Library Ice Cream

Library Graphic Designer Stephanie Stokes tipped me off to an ice cream-naming campaign by New Jersey librarian Andy Woodworth. He has started a Facebook page devoted to his campaign, and has already gotten thousands of supporters on his petition to Ben & Jerry's. Ben & Jerry's flavour guru Arnold Carbone says he'll seriously consider a library name for a special ice cream.

Check out the lengthy list of suggested ice cream names, including:

• Gooey Decimal System
• Sh-sh-sh-sherbet
• Li-Berry pie

Twitter tag for additional fun names is #tastylibrary

Altered Books - with a Reading Theme

Altered Books is a popular and growing art form. There are books on how to make them and groups that make and share them. I've been learning how to make one because I'm enrolled in a summer art design class. The final project for our portfolio is an Altered Book. Here is a peak at some of the effort that goes into the art.



How could libraries work with artists and art teachers to bring them into the library? Display the book art? Offer books and websites devoted to the art? Remind them that the library has Internet access for researching themes, making wordle.org designs, photocopying images using tonor-based copiers (needed for making transparent images like in the above video). In this case, I'm remembering a wonderful 5-years of great books, discussions, field trips, and gatherings through my Mother-Daughter Book Club. See the accordian-like fold out of the covers of each of the 30 books we read. Altered Books are messy to make, but fun.

Read, Know, Grow - Wordle.net

Having fun... created another word design using wordle.net and saved several versions to the gallery. Search under "Read, Know, Grow" by Library Advocate.

Standards for the 21st Century Learner -- AASL

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL)'s Standards for the 21^st Century Learner is an 8-page pamphlet. It is excellent. Download it. Print it. Highlight and use key words like READING, WINDOW TO THE WORLD, FUNDAMENTAL SKILL, INQUIRY, ETHICAL BEHAVIOR, etc. Refer to this frequently. Site the source and generously share URL or print version.

Post a print version in your library, staff room, site council meeting room, and school board meeting room. Post link on school and district websites. Include it in district and site-level library, curriculum, and technology plans.

Don't send it out in a mass e-mail. Better to personalize your message, maybe hand-deliver a copy to key curriculum and technology leaders, administrators, and parents. It is all about students, so be sure to include key messages:

• Students deserve equitable access to school libraries.
• School library standards enable schools to create strong school libraries.
• Strong school libraries build strong students!
  

Blended Learning - Library Role in Providing Online Instruction

eSchool News reports on results of a U.S. Department of Education study on Blended Learning. The study reveals that students who took all or part of their class online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction.

Given the finding that students do better with a mix of f2f and online instruction, it follows that teacher librarians could work with their classroom teachers and district curriculum leaders to identify or develop curriculum-supporting tutorials or mini-courses. For example, the California School Library Association (CSLA) web 2.0 tutorial for middle school students, Learning 2.0, is a library-generated online course that addresses information literacy issues as it teaches 21st century learning skills. Another CSLA tutorial, Discovering Assistive Technology, is suitable for middle and high school students as well as adults. Librarians can offer these and other tutorials to their students and classroom teachers, and include on the school library website. There are lots of good tutorials and webcasts, short or lengthy, that support or extend classroom learning. Blended learning is more common at the college and university level. Librarians can help move it into K-12 schools.

A Librarian's Life - Little Lyrics for Librarians

Library history buff Larry T. Nix blogged about a book of Librarian Lyrics and featured a fun one called "A Librarian's Life" (see below). His blog post is "Little Lyrics for Librarians", the title of a book by William Fitch Smyth (1857-1940).

A Librarian's Life

A Librarian's life is the life for me
For there's nothing at all to do, you see,
But to sit at a desk and read new books,
And admire yourself, and think of your looks.
To questioning souls one can tartly say:
"I can't be bothered with you to-day,
For I haven't finished this novel. See?"
A librarian's life is the life for me.

ALA Chicago Conference - PIO/PR Forum

Here are American Library Association Chicago Conference 2009 notes from the ALA PIO/PR program:

• Alert state and local PTA to “I Love My Librarian” contest so they can nominate their local school teacher librarians. Http://atyourlibrary.org is meant for the general public and for Teacher Librarians to use for content.

• PR Tips on ala.org/PRForum

• Dave Baum, former Chicago radio broadcaster and principal of Dave Baum Media Training Group spoke on “Using radio to deliver your messages”. Dave works with the ALA.
  

  • He says that regardless of market size, radio stations share the same strategy.

  • Internet radio might be a good tool for librarians.

  • Three (3) reasons people listen to radio: music, news & info, LOCAL content. LOCAL=LIBRARIES.

  • To use radio well, do your homework. Research your local radio stations; Ask yourself who you want to talk to – who is your audience?

  • How to be relevant:

    • Get in touch with ALA PR (PIO)

    • What are listeners interested in? Now it is jobs, economy. TELL STORIES. Bring out successful stories from patrons. What RESOURCES can libraries offer listeners? WORK HARD TO COLLECT STORIES.

    • Research which radio stations reach your audience; Check their websites. Contact the producer – say you have an idea for a story.

    • Check back with ALA about what you are pitching, what is your angle.

    • READ THE NEWSPAPERS so you can be relevant (radio and TV steal from newspapers).

• Tom MacNamee, Editor, Editorial Page, Chicago Sun Times (Op-eds, letters to the editor)

  • Newspapers are changing in interesting ways. Libraries should play off news of the day (ie, economy) and DETAILS/hard facts about the local library (concrete news). Libraries need to develop a personal connection with their newspaper editors – e-mail and call. News editors respect people who KNOW and are COMMITTED to their jobs.

  • Editorial paper.

    • Editorial. In house meetings, editorial meeting goal to personally meet and discuss issues. In order to get a message across, never bring more than 3-4 people. Less is better.

    • OP-ED: 400-500 words. TELL A STORY. Find a personal story to kick off your OP-ED.

    • Letters to the Editor.

  • People primarily read papers TO BE ENTERTAINED, so tell a good story, use real people.

  • Feature stories. Most reporters are busy and some are lazy, so make it easy for them.

    • Get your ducks in a row (ex: 3 contacts or 3 examples of people to write about)

    • Give statistics that make the story.

    • Best way to get a good “spin” is to be honest, friendly, and approachable.

    • E-mail to editor to see who to contact about a story.

    • Chicago Tribune has a place for ALL local news at http://TRIBLOCAL.com and once a week this appears in their print version of the paper.

• George Eberhart, ALA's American Libraries Direct. Weekly Wednesday eNewsletter. See http://ala.org/aldirect

  • One of the most effective marketing tools of ALA is American Libraries Direct. At one time, American Libraries Magazine filled this role. [note: I love it, but it comes too frequently!]
    

  • Each article has 4 parts: headline, text snippet, image, and link.

  • This is a way to market ALA products, news, etc.

  • Two (2) audiences:

    • ALA members and non-members (recently opened to non-members)

    • ALA Offices, Affinity groups, Roundtables

  • Basic facts on news.

  • Relevant graphics.

  • Re-write headlines.

  • Have ALA create a press release for your ALA event or news (CSLA news releases!)

  • Other news. Send link to ALDirect@ala.org (CSLA news welcome and encouraged). Send photo, logo, graphic element. Put who/what/when/where/why up front. Use headlines (i.e., mention Oprah, use lists like “top 10”, secrets of, humor, metaphors, allusions, mild exageration)

  • Put the http://ala.org/aldirect news link on the CSLA website, blog, twitter, facebook, etc.

• Eric Friedenwald-Fishman – The Power of VOICE. Metropolitan Group. “Why Multicultural Communication Matters.” See booklet on “Increasing Relevance, Relationships, and Results.”

  • Messages to Hispanic Community:

    • Libraries ensure that knowledge and information are free and accessible to use.

    • Libraries are critical pathways to opportunity

    • Libraries express value and values of diverse audiences through programs

• Kevin Kirpatrick: Delivering your message via social media.

  • PROS:

1. Cost effective

2. Faster

3. It is about creating relationships and conversations with people

4. Easy to update.

5. Ability to customize.

6. Groups come together on affinities and expertise

7. Profiles serve as identities

8. Connections build networks

9. Tweet your library!

• Website priorities:

1. Update frequently!!!

2. Refresh the look and feel of site

3. Tell stories/communicate impact

4. Increase opportunities for interactivity – add engaging photos!

5. Add contact information.

6. Add tell-a-friend, twitter, Facebook page (ex – see Brampton Library)

• How can you offer yourself as a resource?

OHIO to Fund 21st Century Student Learning Through School Libraries

Good news from Ohio. The state will fund school librarians to build strong school libraries for its students. See following announcement from Ohio School Library Association.

_________________
Hello AASL Affiliates-

Sorry I could not share this news while we were meeting in Chicago- but we just found out the details of the state budget that was passed by the Ohio House and Senate yesterday. Ohio will be funding 21st Century student learning through professionally staffed school libraries!

Starting in fiscal year 2010, under Governor Ted Strickland's evidence-based Education Reform and Funding Plan, over the next ten years, Ohio will phase in funding for licensed librarian and media specialists in Ohio's schools. For each Organizational unit as defined in Section 3306.04 of HB 1, $60,000 will be phased in for "The licensed librarian and media specialist factor." The organizational units will be determined by dividing the number of students in the district by grade levels (418 students in grades K-5, 557 in grades 6-8 and 733 in grades 9-12). In smaller school districts the number of organizational units is one unit; each district will have at least one organizational unit regardless of the formula ADM.

On Monday, July 13, the Ohio Legislature's Conference Committee voted to accept HB1 as voted on by Ohio's House of Representatives <http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/BillText128/128_HB_1_RH_N.html>. In Sec. 3306.10. (A), lines 41188 through 41207 are based on Governor Ted Strickland's Evidence-Based Education Reform and Funding Plan.

Sec. 3306.10.
(A) The technology resources support component of the adequacy amount for each city, local, and exempted village school district is the sum of the following:
(1) The licensed librarian and media specialist factor;
(2) The technical equipment factor.
(B)(1) The licensed librarian and media specialist factor shall be calculated by multiplying the number of the district's organizational units times $60,000.
(2) The technical equipment factor shall be calculated by multiplying the district's formula ADM times $250.
(C) The licensed librarian and media specialist factor and the technical equipment factor for each city, local, and exempted village school district shall be adjusted by multiplying the calculated amounts by 0.20 in fiscal year 2010, by 0.30 in fiscal year 2011, by 0.40 in fiscal years 2012 and 2013, by 0.60 in fiscal years 2014 and 2015, and by 0.80 in fiscal years 2016 and 2017.
(D) Each school district shall account separately for the amounts received for technology resources support under this section and report that information to the department of education.

Library Media Specialists in Ohio want to thank the organizations that helped us support us with the campaign- The State Library of Ohio, The Academic Library Association of Ohio and AASL for their involvement with the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.

Marie Sabol- 2009 OELMA President
Deb Logan- OELMA Advocacy Co-Chair


Please Note: This email and any response to it is being archived for later retrieval and may constitute a public record and therefore may be made available upon request in accordance with Ohio Public Records law (ORC 149.43).
************************************************************

Support Strong Libraries - DEMCO Spells It Out

ALA Chicago Conference featured tons of programs, exhibits and exhibitor events. DEMCO hosted a pizza party that celebrated strong school libraries. The Pizza restaurant encouraged wall-writing, so (with permission and a small bottle of white out....) check out the new sign above the door: "Support School Libraries!"

Well Read (Teen Read Week)

ALA Conference Live!
YALSA (young adult library services assoc) is giving out coupons for free Teen Reed Week bags from the ALA store. Blue bags say "well read" - a short, positive message! The coupon lists exhibitors and their booths -- visit them for additional Teen Read Week gifts:

• ALA Graphics (ALA Store)
• Evanced Solutions (#5217)
• Farrar, Straus & Giroux (#1811)
• Galaxy Press (#2353)
• Henry Holt (#1816)
• Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (#2212)
• Listening Library/Random House (#1734)

Theme for 2009 Teen Read Week is "Read Beyond Reality".

Step Up to the Plate @ Your Library

Live from ALA Conference Chicago!
Campaign for American Libraries Coordinator Megan McFarlane was at the ALA Conference Press Booth this afternoon. She reported on the success of "Step Up to the Plate @ Your Library", a seasonal collaboration with the National Baseball Hall of Fame. According to Megan, "most contest entries come from school libraries." This is good to know, given most schools are out for the summer and get information about the program late in the year in the midst of end-of-year tests and such. One school-public library effort resulted in several hundred students entering the contest and answering a series of baseball trivia questions.

Library Yard Signs for Top Readers

A Parish in Louisiana has the right idea -- yard signs for top readers! Kudos to the individual or team that came up with this outstanding idea and followed through on it. As a part of its summer reading program, Calcasieu Parish Public Library gives a certificate and a yard sign to youth who successfully complete ten books or have 10 books read to them by July 17. The sign declares: "A library champion lives here".

Yes, there is a web 2.0 connection here too: Parents can e-mail a digital picture of their reader with their yard sign; the pictures will then be posted on the library’s Web site, www.calcasieu.lib.la.us.

Kansas Carts Classics Throughout County

Kansas book delivery vans travel from library to library throughout Johnson County (13 libraries in all). Now the courier trucks promote some of literature's most famous characters, including Moby Dick. Barkley Advertising Agency created four (4) fun, eye-catching designs for a number of library trucks:

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• The Metamorphosis
• Moby-Dick, or The Whale
• The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

The Library encourages viewers to take and tag photos, and "tweet" when they see one! From the library website:

See the trucks in your neighborhood? Have comments or reviews to share? Please tag your photos and tweets with #jocobooktruck. Want to follow the Library in Twitter? The Johnson County Library is everywhere (online).

Library LIVE! - Goes Live Last Thursday in August

Library LIVE! is going "live" in August 2009. Orange County Department of Education Library Media Coordinator Glen Warren shared the following announcement about his new broadcast program on School Libraries:

Library LIVE!

Want to get the latest news that impacts school libraries and their learning communities?

Want to spread the news about 21^st century school libraries?

Want to MAKE news about them?

Be a part of Library LIVE!

Beginning August 2009

The Last Thursday of Each Month

Library LIVE!

Starting the last Thursday of August 2009,

Orange County Department of Education, based in southern California, will host a monthly live INTERACTIVE broadcast of Library LIVE!

Each show targets school librarians, media specialist, and technologists across the country, featuring news about the triumphs and challenges facing the 21^st century community.

The Framework of the broadcast will include four spheres of influence within education:

1. Community (educational partners)

2. Curriculum (resources and best practices)

3. Legislation (state and national policy )

4. Technology (technology trends and innovations)

Each show will feature at least one interview, with Q&A time.

And it's FREE.

You can connect TWO ways to the broadcast:

1. Through live web streaming AND/OR

2. through a video conferencing unit (e.g., Polycom or Tandberg).

The video streaming chat feature allows live interactive chat through most district firewalls.

Each broadcast will have its own unique URL link (for web streaming) and IP Address (for videoconferencing). If you would like to be a part of the Library LIVE! experience and receive up to date program information then please sign up at the below link:

http://tiny.cc/O4Ff0

If you have any questions and/or programming ideas, please contact Glen Warren at: gwarren@ocde.us