Author visits to Northland

Now is the time to join the New Zealand Book Council !

Go here for more details
http://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/Education/Introduction/Information.htm

NEMP Reading and speaking results 2008

National Education Monitoring Project (NEMP), University of Otago Reading and Speaking assessment results 2008 are now available.

Both year 4 and year 8 students showed greater skill in reading words accurately (decoding) than in interpreting and acting on the messages they were reading (comprehension). Performance was quite weak in scanning for information...

…Reading has become a less popular activity outside of school, especially for year 8 students. Reading books (both fiction and non-fiction) has declined markedly in popularity compared to reading magazines and comics.

Read more at: http://nemp.otago.ac.nz/read_speak/2008/index.htm

NZ Censorship pack for schools

The Office of Film and Literature Classification has a free information pack for school libraries to help students and librarians understand New Zealand's censorship system and classification labels for DVDs, films, and books.
Contact the Information Unit for more info on this pack information@censorship.govt.nz

Best books lists from BookList (ALA)

From the Editor of the American Library Association Booklist Online Read Alert newsletter : booklistonline@email.ala.org

Booklist's selection of ALA's lists of best books and media—annotated, edited, and linked to Booklist reviews—are now available on Booklist Online. (Award and honor books, published earlier, are here.)

Alex Awards, 2010
Best Books for Young Adults, 2010
Quick Picks, 2010
Rainbow List, 2010
Great Graphic Novels for Teens, 2010
Notable Children's Books, 2010
Notable Children's Videos, 2010
Notable Children's Recordings, 2010
Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults, 2010

Maori vocabulary

At the network meeting, Clare Giesbers kindly shared some Ngapuhi te reo which they are using in the library at Northland College :

• inquire into - patapatai
• think - whakarotia
• share - mahitahi
• wonder - whakamiharo (with a macron on the i)
  
• question - patai
• explore - toroa
• connect - honoa
• reflect - whakapumahara (with a macron on the u)
  
• imagine - poheweatia
• quest - rapunga

SCIS websites

Following on from the demo of SCIS websites at the network meetings this week, here are the notes FYI - I've emailed them to you as well with screen shots included...

SCIS stands for Schools Cataloguing Information Service. As well as catalogue records for books, SCIS has catalogued websites which can be easily added to a library catalogue, or browsed by teachers looking for websites on a particular subject.

Go to http://www2.curriculum.edu.au/scis/home.html and then click on to My SCISWeb (blue box, top right corner) to log in with your SCIS username and password. Tick “Save this password” box. If you don’t know your user name and password, contact your National Library adviser.

To search for websites by subject :

1. Click on OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogue) and then on to Guided Search
2. In the top FIND box type in your focus area, eg weather, pirates, insects…
   
3. In the top IN box scroll down and click on Subject.
   
4. In the second FIND box type in the word website
   
5. In the second IN box, scroll up and click on Title
   
6. Click on the Search button to view your selection of websites that match your subject.
   

• You can click on Sort by and scroll down to published date (most recent first).
  
• Browse through the websites – click on the links to look at them, then go Back to get to your list. Tick the websites you are interested in – right level, appealing etc
  
• If you click on a link it will open the record for that website. Here you can see the unique SCIS number (which you can use to process an order), the URL which you can click on to visit the site to evaluate it, the subject headings which have been used to help you check for relevancy and refine your searches if necessary, and any other information eg a summary…
• Save options : either print out the entire list or ones selected, or, to email the whole list or selected records (click in the left hand box by each site to select that site), scroll to the bottom of the page, enter an email address and click the email box.
  
• Searching for your topic by Subject will give you the most specific and relevant information. If you are not sure if the term you are using is a SCIS subject heading, then you can search by Keyword anywhere.

To search for a website from SCIS monthly lists of websites :

1. Log on to SCISWeb
2. Go to Special order files
   
3. Click on Monthly website lists available here
   
4. Select a year and a month, and browse the lists of websites catalogued by SCIS.
   

• The lists are in Dewey order, with a tick box on the left hand side. The SCIS record number is also listed. All the links are live – so to go and look at a website, just click on the title. Once you have had a look, click Back to go to the SCIS list again. Most automated library systems are able to import SCIS catalogue records for websites into your Library catalogue.

For library staff : to import SCIS Websites catalogue records into your library catalogue :

1. From the SCIS Websites list, tick the left hand box of relevant websites to select them.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Submit.
3. Select and copy (Control C) the list of SCIS record numbers.
   
4. Click on Create Orders at the bottom centre of the page.
   
5. Click your cursor into the Create orders box and paste the list of SCIS record numbers into the box Enter orders here (where you usually scan ISBNs), and then Process the order as usual, save the results USMARC file, import into your library automation system.

School library network meetings

Hi All - good to meet with you at these term's network meetings.

Check out the link ot the LibraryThing Northlandnetworks to see the list of books shared at the meeting.

Here is that wonderful Michael Rosen quote for you :

"If we believe in the value and power of books, stories, poems and plays, we also have to remember that it will never be enough simply to publish good stuff. We have to be committed, ingenious, flexible and experimental in coming up with ways of making all that literature come alive for every single child - no exceptions allowed."

I really recommend you read his Patrick Hardy lecture - see the post in this blog.

Kaikohe Literacy Day 2010

The Kaikohe Literacy Day 2010 is on Saturday 13th March at Northland College from 10am to 12 noon.

Visit the website for more information : http://literacyday.kaikoherotary.org/ or at http://sites.google.com/a/kaikoherotary.org/reo-matatini/

This fun literacy event is open to everyone, although the focus is on activities for primary school age children. There are books to give away, lots of fun for the family...

Network meeting books

Just to let you know that the books promoted at the Northland school library network meetings are listed on LibraryThing under Northlandnetworks.

Go to http://www.librarything.com/ and search for Northlandnetworks

Let me know if you would like the password if you would like to contribute.

I haven't added ratings or tags but you can click on each book and it will take you to more information about it.

I've only added books that I recommend !

Library rap and readalouds with Rob Reid

Here is a link to Rob Reid's website with his Library rap... Many familiar titles listed there !
http://www.rapnrob.com/rapspoem/raps01.html

Rob has also written a column in the ALA Booklinks magazine called "Reid-Aloud Alert" in which he recommends books to read, providing a short plot summary and a suggested 10 minute extract eg as part of a booktalking activity... Here is a link to an example :
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklinks/resources/journeys.cfm

Book Links is a quarterly supplement to Booklist, and is designed for teachers, youth librarians, school library media specialists, reading specialists, curriculum coordinators, and others interested in connecting children with high-quality literature-based resources.

Articles provide comprehensive information on using books in the classroom, including thematic bibliographies with related discussion questions and activities, author and illustrator interviews and essays, and articles by educators on practical ways to turn children onto reading. See the Booklist home page for more information or to subscribe to Booklist and Book Links.

Term 1 Northland school library network meetings

Kia ora Library teams in Northland schools

Here are the dates / venues for the school library network meetings this term. The meetings are all after school, starting about 3.30ish with afternoon tea. All welcome - library staff, teachers, public librarians, parent volunteers...

• Northern Wairoa : Wed 24th February 2010 at Dargaville Primary School Library
  
• Mid North : Thurs 25th February 2010 at Kerikeri High School Library
• Far North : Wed 3rd March 2010 at the Kauri Room, REAP, Kaitaia
• Wellsford : Wed 10th March 2010 at Rodney College, Wellsford
  
• Whangarei : Wed 17th March at Whangarei Intermediate School Library
  

The National Library newsletter should be in your school by now and it has details of the National Library professional development programme and the year's network meetings.

I'm looking forward to seeing you at the meetings and if you can't make it just let me know and I'll send you the relevant information. The Term 2 meeting will be a particularly important meeting to go through the new website for schools from National Library.
Jeannie

Library lunchtime activities

Another collation of ideas shared on the school library list serv, this time on lunchtime activities... (To subscribe to the list serv go to http://www.slanza.org.nz/listserv.html on the new look SLANZA website.)

This rang a bell for me today as I have just heard about two great local school libraries - wonderful environments /collections /systems... but which aren't open at all during interval or lunchtimes. Sigh. When I asked about it I was told in one instance that it was because it was such hot summer weather that all the kids wanted to play outside or in the pool, and in the other case "no supervision" - teachers all on duty and no one to be in there - and they didn't seem to think that student librarians were an option...

Anyway, good to read about other school libraries with a variety of activities going on for kids at lunchtimes...

• We have a range of board games available for lunchtime use. Ranging from Snakes and Ladders, Connect Four to Monopoly, Game of Life etc. also card games such as UNO, ordinary cards, My Word. A listening post with a CD player is available for those students who like hanging out listening to music. In the winter terms we have a jigsaw table set up with Wasgij puzzles. This is very popular and usually takes a week or more to be completed (unless the teachers join in then it may be finished sooner). We also run a lunchtime quiz on a Monday. This is a great draw card for those very competitive boys. Jay Shaw, Librarian, Central Southland College
• We have a huge range of activities/ games available including Duplo, Lego, Puzzles, Train track, Knuckle bones, Jigsaws, Word games, in addition we always have coloured pens, pencils, paper and scissors available. Helen Muxlow, Library Manager, Karori West Normal School
• How about board games like chess, draughts, snakes and ladders etc. or what about a group of children playing hangman using a white board, children love to try and guess the letters and to have their turn writing on the whiteboard, or what about having a really good reader or older children, read to a junior group of children (Buddy reading) or if you have a pod of computers in the library you could have a computer monitor/overseeing this and the children to use educational sites placed in their favourites for them. Jenny Whiting, Favona Primary
• It will depend on the age of your students, but we have had jigsaw puzzles here this year for the first time, and they have been very popular with Y10 students. Carole Gardiner,
  Librarian, Queen's High School, Dunedin

A few more suggestions :

• We did a thing the kids really enjoyed – involves a bit of planning though. We got staff members to have their photo taken BEHIND a book cover – so they sat or stood and held a book in front of their face so that just a little hair was showing. We then pinned them to the display boards and the students had to guess who the teacher was. You can make it easy or really hard depending on how much of the teacher you show. We printed them in colour onto A5 paper. The kids loved it. Oh, and we put in the head boy and girl just to confuse them. Cheers, Ryrie Wild, Librarian, Linwood College
• Absolutely – I’ve done that photoboard too! I showed hands on some and left a few harder ones with only hair (and bald patches!) showing. We did it as part of Book Week though and made it a week-long competition. I asked the staff to choose a book that reflected their personality so guessing that was a lot of fun too! We also have puzzle challenges, mainly during winter months, where informal teams assemble a puzzle of about 100 pieces (nothing too difficult if you have mixed levels). Usually they get so absorbed in the puzzle they forget to race. I choose sort of ‘Spot the xxx’ puzzles and challenge them to find the ’x’ in the picture once they’ve completed it. Tiny prizes (bookmark, freebies from magazines) if they remember to ask! Also, the 12 minutes game series as a challenge, or sometimes for the seniors, we have ‘Quiddler’ lunchtimes – excellent game.
  Saskia Hill (Ms.), RLIANZA, Queenspark School Librarian
• We keep all our off-cuts of book covering material and old Scholastic bookclub fliers or similar. The children simply stick the adhesive off-cuts to a desired piece of the flier and cut around with scissors and there you have a snazzy bookmark- very quick and easy. Very popular activity. Sarah Caldwell RLIANZA Meadowbank Primary School Auckland

Student writing

Some places for student writing to be published...

From Angela Soutar, Sunnynook Primary School Library :

• NZ Book Month , ASB Wordbank http://nzbookmonth.co.nz/default.aspx
• Storylines Family Days in August - check website closer to the dates around 20 August onwards
• Upstart Magazine http://www.upstartmag.co.nz/
• http://thepulse.org.nz/Read/Get-Published/Competitions/
• Kidzmag - available Whitcoulls etc

From Melanie Muir, Macleans College Library :
There is always the New Zealand Herald “College Herald” site : www.collegeherald.co.nz/

From Glyn Strange, School for Young Writers :

Our organisation runs an important competition for teenagers every year. It's called the Re-Draft competition and the excellent Re-Draft books that result from it come out around this time of year. I am in the process of sending standing order copies to schools, public libraries, universities and polytechnics. Always happy to hear from schools that have not yet picked up on this fabulous opportunity for teenage writers. This year's Re-Draft book, the 9th in the series, is Fishing for Birds. Copies cost $30. The 2010 entry form is in the back and the deadline is 30th September.

In our twice-yearly Write On magazine (see attached) we are running a competition open to all with the fabulous Oxford New Zealand Dictionary (all 1300+ pages of it) as the prize for three age groups. When I send out copies of Fishing for Birds I enclose complimentary copies of this magazine -- hoping, of course, that schools might get excited and subscribe! It is also possible to subscribe to Write On at a cheap rate of only $10 a year. For this you receive only one copy per issue but we are grateful for that support and it allows your students to enter the competition. If either of these options interests anyone, please contact me soon. Stocks are running low.

Regards, Glyn Strange.
The School for Young Writers PO Box 21-120 Christchurch 8143
tel/fax 03 355 3588

young.writers@xtra.co.nz
www.schoolforyoungwriters.org

Poetry celebrations from LM_NET

Here is a post from LM_NET from a request for interesting things to do for National Poetry Month in April (USA). In New Zealand, our "National Poetry Day" is Friday 30 July 2010 - put it in your calendar now !

1. Last year I sent a poem each day to all staff members and administrators. Many of them enjoyed the poetry; some actually composed their own to send back to everyone. It was a great
communicator for the month.

2. Poetry Slam/Coffee House Night, Design a Poster Contest, Design a Tee Shirt Contest, Poetry on Morning News, DEAR - has to be a poem, Poems at random over the intercom; everyone stops what they're doing,listens, and discusses...

3. We have created a great program around Robert Pinsky's Favorite Poet Project. I saw him a few years back at one of our conferences and brought his book and video back to my teachers and we just went from there. You can also see the video's at his website.
http://www.favoritepoem.org/

4. Last year we celebrated using Poem in Your Pocket day. We got buy-in from the entire staff and then promoted it throughout the month. On this day every student, staff member, and volunteer in the building was invited to carry a poem in their pocket. It could be a poem that
they copied from a book, made up, a friend told them about, song lyrics... We also had some peoms printed out and ready for pockets and books of poetry out on that day for anyone who forgot and needed a poem quickly. Throughout the day participants would trade poems, read
them out loud, or just keep them in their pockets. It was a very fun way to celebrate and almost everyone in the building participated.

Thanks to everyone who responded. Regards, Diane Roberts Saint Thomas High School, Texas.
www.sths.org diane.roberts@sths.org

Write On - student writing

A magazine called Write On published twice a year by the School for Young Writers.

In recent years this has been upgraded to a colourful glossy format that appeals to young readers and it has been opened to allow submission of work from subscribing schools.

Write On is perhaps more specialised than many of the magazines I see listed, but it's full of good poems and stories by young New Zealanders and is useful not only as a reading resource but as a source of good writing exemplars and teaching ideas for use in the classroom. Our aim is not to make a profit but to provide a service at reasonable rates.

Enquiries are welcome!
Dr Glyn Strange Director
The School for Young Writers PO Box 21-120 Christchurch 8143 tel/fax 03 355 3588 young.writers@xtra.co.nz

Latest SCIS Connections newsletter

Check out the latest SCIS Connections newsletter, free online even for non-subscribers at
http://www2.curriculum.edu.au/scis/connections/libraries_for_a_post-literate_society_1.html

The feature article is "Libraries for a post-literate society" by Doug Johnson - below is an extract, challenging us to think of how we integrate the non-book material into our libraries... Another article, " After school in the library media centre" describes the Luther Jackson Middle School (Virginia, USA) after-school library programme, including a becoming a gamers' paradise every Thursday...

"Serving the post-literate clientele

Libraries, especially those that serve children and young adults, need to acknowledge that society is becoming post-literate. These are some critical attributes of a library that serves a post-literate (PL) clientele:

1. PL libraries budget, select, acquire, catalogue and circulate as many or more materials in non-print formats as they do traditional print materials. The circulation policy for all materials, print and non-print, is similar.
2. PL libraries stock, without prejudice, age-appropriate graphic novels and audio books, both fiction and nonfiction, for informational and recreational use.
3. PL libraries support gaming for instruction and recreation.
4. PL libraries purchase high-value online information resources.
5. PL libraries provide resources for patrons to create visual and auditory materials and promote the demonstration of learning and resource through original video, audio and graphics production. They also provide physical spaces for the presentation of these creations.
6. PL libraries allow the use of personal communication devices (MP3 players, handhelds, laptops, etc) and provide wireless network access for these devices.
7. PL library programs teach the critical evaluation of non-print information.
8. PL library programs teach the skills necessary to produce effective communication in all formats.
9. PL library programs accept and promote the use of non-print resources as sources for research and problem-based assignments.
10. PL librarians recognize the legitimacy of non-print resources and promote their use without bias.

While I recognize this may look frightening, even culturally destructive, to many of us 'print-bound' professionals, we cannot ignore the society of which we are a part and are charged with supporting. Culture determines library programs; libraries transmit culture..."

Ross Todd - Evidence based practice

Here is a great article in School Library Journal, April 2008 : The Evidence-Based Manifesto by Ross Todd at http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6545434.html
It summarises the School Library Journal Leadership Summit 2007 "Where's the evidence ? Understanding the importance of school libraries."

At the end of the article online is a section TO-DO Lists - for school librarians, for researchers and educators, and for associations...

To-Do Lists : School librarians

At the heart of evidence-based practice (EBP) is the day-by-day actions of school librarians, and participants identified a wide range of suggestions and strategies.

Shift from an advocacy strategy. Make certain that mission statements are articulated from a learning-outcomes viewpoint, that means “students will…” rather than “the school library will….” Ensure that goals and initiatives are built on a research framework and based on research evidence and document learners’ needs and EBP strategies to address them.

Just do it. Step outside your comfort zone and deal with any insecurity about your impact. An outcomes-driven practice may need to adjust its management and support staff. EBP is neither easy nor simple, but taking small steps is essential in overcoming the false perception that EBP is time-consuming and complicated. Develop an EBP plan that makes you part of your school’s solutions.

Share outcomes rather than seek permission to engage in EBP. Your mandate for practice is derived from the profession and not based on the limited perceptions of others. Be patient in overcoming resistance to changes in your professional role, and remember: presenting clear evidence that you’re contributing to your school’s learning goals is much more convincing than merely advocating for the opportunity.

Establish evidence-based mentorships and partnerships: identify some leading lights and learn together.

Gain access to data. You’ll probably be able to get your hands on test scores and other kinds of achievement data, which can be broken down to isolate specific gaps in student learning. Develop interventions aligned to the school library’s role, such as actions that build better reading comprehension or critical thinking. “Standards for the 21st Century Learner” provides a framework for spotting gaps in local data and identifying where the school librarian can close those gaps.

Get involved with your school improvement process. Improvement plans are a natural avenue for developing EBP. Typically they are data driven, with data required to establish the need, interventions, and to measure change. Explain how the school library can contribute to the plan.

Build a research orientation into your practice. Produce a weekly summary of some key research. Share locally generated evidence at faculty forums or in newsletters.

Work within your school’s data-driven structures. It’s likely that teachers are already using school data or involved in school improvement planning. Join them. Drill down into the data to find the gaps and where library interventions can help.

Make advocacy evidence-based. Make sure every advocacy initiative is explicitly tied to research and provides national, district, and school-based evidence. Advocacy without evidence is just self-interested opinion.

Construct an evidence-based portfolio. Compile data from diverse sources, including library-based data; instructional processes, exemplars, and assessment data; statements of outcomes; and examples of high-quality learning. Use it when negotiating for continuous improvement or defending against proposed cutbacks.

Identify your professional development needs in relation to evidence-based practice. Get training and learn to apply EBP approaches.

SCIS Connections newsletter and a fun "library relay" activity

From the SCIS Curriculum Connections newsletter Term 1 2008 here is a suggestion about library relay - a fun activity to teach about the library...
http://www2.curriculum.edu.au/scis/connections/issue_64/bringing_teachers_to_the_library.html

Do look at the free Connections newsletter each term on the SCIS website - so many useful and interesting articles, and you don't need to be a subscriber or logged in to read it.
http://www2.curriculum.edu.au/scis/home.html

Rotorua Children's and Young Adult Librarian's Conference

The North Island Children's and Young Adult Librarian's Conference will be held in Rotorua on 22nd and 23rd July 2010. Further details such as registration, web site and programme information will be available as they are confirmed.

Do school libraries need books ?

Here is a piece from the New York Times, Feb 14 2010, on the debate about the future of school libraries, bookless or otherwise...

"Keeping traditional school libraries up to date is costly, with the constant need to acquire new books and to find space to store them. Yet for all that trouble, students roam the stacks less and less because they find it so much more efficient to work online. One school, Cushing Academy, made news last fall when it announced that it would give away most of its 20,000 books and transform its library into a digital center.

Do schools need to maintain traditional libraries? What are the educational consequences of having students read less on the printed page and more on the Web?

• James Tracy, headmaster, Cushing Academy
• Matthew G. Kirschenbaum, English professor, University of Maryland
• Liz Gray, library director, Dana Hall School
• Nicholas Carr, author, “The Big Switch”
• William Powers, author, “Hamlet’s BlackBerry”

Read more http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/10/do-school-libraries-need-books/

UK World Book Day - 4th March 2010

In celebration of World Book Day this year in the UK there is a website with free downloadable resources - this was shared by Angela Soutar, Librarian at Sunnynook Primary on the list serv.

Downloadable activities for the classroom and school library are divided into three sections:
Pre-school, Primary and Secondary.

http://www.worldbookday.com/pages/content/index.asp?PageID=115

Elizabeth Bird's blog & top 100 books lists...

Oh, I've come across a wonderful blog which I can't wait to share with you - please check it out if you haven't seen it already !

Elizabeth Bird writes a blog at School Library Journal called Fuse # 8 - so many great reviews, news, links and wonderful insightful comments... It is a bountiful blog which I am really enjoying exploring...

Elizabeth is a children's librarian at the Children's Center at 42nd Street of the New York Public Library system.
Here is a link to her blog : http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379.html

At the beginning of this year, Elizabeth Bird asked her readers to tell her, in order of importance, the children's books that "changed their lives"... their top ten children's novels of all time...

What she has collated isn't just a list of titles though - along with the title, author and date of publication are some of the passionate and personal nominations by readers, a synopsis of the story, it's reception and reviews, context and controversy, links to author interviews, teacher's guides where available, websites, various covers and editions chronologically and internationally, awards, movie and tv trailers, and links to websites, youtube videos and blogs where relevant. I think it is a FANTASTIC resource and am loving the countdown - so many of my own favourites but also others I want to get on and read...

Here is the link to the first post - Top 100 Children's Novels : Books 100 - 91, working backwards towards number 1.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379/post/1190052519.html

The year before, 2009, Elizabeth did a poll on the Top 100 Picture Books - here is the link http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379/post/500042850.html and you can see the whole list at once as well as exploring each title... How many have you read ?

A poll like this could be something you do in your school, and if you have a school library blog, picking a book title and building a rich resource around it with all the background and links et would be a good way to promote resources...

As well as these lists, Elizabeth's blog has heaps of reviews, links to "kidlit bloggers" she likes and author / illustrator blogs, and even the comments are usually good value too, from fellow children's literature enthusiasts.

Author name pronounciation

Here is a link to an Author Name Pronunciation Guide - a collection of brief recordings of authors & illustrators saying their names - "Hello, my name is . . . " A place to have authors and illustrators introduce themselves, to learn correct pronunciations of hard-to-pronounce names and and to hear stories behind the names...
http://www.teachingbooks.net/pronunciations.cgi

Information literacy model : Simple 4

From LM-NET, February 2010 :

We have developed a fairly simple and straightforward research model for South Carolina. It's called The Simple Four - only four steps : Plan Act Organize Reflect

All information about The Simple Four is available online at http://martha.alewine.googlepages.com/thesimplefour

We have had very positive feedback from teacher librarians and others who have used this model in their libraries and classrooms. If you like The Simple Four, feel free to use any of the supporting documents there. You do not need to ask permission.

Online history resources from the British Library

Timelines: sources from history
Developed by the British Library’s Learning Team with historians and writers, the timeline includes some of the library’s key collection items from medieval times to the present day, such as records of political events, glimpses of everyday life and writings, and speeches from historical and literary figures. Scanning through centuries of images, audio-visual, and printed material, users will be able to explore various themed timelines: ‘everyday life’, ‘music and literature’ and ‘politics, power and rebellion’ on one screen.
http://www.bl.uk/timeline
SOURCE: ResourceShelf, 28 January 2010

Digitised and online: Diaries of Polar Explorer, Captain Robert Falcon Scott
Digital versions of legendary British polar explorer Captain Scott’s last three diaries will be launched [some are already available] online by the British Library. Scott’s last three diaries were kept on the sledging journey to the South Pole between November 1911 and March 1912. Extracts are shown from the first two of the diaries while the last diary is shown in its entirety.
www.bl.uk/turningthepages
SOURCE: ResourceShelf, 4 February 2010

Kids Lit Quiz - Northland heat 2010

The Northland heat of the Kids' Lit Quiz will be on Friday, 23rd April 2010 - end of week 1 of Term 2, a bit later than usual which is good to give some more reading / discussion / promotion time in Term 1...

This year the Northland Kids' Lit Quiz is being co-ordinated by Julia Smith at Kerikeri High School. She is sending packs out to schools this week. Kerikeri Primary School is once again kindly donating the use of their wonderful Hall as the venue.

It is a great event to take part in, celebrating "the sport of reading".

• Open to students in Year 6 - 8
• 4 students per team
• 2 teams per school
• $100 entry fee per team
• 10 0'clock start
• If any questions, please contact Julia Smith at Kerikeri High School ph 09 407 8916 or jsmith@kerikerihigh.ac.nz
  

Battle of the books

An idea shared on the LM-Net listserv Feb 2010...
Maybe it would make a good warm up or an alternative for the Kids' Lit Quiz ?

Thanks to everyone who sent me great suggestions for 5th grade Battle of the Books fantasy titles. Even if I don't add them to the battle, I will be ordering them for my library.

For those of you that asked about how I run Battle of the Books, it's a fifth grade reading incentive program.

• I have a list of 12 books and the students are broken up by class into teams of 4 to read the books. The may read as little as 3 or all of them.
  
• During the months of March-May when they are reading the books, they write questions about the story that all begin with "In which book...".
  
• At the end of the three months, we have a competition where teams compete against each other by answering questions from the books. The winning team from each class then goes on to the school competition to find the grand final winning team.

The fantasy titles suggested for the battle list include:

• Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
• Mister Monday by Garth Nix
  
• Redwall
  
• Merchant of death
  
• Revenge of the witch
  
• Amulet of Samarkand
  
• Black Book of Secrets
  
• The Game of Sunken Places by M.T. Anderson
  
• Atherton: House of power
• The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas
• Bruce Coville
• Magyk by Angie Sage
  
• Invention of Hugo Cabret
• Inkheart
  
• Eragon
  
• Midnight for Charlie Bone
  
• Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
  
• Hunger Games
  
• Skulduggery Pleasant
  
• The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
• Wrinkle in Time
• When You Reach Me
• Charlie Bone books by Jennie Nimmo
• Ranger's Apprentice from John Flanaghan
• Only You can Save the World by Terry Pratchett
• Half Magic by Eager
• Dragon's Milk by Fletcher
• Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
  

Megan LaConte, Library Media Specialist, Tamaques Elementary School, Westfield, NJ 07090 mlaconte@westfieldnjk12.org

Books on buses

A snippet from School Library Journal... wonder if a scheme like that might work here with all the long bus rides some kids do ?

(Click on the picture to enlarge it.)

Non-fiction

Later in 2010 National Library will be offering some PD workshops on using non-fiction - I'm just noting here a couple of oldish but interesting and related School Library Journal articles on the topic...

In quest of excellence : the Sibert committee looks at 14 qualities of a truly distinguished information book
By Susan Faust -- School Library Journal, 6/1/2001
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA83682.html?industryid=47087&q=In+Quest+of+Excellence%22

From the article... In examining hundreds of information titles published in 2000, our committee gradually honed in on what makes or breaks a book and on what elevates it to the level of "truly distinguished." An important lesson: There is no checklist or formula that insures excellence.

Another important lesson: There is no perfect information book. Each book under consideration (even the winners themselves) raised questions. How does a simple concept book compare to a scholarly history? What about age range? What about inaccuracies? Is documentation complete? How do written and visual elements work together? What about the total package?

These are but a few of the questions we pondered. The answers were not always clear but the selection process was, allowing for a year of thoughtful and thorough deliberation. We learned to weigh relative strengths and weaknesses in information books. We learned to prioritize. We learned to answer the central question: Is information presented for a child audience in a distinguished way?

The answer came back as a resounding "yes" for the winners. And as a slightly qualified "yes" for so many other books. For me, there emerged from the process a fuller appreciation of what gets a book to "yes." So, here's what I learned from the Sibert Award experience: My short (and not exhaustive) list of qualities that distinguish a "truly distinguished" information book :

• Beyond authority, passion
• An abiding respect for children
• Fitting and eloquent literary style
• Strategic and artful graphics
• Commitment to accuracy and clarity
• Thorough and thoroughly explained documentation
• Inviting extensions
• Organized to ease access and enhance meaning
• Clear delineation of fact
• Multi-layered content
• Supportive ancillary material
• Format following function
• Apt and appealing book design
• Stimulating overall presentation
  

A librarian looks at how even great books fall short
By Nina Lindsay -- School Library Journal, 7/1/2001
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA90711.html

There is no such thing as the perfect book. Each reader comes to each book with a different set of needs and expectations, and this is what makes the creation and consumption of literature so exciting. Even Newbery- or Caldecott-winning titles might exhibit flaws on close scrutiny. But this is what happens on award committees: books are examined inside, outside, through, and underneath in the search for the "most distinguished contribution." And who hasn't, in reviewing a book or examining it for a library collection, thought, "if only the author had…!"

This past January, the Association of Library Service to Children named the first-ever medal-and honor-winning authors of the Robert F. Sibert Information Book Award. I was a member of the committee that made those selections. Susan Faust, chair, describes the qualities of "truly distinguished" information books in "In Quest of Excellence" (SLJ, June, p. 42). The books below all fit this category. They also are all flawed. These titles stand out from others published in the year 2000 for the stimulating way they present their information, but in holding them against the criteria for the Sibert Award, I found problems with them that I couldn't overlook in my quest for the "most distinguished"...

Library suggestions book

A good email to the school library list serve from Fiona Mackie at St Cuthbert's College Library regarding how she manages her library suggestions book :

At the beginning of last year, I purchased a large lime green hardback book from Smiggle www.smiggle.co.nz which is a chain that sells stationery that the girls love. Tied on to it is a pen with different coloured ink. Students are invited to make suggestions on one page, and the staff replies on the opposite. Once the book has been ordered, I put a sticker next to the title, so the student knows it is coming. As a reward, the student who is the first to suggest the book gets to read it first – before the staff too! It has been incredibly successful, and students often check the book for progress, and show their friends the comments and stickers, which I got from the $2 Shop. Even the Y12 and 13s love the stickers! A simple but effective method, and an easy way to track suggestions.

I agree, a book is a good way to keep a record, and often it is interesting for students to read what others have written. Replying to each suggestion is important and keeps the dialogue going... Here is a photo of a Suggestions book at Paihia Primary School...

Stereotypes associated with reading

In 2007 the UK Literacy Trust undertook a piece of research, reported in a study called "Young people's self-perceptions as readers" http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/research/reader_selfperception.html


From the opening of the Executive Summary :

What does a typical teen reader look like ?

What do they think reading says about them ?

Recent developments in literacy teaching and research have tended to focus on the technical aspects of reading. However, studies continue to highlight the importance of the affective aspects of reading, such as motivation and attitudes, and the reader self-concept.

This study of over 1,600 Key Stage 2 (KS2) and Key Stage 3 (KS3) pupils explored young people’s perceptions of themselves as readers and aimed to challenge assumptions of what it means to be a reader. Some of the key questions explored in this survey included

• the extent to which young people see themselves as readers
• what it means to them to be a reader
• what characteristics they typically assign to readers
• what materials a reader enjoys and the extent to which these perceptions are shaped by their family, friends and school.
  

A 2008 School Library Journal article, An extreme makeover : Let's reverse the negative stereotypes associated with reading http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6582315.html Michelle Gorman refers to the study and goes on to make four good suggestions to contribute to a reading revolution makeover :

1. Redefine reading so that it is more than an activity with a book.
2. Encourage teachers to incorporate newer, more modern YA fiction, non-fiction and graphic novels into their existing curriculum.
   
3. Take a cue from Stephen Krashen and encourage free voluntary reading.
4. Develop an extensive collection of alternative reading materials...

Book Whisperer on home reading

One of my favourite bloggers is Donalyn Miller - her blog is called the Book Whisperer - (see previous posts in this blog).

Here is a link to a recent post about her letter to parents of students in her class on the importance of home reading...
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/book_whisperer/2010/01/dear_parents_at-home_reading.html

USA Alex awards - teen reading

You might be interested in the latest Alex awards, at this link. Although many of the books are American, we'll have some of them in the National Library collection (although not this year's yet - too soon !)
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/alexawards/alexawards.cfm

The Alex Awards are given to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18. The winning titles are selected from the previous year's publishing. The Alex Awards were first given annually beginning in 1998 and became an official ALA award in 2002. Link to this page using its short URL, www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists/alex.

The award is sponsored by the Margaret A. Edwards Trust. Edwards pioneered young adult library services and worked for many years at the Enoch Pratt Library in Baltimore. Her work is described in her book Fair Garden and the Swarm of Beasts, and over the years she has served as an inspiration to manylibrarians who serve young adults. The Alex Awards are named after Edwards, who was called “Alex” by her friends.

School libraries in the UK

Something to look out for...

The MLA and the National Literacy Trust are launching a commission to examine the future of school library provision in England. The initiative will assess the role of the school library in the 21st century school.

The commission, to be chaired by Baroness Estelle Morris, will focus on the definition and role of a modern school library; the characteristics of effective school library provision; the agencies and partnerships, which can best provide and support this model; and the articulation of a national improvement agenda. The final report will provide an informed and proactive vision for the future of school libraries and their role in supporting learning outcomes.

The commission will ask schools, local authorities, education professionals and any organisation or individual who is interested in the future of school libraries, to submit their views and ideas.
Throughout the commission there will be ongoing dialogue with national and local government and other policy makers with an interest in the development of school libraries as well as commercial service providers. These bodies will be updated and briefed ahead of the commission’s final findings in June 2010.

http://www.mla.gov.uk/news_and_views/press/releases/2010/school_libraries
SOURCE: MLA News Bulletin, 2 February 2010

Library job description from LMC

Here is another resource from the useful Library Media Connection (see previous post in this blog), brought to our attention by Bridget Shaumann from Kings' College, from Judith Way, from Bright Ideas via Twitter...

Entitled "What should an Administrator expect a School Library Media Specialist to be?" (Administrator is the US term for Principal / School library management), it outlines the scope and variety of roles in a series of statements, succinctly on one page...

http://www.abc-clio.com/mark/pdf/LMC_Oct09_HandsOnHandout_102209.pdf

Open Polytech courses

Open Polytechnic courses are open for enrolment until 15 February 2010. You can enrol in undergraduate degrees, diplomas, or certificates. You can also take 'one-off' courses for continuing professional development. All study is by distance, using print and electronic resources, supported by online forums. The trimester begins on 1 March and runs for 16 weeks.

The following Information and Library Studies courses are offered in Trimester 1:

• 72142 Information Access - information literacy
• 72170 The Information Industry - an introduction to libraries and other information providers
• 72171 Library Systems and Processes
• 72175 Principles of Records Management
• 72270 Information Sources and Services
• 72276 Literature and Information Resources for Children and Young People
• 72370 Information Issues

Courses are also offered in Communication, Humanities, Information Systems and Technology, and Business. Some courses have pre-requisites. We offer two undergraduate diplomas in Information and Library Studies, as well as a Bachelor of Applied Science and a Bachelor of Arts. For advice about these qualifications, please contact Mary Innes (freephone) 0508 650 200 ext 5665. Other qualifications include:

• Certificate in Literature and Library Services for Children and Young People (Level 6). Contact Jan Irvine (freephone) 0508 650 200 ext 5594.
• Certificate in Cataloguing (Level 5). Contact Amanda Cossham (freephone) 0508 650 200 ext 5518.
• Diploma in Records and Information Management (Level 6). Contact Mary Innes (freephone) 0508 650 200 ext 5665.
  

For more information about information and library studies courses and for enrolment forms, please go to: http://tinyurl.com/yr9gc4 or http://www.openpolytechnic.ac.nz/programmesandcourses/subjectareas/pcinformation

"Best educational wikis of 2009"

Shared by Wikispaces

"Best Educational Wikis of 2009 :
We encourage you to check out three award-winning educational wikis on Wikispaces. These wikis have been used to interact with schools from around the world, share classroom activity, and turn online class notes into end-of-year exams. Prepare to be inspired!"
http://blog.wikispaces.com/2010/01/best-educational-wikis-of-2009.html

Magnificent maps: Power, Propaganda and Art

Library Link of the day has posted this link to the Guardian newspaper
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/jan/26/klencke-atlas-british-library-exhibition
about a new exhibition at the British Library :
Magnificent maps: Power, Propaganda and Art.

The exhibition includes the largest book in the world - the amazing, enormous, 350 year old Klenke atlas made for King Charles II on his restoration.

The short article is interesting on the role of maps - how and why they were made and used - to show power and status, for propaganda and spin, and as works of art in themselves...

LM_NET part 2, and note-taking lessons

The LM_NET digest is much more manageable - 2 or 3 emails a week, looking like this -

HITS

Jessica Wismar. HS Reluctant Reader's List
http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/LM_NET/2010/Jan_2010/msg01472.html

Erin Daly. ELEM: Citing Sources
http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/LM_NET/2010/Jan_2010/msg01500.html

Kathleen Bowman. Novels with mythology allusions
http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/LM_NET/2010/Jan_2010/msg01532.html

Rachel Allen. Note Taking Lessons
http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/LM_NET/2010/Jan_2010/msg01548.html

I had a look at the link to note-taking lessons and there were a few good ideas there...