September 18, 2013

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CISSL Study Helps Define Role of Successful NJ School Libraries

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What does a good school library look like? What role does a good school library play in educating New Jersey students? These are the questions Ross Todd, Ph.D., and Carol Gordon, Ph.D., co-directors of the Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries (CISSL), sought to define in a recent two-phase study they conducted in public elementary, middle, and high schools throughout the state. In an interview with SLJ,Todd and Gordon share some of their most surprising and illuminating findings, along with the steps they are taking to promote the research this year and their best practices recommendations for how other schools can build successful libraries.

NYC Librarians Glean Tips, from Tech to Collection Development, at DOE’s ‘Exploratorium’

Listening and learning at the NYC DOE Exploratorium

In addition to a tour of the New York Public Library’s 42nd Street landmark building and some shoptalk, attendees at NYC’s Exploratorium were treated to workshops on topics ranging from instructional strategies to databases to collection development conducted by educators and publishing professionals.

College Readiness: Librarians Can Help the Transition | On Common Core

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Education buzzwords—whole language, multiple intelligences—come and go, but 45 states chose to adopt the Common Core Learning Standards. The questions educators now face are what types of instruction help students develop these skills? And how do librarians insert themselves into these critical discussions?

It Takes Two: Up Close with Librarians Margaux DelGuidice and Rose Luna

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“[Our] library in Freeport is the heart of that community,” says 2013 Mover & Shaker Margaux DelGuidice, who shares duties with fellow honoree Rose Luna at the Freeport Memorial Library in Long Island, NY. These two powerhouses also hold full-time teacher librarian positions at two area high schools, and have devoted countless hours to professional advocacy. In our interview, they share their inspirations and passions, their best practices for constructive collaboration, and their goals for the future of libraries.

Librarians Speak Out: #lovemylibraryjob

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You posted. You tweeted. You “tumbled.” And we are grateful for it! For more than a week, our readers and staffers alike have been enjoying the feedback to our #lovemylibraryjob crowdsourcing project on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr, which we launched in honor of our 2013 Job Satisfaction Survey. Here are some of our favorite comments.

Amped Up Readers’ Theater: A 21st-Century Spin on ‘Miss Nelson’

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They may be young, but teacher Arturo Avina’s talented kindergarteners are already celebrities in their own right. Students at the Los Angeles Unified School District Olympic Primary Center are the stars of a short-film adaptation of Harry G. Allard Jr.’s beloved children’s classic Miss Nelson Is Missing. Over the course of two months, Avina directed the youngsters, filmed the scenes, and, with the help of the budding actors, edited the movie with technology available in most classrooms.

Constellations | Consider the Source

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The focus on the close reading of texts suggests a new idea to SLJ’s columnist—an idea that taps librarians’ expertise and offers an exciting approach to inquiry.

Loving Lovecraft: Nebraska Teens Host Life-Size ‘Arkham Horror’ Game

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Three cheers for Miskatonic University! That’s the rallying cry of the La Vista Public Library (NE)’s teen advisory board—who, under the guidance of youth librarian and advisor Lindsey Tomsu, 2013 Mover & Shaker—turned its 2012 Teen Read Week into a massive celebration of the works of H. P. Lovecraft, complete with crafts, workshops, and a life-sized version of the complex, cooperative Arkham Horror board game based on the Cthulhu Mythos.

What Are You Afraid Of? We Can’t Afford to Hesitate | Project Advocacy

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Educators “must be fearless in advocating for our students’ needs,” says Carolyn Foote. In this debut of her SLJ column, “Project Advocacy,” Foote provides school librarians and media specialists with a “seed kit” of inspiration for stepping out and building a professional network and leveraging the autonomy of your library program.

Storytelling Star: Up Close with Bilingual K–5 Librarian Lisa Lopez

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Zavala Elementary School librarian Lisa M. Lopez, the unofficial Little Free Library ambassador to El Paso, TX, and 2013 Mover & Shaker, talks to School Library Journal about her passion for storytelling, her tireless efforts to advocate for bilingual literacy through Día de los niños/Día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) celebrations, and the ways she inspires her students.

ALA Youth Divisions Announce New Presidents

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The American Library Association has selected the presidents of its three youth divisions and the members of its 2015 Newbery, Caldecott, Sibert, Printz, Edwards, and Nonfiction Awards committees.

SLJ’s 2013 Job Satisfaction Survey | What’s Not to Love?

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SLJ’s 2013 job satisfaction survey reveals widespread happiness among librarians, but challenges persist.

Student Library Volunteers at Cantiague Elementary; Author/Illustrator William Low Visits NYC School

A group of fifth graders in Jericho, NY help Cantiague Elementary's school librarian Lorraine Tedesco by adding labels to new books

A group of fifth graders in Jericho, NY help Cantiague Elementary’s school librarian Lorraine Tedesco by adding labels to new books.

Literacy Leader: Up Close with Melissa Zymboly Depper

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Melissa Zymboly Depper, children’s and family services librarian at the Arapahoe Library District in Centennial, CO, and 2013 Mover & Shaker, talks about her passion for the profession, her favorite read-aloud titles, the importance of collaboration and community, and why the library is critical to giving every child a good start in life.

Technology is Not the Goal | Tech Tidbits from the Guybrarian’s Gal

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As librarians, our role is often one of instructional coach. We are called on to help teachers and students find solutions to challenges. Recently, a teacher asked for assistance in locating 35 iPads for a great lesson idea she had. She teaches Read 180, a class dedicated to helping struggling readers improve their literacy skills. She and two of her colleagues who teach our English Language Learners wanted to use the new app from Apple, iBooks Author, which allows you to create interactive, multi-touch books that incorporate captions, links, and even video. It’s a great tool, but we had a major problem—we don’t have any iPads.

Nominate an Educator for the Johnsonville ‘Best of Us’ Awards

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Johnsonville Sausage wants to learn about the educators that make your school, town and community a better place to be. If you or a colleague are helping to “create better places to live through actions taken both inside and outside the walls of the classroom,” are a U.S. citizen over the age of 18, and are employed in a school or organization that supports education, you’re eligible to apply for the 2013 Johnsonville Best of Us award.

Educators Celebrate Screen-Free Week

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National Screen-Free Week has finally arrived—and, if you’re reading this, you probably haven’t yet taken the pledge to dramatically reduce the time you spend using a computer for the next few days. But many educators (and a kid lit publisher or two) are doing just that, encouraging kids to explore a range of non-screen activities this week, including reading books, going outside, and having fun the old-fashioned way.

Sullivan Award Goes to Kathleen Reif

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Kathleen Reif, director of St. Mary’s County Library, Leonardtown, MD, is the 2013 recipient of Peggy Sullivan Award for Public Library Administrators Supporting Services to Children. The Sullivan Award, administered by the American Library Association (ALA), is presented annually to an individual in a library administrator role who has shown exceptional understanding and support of public library service to children. The award will be presented at the ALA President’s Program, Sunday, June 30, at the Annual Conference in Chicago.

Texas Two-Step, or Conference Hopping in the Lone Star State | IRA, TLA 2013

J. R. Martinez speaking to librarians in Fort Worth, TX.

From San Antonio to Fort Worth, literacy educators and librarians converged on Texas last week to celebrate books and reading.

Utah: Ogden School District Cutting 20 Librarian Positions

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Odgen, UT is located about 40 miles north of Salt Lake City. From Fox 13 Salt Lake City: The twenty Library Media Specialists were called to a mandatory meeting on Friday morning where they were told that their contracts won’t be renewed and their positions will no longer exist starting July 1. According to the [...]