading and writing
• Hone technology skills to perpetuate the search for information (my updated 2012 version of Cullinan's conclusion to "provide technology for information searching").

For further reading and details on research conclusions, see article in its whole here: http://www.ala.org/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/slmrb/slmrcontents/volume32000/independent#programs




References:


Cullinan, B. E. (2000). Independent reading and school achievement {computer file}. School Library Media Research, 3

Newberys vs GA Peach Awards

This was an exciting week for all of us kid lit enthusiasts: The 2012 Newbery winner and honor books were announced on Monday. Big congrats to the champ, Dead End in Norvelt (Jack Gantos) and runners-up Inside Out & Back Again (Thanhha Lai) and Breaking Stalin's Nose (Eugene Yelchin). I look forward to adding these newly famed tomes to my Newbery Ketchup! goal -- only four more months. And this can be difficult. Especially when I am distracted by many other great reads that catch my eye in passing or by other recommendations or award categories. Which brings me to the Georgia Peach Awards. 


As an educator, this is one of my favorite go-to reading lists, as the winners/honors are actually chosen by young adults (grades 9-12) in Georgia. A committee of school media specialists and librarians nominate 20 books, but then high school students actually cast their votes for those that get top marks. Although the Newbery and Caldecott Awards may be arguably the most prestigious, the voting system makes one stop and think a bit. Per the ALA website, the committee that chooses the books for these awards is composed of 15 people, all members of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). Each year, ALSC members elect 8 members to the committee and then the ALSC president chooses the other 7. And then they read, read, read and narrow down the discussions (all top secret), and THEN these 15 lucky people decide which books are the greatest of the year. Did I mention 15 people? Is my tongue in cheek? Maybe a little. Would I love to be on this elite committee? Well, of course! Nevertheless, one may argue that the winners of the Newbery and Caldecott awards are very skewed, with the electoral college consisting of a very tiny, although likely very "qualified" group of folks. So, when you look at a system like the Georgia Peach Book Awards, which not only considers, but depends on the opinion of the intended audience, doesn't it seem to hold more validity?


See the Georgia Peach Award website for details on the upcoming nominees and how to get your high school students involved!

Video Story Projects

During grad school, my video recording/editing class required a news-type submission on any topic of choice. After some thought, the idea emerged to take a fairy tale and consider how a roving reporter in Fantasyland might cover the news. The Three Bears was my first idea, and I ran with it. The bears were victims of a home invasion, so a perfect news segment. Not only was it a lot of fun, it was obvious this is a wonderful idea to use for students of all levels, and the media center is the place to start! Learning to record and edit video on a particular book, story or character will encompass a myriad of standards from technology to reading to writing, teaching those critical technology lessons while preserving literary knowledge.


Catch this late-breaking news-segment on The Three Bears to get ideas for your students!