Great Libraries of Learning - G8lol

I've done a post before about G8LOL - Great Libraries of Learning - I find it SO inspiring...
Here is the wiki http://21cschoollibrary.wikispaces.com/

Here is a link to a powerpoint show of libraries for the 21st century
http://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dhkzq3nr_162x9257hm

Another great article on weeding your library

Check out this great article on weeding the collection :

Dickinson, Gail. "Crying Over Spilled Milk (PDF)." Library Media Connection. 23, no. 7 (2005): 24-26.

She uses a milk analogy to help people clarify in their mind what they are doing and why : the milk in the refrigerator is past the sell date, has an odor, and is curdled and lumpy.
Would you...

• Keep it, because you don’t know when you could get to the store tobuy more?
  Then why would you keep a book on the shelf with misinformation because you don’t know when you could replace it?

• Keep it, because otherwise your refrigerator would look empty?
  Then why would you keep outdated books on the shelf to preserve a false collection size?
  

• Give it to a neighbor to keep in his or her refrigerator?
  Then why would you send outdated encyclopedias or other materials to a teacher for classroom use?
  

• Donate it to a food pantry for hungry children?
  Then why would you send outdated resources to be used by children in this or other countries?
  

One of the suggestions is to ask students to help review a section of the library, evaluating the material as part of an information skills lesson (see Davis, 2001) - wonder how this would work?

AASL - Reading Role

There is a FANTASTIC new toolkit available on the AASL website (American Association of School Librarians - a division of the American Library Association) on the School Library Media Specialist's role in reading...

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslissues/toolkits/slmsroleinreading.cfm

Reading is a foundational skill for 21st-century learners. Guiding learners to become engaged and effective users of ideas and information and to appreciate literature requires that they develop as strategic readers who can comprehend, analyze, and evaluate text in both print and digital formats. Learners must also have opportunities to read for enjoyment as well as for information. School library media specialists are in a critical and unique position to partner with other educators to elevate the reading development of our nation’s youth.

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...

LM_NET and new librarians

A post from LM_NET (USA) sharing advice for "new librarians"

http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/newbies.htm

School library blogs

Have a look at the great King's High School blog run by Bridget Schaumann - it is full of interesting information, book promotion, library happenings etc and uses various web 2.0 applications such as Twitter and Shelfari... http://thekingslibraryblog.blogspot.com/
King's High is a boys' high school in Dunedin with 700 students.

Here are a few other NZ school library blogs I've come across :

• Botany Downs Secondary College Library http://bdsclibrary.blogspot.com/
• Fendalton Open Air School Library http://foslibrary.blogspot.com/
• Golden Bay High School Library http://gblibrary.blogspot.com/
• Mount Aspiring College Library http://maclic.wordpress.com/
• Hillcrest High School Library http://hillcresthighlibrary.blogspot.com/

School Library Procedures Manual

A school asked me the other day about setting up a Procedures Manual...
Here is a link to the information guide on the National Library website to creating Library Procedures Manuals
http://www.natlib.govt.nz/catalogues/library-documents/information-guide-creating-a-management-and-procedures-manual
and here is a link to a list of possible headings which could provide a starting point for gathering and sorting existing material and identifying areas for development...
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dg36bfgc_254c9jmjtg7

Web

AASL - the American Association of School Librarians (a division of the American Library Association) has various toolkits - resources to download on topics such as parent outreach, advocacy - even a "crisis" toolkit for when there is an emergency pressure situation for your library... http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslissues/toolkits/toolkits.cfm

Here is a link to their "Top 25" web sites which foster the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration, grouped according to their Standards for a 21st century learner. They are free, web-based sites that are user friendly and encourage a community of learners to explore and discover.
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/bestlist/bestwebsitestop25.cfm