Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Reading 2.0

Although there wasn't nearly enough time to explore this area properly, if you follow up and read / explore / share these resources linked below it might sow some seeds in terms of inspiring new ways to promote reading...

"If we believe in the value and power of books, stories, poems and plays, we also have to remember that it will never be enough simply to publish good stuff. We have to be committed, ingenious, flexible and experimental in coming up with ways of making all that literature come alive for every single child - no exceptions allowed.”
Michael Rosen, Last Laureate Log 11

Think about combining / integrating technology thoughtfully to promote the love of reading… eg using blogs, LibraryThing, texts and tweets, interactive booktalks, book trailers, voicethread, photostory, book related screensavers, audio books, e-books…

One idea from
the Reading 2.0 wiki below is "low tech labels" - labels added to books with web information for interested readers to explore themselves, eg

E. Lockhart
If you like E. Lockhart, you’ll like these:
Webpage: http://www.theboyfriendlist.com/
Myspace:http://www.myspace.com/theboyfriendlist
Blog:
http://www.theboyfriendlist.com/e_lockhart_blog/
Teen Lit (MySpace): http://groups.myspace.com/teenlit
Readergirlz: http://www.readergirlz.com/ or
http://www.myspace.com/readergirlz
Not Your Mother’s Book Club: http://www.myspace.com/notyourmothers


or

Stephenie Meyer
Want more Bella? More Edward? There’s tons more on the web! Check these out:
Webpage:
http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/
Playlist: http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilight_playlist.html
Twilight Lexicon (all things Twilight): http://twilightlexicon.com/
Myspace groups:
http://groups.myspace.com/stephmeyer or http://groups.myspace.com/booktwilight
Teen Lit (MySpace): http://groups.myspace.com/teenlit
Readergirlz: http://www.readergirlz.com/ or
http://www.myspace.com/readergirlz
Not Your Mother’s Book Club: http://www.myspace.com/notyourmothers



In Term 4, consider ways you can encourage students - and teachers - to read during the summer holidays, possibly using a web 2.0 tool to keep connected with the library and other readers, extend and share their reading…

  • Reading 2.0 wiki – Anita Beaman and Amy Oberts
    http://readingtech.wikispaces.com/
    In the past, the book and the computer might have been in competition with one another...that's a "Reading 1.0" mindset.
    The technological tools posted in this wiki, however, promote reading without diminishing the importance or value of written text.
    Harnessing technology to excite and empower your students' literary development is our mission for Reading 2.0!
  • Promoting reading using this 2.0 stuff by Stephen Abram
    http://stephenslighthouse.com/files/MMIS_26.pdf

    “Reading is a social activity. There I said it. I know a lot of people see it as solitary, introverted, internalized, quiet, and even as anti-social! And frankly it isn’t...”

    “Since we really care about books (and reading), can we use the new tools on the web to put our services on steroids? Why 2.0? Well, because it offers the first real opportunity to use technology to go beyond search, storage and retrieval and actually engage with readers in a scalable way beyond our walls and beyond physical book formats.”

Thinking about the library in new ways

The previous post looked at Annual Reports prepared by Joyce Valenza and Buffy Hamilton - here are some more of their inspiring ideas, thinking in new ways about the school library in a 2.0 environment...

Buffy Hamilton - The Unquiet Library – what library 2.0 means to me…
http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/2010/04/07/its-in-the-way-that-you-use-it-what-library-2-0-means-to-me/

Joyce Valenza – Things I think teacher librarians should unlearn
http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/neverendingsearch/2010/08/24/things-i-think-teacher-librarians-should-unlearn-18-and-counting/

which was inspired by What Ed Said 10 things series http://whatedsaid.wordpress.com/2010/08/24/10-things-teachers-should-unlearn/

School library annual reports

It's coming up to that time of year - Term 4 = annual report time...

“School librarians will not be heard until their day-to-day practice is directed towards demonstrating the real, tangible power of their contribution to the school’s learning goals.”
Ross Todd 2002. School Library Journal

Here is a link to the guide on writing an annual report on the National Library Schools website which is a good place to start, with advice, templates and examples...
http://schools.natlib.govt.nz/developing-your-library/tools-and-guides/school-library-annual-report

Here is a link to an inspiring Annual Report from Joyce Valenza at Springfield Township High School - Library Annual Report

and one from Buffy Hamilton at “The Unquiet Library”, Creekview High School Library - she does Monthly Reports and an Annual Report

Reference collections

We had a brief talk about Reference collections - here are some areas we touched on...
  • WBHS / WGHS – tackling their reference collections - radical improvements / future plans…
  • What are / are not reference books ?
  • How is the section used / promoted ?
  • Levels – do you have enough junior material
  • Display / shelving (eg Hydestor’s slotted divider shelves - see photo)
  • Print / electronic balance - changing times...
    Literature review
    - issues and directions around school library reference collections, by Maria Nagelkerke, Senior Adviser, Information and Research, National Library
    Course participants : to request paper copies of the articles, please contact
    Maria.nagelkerke@natlib.govt.nz
Stephanie shared the development of a Northland / local history section as part of her reference section at WGHS.

Clare mentioned the Year 10 unit standard requiring research using different formats including print, databases etc

INNZ
is much easier to use now, with the facility to email requests and receive documents electronically - try it if you haven't used it recently.

Use / promotion of EPIC and SCIS websites

Oruaiti School Library Reference collection
on Hydestor slotted divider shelves

Taipa Area School's new library

Carol Hudson, librarian at Taipa, took us on a "virtual tour" to the new library at Taipa, and if you are ever up that way, drop in and visit...

NaNo WriMo

Lynley shared a site NaNo WriMo http://www.nanowrimo.org/ National Novel Writing Month (in the USA) which is "an annual (November) novel writing project that brings together professional and amateur writers from all over the world."
and here is the Young Writers Programme website http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/ which has various resources to encourage young writers...

Series fiction

For those with Hydestor shelving, the low profile browser bins (or "Dave bins" after the guy that designed them) can provide an appealing variety in the fiction shelving - either to promote series or authors or just for a random selection of titles...
Here are a few photos from Hukerenui School Library - their "quick reads" junior fiction, and the fiction...
"Quick reads" - slotted shelves, bins, sloping shelves

Laminated paper labels attached with velcro dots on bins

Fiction shelving - flat and sloping shelves and bins each bay

Maps

Just a reminder about the allure of maps - looking for places you know and places you may visit one day and delighting in all the exotic names...
Consider having maps on display - NZ and the world, maybe with things to look for and find, or how about pages from weeded atlases laminated or put on table tops ?

Ngaire at Broadwood has a map of NZ under a glass topped coffee table and it has been very popular. Here is a link to a post about maps at Oruaiti School and a major exhibition at the British Museum...

SLANZA update from Di Eastwood

Di Eastwood, TLR at Kerikeri High School, SLANZA Northland Chair and National Executive Northland Representative, gave an update about SLANZA :
  • Lisa Salter from Ruawai College will be taking over as the Northland representative on the SLANZA National Executive from next term - welcome and thank you Lisa !
  • SLANZA 10 years celebration in Auckland on Friday October 29th at National Library in Parnell.
  • Conference in Auckland 2011, second week July school holidays, at St Cuthbert's College, around $400
  • New online magazine Collected on the SLANZA website http://www.slanza.org.nz/collected.html
  • Check out the website for information about study grants etc http://www.slanza.org.nz/studygrants.html- applications close 31st October.
  • SLANZA is represented on a number of committees and national projects by members of the National Executive which enables the voice of school librarians to be heard.
  • Term 4 event in planning - please support your local committee and events !
  • Don't forget your membership - every school library needs to be represented...

Verity and "23 things" at Mahurangi College Library

Verity and the Mahurangi team shared the "23 things" that they have implemented, inspired by attending the SLANZA Conference in Christchurch last year which was friendly, welcoming and inspirational.
Verity really needs to write an article to expand on each aspect listed here, but for an overview this is a fantastic list of ways the Mahurangi College Library team have stretched themselves to do make new connections, improve and extend existing services, and develop the library and literacy for the school community...
  1. Purchased Suzette Boyd's excellent book The connected library utopia.press@yahoo.com.au
  2. Shared info with Southland Boys' HS about lunchtime computer use
  3. Student with Library Responsibility awarded Prefect status
  4. Reviewed USSR programme
  5. Joined the SLANZA wiki
  6. Arranged buddy visits with other local school librarian
  7. Ordered graphic novels and allowed free borrowing
  8. Recruited teachers to run book club and organised "Lunch Lit" quizzes
  9. Established Library Committee, which includes the Principal
  10. Used Genre posters for quick and easy displays
  11. Promoted copies of Des Hunt's books, signed "For the Mahurangi College student who is reading this book"
  12. Discussed Brian Faulkner's movie style book previews, and arranged visit by him to school
  13. Used book lists to guide buying
  14. Bought more multiple copies of popular books
  15. Promoted the ASB competition - students writing to authors
  16. Discussed SLANZA Conference presentations with staff
  17. Successfully lobbied for increased book budget
  18. Visited other libraries in Christchurch
  19. Took the Kids' Lit Quiz team to local book launch
  20. Started a calendar of events including Music month, Maori language week... flax weaving, paper plane flying, DoC talks at Sea Week etc
  21. Discussed with ESOL dept creating a picture book about Kiribati students coming to NZ - underway
  22. Setting up a Mahurangi College section of works produced by students
  23. Sent letter of congratulations to next year's prefects, asking them to take a photo of themselves reading during the summer holidays to be on display in the library at the start of the school year - good PR for them, for the library, for reading role models, and other students visiting the library to see the photos !

Julia and school library blogs

As well as promoting the Kids' Lit Quiz, Julia also gave a thoroughly researched presentation on "why school libraries need blogs" which provided a strong rationale for having a go at this wonderful web 2.0 tool...

Julia recently started Kerikeri High School Library's book chat blog Cover to cover and is having a great time with it - while not underestimating how much time it takes, she is very enthusiastic about the format and the potential. It is fairly early days for getting lots of participation from others but it is growing all the time...

Julia has kindly shared the great powerpoint she created - here is the link

Here is a guide on the National Library website about creating a school library blog or wiki.

If you would like any support in creating or managing a school library blog, there are people to help, eg at National Library.

If you haven't already, check out the Create Readers blog on the National Library schools website, and Jeannie's LibraryZest

Kids' Lit Quiz - Julia

Julia from Kerikeri High School is the Northland Co-ordinator for the Kids' Lit Quiz, and gave a quick outline of what it is and how it works... For more information you can go to the website http://www.kidslitquiz.com/or contact Julia at Kerikeri High School.

In Northland our regional heat is early in the year - at the end of Term 1 or very beginning of Term 2 usually, and so promotion needs to get underway early in Term 1, if not Term 4 the year before...

Julia outlined her strategy for promoting the Quiz, recruiting participants and refining the actual teams, and then working with them to explore wide reading across genres and formats, book discussion and reading mileage.

No reason why you may not want to have literature quizzes informally with students - there are resources on the web, or you can ask students to make the questions for books they have read and then gather them up...

Another approach is "Battle of the Books"...
http://libraryzest.blogspot.com/search/label/Battle%20of%20the%20books

Budgeting on a shoestring

Dee shared back from the recent SLANZA workshop in Whangarei with Kaaren Hirst on "budgeting on a shoe-string" which perhaps made people realise that things could always be worse as Kaaren described her strategies for developing the library and collection on an initially zero budget !
Her approach was to review the collection and priorities for development, document clearly, and communicate needs in a variety of enterprising ways including using the school newsletter to request titles etc.

In the introductory discussion, Verity shared how their approach to budgeting had been increasingly successful as they had formatted their budget to suit the style of its audience - making it brief - one page - in table form, with statistics... being aware of "how an accountant thinks".

Collection development with Lisa

Lisa shared notes and information from the LIANZA one day workshop on Collection Development - a tall order in the short time span, but she certainly covered all the essentials of the whole collection planning cycle - from knowing your "stakeholders", documenting the approach and policy, identifying needs and priorities, knowing how to deal with challenges, through to the sometimes fraught aspect of "de-selecting"...

There are plenty of resources on the National Library Schools website
http://schools.natlib.govt.nz/developing-your-library/tools-and-guides
See pages on the Collection development cycle, Assessing your collection, Budgeting, Writing a buying plan, Collection guiding statement (formerly known as a policy), Weeding, as well as guides to particular areas of the collection eg Reference, Magazines...

If you think your collection management statement could be reviewed, or if your buying plan needs to be better documented, or if you are dealing with issues such as weeding or censorship by just "flying under the radar" then perhaps you could have a look at your collection development processes and documentation...

Here is the link on Google Docs to the slides shared by Lisa.

Time management with Lynley Stone

Lynley gave us the benefit of her insight and research into time management with humour, anecdotes, and encouragement to reflect on our personal style, stress points, and strategies...
Are you a monochron or a polychron ? Do you feel in control of your time ?
Some of her suggestions include :
  • Make SMART goals - key element to success
  • Break big, daunting tasks into chunks - think Annual Report !
  • Make lists and organise them...
  • Keep a diary / day log - find a model that works for you
  • Explore workplace tools eg software and systems that are available
  • Know yourself and what works best for you and how to achieve a work / life balance...
For more suggestions and self-reflection, see the workbook Lynley provided.

"Time is the coin of your life.
It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent.
Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you."

Carl Sandburg, US biographer & poet (1878 - 1967)

Monday, September 20, 2010

Chess and Speed Scrabble

Hi Jeannie, thanks for the PD on Friday. Always great to catch up with other librarians and you. Here is the following info on the giant chess set: This is a special for term 3 !!
Giant Chess Set 64cm (24")
Cost = $850 plus GST, plus freight (approx $15)
FREE Giant Chessboard (Fabric)(RRP $190)
Contact:
Chess Kids NZ Ltd
0800424377
09 9293361
info@chesskids.co.nz
Cheers from Sheree.

Clare mentioned Speed Scrabble being popular at Northland College Library
Here is a link http://www.wikihow.com/Play-Speed-Scrabble and here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Scrabble

Lane Smith : It's a book

Here is a link to a post I did on Lane Smith's new picture book It's a book, on the Create Readers blog
http://schools.natlib.govt.nz/blog/10-09/lane-smith-its-book

Mirror - a new picture book from Jeannie Baker

Here is a link to the post I did on Jeannie Baker's new picture book on the National Library Create Readers blog
http://schools.natlib.govt.nz/blog/10-08/mirror-new-picture-book-jeannie-baker

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Follow up from the PD day on Friday

Hi Northland secondary school library teams
It was a great day together on Friday at WGHS - thank you all for coming.
I am going to do several posts to follow up from items shared and topics discussed - they are in draft form at the moment and I will post them over the next day or two around various other commitments today and tomorrow... Watch this space !
Jeannie

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Northland PD day 2010

Time to resurrect this blog for our PD day in 2010 at Whangarei Girls' High School Library...

I'll just do this post to say hello and then we can make links to things that come up through the day...
Looking forward to seeing you all on Friday, cheers, Jeannie

Annual Northland PD day for Sec / Area / Intermediate and Area School Libraries Programme

  • 9.15 – 9.30 - Refreshments for travellers, browse the displays and the WGHS Library…
  • 9.30 – 10.15 - Welcome, introductions, programme, National Library update and SLANZA report, networking / news and views : sharing developments, projects, issues in your school library since we last met, eg study undertaken, ways of working with students, new building / remodelling initiatives…
  • 10.15 – 10.50 - Jeannie – Reference, research and reading 2.0
  • 10.50 – 11.10 - Morning tea
  • 11.10 – 11.30 - Lisa and Dee – Sharing information from the LIANZA collection development and the SLANZA library budget workshops
  • 11.30 – 11.50 - Verity – “23 things” from the SLANZA conference
  • 11.50 – 12.10 - Julia – making the most of the Kids’ Lit Quiz and setting up the KKHS library book chat blog Cover to cover
  • 12.10 – 12.20 - Carol – a virtual visit to the beautiful new library at Taipa Area School
  • 12.20 – 1.00 - Lunch (provided)
  • 1.00 – 3.00 - Time Management workshop with Lynley Stone
  • 3.00 – 3.15 - Reflection and planning, conclusion and evaluation