The Ungarbled Word

Not that I am old but Andrew and I are discussing his library...

So let me give you a brief history of my life as a librarian. The moment that fate stepped in was when I had applied to grad school for an MSLS and the club I was working for wanted me to go to Bartending School. The grad schools came in first, California State stepped up, but the University of Tennessee (Yup, I Volunteer for a lot of things, excuse the pun) offered money; not much and I had to work for it, but the rest is history. It is worth pointing out that I have a high circulation desk that I prefer to stand at, and do “last call for check out” and I do bouncer duty at the gates. Did you know that nipple rings can set those things off?

I am old enough to have worked with a woman who told me she saw a demonstration of the overhead projector and was told that it would make libraries obsolete.  My three favorite shirts from grad school at the University of Tennessee were; one with a clinched fist above the word Strike, another that read “We are lawful wives of the 3×5s”  and finally a tasteful red one with “Mao was a librarian.”   I call myself a librarian because I was trained as an academic librarian not an academic media specialist and because people know where you work when you tell them you are a librarian.  Of course, they still don’t know what we do.  I was in a jury panel that was going to try a case concerning a young man who shot a nail into the head of another guy. I didn’t make the final cut, but the judge did say that “the librarian” is excused.  The other variously titled people from libraries he just said “thank you.you are excused”.  Of course, it might have had something to do with the defendant waving at me and calling out, “Hey, Miz Lay.” 

Later, I got an Instructional Technology degree from the University of Georgia and learned that computers were going to make libraries obsolete….  Having started with filing cards and now running two classroom computer labs, one on site professional lab, and eighteen work stations on the floor; not to mention the OPAC and circulation system, I think it is safe to say that the overheads are gone but if libraries are obsolete I sure am working hard in one. Once again somebody has to know and show people what to do with the information…

More later…

Debatable topic #3: Copyright Commando or Ultimate Informant?

This is our third “debatable” topic of interest…

“Should the SLMS only teach about copyright issues through staff development or take a more aggressive role in informing faculty and students of the law?”

Copyright infringement happens all the time in our schools. Oftentimes, it occurs because the teacher is not even aware that they are breaking copyright law. I can recall many instances when I stumbled upon someone infringing on copyright guidelines: making illegal copies of sheet music, recording full length songs onto video, using the opaque to copy Big Bird for the bulletin board, photocopying full texts so every student in the class would have a copy, and the list goes on. Exactly how proactive and assertive should the SLMS be in dealing with copyright issues such as this? While it is obvious that the teacher who is committing an infringement should be told they are doing so, should the SLMS routinely check to see if such situations are occurring?

One school of thought is that the SLMS should go beyond simply informing students, teachers and administrators about copyright law by taking measures that expand their basic knowledge in this area. For instance, Doug Johnson suggests the SLMS can become a “copyright counselor” by guiding students and teachers to make informed decisions regarding copyright and fair use. The more assertive you are in informing students and faculty of copyright laws, the more likely they are to understand that this is theft and support punishment of offenders. The better informed faculty and students are, the more likely there will be no embarrassing infringements for the school and school system. When the role of copyright officer is taken more seriously and aggressively by the SLMS, the more protected the users of information will be.

The opposite viewpoint is that the SLMS should only present a good, basic overview of most copyright infringements through an in-service at the beginning of the school year. Teachers can inform students in their classes about proper use of resources and explain what is, and what is not, allowed regarding copyright. Rather than spending precious time and energy distributing detailed information beyond a basic staff development session, the SLMS should budget for legal purchase of needed materials, help teachers obtain legal copyright permissions, and model ethical and moral behavior regarding copyright law. Informing teachers and students at the point of infringement is sufficient; there is no need to offend teachers by presenting more details than necessary when dealing with sensitive copyright issues.

The next question becomes: when a teacher is observed breaking copyright guidelines, should you turn them in to the administration or look the other way? I think the goal here is to lead the faculty and students to a point where they automatically seek out the proper way of dealing with copyright “situations” when there is a question. If the SLMS can get users to first recognize when there might be an issue of copyright clearance, present this question to him/her as copyright officer in the school, and then respond based on the allowable actions, just maybe the more appropriate title could be COPYRIGHT GURU!

(I strongly recommend the Carol Mann Simpson book Copyright for schools.)

Johnson, D. (2007, June 13). Lessons school librarians teach others. Retrieved July 23, 2008, from http://www.doug-johnson.com/dougwri/lessons-school-librarians-teach-others.html.

Russell, C. (2004). Complete copyright: An Everyday guide for librarians. Chicago: ALA.

Simpson, C.M. (2005). Copyright for schools: A Practical guide. 4th ed. Worthington, Ohio: Linworth.

Dr. Phyllis R. Snipes
University of West Georgia

Volunteer for AASL

As I prepare to leave on my trip to Anaheim to attend the ALA Annual Conference, I thought this would be a good time to ask all of you to volunteer for AASL. If you are a member of AASL, but not actively participating you are really missing out. This is a wonderful opportunity to get involved in your profession, meet colleagues, give input, have a voice and make a difference!

Appointments are currently being made for the 2008-2009 committee year. If you have ever considered volunteering for your national organization, now is the time to fill out a volunteer form at http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aboutaasl/aaslgovernance/aaslcommittees/volunteer.cfm

Descriptions of all AASL committees can be found at the AASL website at: http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aboutaasl/aaslgovernance/aaslcommittees/committees.cfm

The volunteer form will ask you for three AASL committee preferences, but it is also extremely important to be specific when you list your major areas of interest in school library media services. This information will help as new task forces and special committees are formed. If a short term assignment is something that interests you, please be sure to check the box at the bottom form.

I cannot even begin to describe what a wonderful experience being involved in AASL has been for me; so take the leap and volunteer - you will be surprised how much you benefit!

Melissa P. Johnston
Media Specialist
Silver City Elementary
Cumming, GA
AASL School Library Media Month Chair
AASL Indicators and Assessments for the 21st-Century Learner Committee

P16 Information Literacy: The ‘Roundtable’ idea

A task force from the GLMA Summer Institute has generated an exciting idea for encouraging K16 teachers to incorporate info literacy into their class projects: The “Project Upcycling Roundtable”. Don’t yawn! The idea is better than this temporary name, honest. The ‘Roundtable’ is modeled on the ‘Faculty Learning Communities’ that are active in universities today. An FLC is a group of 8-12 cross-disciplinary faculty members who meet regularly for one year to study a specific teaching issue in an active, collaborative fashion. At UGA I was part of a wonderful FLC organized by librarians called “Academic Upcycling” (Upcycling = reusing with added value, like turning an empty coffee can into a planter.)  At each session, one faculty member brought a class assignment they wanted to improve and the group brainstormed ways to ‘upcycle’ it to increase active learning and information literacy content. It was an energizing experience, and every member came away with an improved project and renewed enthusiasm for teaching.

The task force envisions the ‘ P16 Roundtables’ as a one-time, 90 minute session composed of four teachers from across the P16 spectrum (ideally one each from P-5, 6-8, 9-12 and college) and four librarians from the same grade levels. The group would collegially brainstorm ways to upcycle each of their projects without making them longer. The result will be an enhanced project that increases student retention of lesson content, covers more GPS content, boosts active-learning and challenges students to be critical thinkers, problem-solvers and independent learners.

The key to the Roundtable experience is that it is a collaborative effort among peers from different schools, rather than an evaluation or instruction given by ‘experts’. Participants develop new ideas out of their collective knowledge and experience. Working with colleagues across grade levels is a great cross-pollinating experience that allows teachers and librarians to see each assignment as part of a larger P16 learning continuum.

Bringing the Roundtable idea to life will be a challenge! To get buy-in, we’ll have to offer PLU credit, and find a school district willing to try one Roundtable as a pilot project. Also, time and energy will be required on our part to flesh out in detail exactly how the Roundtable will work in practice. It is an idea that can start small, with just 8 people, but eventually expand to include multiple simultaneous Roundtables. The seed has been sown! Contact me if you’d like more info or if you think teachers and administrators at your school district would be interested - ncohen@uga.edu

Nadine Cohen - UGA Instruction and Reference Librarian

2008 GLMA Mable Wyche Underwood Grant Winners

 

The purpose of the grant is to allow building level library media specialists who are members in good standing of GLMA to develop, design, implement, or continue an ongoing program which promotes the use of library media center in the instructional program.

 

 

 West Town Elementary School’s NASA SEMMA Program

 

Marie Salter of West Town Elementary School in Albany, Georgia will use her grant to increase and update the media center’s print and nonprint collection in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.  West Town currently serves as a site for the NASA Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Aerospace Academy (SEMAA.)

 

Readers of Distinction

 

Janice Mock of Montgomery County Middle-High School in Mount Vernon, GA will establish a Book Award Scholars program for middle school students who read award-winning books.  After reading ten or more books from award lists such as Newbery, Coretta Scott King, and Georgia Children’s Book Award, students’ names will be placed on perpetual plaques displayed in the Library Media Center.

 

The Use of Graphic Novels with English Language Learners: An Action Research Plan

 

Susan Hawk and Lynn Walley of Dunwoody High School in Dunwoody, Georgia will collaborate with English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers to utilize graphic novels in improving the language skills of students in the English Language Learners program. Novels will be chosen based on their Lexile level and to provide graphic novel versions of required reading.

 

Grants are judged on six criteria:

1. Quality

2. Innovativeness

3. Clear objective

4. Benefit of project to students

5. Budget

6. Evaluation plan

Three grants are awarded in the amount of $300 - $500. In order to apply for a grant, you must be a current GLMA member and have been a GLMA member last year as well. Grant recipients agree to participate in a concurrent workshop along with other grant recipients at the GaCOMO convention to share the merits of their projects.

 

Congratulations!

New Survey for LMC

Library Media Connection is again collecting data that librarians
want to know. Our question this month asks: How many libraries do you
supervise?  Please contribute to our data collection efforts and
enter a drawing for exciting new professional materials. Completing
the survey should take less than a minute of your time. Visit
http://www.surveymonkey.com/AugSept08LMC to enter your response.
Thanks for helping Library Media Connection report the data that you,
our readers, have requested.

Warm regards,
Carol Simpson
Editorial Director

By way of Judi Repman, Georgia Southern

A Peek Inside an Elementary School Library in China

I missed posting last month because I was lucky enough to be on an amazing trip to China! I know I should have been blogging about my trip as I traveled but I chose not to bring the computer along with me and basically tried to use Internet cafes to just keep up with e-mail. I’m definitely NOT a member of the connected generation!

Georgia Southern has a partnership with Huazhong Normal University in Wuhan China and part of our partnership is to hold a conference so that’s just what we did. One conference activity was a school tour. We visited a high school and an elementary school. I was so excited to see the school library at the elementary school-that whole visit was amazing. I’ve created a scrapblog to share my pictures and impressions:

http://scrapblog.com/viewer/viewer.aspx?sbId=280400

It will be pretty clear to you that I’m not a scrapbooker nor am I particularly artistic!

The whole trip was amazing-we visited Wuhan, Beijing and Shanghai. I believe I saw more construction in 2 weeks than I’ll see in the next 10 years in the US. China really is a country on the move-and the proportion of young people (under age 25) is very high. The people were very nice and travel was really pretty easy. The elementary school visit was a real highlight along with the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. It’s always really fun to see how things from the US have migrated to other countries-in Shanghai we actually shopped in a store called “everything is 2 yuan”. Since there are 7 yuan in a dollar it’s way better than a dollar store!!

Judi Repman

Georgia Southern

New Online GALILEO Orientations Scheduled!

Dear GALILEO users,
 
A summer schedule for orientation sessions covering the new GALILEO 
interfaces is now available. The training will cover new features, 
review other useful features, and offer tips for best search results. 
The orientation sessions are free to staff in Georgia libraries and 
media centers.  For more information and to register for classes, please 
visit http://www.usg.edu/galileo/help/library/training/
  
K-12 Interfaces Orientation (High School, Teen, Kids*)
     June 24, 10:00-11:00 a.m.
     July 22, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
     August 20, 10:00-11:00 a.m.
 
 
Library Interface (Public Library/General User)
     June 25, 10:00-11:00 a.m.
     July 23, 10:00-11:00 a.m.
     August 19, 10:00-11:00 a.m.
 
 
Scholar Interface Orientation
     June 25, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
     July 22, 10:00-11:00 a.m.
     August 19, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
 
 
* The new interface for elementary students is in development, but we 
will look at the current Kids interface in the training sessions.
 
If you have any questions or need more information, please use GALILEO's 
Contact Us feature or contact OIIT Customer Services at helpdesk@usg.edu.
 
Regards,
Karen
 
____________________________________________
Karen Minton
GALILEO Support Services
Library Services
Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia
2500 Daniells Bridge Road, Building 300
Athens, GA 30606-3539
Phone: 888- 875-3697     Fax: (706) 583-2294
karen.minton@usg.edu     http://www.galileo.usg.edu
_______________________________________________
Galileo mailing list
Galileo@mailbox.gsu.edu

http://mailbox.gsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/galileo

Classroom Experience…To have or not to have, that is the question!!

As promised, here is the first discussion topic of a somewhat debatable nature: should classroom experience be required in order to become a school library media specialist?

I can recall the days of yore when this was the focus of very heated debate among Georgia “school librarians” and certification officials for the state. Many felt that since the librarian was also considered a teacher, he/she should have actual time in the classroom in order to fulfill that required role. Others, however, held that since the requirements for the job were much more varied and only a portion was teaching, classroom experience would only serve minimally in preparing the librarian for work in the school.

Today, as an argument for the library media specialist to have classroom teaching experience, one of my students posed the questions: Would you want your principal to have no teaching experience? Why should the media specialist be any different? In order to collaborate successfully with teachers and students, some teaching experience is invaluable. The media center is a place where creative teaching should be at a maximum, and without some prior knowledge of various teaching strategies, creativity is limited. In order to work with teachers on lesson planning, curriculum issues, and critical thinking strategies, having taught in the classroom provides irreplaceable training. Also, many questions on the GACE, where a passing score is required for certification in GA, focus on instruction and teaching strategies. Bottom line is: Can you have a highly qualified teacher-librarian who has not had classroom experience?

On the other side of the issue, many people who seek certification in GA have had very extensive training in the area of technology, which is a required skill for today’s library media specialist. We have become a doorway to the future through technology for our students, and classroom experience does not always contribute to that aspect of the media specialist’s role. Many people who have worked in the business world already have skills in place to “sell their product.” Communication skills are paramount in the role of the business executive, so they would come into the job with better preparation than that received through classroom teaching. Many skills would be transferable: expense accounts to library budgets, managing a territory or group to managing a media center, prioritizing and making a business plan to preparing a library yearly plan, etc. With these skills already in place, the transfer to managing a media program and collaborating and teaching with teachers would be easily accomplished.

I recall my own preparation as a librarian when I started my first job in Bartow County in 1974 (this was prior “library media specialist” terminology). I had classroom experience through my Early Childhood Education practicum, so was prepared through the regular “teacher preparation” channels. A more focused field experience within the library media center might have better prepared me for work in the school as a media specialist. After working as a librarian for two years, I spent 4 years in the classroom and that experience truly enhanced my potential to be an excellent media specialist. On the other hand, I am not certain that continued work in the school library would have limited my potential for excellence, even without the classroom experience??? There is value on both sides. One main truth exists: experience within a school setting, whether through managing your own classroom or gathering intense field experiences, helps to prepare and equip the media specialist to work and collaborate with teachers and, therefore, help kids!

It would be most interesting to hear others’ thoughts on this issue!

Phyllis Snipes, Assistant Professor,

University of West Georgia

Resources:

Achterman, D. (2006). Another school of thought. School Library Journal, 52, 41.

Buddy, J.W. (2007). Using personality traits and effective communication to improve collaboration. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 23 (9).

Kaplan, A.G. (2007). Is your school librarian “highly qualified”? Phi Delta Kappan, 89.

Starkman, N. (2007). The New librarians. T.H.E. Journal, 8 (34).

Somewhat Controversial Topics and How We Deal With Them

There are many issues that we face as school library media specialists where decisions must be made based upon our convictions and passions. I’m thinking of things such as how we develop and administer our reading incentive programs (AR, RC, etc.), our procedures for informing faculty of proper copyright law compliance, processes for purchasing and organizing foreign language materials in an English-speaking society, or “do you tell Johnny’s parents the name of the overdue book he has out?” The policies and procedures we develop to address such issues are often open to our own individual philosophies regarding the matter (in the absence of state or system mandates).

Over the course of the next several months, I will present “burning” issues of major interest to all of us and present a variety of opinions on how these issues might be addressed in your media program. While the decision of how to handle these issues is sometimes left to the discretion of the LMS, there is some measure of research and publication on the topics that might provide insight into how others address those specific situations. I will share some findings on the following topics:

1. Should classroom experience be required in order to become a school library media specialist?
2. Should all materials in a foreign language be shelved together based on the language (such as all Spanish), and should funds be budgeted to purchase materials in that language for students who are in the school speaking only that language? Or, should students be able to access materials written in English only in an effort to have them adapt to English more quickly and be less dependent upon their native language?
3. What is the best way to introduce/reinforce copyright compliance among faculty and students?
4. In schools where fixed scheduling is practiced, what steps can be taken to convince the administration to move toward flexible, or “flix,” scheduling in the LMC?
5. What is the best plan for implementing and administering a reading incentive program in the schools; what role should the LMS play in this program administration? How should these books be organized within the collection?
6. Should we follow the ALA position that parents should not be informed of titles their children have checked out due to privacy laws? Or, is there a time when parents should know about what their children are reading?
7. Should media specialists who are provisionally certified be hired, or should only the fully certified candidates be hired?
8. When the Principal requests that you remove a book from the collection, and due process using the system Reconsideration Policy has not been followed, should the LMS remove the item without hesitation?

These are a few issues we discuss in my Administration course and students research these topics with oftentimes very interesting findings! Over the next few months, I’ll report on one of these topics each month and encourage you to respond to the postings with thoughts and “position statements” of your own. I look forward to presenting, and hearing, interesting dialog on these topics!

Phyllis R. Snipes, Assistant Professor

University of West Georgia