The world's largest reviewer of books, multimedia, and technology for children and teens
Lauren Barack writes about the connection between media and education, business and technology, and is the recipient of the Loeb Award for online journalism. She can be found at www.laurenbarack.com.
Sharing has a whole new meaning for Marion County, FL, elementary school librarians, far beyond the lesson they help teach their young charges. Today, the word refers to the way media specialists manage their jobs—which means each must head two elementary school libraries instead of one.
Imagine a school library bigger than the school it supports—with an auditorium, homework center, and a 6,000-square-foot teen room where hundreds of iPads and computers are at students’ disposal. That’s the reality for 9th and 10th graders at San Diego’s new e3 Civic High School, a public charter school literally inside the recently completed 400,000-square foot, $185-million Central Library.
Inspired by the experiences of Connecticut librarian Sarah Ludwig’s Minecraft library club, Elizabeth Grohoski and Karen Letteriello of the Mattituck-Laurel Library (NY) are now using a virtual Minecraft library to attract young patrons. The game allows users to build in a 3-D virtual world with cubes similar to Legos—but without any proscriptive kits and manuals.
Can a public library serve both school children and its other patrons at the same time? That question is being put to the test in Chicago this week as the Back of the Yards Library—a public branch meant to serve as a school library for the 9–12 grade students attending the new Back of the Yards High School next door—opens its doors.
Already hobbled, Philadelphia schools are facing their first day with fewer school librarians—continuing a trend in the metropolitan school district and the state of Pennsylvania as well. Of the approximately 22 remaining certified school librarians working in the Philadelphia school district, some are not returning to their school librarian positions.
Tinkerers of all ages are flexing their creative muscles during the Summer of Making and Connecting, a global project geared to empower digital crafters and match people with maker activities, online or on the street.
Draconian cuts to Miami public libraries—nearly 45 percent of its branches shuttered and more than 250 staff positions—lost stand to impact the community. The intended cuts pose a monumental loss of service to Miami’s K–12 students, as some of the public libraries slotted to shut down are close to Miami-Dade County public schools.
Highland Park, MI, residents are still enraged that a selection of books and other materials from the local high school’s collection devoted to global black history was thrown away recently. The revelation that many hundreds of titles had been found in a dumpster has spurred one community protest, accusations of neglect and mismanagement, and the resignation of an appointed school board member.
School media specialist positions are being hit hard across the Sunshine State, with school librarians finding their positions renamed—and, in some cases, their jobs re-assigned or terminated—for the coming 2013–2014 school year. From Citrus County to Pasco County, some of Florida’s districts have completely changed the way they now view the role of a media specialist.
A peek behind the scenes of Sesame Workshop, which is negotiating the digital shift with care. The venerable brand has conducted more than 76 tests over two and a half years to understand how children, ages three to five, adopt and adapt to touch devices in their learning.
Facing a $304 million shortfall for the coming year, Philadelphia’s public schools have started making severe cuts from its so-called “doomsday budget” —many of them to the 43 certified school librarians throughout the district.
Ideas about social media, teens, and the future of libraries were shared in a dynamic online exchange sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) and Connected Learning.
As Chicago prepares to permanently shutter 49 K–12 schools and one 9–11 school program for the coming school year, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is planning to open four new stand-alone school libraries for the 2013–2014 school year—and spend more than $2 million for the facilities.
Published in SLJ’s October 2010 print issue, but still relevant today, the following article highlights resources that classroom teachers, librarians, and parents can use to broaden children’s worldview and prompt discussions about current events and news.
Philadelphia school children are facing an education without librarians—as well as nurses, counselors, athletic coaches, summer school, and school secretaries—because of a $304 million budget shortfall for the 2013–2014 school year.
“You hear a lot about gaming and engaging kids in STEM subjects, says teacher Jason Sellers. “So, I wondered, what does gaming look like in English?” Sellers, a teacher at the French American International School in San Francisco, found out, basing a classroom lesson in Playfic, an online community where users write, share, and play games using Inform 7, a programming system for creating interactive fiction based on natural language.
When it comes to reaching out to teen library patrons, partnerships between public and school libraries are absolutely key—but how to make them successful is an ongoing challenge, agreed those library staff and stakeholders who gathered in a virtual town hall yesterday hosted by YALSA.
The Los Angeles Unified School District avoided additional cuts to educators and support personnel for the first time in five years, saving 208 mental health counselors, librarians, library aides and social worker positions, and is instead allocating $50 million to tablets, laptops, and other technology tools.
The Elyria (OH) City School District is losing all of its media specialists for the coming 2013-2014 school year, with school libraries to be run by principals, teachers, and some media techs due to budget cuts totaling $3 million.
Students are invited to enter the annual National STEM Video Game Challenge, and organizers are hoping school librarians will help mentor and support kids throughout the process.
