153 Thinking...on Many Levels

Take two minutes (and a few seconds) and watch this...



Now react...

027.8 Libraries: The 12 Steps to the Future

Some people make things SO easy...

and Doug Johnson, the Blue Skunk guy (and one of my virtual mentor heroes) does it AGAIN with his latest post where he lists 12 differences in the libraries of yesteryear and those of the future! Go there and read them for yourself...all signify the changing, transforming libraries that I am seeing around me.

He DID ask us to "join in" so here's my thoughts...

#9 regarding organizing by a set of rules vs organizing in ways that make sense to users. Makes the cataloger's compartment of my little heart skip a couple of beats...YES, I want to be good to my users, but I also want them to be successful in any library they go into and if we get "too" creative in our arrangements, I fear we will suffer from the grocery store syndrome (why can't grocery stores adopt similar arrangements---I hate hunting for canned mushrooms in some stores!) Please, please, think thorough creative arrangements c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y...especially if you want your users to be independent users who can go from the catalog, take the address (call#) and actually find what they want and need without the librarian being the traffic cop!

#8 I definitely want whole-school ownership of the library. It is fabulous where I see it in action. But I still want the professional librarian there...and in my dreams, I wish for more than one professional librarian, but unfortunately dreams aren't coming true in these economic times so I will be content with one (and extra adult hands please?) Unfortunately, administrators and powers-that-be, because they really don't understand our purpose and our contributions to student success, often think they can eliminate the professional librarian because "everyone" and "anybody" can hand out books and equipment. This one worries me a lot because of how it can be interpreted.

I will take his six descriptors and last statement and put them right here where you can read them quickly and easily

Change IS tough, but if we want to be around to take part in the excitement of the future, we must!

002 Print vs. Digital: A Contest or a Matter of Choice?

Take a look: Do School Libraries Still Need Books?

Five people's thoughts. You decide for yourself.

Me...I think the advantage is being able to provide choice in this age of multiple formats.

Do some things make more sense?

A digital encyclopedia updated almost instantaneously vs. a printed version that is practically out-dated the day it comes off the press?

The multi-tasking approach of audio books vs. a spiffy little paperback that fits in a pocket?

The sterile look of sheets printed off an online file vs. the visual stimulus of beautifully photographed images or cleverly created characters?

I think it comes down to what works for you in the moment.

O, by the way...you will NEVER convince me that picture books meant to be used in a couch cuddle with parent and child or between two school buddies on the carpet in the corner will ever disappear from the school library shelves.

That 's one Librarian's opinion.

Photo Credit: Flickr CC by John-Morgan

741.6 Glogster: A Different Way to "Present"

004.09 Did You Know 4.0: Stats about Our Current World

Ok, it is time to be reminded that what we have been doing in the 2.o world is NOT being done in isloation...we are playing and learning and testing and learning and practicing and learning the very things that more and more of the world is doing every day as a part of its normal, everyday world.

Is it a perfect world? No. Is it a totally safe way to do the business of everyday life? No. But neither is the other world!

It will take you a little more than 3 minutes to catch up with the latest and be reminded that it is ok to move forward and think differently, communicate differently, react differently, and most importantly in our little education corner of the world, learn differently!

Enjoy the current update of the wildly popular Shift Happens.

P.S. I'm intrigued by the method used in creating the text strips and some of the graphics. Pretty cool and worth the time as well!

In case the embedded video is blocked in district, here is the link. You should be able to see it through teacher sign-on of your computer.

025.1 TASLA The Last Day: The State of the...

Gloria Meraz

We have foothold in two agencies...State Library & TEA. Policies about school libraries may be the next step. Encouraged by Karen Kahan's statements.The barriers are loosening...still a tough battle. Not a simple solution/

State mandated librarians on every campus is the dream, but there is a lot to do to even come close to that.

Work through the two agencies as to what is best...maybe a tiered approach to the change.

On the question of getting librarians classed as teachers..have to take the good with the "bad"..example--same assessments!

The big issue--resistance to this change...both on control and financial

The Humble ISD issue...the general attitude of the powers that be: I don't want to do this, BUT they are not manadated, yada yada...

The power of the grassroots...and the strength of these groups

She & P. Smith recently met with a regional PTA group on some topics and broached some of these topics along with the planned agenda...630,000 member strong across the state.

Advocacy happens at home...behind the scenes. One-on-one relationships.

Having TEA look at research that positions us in the mainframe is a HUGE thing! They now "recognize" something we have known all along

Different type of Legislative session...all hinges on the database program and how to prove its success. The vehicle to showcase the survey, etc. will be the key essential ingredient in making our point. " gonna take it for a spin and see how far it goes!"

Audience:Do we know the process for the writing of the report? key people from each agency plus a task force including Librarians

Report needs to become a strategic plan for next 10 yrs--audience comment

Audience: Any premlim data on which agency would be best fit for us?

Most said TEA (beyond the local entity)

Online resources are integrated into curriculum, fabic of instruction tends to make it fall under TEA. fundng issues could lean towards State library, but she doesn't feel it really matters

Audience: ELA new standards...the research piece will be a good arguement for the need for databases. description almost makes them a "mandate" so to speak.

Gloria: Is there a group connecting this group with TASL? we are essentially the same people wearing dfferent hats.

Report will be turned into Legislature in Dec. 08...prelim copies probably in October that will circulate for point and counterpoint talk.

Need for Libraries and certified Librarians issue is bigger than just us...need supt organization, principal group AND parents! Legislature needs to hear other voices than just us!

Going into the "transforming business" will be tough...some sacred cows may need to be sacrificied. Relationships with lots of groups will be necessary.

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Tejas Star Book Award 2008-2009

Region 1 ESC

Maria Elena Ovalle

The need to showcase books reflecting the culture of the area.

655,000+ students speak Spanish

Basic practices for ELL..."instruction that incorporates students' cultures and language"

Oral profiency [only] in the first language is not sufficient. Most be totally literate in the first language to be successful in the second language.

Dual language is best policy, but the problem is there are not enough qualified teachers!

So this reading program covers all these points (and others I didn't capture!)

Interesting comment she made...the books are windows to the worls, but they are mirrors as well! not a new thought, but I really haven't thought about the mirror part in awhile!

The authors do not need to be Hispanic, but must be immersed...Joe Hays is an example. Just being able to write in Spanish is not enough.

2007 winner

Juan and the Chupacabras/Juan y el Chupacabras by Xavier Garza

The newest list for 2008-2009. voting will be in February.

Cost is free. Rules and Forms

La fiesta de las tortillas ...she is going to use in a science integration...they are going to make torillas as the activity...the science behind it! article with chemical reactions oftortilla [ need to getthis information!]

Rene the boy...jumping off point for early research...researching people with your name!

025.1 Day 1, Part 3, The Afternoon: TexShare & Transformation

What Is TexShare? Ann Mason
Sharing resources, joint purchasing, staff expertise
1988- resource-sharing with academic libraries
1994- funding started
1997- 150 members...academic and community colleges
1997-responsibility given to TSLAC...missed some!
membership to 700+ with public libraries added as of now

Amigos, UT Austin, ESC20 are strategic partners...it is due to UT that the address is a edu

actually 8 programs...databases and 7 others, including ILL, communications (about databses mostly now), TexTreasures grant

TexShare Database Program
50 databases..EBSCO being part of that
supported through participation fees

Library of Texas
federated search tool of catalogs (125 libraries) and databases..if you are a member.
some free resources (like access to view records)

Card Program
500 libraries participate...is NOT the database program
Public library members love to be able to go to academic libraries (like UT Austin)

Education Services
train mostly public librarians how to use databases, etc.

ILL
only members may participate.
there is a protocol

TexTreasures Grant
digitization of State "treasures" so they can be viewed virtually by "virtually" everyone!
[SBISD--we have some links to some of these projects on the LRP under Texas]

K-12 Database Program Update
for little 2.2 million we get the databases and Ency Britannica for almost every (98%) school library in Texas...over 4.4 million students!

State-wide
20+ million EBSCO searches as of May 31st
2.7 EB searches (we haven't had it as long!)
ESC 20 Help desk 13,000 email messages

Outreach plans:
parents and administrators and community
some "training" videos- be on agenda for 10 minute...highlights
ESC20 instructional recipes

Information from ESC20 concerning the databases
Lesson plans etc. there are training sessions available...consult their calendar
20 minutes to 6 hours training time available to you? use these materials no matter the time!

By the way some info is available on TeacherTube--search TexShare

time to change gears!

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Transforming TX Libraries - Julie Todaro

Briefly reminded about the big meeting that occurred in January
60-65% of the attendees were to be in the business under 5 years
A slogan that came out of it..What's the Big Idea? ...ie your idea for changing libraries.

the wiki's purpose:
provide plans for transforming in general
provide plans for transforming by type (and size)
provide content to re-purposed by transformers...interactive "clearinghouse"
provide a forum to share the big ideas ...some are a literacy guru, portal for content to go thru, statewide data, marketing/PR campaign (logo), p-16 literacy curriculum--seamless!

Before You Do Anything? go learn a few things!
Check out lots of other things on the right side bar! dinner speech, elevator speech, etc.

There is a space for YOUR Big Idea for transforming Libraries?...again on the right side bar of the wiki

How should a school librarian/school library administrator begin the transforming discussion for their library/libraries?

What content do you need in order to transform and get your "big ideas" for school libraries?

Group ideas

• cards where students can give their ideas for transforming
• The Transformer movie as a theme..maybe a prize
• contest --design a transformation, either in print or as a video
• A Day in the Life... video compare with that old video
• A video from the kids' point of view...my own thought ..isn't this like what TLA speaker Joyce Valenza had her kids do...MySpace/My Library click and take a look!
• some groups saw it from the bigger picture...transforming the leadership--principals and other administrators
• the issue of small schools/districts who do not have library administrators
• need to share basic change strategies to help those who might need to start "smaller"
• problem and solution video...
• alignment and partnerships...
• data gathering...one might be a charting of the hits by month
• mapping to the TEKS, TAKS

Closing the Gaps--how do we get people in (our Libraries)... and then out (of school) successfully. I really like this statement that Julie used.

a pretty good ..for the first one!

now onto more bonding over food later and then the late night discussions in the hospitality room...if I can make it...it has been a long day