May 24, 2013

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Pew Study Shows Teens’ Social Media Use Rising, Race Affects Habits

Pew Study Shows Teens’ Social Media Use Rising, Race Affects Habits

Teenagers are revealing more about themselves on social media than ever before, but they’re also taking more steps to protect their privacy online, according to “Teens, Social Media, and Privacy,” a May 21 report issued by Pew Internet. The report also found Twitter use among teens—especially African Americans—is rising, while teens’ fondness for Facebook is on the decline.

The Best PowerPoint Alternatives for Creating Great Presentations

The Best PowerPoint Alternatives for Creating Great Presentations

We’ve all endured “death by PowerPoint.” It’s a painful experience for the audience and probably not all that fun for the presenter either. To help students deliver effective presentations—free of those deadly bullet points—SLJ columnist Richard Byrne cites his go-to applications.

Connecticut House of Representatives Unanimously Passes Bill to Study Library Access to Ebooks, Legislation Now Moves to State Senate

House Bill 5614 (An Act Cocerning Ebooks and Libraries) passes Connecticut House of Representatives. Bill now heads to Senate. From the AP: The state House of Representatives voted Tuesday 143-0 to pass a bill requiring the commissioner of consumer protection to report to the General Assembly on the issue by Feb 1. The bill, which [...]

Nebraska: Columbus Library Board Rejects Challenge of Batman Graphic Novel

From the Columbus Telegram: The Columbus Public Library Board received its second materials challenge in five months and again rejected the protest. This time a patron objected to the book “Batman: The Killing Joke” by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland. [Clip] It is currently located in the young adult area of the library, but cataloged [...]

Report: “Cengage CEO Seeking Restructuring, May File Bankruptcy”

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Update May 14: More on This Story in a New Library Journal Article by Meredith Schwartz From Bloomberg: Cengage Learning Inc., the educational publisher owned by Apax Partners LLP, said it’s seeking to negotiate with creditors on a restructuring plan and may need to file bankruptcy as part of its turnaround efforts. “We will seek [...]

SLJ Reviews Information Literacy Courseware ResearchReady

SLJ Reviews Information Literacy Courseware ResearchReady

What is ResearchReady? The new information literacy courseware is “just about everything we try and teach condensed into a single convenient, Web-based and tablet-friendly can,” according to SLJ columnist Jeff Hastings.

Librarians Take Aim at Pew Study on Parents and Libraries

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A recent national report from the Pew Research Center that stated that most parents consider libraries important for their children has attracted some criticism from the library community, which is concerned that the findings are based on a skewed sample and put too much emphasis on reading.

Self-Published Ebooks not a Solution for K-12 Schools

Self-Published Ebooks not a Solution for K-12 Schools

While self-published titles may be an option for public libraries when it comes to acquiring ebooks, not so for schools, according to SLJ columnist Christopher Harris, who lays out the ongoing challenges for ebook adoption in K-12.

ALA Election Results: Young Wins President, Gonzalez Treasurer; Dues Measure Passes by Wide Margin

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According to an ALA press release, “Young received 5,391 votes, while Immroth received 5,029 votes.” Meanwhile, a measure to allow ALA to increase dues in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) without explicit member approval also passed.

Hachette to Sell Frontlist Ebook Titles to Libraries

Hachette to Sell Frontlist Ebook Titles to Libraries

Hachette Book Group today announced that it will once again sell its frontlist ebook titles to libraries, beginning on May 8. Hachette’s entire catalog of 5,000 ebooks will now be available through OverDrive, Baker & Taylor’s Axis 360 platform, and the 3M Cloud Library, under a pricing and licensing model similar to the one employed by Random House.

Pew Study: Why Parents Love Libraries

Pew Study: Why Parents Love Libraries

The vast majority of parents with children younger than 18 feel libraries are very important for their kids, leading to higher-than-average use of a wide range of library services, a new national report from the Pew Research Center shows.

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 [...]

Create Your Own Magazines with Flipboard | screencast tutorial

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Now anyone can create a beautiful digital zine of customized content, thanks to Flipboard. In a highly touted feature, version 2.0 of the iconic newsstand app allows users to select content they find on Flipboard to create magazines on any interest or topic. SLJ’s screencast shows you how to make your own publication in the image-rich format, add articles, and publish to the world or select subscribers.

Getting Kids Engaged with Primary Sources | Cool Tools

Getting Kids Engaged with Primary Sources | Cool Tools

Primary resources can help bring history to life for students. Make the most of first-hand accounts and other primary source content with tools such as the National Archives’ Digital Vaults, video tour included.

MOOC Mania: Debunking the hype around massive open online courses

Got MOOC?: Massive open online courses are poised to change the face of education

The New York Times crowned 2012 as “The Year of the MOOC.” Journalist Audrey Watters trains a critical eye on the hottest trend in education and considers what it might mean for K-12 schools.

Computers in Libraries Conference Supports Student Learning

Computers in Libraries Conference Supports Student Learning

This year’s Computers in Libraries conference included sessions particularly useful to school librarians, with topics ranging from ebook creation to the flipped classroom.

BYOD: Mobile devices belong in the classroom | Pivot Points

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BYOD, or bring your own device, programs offer media specialists an opportunity to connect with students, teachers, and school administrators—and to take a leadership role in their schools and districts.

SLJ Reviews Gobstopper and Subtext: Apps that Enable Interactive Classroom Reading

SLJ Reviews Gobstopper and Subtext: Apps that Enable Interactive Classroom Reading

The ability for teachers and students to embed their own content into digital texts, write notes, and get feedback on student reading—classroom reading just got a lot more dynamic. SLJ columnist Jeff Hastings test driives Gobstopper and Subtext.

SLJ’s Best of Apps and Enhanced Books | April 2013

SLJ’s Best of Apps and Enhanced Books | April 2013

High-res 3-D images of black holes and nebulae that you can tweet or post to Facebook are among the features of a companion app to a popular BBC series, which is reviewed this month in School Library Journal.

Texas: Work Begins On BiblioTech Facility that Will Be Home to First All-Digital (Bookless) Public Library System in U.S.

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Here’s a brief update on the all-digital, bookless library system now under construction in Bexar County, Texas (San Antoni0) that infoDOCKET and many others first posted about in early January. From the San Antonio Express-News: Construction is underway on the system’s 5,000-square-foot base of operations at 3505 Pleasanton Road. County Judge Nelson Wolff, Precinct 1 Commissioner Sergio [...]