SJRLC Connections

VELOCITY DELIVERY ALERT FOR SCHOOLS ONLY

The last day for school delivery is Friday, June 11^th.

PLEASE – TO AVOID LOST ITEMS, WHEN YOU ARE LENDING BOOKS, ALLOW ENOUGH TIME FOR THEIR RETURN!!

Thank you, Sandi Augello

Responding to a book challenge at a High School Library

Rancocas Valley Regional High School's Media Specialist  (and SJRLC Board Member) Dee Venuto's handling of a recent book challenge was recently reported in American Libraries, ALDirect:

"A reconsideration request regarding three anthologies in the collection of the Rancocas Valley Regional High School (RVRHS) library in Mount Holly, New Jersey, may be part of a national campaign supported by a Burlington County group to get a Department of Education official ousted from the Obama administration. And learning how to evaluate the validity of such an assertion has become a teachable moment for students and faculty at RVRHS, thanks to the school’s media specialist [Dee Venuto]...

"...As the reconsideration committee deliberates, Venuto told AL, “I decided to model exactly what we teach the students, to follow the Big 6 research process—document the resources, evaluate the resources, develop a list of questions.” Her presentations to faculty and students have been well-received, she said, noting that “Our profession requires us to provide information that reflects all the varied needs and interests of our patrons and I will continue to do so.” She added, “Hopefully, by making the details of this challenge known to others, more materials will stay on our shelves.”

The challenge is apparently part of a larger coordinated effort to challenge books in school libraries in the County, and as Dee told ALDirect  “if this is happening in New Jersey, there is probably a good chance it could happen in other places.”

You can read the full article online here: http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/news/03102010/obamas-safe-schools-czar-targeted-new-jersey-challenge.

Free Webinar: Fighting the Filter: Tips for Delivering a Knockout Punch to Information Censorship

SJRLC, CJRLC, HRLC and Infolink Present

FREE A+ for Teens Webinar

Fighting the Filter: Tips for Delivering a Knockout Punch to Information Censorship

March 9, 4:00-5:00
 
Led by Buffy J. Hamilton, "The Unquiet Librarian"
Media Specialist, Creekview High School, Canton, Georgia
 
 

| Details and Registration |

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Are Filters Limiting Your Ability
to Fully Educate Your Students?

In this Webinar, School Media Specialist Buffy Hamilton will share her strategies for engaging the decision makers in your school to ease restrictions on filters, allowing you more fully develop the information literacy of your students. 

Topics/Strategies covered will include:

• Making the case for digital citizenship
• Championing intellectual freedom and access to information
• Educating stakeholders about the importance of social media
• Collecting and using data to support your position
• Developing a plan for addressing potential challenges while championing the possibilities
• Establishing conversations with those who make decisions regarding filtering
• Advocating that all filtering policies and procedures for appeals are put in writing
• Making the argument for access to resources and tools by collecting examples of effective practice

About our presenter:

Buffy J. Hamilton is a media specialist/teacher-librarian at Creekview High School in Canton, Georgia; She is in her 18th year as an educator in the Cherokee County School District. Buffy holds a master’s degree in English Education (2003) from the University of Georgia, and an Ed.S. is in School Library Media/Instructional Technology from the University of Georgia (2005).  Buffy is a frequent presenter on school media, social media, and technology issues.  She blogs at: http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com, as well as for ALALearning.

1 CEU Credit will be awarded for for this workshop

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO PARTICIPATE
| Details and Registration |

BEFORE THE WORKSHOP

• Date/Time: March 9,  4:00 - 5:00 pm
• Presenter: Buffy J. Hamilton
• Cost: Free (as part of our A+ Program for Teens)
• Platform: Wimba (see instructions/help for Wimba)

DAY OF THE WORKSHOP

• Login URL: See http://www.sjrlc.org/wimba/ 

A complete course schedule is available at: http://www.sjrlc.org/CE And don't forget our new collection of THOUSANDS OF SELF-PACED COURSES

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Peter Bromberg, Assistant Director
South Jersey Regional Library Cooperative (SJRLC)
10 Foster Avenue, Suite F-3 Gibbsboro, NJ 08026
Email: bromberg@sjrlc.org | Phone: 856 346-1222  | Fax: 856 346-2839
IM: peterbromberg (aim/gtalk/meebo) | peterjbromberg (yahoo)
Web: http://www.sjrlc.org | Blog: http://sjrlc.typepad.com

"All the great speakers were bad speakers at first." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Valuing School Libraries

SJRLC, CJRLC, HRLC and Infolink present

FREE WEBINAR:

Valuing School Libraries

Thursday, February 4th,  3-4:30 PM
Led by Joanne Roukens, Executive Director, Highlands Regional Library Cooperative>

Details and registration

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What is the value of your library?
How can you demonstrate your library's impact?

Using WebJunction "Demonstrating Impact" documents and in partnership with the NJ State Library, the Highlands Regional Library Cooperative created a “Valuing Libraries Toolkit”; A simple method to quickly calculate a library's return on investment and demonstrate its value.  Learn how to use the toolkit to demonstrate the value of your school library!

Program Objectives: After the workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Describe what is valuable to customers, funders and stakeholders

2. Execute a seven part strategic process

3. Identify and quantify the library’s value

1 CEU Will be awarded for this webinar

About the Presenter:

Joanne P. Roukens is the Executive Director for the Highlands Regional Library Cooperative (HRLC) in Denville, NJ. HRLC provides resources, services, expertise and continuing education programs to 975 member libraries in a seven-county region in northern New Jersey. She has a Certificate in Training from the New Jersey Department of Personnel and co-coordinated the New Jersey Train-the-Trainers Program from 2001 - 2005. Joanne was the New Jersey Library Association’s 2007 Librarian of the Year.

NOTE: This Webinar is being hosted on CJRLC's iLinc Webinar Platform (not on Wimba). Please follow this link for instructions on setting up your PC prior to the webinar.)

Details and registration

Great Interview with Danah Boyd

A wonderful interview with Danah boyd, posted at AL Direct: http://alfocus.ala.org/videos/danah-boyd-interview

Description (from AL Direct):

After her keynote address at the American Association of School Libraries National Conference, American Libraries caught up with danah boyd, the "high priestess" of networked social media, to discuss the role that school librarians should be playing in their students' social networking activities, how to cut through the red tape that may be preventing them from filling this role, and how Wikipedia can and should be used to teach students about information.

Runtime: 3:11

Take Action Now to Retain School Libraries!

Take Action Now to Retain School Libraries!

• Do you agree that every student should have a library in their school?

• Do you believe that it is absolutely essential that every school library be staffed by a certified school library media specialist?

If you do, it is again time to take action to strengthen the requirement for school library media programs that has been in place this year.

NJASL is recommending that N.J.A.C. 6A:13-2.1(h) be amended to say:

"All school districts shall provide a comprehensive school library media program that enables students to meet NJCCCS, and that is connected to classroom studies in each school building. The program shall include access to computers, district-approved instructional software, appropriate books including novels, anthologies, reference materials, and supplemental materials that motivate students to read in and out of school and to conduct research. All students, teachers, and administrators in each school building in New Jersey at all grade levels shall have access to a library media program provided by one or more certified school library media specialists working full time in the school library media center."

• NJASL needs your help to ensure that the requirement for school library services under the direction of a certified school library media specialist is retained and strengthened.
   
• NJASL needs you to engage parents, school administrators, and community members in a conversation about the importance of school libraries and the need for every public school library to be staffed by a certified school librarian.
   
• NJASL urges you to write to ask that the requirement be strengthened to ensure that every public school has a library staffed by a certified school library media specialist and to encourage other members of the school community to do likewise.

Send your letters to Rochelle Hendricks, Assistant Commissioner NJ Department of Education 100 River View Plaza P.O. Box 500 Trenton, NJ 08625

Deadline for comments - July 3, 2009

*NJASL has created a wiki to assist members to advocate for school library media programs. See http://njasladvocacy.pbworks.com for sample letters and talking points for this issue.

Velocity Delivery to Schools

The last day for Velocity Express school delivery will be Friday, June 19^th.

ADVOCACY ALERT: PLEASE HELP

Forwarded on behalf of Leslie Blatt, NJASL President,

NJASL-IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Hello Everyone-

Your help is needed IMMEDIATELY.  The Commissioner of Education, Lucille Davy, is considering the action to have a certified school librarian and library media services in ALL schools.  We need you to send Commissioner Davy letters to support this action.  Below are sample letters that you can use as well as recruiting teachers, parents, and community members to send letters.  Letters must be sent by mail-- NO email or fax

Please let me know if you sent a letter, or know of people in your school or community who participated.  We would like to keep a count of letters sent. If you want, you can send me a copy of the letter.

Check the NJASL wiki-- 

http://njasladvocacy.pbwiki.com - as Mary Lewis has given some other suggestions on the wiki to help with your letters as well - see the sidebar TAKE ACTION NOW.  The NJASL website has a link to the wiki also if you have trouble getting directly to the wiki.

Please try to keep your letter to one page-- more chance of it getting read. Personalize it, if you had  a special activity in your library that shows your value to your school, briefly use it.

If you have any questions- contact me or Peg Lawlor (our Government Relations Consultant-  PegL812[at]comcast.net) .

This is an exciting announcement for the school librarians in New Jersey-- support it NOW!

Leslie Blatt, NJASL President MrsLes[at]aol.com

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Sample letter for school librarians (see sample letter for school staff below)

Your Name Address Date

Lucille E. Davy, Commissioner Department of Education
100 River View Plaza
P.O. Box 500 Trenton, NJ 08625

Dear Commissioner Davy,

Step 1 - (State why you are writing)

I am writing to you in support of the proposed regulation that would require school districts to provide library media services, delivered by a certified school library media specialist, in each school building.

Step 2 - (Introduce yourself)

As a school librarian currently employed in (name of school district),I believe that the library is the hub of student learning in a school and the certified school library media specialist plays a unique and essential role in providing information literacy for students and their classroom teachers.

Step 3 - (Make your case.  You can use the ideas in the talking points listed below to illustrate the importance of having a library in your school staffed by a certified school media specialist.  USE YOUR OWN WORDS)

*Information that students and teachers need for lessons and projects in each subject area is likely to come from many different disciplines.  A centrally located school library can house a large and diverse collection of materials and tools to support teaching and learning specific to the population of children served in the school.

*When classes come to the library media center seeking information, the library media specialist is able to provide students and teachers with guidance in locating and using all relevant resources that are available.

*School library media specialists are teachers whose expertise is in the selection and use of a variety of information resources from all subject areas.

*The school library media specialist is able to teach students and teachers how to locate, access, evaluate and use the information they need.  This helps students to become efficient, responsible and independent learners, able to function in the world.

*School library media specialists have knowledge of child development that is useful in teaching, and also in the selection of materials to support students' educational and personal needs and interests at various stages in their lives.

*School library media specialists are familiar with the school's curriculum, as well as state and national educational standards.  This enables them to work with subject/classroom teachers to ensure that students meet these standards.  They are also best positioned to select and purchase materials that specifically support curricular goals and objectives.

*School library media specialists are focused on children and youth, and provide sheltered, child-centered environments.

Step 4 - (Restate your position)

As a career school librarian and a long-time member of the New Jersey Association of School Librarians, I want to reiterate my strong support for the proposed requirement for a library in every school staffed by a certified school library media specialist.

Sincerely Yours, (Name, title)

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Sample letter for school staff

Your Name Address Date

Lucille E. Davy, Commissioner Department of Education

100 River View Plaza P.O. Box 500 Trenton, NJ 08625

Dear Commissioner Davy,

Step 1 - (State why you are writing)

I am writing to you in support of the proposed regulation that would require school districts to provide library media services, delivered by a certified school library media specialist, in each school building.

Step 2 - (Introduce yourself)

As a (__grade teacher for #) years currently employed in (name of school district), I believe that the library is the hub of student learning in my school and that the library media specialist is a critical partner in meeting the learning needs of my students.

Step 3 - (Make your case.  You can use the ideas in the talking points listed below to illustrate the importance of having a library in your school staffed by a certified school media specialist.  USE YOUR OWN WORDS)

*The library media center in my school permits the whole school population to equitably, efficiently, and economically access print and electronic media resources.

*Information that students and teachers need for lessons and projects in each subject area is likely to come from many different disciplines.  The school library can house a large and diverse collection of materials and tools to support teaching and learning specific to the population of children served in the school.

*When classes come to the library media center seeking information, the library media specialist is able to provide students and teachers with guidance in locating and using all relevant resources that are available.

*School library media specialists are teachers whose expertise is in the selection and use of a variety of information resources from all subject areas.

*The school library media specialist is able to teach students and teachers how to locate, access, evaluate and use the information they need.  This helps students to become efficient, responsible and independent learners, able to function in the world.

*The library media specialist selects, purchases and manages the storage and circulation of library resources so that school staff and students may quickly access the materials they need in one location, the school library.

Step 4 - (Restate your position)

As both a parent and career educator, I want to reiterate my strong support for the proposed requirement for a library in every school staffed by a certified school library media specialist.

Sincerely Yours, (Name, title)

Gale/Library Media Connection TEAMS Award Announcement

Teachers And Media Specialists Influencing Student Achievement

The Gale/Library Media Connection TEAMS Award recognizes and encourages the critical collaboration between the teacher and media specialist to promote learning and increase student achievement.

Three winners will receive: $2,500 (U.S.) cash award; Gale products (approximate value $500 U.S.); a one-year subscription to Library Media Connection; and Educator's Professional Bookshelf (approximate value $500 U.S.) from Linworth Publishing.

http://www.galeschools.com/TEAMS/

 

Digitial Learning Day

Should be an exciting, informative day!!


Digital Learning
Presented by the Camden County Association of School Librarians and the Tri-County Librarians’ Association

DATE: April 5, 2008
COST: FREE
LOCATION:  Clearview Regional High School, 625 Breakneck Rd., Mullica Hill, NJ  08062
AGENDA:


8:30am – 9:00am

• Registration and refreshments

9:00am – 10:00 am: BREAKOUT SESSIONS

•  Gaggle, More Than a Bunch of Geese. Scott Wagner, Clearview Middle School Social Studies Teacher.  Gaggle is more than a safe e-mail account.  Students and teachers can blog, use message boards, open chat rooms, store information in digital lockers, and communicate in a safe environment.
• Intelliboard .Donna H. Armstrong, Clearview Middle School, Technical Support Teacher.  Using an interactive white board can be as easy as using a mouse. Learn more lesson development ideas using the Intelliboard that we have here at Clearview.
• Have You Googled Lately? Michelle Marhefka, Clearview Middle School Librarian. Learn some hints in searching this popular search engine.

10:00am – 10:15am

• Break

10:15am – 11:15am: BREAKOUT SESSIONS

• Podcasting 101  Part 1, Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Assistant Director at The Atlantic City Free Public Library. This workshop will outline the planning, the production, the hardware, and the software needed to produce podcasts for Web sites. Planning and production issues will be discussed to help make recordings sound like professional podcasts creating by professional blogging sites on the Internet.
• iMovie Part 1.Nancy Dowd, Director of Marketing for the NJ State Library.  Learn how to create your own video with easy step-by-step instructions. Please bring your Mac laptops.
• CPS – Classroom Performance System.  Michelle Marhefka, Clearview Middle School Librarian. What is CPS?  Find out by experiencing the Classroom Performance System and exploring its uses.

11:15am – 11:30am

• Break

11:30am – 12:30pm: BREAKOUT SESSIONS

• Getting The Most From EBSCOHost.  Jill Tweedie, EBSCO Sales Representative.  Learn to "Search Like a Pro" using basic and advanced search techniques. See what's new including enhancements, exciting new databases and more. Get a sneak preview of the upcoming EBSCOHost 2.0. Plus see a demo of Novelist Plus which includes Nonfiction titles! 
• Podcasting 101  Part 2.  Robert P. Rynkiewicz.
• iMovie Part 2.  Nancy Dowd

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Registration is FREE
PLEASE let us know if you will be attending on April 5, 2008 by sending an e-mail to Jackie Gould,           Clearview Regional High School Library Media Specialist:  gouldja@clearviewregional.edu

Registration deadline:  April 1, 2008