Not Your Mother's Librarian

Toto - Africa || performed by PERPETUUM JAZZILE!

2010-01-04T00:37:00.001-08:00

This is just a great music video. Enjoy!

"I'll Fight You For The Library" performed by Taylor Mali

2009-10-10T23:32:00.001-07:00

Been there!

CSLA: What have you done for me lately?

2009-07-21T17:12:00.000-07:00

I'm a nice guy. I eat all my vegetables. I treat people fairly. I do my homework.

And what does it get me?

For the second year in a row CSLA has scheduled my presentation on Sunday morning. Last year I even had famous library people present with me and I still got Sunday.

See, people often leave before Sunday and/or leave on Sunday.

I even have a cool topic (creating an online course for library service students).

Actually, I am looking forward to going to the conference. It's always a wonderful event. Have you signed up yet?

New job in the fall

2009-07-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

And, after all has been said and done, I accepted that district position (subject to some changes that mostly won't be discussed here). Starting soon, I will be teacher on special assignment for online learning and library services. What does that mean?

It means that 80% of my time will be working with creating a new online learning program for my school district. With what is left, I will be working with libraries at the district level to create resources that benefit all of our libraries.

Still many details to work out, but I have decided that I am pleased with how it all turned out.

You're gonna birth my ASL Child? Surprise!

2009-07-13T21:01:00.001-07:00

Pssttt. You. Yes, you. This is my son's new vlog. Please click on it and rate it. Oddly enough, I am trying to encourage his creating these videos. Thanks. I owe you one.

Cool Tools Library 2.0: Picasa

2009-07-12T23:01:00.001-07:00

What is the future of the library?

2009-07-01T22:32:00.001-07:00

Yes, all librarians need to watch this video. Thank you for your time.

Teaching online through the summer

2009-06-22T20:55:00.000-07:00

I am spending the week in Morro Bay and, yet, I am also teaching a course. I like teaching online. I really do. It also helps that I have a really good group of students this session (although, in point of fact, I get many good groups of students from Fresno Pacific University).

EXCLUSIVE - New Moon Official Trailer

2009-06-13T23:43:00.001-07:00

Yep. If you are a Twilighter, you need to watch this trailer for the upcoming New Moon.

Join me in Ontario!

2009-06-11T17:38:00.000-07:00

I just made my hotel reservations for CSLA 2009 in Ontario, California. Don't you think it's time you did, too.

CSLA 2009

2009-06-06T13:13:00.000-07:00

This morning I discovered that my proposal to present at CSLA 2009 in Ontario had been accepted. The title: "Teacher Your Library Aides Online: Develop an online course in Moodle."

I am pleased that it was accepted. The presentation is an out-growth of a course that I developed for my district that is now being piloted at a number of schools and of a presentation that I gave at our local CUE Conference.

I will be talking about free ways to be able to design such courses. I don't envision this course as the sole way that you teach library service students, but as a supplement to what you normally do. For me, some days I have vast amounts of work for the students and other days, less so. On those other days, it gives the students an opportunity to improve their skills.

Also and importantly, it gives you a quantifiable way to grade the students.

When push comes to shove...

2009-06-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

When push comes to shove, I am a teacher librarian.

I discovered that today. Over the last few weeks, I had been offered a district-level position at my place of employment. There are people who work their entire careers to get such a thing. It sounds good in theory. My reality? It was not a library position. Yes, it is in something where I have experience and I would likely have appreciated the job in many ways.

It would have been more of a time commitment. Significantly and noticeably more. I still have three children at home (11, 15, 17). And, as I have noticed time and again, particularly recently, each with their own unique needs.

Also and importantly, I have a job that I love. I enjoy going to school every day. I like being with students. I like playing with technology. I love being in the library. For the first time, so I have been told, my school has a true library program. I am making a difference.

And that is why I'll stay.

Teaching at Fresno Pacific University again

2009-05-26T23:04:00.000-07:00

I am teaching yet another section of this same library technology course for Fresno Pacific University. The evolution has been amazing. When we brought the course online, it was a two-unit one. It is now four units and chock full of technology that students will need throughout the program. In addition to the technology, it is also an orientation to the program.

We are already seeing success from students who instead of going to the instructor automatically know which technology to use, where to post assignments (on their wiki), and how the course is structured.

It has been an interesting progression to watch the program grow. Initially, I was supposed to teach one course and then teach it again when it came around to being my turn. I have now taught it, I believe, four semesters in a row. The online program has become quite successful to say the least.

My life is never dull...

2009-05-04T10:42:00.000-07:00

I have a meeting this afternoon. Interesting stuff afoot. I will let you know more when I know more.

Have you submitted?

2009-04-26T14:33:00.001-07:00

I submitted my proposal today to do a presentation at the CSLA Conference in November. Some of you may remember that last year I did a presentation on how to build a successful library career and was able to get some heavy hitters from California's library world to participate. Being that it was on a Sunday morning, I was quite pleased with the size of the audience.

This year I am presenting on how to create an online course in Moodle for your library service students. This past year I developed just such a course that my district is now piloting at some of the secondary schools. My hope is that more will come onboard in the fall.

I hope that others will consider submitting proposals on the amazing things that you do at your schools and in your libraries.

Library fines and you!

2009-04-22T21:42:00.000-07:00

I made the decision today to no longer collect late fines on books. While I understand that at some schools, this works well, it has not for me. Some of my reasons for stopping are:

My very large district moved to Destiny and I don't want to have to deal with .30 fines coming back to me because we now have a union catalog. Shoot, I don't even want to deal with .30 fines at my own school!
It does not increase the likelihood of books coming back. It has seemed to do the opposite. Students have said, after finally returning a book, that they didn't want to return it because they owed a fine. Remember that I am at a middle school (where thought processes can be interesting).
For some time now, I have followed the discussion of fines on CALIBk12 and I have decided that I prefer the no-fine argument.
Fines keep students from checking out new books. Yes, I could change that part of the policy, but, again, I have had students say that they can't check out a book because they owe money (but have already returned the book). Even when I tell them otherwise, this is of great concern.

And, yes, I know the argument in the other direction. I am not saying that it is wrong. What I am saying is that this is solely a site-based decision and, based on my site/library, it seems to make sense. I figure that I will evaluate the process in spring 2010 to see if it has made sense.

Central Valley Cue Conference

2009-03-28T10:45:00.000-07:00

I am spending this fine Saturday morning at the Central Valley CUE Conference. A reasonably good-sized group showed up and that is always nice.

I am giving one presentation solo - on teaching online using Moodle - and one presentation - on quick research projects - with two colleagues.

So guess who shows up for my Moodle presentation? My very large district's chief technology officer. Certainly not a bad thing; I'm glad he was there. Just a little surprised.

Back Cover Words: The Skin I'm In

2009-03-14T22:02:00.000-07:00

Maleeka suffers every day from the taunts of the other kids in her class. If they're not getting at her about her homemade clothes or her good grades, it's about her dark, black skin.

When a new teacher, whose face is blotched with a startling white patch, starts at their school, Maleeka can see there is bound to be trouble for her too. But the new teacher's attitude surprises Maleeka. Miss Saunders loves the skin she's in. Can Maleeka learn to do the same?

======
The Skin I'm In by Sharon G. Flake

Library Services Standards

2009-03-13T08:13:00.000-07:00

For those of you who would like to read the document yourself, here it is (and a hat tip to Richard K. Moore over at CALIBK12 for providing the link).

California to have school library service standards!

2009-03-12T22:11:00.000-07:00

By unanimous vote today, the State Board of Education authorized:

"...the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop statutorily required standards for school library services, as model standards."

What does this mean? I exchanged emails with CSLA president Connie Williams and her take is:

This is truly the first step towards any number of possibilities - getting standards written and approved lays the groundwork for a wide variety of legislative actions down the road.

The devil is in the details. The standards are cool, but it is those legislative actions to implement the standards that could shape our profession in California unlike anything from the past.

Technology training for your staff, part 2

2009-03-12T21:46:00.000-07:00

The training yesterday exceed my expectations. Thus far, our technology team has received much praise.

Why do I think that is? At least at our site (and, I expect, in many places), there is a real resistance to outside folks coming in and teaching us how to do things. Since we have local expertise, we should use local expertise. Colleagues teaching colleagues.

We had people stay beyond the agreed upon 45 minutes just to get more access to the equipment and more training.

I taught a group how to create websites. I used the templates from Scholastic. Simple and effective. I originally was going to use Google Sites, but I find it less intuitive than Google Pages and the goal was intuitive. I have a sub-group that would like to continue working on their websites. That's always nice!

Technology training for your staff, part 1

2009-03-11T13:35:00.000-07:00

We are doing break-out sessions today for technology training. Like many sites, we have teachers of varying technological abilities.

So what are we doing today? We are offering three levels of SmartBoard training and one level of website building. We do not have a history of offering technology training in this format, but we are hopeful.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Library Limbo

2009-03-02T21:42:00.001-08:00

Library Dominoes

2009-03-02T21:32:00.001-08:00

I have students that would probably try to do this. :)

That's what I'm talkin' about!

2009-02-21T22:56:00.000-08:00

Zipping around the Internet and into many inboxes these days is an article in the New York Times. In Web Age, Library Job Gets Update talks about how very different our jobs now are. It showcases school librarian Stephanie Rosalia of Public School 225 in Brooklyn. Thankfully, it's not a picture of her just checking out books, but rather teaching information literacy skills.

You should most definitely take a read! You should also watch the video.

Want one of these cool pictures?

2009-02-15T13:58:00.000-08:00

If you would like to create one of these cool Obama-like pictures, you can find the website here.

I passed the test. Now what?

2009-02-07T22:39:00.000-08:00

I found out yesterday that I passed the School Leaders Licensure Assessment. In my state, as in some other states, there are several ways to earn an administrative credential. Typically, one needs to take courses and earn a credential or a master's degree.

However, there can be an alternate route. Pass the test and get the prize. Based on the number of people who were in the room when I took the test, this has become a popular route. How successful are folks? My guess is not very.

The test takes six hours to complete and you will write for the entire time. No multiple choice anything. There are twenty-five constructed responses. Not for the faint of heart.

I do not want to assert that I am smarter than the average bear, but I do have a series of experiences in public education that should be helpful on such a test. I am also a better-than-average writer. Now look at my test score below.

Score required: 173
Tom's score: 174

Not a particularly stellar pass. A pass, nonetheless, but it makes me wonder how much of a cash cow this particular examination is for ETS. More than several in that room of forty applicants were there for a re-take.

The cost for the test is $430. That may be the most expensive ETS test. Given that folks are trying to test out of many expensive classes, ETS knows what it is doing.

Now to the second part. Now that I have this administrative credential (or will when all of the paperwork is done), what is my plan? Should I go out and apply for every vice principal job on the planet? Are you insane? I do know that there are people who want such jobs. I would most assuredly not be one.

At this point, I do not know what I will do with it. I have a great job being a Teacher Librarian. I control my destiny for the most part. I work for a district and for people who allow me to be creative. For me, that's a great place to be.

What am I up to?

2009-01-29T14:41:00.000-08:00

I have many things going on right now, so I have been behind in posting. Let's see, I have been:

Developing an online library service course for students in my district. It is an out-growth of one of my Fresno Pacific University courses.

Taking the cataloging course at FPU. This is, I believe, my second-to-last course in the teacher librarian services credential program (and I have not decided yet if I want to do the master's degree).

Teaching two courses for FPU. The first is an expansion of the course I have been teaching, but now it is three units and offers more technology. The second is that same two-unit technology course for graduate math & science students. It has been interesting to see the difference between library folks and math/science folks.

Helping to coordinate the recent Clouds & Clout Conference for CSLA Northern Section, Region 3.

I hope to be posting on a more regular basis from here on out.

Donkeys and Books

2009-01-08T12:06:00.000-08:00

As I have mentioned here and elsewhere, I am a big fan of Ethiopia Reads. The BBC now has up a video showing the Donkey Book Cart they use.

Fresno Co. Public Library Bookcart Drill Team 2008

2008-12-22T01:38:00.001-08:00

I wanted to share the love with local Fresno folks. Great job!

Give your blog away!

2008-12-19T12:47:00.000-08:00

Yes, that is exactly what I mean! Give your blog to your teachers. No, not this blog. No, not your other blog.

The blog that you use for collaborating with teachers. I have been spending the last week working on a small careers project with my AVID teachers and students. As part of the project, students did research on careers and wrote short essays about said careers. I created a blog where students could post pre-research comments on careers I had chosen. Eventually, they also posted Post-research essays in the comments section.

See: AVID Careers at Tehipite

What usually happens in these circumstances is that the blog is abandoned. What I did was offer it to the AVID teachers to keep and use for the rest of this year and beyond.

My hope is that these teachers will post other assignments, have students begin to post, and more. The absolute worst thing that could happen is that it ends up abandoned.

Anything up from there is a victory.

Back Cover Words: Rules

2008-12-10T21:36:00.000-08:00

Twelve-year-old Catherine just wants a normal life. Which is near impossible when you have a brother with autism and a family that revolves around his disability. She's spent years trying to teach David the rules from "a peach is not a funny-looking apple" to "keep your pants on in public" --in order to head off David's embarrassing behaviors.

But the summer Catherine meets Jason, a surprising, new sort-of-friend, and Kristi, the potential next-door friend she's always wished for, it's her own shocking behavior that turns everything upside down and forces her to ask: What is normal?

Filled with humor and warmth, Cynthia Lord's debut novel takes a candid and sensitive look at feeling different and finding acceptance -- beyond the rules.

===
Rules by Cynthia Lord

Librarians in Books Quote

2008-12-10T18:26:00.000-08:00

From Rules by Cynthia Lord:

"Oh. Mostly [guinea pigs] eat pellets from the pet store, but they'll eat almost anything. Once I left a library book too close to their cage and they ate off half the cover. That was hard to explain to the librarian, let me tell you."

You say you want a revolution? Well, you know...

2008-12-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

I am plotting the overthrow of the library world.

More to follow.

Nearest Book Meme

2008-12-02T20:51:00.000-08:00

Stephen's Lighthouse offers the following meme for bloggers:

Rules: * Get the book nearest to you. Right now. * Go to page 56. * Find the 5th sentence. * Write this sentence - either here or on your blog. * Copy these instructions as commentary of your sentence. * Don't look for your favorite book or your coolest but really the nearest.

Here's mine:

We could join the rebel militia in the Bongo area, if we so desired, or simply live there for a while in peace and wait for the civil war to sort itself out.

John Bul Dau in God Grew Tired of Us*

(*This is the true story of one of the Lost Boys of the Sudan.)

CNN Heroes

2008-11-27T23:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I spent this evening watching CNN Heroes. While Yohannes Gebregeorgis did not win, it is an amazing group of people. They should all be proud of what they have brought to the world.

Twilight Time

2008-11-25T17:38:00.000-08:00

My district is off this entire week, but my Battle of the Books team decided to meet yesterday for an hour or so (because we were behind due to the Scholastic Book Fair). As a thank you to them, I took some of them to see Twilight this afternoon.

The students enjoyed it, I enjoyed it, and my family (who also came) enjoyed it. Well worth the cash.

You can see the trailer here.

CSLA, Post 11

2008-11-23T12:28:00.001-08:00

The conference is quickly heading toward being a done deal. I have been so pleased with the efforts of the conference committee. They did an excellent job.

What can you say? I had the opportunity to:

Meet new friends and connect with old friends.
Be on a panel discussion with Barbara Jeffus, Margaret Baker, Jo Ellen Misakian, and Jackie Siminitus. It doesn't get any better than that.
Get some free books.
Talk about libraries, library careers, and librarians.
Learn a great deal!! Oh my. My task when attending is to choose two things that I can use in my library and I am there.
Meet many people who have been just faces in the online world.
Meet my students from the online program at Fresno Pacific University

CSLA 2008, Post 10

2008-11-23T12:25:00.001-08:00

My presentation is over and I am pleased with the results. Given that it was a Sunday morning and it was a panel discussion, you never know how things will turn out. That being said, there were some nice comments about our efforts.

By the way, if you have career sources for librarians, you can post them on our presentation wiki at:

Library Careers Wiki

CSLA 2008, Post 9

2008-11-23T08:27:00.000-08:00

I am sitting in a very empty, very large room waiting for my presentation to begin. It is now 8:27 and it starts at 9:15. It is a panel discussion and there were not enough chairs for the panel. That was an easy fix. There is not, however, a microphone on the table; only one at the podium. Hoping to get that fixed.

This presentation is on building a library career and what it takes to get there. I am fortunate that I got some amazing participants for the presentation. They are:

Barbara Jeffus, California Department of Education
Jackie Siminitus, AT&T
Jo Ellen Misakian, Fresno Pacific University
Margaret Baker, Selma Unified School District

Given that it is a Sunday morning, I am a little concerned that we will actually have people show up for the presentation. We also got one of these new longer sessions, so we are not only competing with the people who start at the same time, but also with the ones who start half an hour after we begin.

I will let you know how it all turns out.

CSLA 2008, Post 8

2008-11-22T22:04:00.000-08:00

Oh my. Apparently, you go to hear Deborah Ford talk just to hear her talk. She's out there in a very good way. I saw her present Scary, Gross, and Enlightening: Books for Boys, 2008. Yes, this is a presentation that she gives each year and many TLs go. Well worth the time, particularly if you have an interest in getting your boys to read books.

One thing that I liked about her handout was that she is very specific about which books are appropriate for whom. She uses this scale for reading interest levels:

K-3 = G rated
3-6 = PG rated (older kids, more sophisticated, etc.)
5-8 = PG13 rated (mild violence and/or language)
YA = R rated (violence, language, sex, etc.)

She then went through an incredibly long list of books, read a couple, and it all worked for me. A couple books that I will be buying for my library:

1. The Seer of Shadows by Avi
2. More Bones by Arielle North Nelson
3. Alfred Kropp: The Thirteenth Skull by Rick Yancey
4. Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix
5. Solving Crimes with Trace Evidence by Gary Jeffrey

CSLA 2008, Post 7

2008-11-22T21:49:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to go see Pam Selleck present Making Literary Connections with Book Talks. Well worth the time and effort. It makes me want to energize my book talks.

While she gave a lot of advice, her basic book talk tips are:

Select books that might not otherwise be selected. Pam suggests that you really don't need to book talk Twilight. Find the good books that kids don't know about.
Read the book. Yes, many folks, including me, don't always read the entire book. I need to work on that and so do you!
Keep the talk short. Her book talks were of varying lengths, but 4-5 minutes was about the amount of time she used.
Don't give away the plot. Students want to be surprised. Let them.
Have multiple copies available in the library. I need to work on this. It makes it hard at the middle school level where often, at the most, you only have two copies.
Make sure the library staff, if relevant, knows which book you are talking. When students come in asking about a book, but have forgotten the title, it helps to know what they are talking about.
Give the students a list (or a bookmark) of the books you book talk. Students need something to remind them of which books were presented.
Beware of AR! Book talk books at varying levels.

CSLA 2008, Post 6

2008-11-22T20:16:00.000-08:00

Why do I go to CSLA? Could I be doing other things with my time? Yes, I certainly could. Could I be content only with what happens in my library? Yes, I certainly could. Could I decide that I have all the information that I will ever need for my job? Yes, I certainly could.

There are so many reasons why I go, but some of the ones that come to mind for me are:

Learning something new. I can assure you that I take something away from every presentation (although it isn't always what the presenter had in mind).

Meeting people with shared experiences. We are a passionate bunch and they get me.

Getting to spend time with the TLs from my district. Sometimes that can be harder than it sounds. Getting away makes it easier.

Because I am CSLA and so are you. I am on the CSLA Northern Section board because I think there is strength in numbers.

If my job is on the line, I know that people will come to demonstrate, write letters, and be supportive. These are those people.
Free books on Saturday afternoon!

The exhibits and getting to know the reps. Most of them I will never buy from, but it does give me the opportunity to see their wares.

And so much more. I encourage you to come to CSLA 2009. You will not be disappointed.

CSLA 2008, Post 5

2008-11-22T20:02:00.000-08:00

On Friday I went to hear Advocacy 101: Using your voice to give a shout out for your school library program. This presentation was by two TLs from Long Beach Unified, Sandy Patton and Pamela Oehlman. Excellent advice!

As some of you may know, the TLs in that district have perfected advocacy to an art form. They now have TLs at the elementary level and are working toward hitting CSLA's standard for personnel in libraries. This is not by accident.

Some of the pieces that worked for them at the site level:

Newsletter
Contribute to daily or weekly bulletins
Attend social events (even when not assigned)
Be on School Site Council
Attend parent meetings

Some of the things that worked for them on the district level included:

Attendance at board meetings.
Place action items on board agends.
TL on the teacher's union board.
TL on key district committees.
Provide professional development on district level.

And much, much more. They also recommend Sandy Schuckett's advocacy book.

At the very end, Glen Warren from the Orange County Department of Education offered this quote that he heard:

If you're not at the table, you're on the menu!

CSLA 2008, Post 4

2008-11-21T10:29:00.000-08:00

An observation

How organizations are formed and who eventually joins an organization is of some interest to me. Sometimes it happens that organizations end up looking a certain way very much based on who joins. Based on the Joe McHugh presentation this morning, it is very obvious that the California School Library Association is:

a. overwhelmingly white

and

b. overwhelmingly female.

I make this statement with no intention in mind other than to note the fact. When we get together in a large room like we did this morning, it is very noticeable.

I suspect that CSLA reflects the library profession at large. In my own district, we reflect that and only a minority of our TLs and techs are members of CSLA.

CSLA 2008, Post 3

2008-11-21T10:25:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning and went to see Joe McHugh speak. Mr. McHugh is an inveterate storyteller and it was a good presentation. It was part personal story, part personal philosophy, and part personal politics.

I appreciate presentations that showcase how the author got from point A to point B and McHugh certainly does this.

Some thoughts:

The new mythos - the new religion - is media. Performers (actors, journalists, etc.) are our new priests.

Librarians have the power to change this.

CSLA 2008, Post 2

2008-11-20T20:01:00.000-08:00

I went to The Best of the Best: What's New in YA Literature. Michael Cart was the presenter and while there well may be someone on the planet that has a greater sense of YA literature, I doubt it.

His format is very straight-forward. "Here's a list of books. I am going to talk about that list of books until my time is up. There will not be time for questions."

It works. I see why people pay extra to attend the workshop. Yes, when I get home I will be purchasing a number of the books he showcased.

Since you are so nice, I will give you one of his lists called "Traditional" YA:

The Possibilities of Sainthood (Donna Freitas)
Peeled (Joan Bauer)
Suite Scarlett (Maureen Johnson)
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks (E. Lockhart)
Sunrise over Fallujah (Walter Dean Myers)
Mexican White Boy (Matt de la Pena)
How to Build a House (Dana Reinhart)
He Forgot to Say Goodbye (Benjamin Alire Saenz)
What they always tell us (Martin Wilson)

The first one I am going to read and booktalk is The Possibilities of Sainthood. It is the story of an Italian-American girl who starts writing the Vatican to let them know that there are living saints and that she is one of them. Among other saints, she says she is "The Saint of the First Kiss." Tell me I can't sell that book to some of my middle school students!

CSLA 2008, Post 1

2008-11-20T13:58:00.000-08:00

I have arrived at CSLA 2008 in Sacramento. As always, I am reminded at what Sacramento gets right that Fresno gets so wrong. Sigh.

Yes, I will be blogging the conference. I am already checked in, got my name badge with the cute blue sticker that signifies I am a presenter, and I am good to go. I am signed up for one of the workshops, so that is likely to be the next post.

I am fortunate that my school and my principal sees value in sending me to the CSLA Conference. However, since they do pay for it, I feel a real responsibility to bring back things that can improve our library program.

Teach your library service students online

2008-11-15T14:45:00.001-08:00

As part of my graduate work at Fresno Pacific University, I have been developing an online library service course. This course is a series of ten lessons that combines a total of thirty assignments. I have developed it in Moodle and it is a work in progress.

The interesting thing for me is that I will be offering it to my district for adoption for all of our secondary schools. Unlike in the past, where all of our schools are doing different things, we now offer some of the same resources, use the same circulation system, and are purchasing some of the materials.

Because my district does not currently have access to Moodle or Blackboard, FPU has agreed to host it for the time being. Yet one more reason to respect what is going on over there! I am awaiting a response from the district as we speak.

I presented it to my class today and one student suggested that I consider submitting a presentation for CSLA next year and show others how to create a course like this one. Hard to think that far in advance, but it is an idea.

Tasty bookmarks

2008-11-14T19:49:00.000-08:00

If you have ever wondered what sorts of things I bookmark, you should take a look at my Delicious bookmarks. Good library stuff.

Mobile Donkey Librarian?

2008-10-27T21:04:00.000-07:00

Amazing man and an amazing story. Former San Francisco children's librarian Yohannes Gebregiorgis builds libraries (mobile libraries) in his native Ethiopia. You can vote for him (again and again) for CNN Hero of 2008. For more about the organization, go to Ethiopia Reads.

Star Trek TAS Should've been a librarian

2008-10-25T22:20:00.001-07:00

"The job of librarian would be no less challenging, Captain, but it would, undoubtably, be a lot less dangerous." Mr. Spock clearly never worked at a middle school.

Library Summer Camp already?

2008-10-24T14:47:00.000-07:00

We have already started working on Library Summer Camp 2009. This is an annual event in CSLA's Northern Section Region 3. This has become a quite successful event and we get about 150 paraprofessionals to attend. While we have not narrowed down a date yet, it will be the first week of August 2009. It is unclear which school will host, but we have a couple of possibilities.

The last meeting and the next meeting have been at my school. Most of the people on the committee have jobs (like district librarian) that make it easier to be gone. Because I have several things going on, it makes it a little more difficult for me. So, they decided to make it easier on me and we meet here. I thought that was nice of them.

Do you have street lit in your library?

2008-10-22T21:36:00.000-07:00

Do you want your students to connect with books? Street lit does just that; it provides a mirror to the students and shows their own reality.

I don't have much in my collection because most that I have seen is really more appropriate for high school and beyond. I do have the Bluford High series and that has been quite popular. By the way, Townsend Press sells the books for $1 each (plus shipping). Very reasonably priced. They are kind of an odd size, but put them on display and they are gone.

The New York Times has an excellent article on street lit and its popularity. I find it fascinating that this sort of thing makes it into the NYT.

The one concern in all of this expressed by some is that street lit takes away from other African-American literature. I don't see it. At least in my experience, the two types of literature are read by different types of students and, interestingly, students who read the Bluford High books are willing to cross over.

Library detective Mr. Bookman on Seinfeld

2008-10-21T23:02:00.001-07:00

Hippies burning library cards? Abby Hoffman teaching kids how to steal books?

Fresno Pacific University?

2008-10-21T01:41:00.000-07:00

Are you a former or current student in the Teacher Librarian program at Fresno Pacific University? Are you a former or current instructor in the Teacher Librarian program at Fresno Pacific University?

If so, you should consider joining the brand-new Facebook group, Fresno Pacific University Teacher Librarians. It is a place to gather for support and for unity.

YALSA's Top Ten announced

2008-10-20T14:11:00.001-07:00

YALSA has just announced the winners for the Teen's Top Ten for 2008 and they are:

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
Extras by Scott Westerfeld
Before I Die by Jenny Downham
Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

What am I going to do with the knowledge? I'm going to read the books. Look for my thoughts in the coming months.

Shop early. Avoid the rush.

2008-10-18T22:21:00.000-07:00

Christmas is fast approaching and I know that you are all wondering what to buy me. Well, wonder no more.

That lovely beauty off to the left is T-Mobile's soon-to-be-new phone, the G1. It is commonly called the Google phone and will debut in about 3 days. I am so jonesing for this phone.

Let me be clear: I would never buy Apple's iPhone. It is far too expensive.

And, importantly, I like this one better. The iPhone only has a touch screen, but the G1 has a touch screen and a qwerty keyboard. I like a qwerty keyboard.

Cost: $179.

Will I buy one? I am very cheap with such things. Very cheap. Right now I have a T-Mobile Sidekick ID (the cheap version) and I am only finishing up the first year of the contract.

By the way, how does this end up on this blog? There is very much a connection between libraries, technology, and general geekery.

How involved are you in decision-making?

2008-10-17T22:58:00.000-07:00

I am shameless. I think the best librarians are (although I have a long way to go before I am part of the "best"). On Wednesday, I had a couple of architects wander through the library. My school is up for modernization and, up to this point, it was unclear if the library would be included in that effort.

It is now more clear. On Wednesday I discovered that the proposal for the school would be presented in November and then put out to bid. The library will be part of that presentation.

I asked them what the thoughts for the library might be. It sounds like the usual: new paint and carpets (the carpet is the original from 1973), new cabinet faces and lighting fixtures, and a new circulation desk (!). I asked if there was any thought to enclosing part of the library for a computer lab and there was not. At one point, that had been discussed, but that vice principal is gone now.

Why is this important? This past spring I convinced my school to fund the insides of a computer lab. Sitting in my office I now have 25 laptop computers, keyboards, monitors, and more. I purchased knowing that I might not get the lab enclosed.

So the answer on Wednesday was no.

However, that architect and her boss (?) came through again today. I talked a little with them and then I said, "So, there really is no possibility of a lab?" The boss asked about it, I responded, we walked over to take a look, and now it is a possibility. He will be presenting it as part of the proposal. Will it get approved? Who knows, but I am certainly closer.

Remember that part about being shameless? I'm okay with that. :)

CSLA Conference in November

2008-10-15T10:04:00.000-07:00

Are you looking forward to the California School Library Association Conference in Sacramento? I know that I am. I learned so much last year and I can only imagine that I will learn as much this year.

Also and importantly, I am a presenter this year. I will be moderating a panel discussion on building a successful library career. Note that I said moderating and not actually being an information-provider.

Who is part of the panel? It is an all-star library cast including:

Jo Ellen Misakian, Fresno Pacific University
Barbara Jeffus, California Department of Education
Margaret Baker, Selma Unified School District
Jackie Siminitus, AT&T

My theory is that library careers do not happen by accident. Yes, you need to do tremendous work in your library, but there are also specific steps to take to move to that next level. This panel will outline those steps.

Yohannes for CNN Hero!

2008-10-11T23:01:00.000-07:00

In the spring I mentioned that a man I admire, Yohannes Gebregeorgis, had been selected to be a CNN Hero. They choose one a week. Yohannes has now done one better and been selected one of the ten top heroes of the year.

Guess what? You have the opportunity to make him #1. While taking away nothing from the other nine heroes, Yohannes is the co-founder of Ethiopia Reads, he is a former children's librarian in San Francisco, and he spends his days starting new libraries, primarily in schools, in his native Ethiopia.

I have had the pleasure of meeting the man. He is impressive and I do not impress easily. I hope you will consider voting for him.

Colbert Report - Communist Library Threat

2008-10-11T00:10:00.001-07:00

Library materials and services for free? That's just wrong in so many ways!

Be afraid. Be very, very afraid.

2008-10-10T21:25:00.000-07:00

No, this isn't a post about the imploding economy in the U.S. You should be so beyond afraid by now and terrified beyond all measure at this point.

No, this is more local. I have been asked to, once again, teach an online course for Fresno Pacific University. In point of fact, it is the same course that I taught in the spring and again this fall.

That being said, this course is not for library students. It is for graduate students in math and science.

As my mother-in-law said, "They asked you to teach a math class?"

I wish I could say that I have an awful relationship with my MIL and that she doesn't know what she is talking about, but that is most decidedly not the case. Quite the opposite, actually.

I suck at math. Not as bad as I once did, but enough that people would think someone making these course assignments is a little insane.

Remember, though, this is a curriculum integration course. Truth be told, I don't need to understand the math and science the students use. I just need to understand how they integrated their subject area with technology.

That I can do.

Fundraiser for Shawna Kilbert

2008-10-07T11:48:00.000-07:00

I need to ask a favor if you live in the greater Fresno area. A fundraiser is being held for Shawna Kilbert, who is the Teacher Librarian at Cooper Middle School in Fresno Unified School District. Shawna has cancer and the prognosis is not good, but she is a serious fighter. She is the mother of two boys, a three-year-old and a five-year-old.

If you have ever gone through cancer with anyone, you know that it is not only devastating physically and emotionally, but can be financially draining. Because she is at the point where certain medicines are not covered by insurance, it has become quite expensive. Baja Fresh donates 15% of all the proceeds to Shawna and her family.

I am hoping that, if you live anywhere within driving distance, you will consider making the trip. It is on October 9th from 10:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. If you have questions, please ask.

If you can come, email me and I will send you the flyer. If you cannot come, but would like to make a donation, use this:

http://shawnalynnkilbert.googlepages.com/

Teen Read Week 2008, part 1

2008-10-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

I am spending time today and tomorrow getting ready for Teen Read Week. I purchased the posters and bookmarks to go along with the event from the American Library Association. One of things that I am doing today is putting up the cool TRW posters that I purchased.

As I mentioned below, I am working with some of my English teachers to make this happen. They have come up with some great ideas. As we move through next week, I will write about them here.

What's another book like...?

2008-10-06T11:50:00.000-07:00

How many times have you had a student ask you for a writer who writes like ________ or a book that is like _______? I came across this site on Larry Ferlazzo's blog called Literature-Map.

The short version is that you type in an author's name and it creates a cloud with that author and with other authors. The closer in the cloud, the more similar the authors are in writing style and/or content.

In addition to answering that hypothetical student's question, you could also use it as a support in purchasing decisions (as in, "I would like to find more books like what Stephenie Meyer writes.")

My one concern is that some author's names are spelled incorrectly. Still, a valuable tool.

Resource of the Week: Photoshop.com

2008-10-05T16:01:00.000-07:00

I was shown this website in my class yesterday. Photoshop.com is a good way to manipulate photos without having to learn how to use Photoshop. It has enough tools, gadgets, and doodads to keep you busy for quite a while. While it does not completely replace the need for Photoshop, the on-your-computer product, for most of us it probably does everything you need.

I think Photoshop.com is a model for what others are saying about the future of computing. Yes, you will have a computer (of some sort) with an operating system (of some sort), but the software will be out on the Internet. This is increasingly what is happening. It will be interesting to see how large software sellers like Microsoft adjust to this new way of thinking.

"Twilight" banned in Capistrano Unified School District

2008-10-02T20:11:00.000-07:00

If you were one of those who thought book banning was in the past, here's an article to read. While the banning was eventually rescinded, it is humorous that this would happen during Banned Books Week.

The article began:

A series of fantasy novels about a vampire and his teenage girlfriend were banned Friday from middle school libraries in the Capistrano Unified School District over concerns about age-appropriate content, but reinstated four days later without explanation.

The books are still under review. Here's more:

"There's a process that we go through to determine the appropriateness of placement of library books, and we will go through that process to determine the best placement for these books," Hatchel said.

Here's your magical trick question of the day: How many teacher librarians work for Capistrano Unified?

That would be none.

A good meeting? Really?

2008-09-30T21:19:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful meeting today. I like meetings when they actually accomplish something and greatly dislike them when they don't. I met with a wonderfully creative group of teachers and an administrator about Teen Read Week. I am working to make it a real event at my school and am getting the support of the English Department.

Going into the meeting, I had a sense of what I wanted to do. And they made it that much better. Still a bunch of planning that needs to be done, but we got a good jump on things.

It looks to be a week full of activities. Which is as it should be.

Banned Books Week

2008-09-28T22:15:00.000-07:00

It seemed important this year to do something for Banned Books Week in my library given that one of the candidates for the vice-presidency of the United States wanted to ban books. Loyal readers will note that I rarely infuse my politics on this blog, but this is not about politics. This is about wanting to force your opinion on others by removing their ability to research and to read and to decide for themselves.

This issue goes beyond conservative and liberal, beyond Republican and Democrat. I think this goes to the very core of what it means to be an American and to believe in the principles on which this country was founded.

What am I going to do? Not a lot really. I have pulled about 40 books from the collection and put them on display. I will then use the announcing system to let students know that books adults don't want them to read are now on display in the library. I will then stand out of the way.

By the way, there is actually a group on Facebook called "I Read a Book Sarah Palin Wanted Banned from the Wasilla Public Library."

Ubuntu @ the Library

2008-09-28T00:45:00.003-07:00

I have so been there with technology!

Prangstgrup Library Musical - Reading on a Dream PRANK!!

2008-09-21T22:21:00.001-07:00

If I could sing that good, I might give it a shot!

Thank those who support you!

2008-09-11T06:59:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to speak at the Fresno Unified School District Board meeting last night. A group of FUSD TLs were there to thank the school board for providing increased funding for our libraries. Since some have asked, I said this:

My name is Tom Nixon and I am the Teacher Librarian at Tehipite Middle School. I am also the Northern Section Region 3 representative for the California School Library Association. This past weekend I was at a board meeting for that organization and I had the pleasure to tell them that:

In Fresno Unified, teacher librarians are valued for their expertise and are supported by the district administration;

In Fresno Unified, the school board and the superintendent understand that there is a research connection that shows that students with higher test scores come from schools with strong library programs;

In Fresno Unified, the school board and the superintendent get the strong connection between literacy, successful library programs, and having credentialed teacher librarians in charge of those programs;

In Fresno Unified, unlike other parts of the state, that funding for libraries and teacher librarians is steady and that it is a priority of the school board and the superintendent.

This does not happen by accident. Clearly, it is due to the work of the board, of Mr. Hanson, and of our director of school libraries, Karen Tozlian.

On behalf of my colleagues, I thank you for your hard work and for your continued support.

On the road again...

2008-09-06T11:17:00.000-07:00

I am sitting in a hotel room in Davis, California. I am here for the fall retreat of the California School Library Association's Northern Section Board. As I no doubt wrote elsewhere, I am one of the Region 3 representatives for CSLA's Northern Section.

But what about your class that you are teaching?

I'm glad you asked that question. The nice thing about teaching an online course is that I can do it from anywhere. As a matter of fact, I emailed off today's assignment this morning (which is duplicated inside Moodle, the course management system). I also answered four emails from students, posted some posts in the forums, and generally made my presence known.

I greatly appreciate my day job, but I also appreciate being both a student and an instructor at Fresno Pacific University. For me, it's the right place at the right time in my life.

And how was your day?

Williams Settlement

2008-09-04T08:46:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here waiting for the Williams folks to arrive. And, no, I am not blogging during my work hours! I am here early.

For those who do not know about the Williams Settlement, this requires all schools to have a textbook for each student that they can take home. Sounds revolutionary, I know, but there were schools where this was not happening. They would assign one classroom set to a teacher and the teacher would use that set all day. Students would not be able to take a book home.

Instead of fighting what was sure to be a losing battle, the State of California settled. It is now my job to make sure that all of the students at my school have textbooks in all core areas that they can take home.

While it does add more to my job, it is doable. That being sa....

...That being said they just showed up.

Teaching again...

2008-09-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

I am teaching another class for Fresno Pacific University. As loyal readers recall, I taught one this spring. In point of fact, I will be teaching the same course again because they are starting a new cohort for the online Teacher Librarian Services Credential.

If this course is anything like my last group of students, I should enjoy the experience. We are still working at pulling the cohort together.

The Wizard of Oz - a Tale of Library Circulation

2008-08-23T21:03:00.001-07:00

A little goofy. Have I mentioned I like goofy?

Once more into the breach...

2008-08-23T20:10:00.000-07:00

As loyal readers know, I taught an online course in the Teacher Librarian Services Credential program at Fresno Pacific University this past spring. I thought it went well and I was quite pleased with the results.

Apparently, I did sufficiently well that I have been asked to teach the same course again. There is a district in California that is requiring their TLs to become credentialed, so a new cohort will be starting soon. Thankfully, I only need to tweak the old course outline and I will be good to go.

I am excited at the prospect of teaching another course. When I taught that last course, it had been about a decade since I had taught college students (both at CSU Fresno and at Fresno City College). I had forgotten that I enjoy doing so.

It is rather interesting to be a student and a teacher in the same program. At this point, I have not taught students who have been in the same courses with me and I do not think that will come to pass. That is probably a good thing.

Library Hero, Part 1

2008-08-18T05:17:00.000-07:00

Looking for a library hero? Look no further. I have met him several times because we occasionally travel in the same circles.

Resource: The Dewey Blog

2008-08-17T03:59:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are big into Dewey and cataloging, you might want to check out The Dewey Blog. More library nerdiness than you can shake a stick at!

The Library Rap

2008-08-16T16:53:00.001-07:00

This video was done by one of my Fresno Pacific students. Very cool (and, yes, she received a good grade!).

I'm baack!

2008-08-16T15:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have taken a little break, but I am back now. Life has been rather hectic, but now that I am back at school, perhaps things will calm down a tad. Or not.

We had students yesterday, but only grades six and seven. The eighth grade starts on Monday. It really is nicer to stagger the beginning of the school year. We also stagger at the end.

In coming back, we had many, many books to process. Part of this was moving to Follett Destiny and part of that was the particular math selection for eighth grade. As far as Destiny, I, for the most part, like it significantly better than Alexandria. Yes, it is web-based and I think that is a real advantage because I can access it anywhere on campus.

As for eighth grade math, our large district selected America's Choice. This is eight thin math books that look like consumables, but are not. What this will require is checking eight books out to each student throughout the year. While we did ask the company to barcode them, they came to schools in no particular order and with no particular range. This required me to input each book one at a time. Talk about slow.

The Future of Libraries

2008-07-16T19:25:00.001-07:00

Watch it. A microcosm of the changes to come.

Teaching online

2008-05-09T09:03:00.000-07:00

I have been teaching this tech class for a week now for Fresno Pacific University's Teacher-Librarian program.

I am so impressed with these students. It is a small class and entirely online, but I think that has been helpful in many ways. Students tend to be less threatened by what they say and how they say it in online classes, so they are willing to have real conversations about real issues.

Teacher Librarians being cut due to budget

2008-05-02T13:04:00.000-07:00

“Research from eleven states and over 4,000 schools documents that credentialed LMTs raise achievement scores anywhere from 8-20%. Support personnel alone in an LMC do not raise achievement but credentialed LMTs do. Why? Because the LMT concentrates on teaching and learning rather than on managing a warehouse. When there is no LMT, achievement suffers – its people rather than just things that make the difference.”

-Loertscher, David V. with Ross J. Todd. Evidence-Based Practice for School Library Media Specialists. Salt Lake City UT: Hi Willow Research & Publishing, 2003.

Library Hero

2008-05-01T22:59:00.000-07:00

If you would like to see one of my library heroes, see this week's CNN Hero. I know him (because he usually attends the Ethiopian Culture Camp that my family attends each summer). When he lived in the U.S., Yohannes was a children's librarian. See:

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2008/cnn.heroes/

Tom Nixon

Teaching them there librarians

2008-05-01T10:45:00.000-07:00

In that last post, I mentioned what I would do if I were teaching a teacher-librarian credentialing course.

As it happens, I am.

But, Tom, you only started the program last year. How can you be doing that so soon? That is just so wrong!

Full disclosure: I am not actually teaching a library course. I am teaching the technology festival course (MCE-760/Curriculum Integration). In other words, I am teaching technology to teacher-librarians. That I can do.

And stop worrying about what I am doing, will you! I know I'm not ready to be teaching the library courses. :)

This is why it has been a little quiet around here lately. As it happens, I am teaching the very first course in Fresno Pacific University's brand-new online program. I also had the pleasure of developing the course. For those not in the know, often instructors teach online courses that they did not develop. That is significantly more common.

Why was I asked to do this? I am not sure. I have taught university classes before, but I also have some experience with online learning. Probably seemed a reasonable choice, I suppose.

Grant me a circulation desk

2008-04-30T22:37:00.000-07:00

The Post Office closed today at 4:00 and I arrived promptly at 3:45 to mail off my application for the DEMCO/Betty Barkema School Library Improvement Grant.

When was it due?

April 30.

Yep, it was due today and I mailed it today. Thankfully, it just had to be postmarked today. The problem was one last letter of recommendation.

As for the process, completing the grant application has made me a better teacher-librarian. Really. What it took to pull it all together included creating a site library plan, a project description, multiple letters of recommendation, and creating a library advisory committee.

If I were teaching teacher-librarian credentialing courses, I would require that everyone complete this grant. You would not have to submit it (because it may not be appropriate for your setting), but the process was a learning experience all in itself.

I have asked for funding for a new circulation desk. The one we have is original to the school. My students deserve better. Sometimes the first step in creating a vibrant library program is just making it look like a vibrant library.

Finding your destiny (or is that Destiny)?

2008-04-30T22:33:00.000-07:00

I spent last week going over to the dark side.

Yep.

I went to Follett Destiny training. Actually, I probably like it and I certainly think that it will be better than our older version of Alexandria.

The problems that I had and continue to have relate more to support by the district than any problem with Follett. Our district is doing a number of new and exciting things technologically speaking these days, so it is difficult to get staff time to pull it all together.

So I went to five days of circulation training and had no patrons. I still have no patrons. I also believe I discovered today that my scanner will not work with Destiny. Yes, it will read the barcode, but it will not correlate that number with the book.

And, yes, it will all work itself out.

What is a mashup? - ZDNet

2008-04-29T22:14:00.001-07:00

Quote of the Week

2008-04-14T22:36:00.000-07:00

"Cutting library funding is irrational. Study after study shows that better school libraries (more books, better staffing, the presence of a credentialed librarian) are related to better reading. It is hard to understand how this evidence can be ignored when we are so concerned about test scores and the use of scientific evidence as the foundation of school practice."

--Dr. Steven Krashen,
University of Southern California

Ten Favorite Public Libraries List

2008-03-24T14:41:00.001-07:00

For those of us who are librarians in California, we should be asking ourselves why no California libraries made this list in USA Today:

10 Great Places to Find a Nook and Read a Book

It is the list of the ten favorite public libraries of NPR book commentator Nancy Pearl, author of Book Lust. While there are many reasons for why this might be, it does give me pause.

By the way, I saw an advertisement today for a position at this library that made the list.

Quote of the Week

2008-03-16T23:03:00.000-07:00

At the moment that we persuade a child, any child, to cross that threshold, that magic threshold into a library, we change their lives forever, for the better.

~~Barack Obama

Out with the new...

2008-03-15T22:03:00.000-07:00

What's in that picture? Why, those are books. New or nearly new books that were thrown into a dumpster outside Intermediate School 73 in New York.

Now there could be any number of reasons for how they ended up in the dumpster. No good ones spring to mind, however.

The titles:

Treasure Island
Little Women
Sarah, Plain and Tall
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Kidnapped

Education officials are investigating how this could have happened. At this point, it appears that it was not done by the teacher librarian, but that is only my guess based on the reading of the article.

If the school needed to get rid of the books, at the very least, I would think that they could have been given to students. Yes, they are older titles that are not read as much as they once were, but at my school, I would have had quite a few students who would be happy to get them.

Library Limbo

2008-03-15T18:40:00.001-07:00

Looks old, but is not. Kind of fun!

Vampires, round butts, and other oddities

2008-03-09T15:04:00.000-07:00

I like to buy books that students actually want to read. I'm odd that way. Today I went to Amazon and purchased the first three books of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga:

Twilight
New Moon
Eclipse

I have been getting a lot of requests for that lately. While we already owned one of them (the second in the series; how does that happen?), I decided to buy all three. Vampires and romance. How can you go wrong?

I also bought Carolyn Mackler's The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things. This is actually the second time it has been purchased. It was stolen before it ever made it to the shelves. Note the title.

If it seems like we are a little behind the times at my school, it is because my students are late-adopters with books. They typically don't seem to hear about them until later than our north end of town schools. I am hoping to change that.

By the way, I went to Borders first, but they only had the last two books in the series in hardback. If at all possible, I don't buy paperback. We have too many of those on the shelves already. So I went to Amazon and bought it cheaper and with free shipping.

Since I know that some are not able to purchase from Amazon, I should mention that the only way that I can is through our book fines/lost books slush fund. I will submit the receipt and get reimbursed.

What gets you into trouble makes you stronger!

2008-02-29T20:37:00.000-08:00

I did something this week that is so horrendous, so utterly depraved, so downright nasty, that I knew teachers would not be happy about it.

I had the locks changed on the library.

We have been broken into and things have been taken multiple times. Each time there was no actual breaking. The people had keys. In addition, doors are left open even when no one is there. I decided that enough was enough. Our book loss is a significant number.

I knew there would be an issue because one of the staff bathrooms is inside the library. Now, people can still get in through the front door when we are open. They just need to walk around the building. It is, perhaps, an extra minute if you walk slowly.

By the way, as of today, none of the administrators even have keys. I suspect that will change on Monday. However, I also suspect that not all of the administrators will end up with one.

I changed the locks knowing that it can be the little things that sometimes affect the big things. However, beyond that part of the security, we are moving to Follett Destiny and will need to be storing all the textbooks and some equipment in the library over the summer because we do not have a storage room big enough to house all of it. We are also purchasing new computers. Somehow we have to keep this all safe.

I have been surprised what percentage of my time is spent on administrative/managerial tasks in this job. I really don't mind making decisions like this, but it is somewhat different than I would have imagined. I often think of this as Library Manager Mode (as opposed to Teacher Librarian Mode).

There are days when I could see the argument being made for us all to have administrative credentials. I would even get one (but you had better be willing to pay me as an admin!).

Quote of the Week

2008-02-20T19:00:00.000-08:00

“Library media specialists empower students to be critical thinkers, enthusiastic readers, skillful researchers, and ethical users of information,” says Sara Kelly Johns, president of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL).

From this article on how cool we are and how important it is to hire the right teacher librarian:

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3748779

Enjoy the quote, but go and read the article.

You love me. You really love me!

2008-02-18T18:25:00.000-08:00

If you had asked me, I would have told you. School Library Journal hosts yet one more research study, this one done at Syracuse University, showing the effectiveness of having a certified school librarian. Surprise of surprises! Having a certified person increases your test scores.

Who knew?

Quote of the Week

2008-02-13T21:09:00.000-08:00

“[Librarians] are subversive. You think they're just sitting there at the desk, all quiet and everything. They're like plotting the revolution, man.”

—Michael Moore, filmmaker