1. Which selection tools do you like best? Why?
The selection tools that I have become fond of include the LMC journal and the School Library Journal. I like the fact that it comes out on a frequent basis so it always includes new books. The other thing I like about the journals is that they include picks on technology that will be useful in the library. I also like how both journals let the reader know if the books are good selections or not. I borrowed the CCBC book from Jenny and I’ve had a great time looking through their picks and comparing what I have in my collection to their picks. I think I will purchase the CCBC books in the future.
2. How are you doing on your web page? It's due at our next class. Questions? Comments? Be ready to present it to your class.
I think my website is going alright. I started with nothing besides a generic page that was put on by our district tech person at the beginning of the year. Now I have five additional pages with a variety of information. I have had several students and teachers navigate the page to critique it for me, which has been beneficial. I have a bit more that I would like to do over the course of the next two weeks, but at times it has been frustrating because the CMS program doesn’t always allow me to do what I want to.
3. How are you doing on the Three-Year Plan? Questions?
So far I feel like I’ve collected a lot of data for my three-year plan. I’ve finished my teacher and student surveys. I’ve collected the information on the community and school. I’ve also used Titlewave to look at what areas my library is strong in and what areas it is weak in. One are area I will be focusing on are country books in the 900’s. I have several teachers who have students check out books for reports and they cannot be over 10 years old in copyright, so I want to weed that section and purchase new books. The teachers that use this section work on trimester so almost every 7th grade student uses this section some time during the school year. I will also be looking at adding DVD’s to my collection. The last section I haven’t figured out yet, but plan on doing that before the end of the week. Currently, I don’t think I have any questions regarding the project, but my guess is some will pop up as I'm working.
4. Describe 2 things that you would like to do to promote your library and its resources.
I’ve been thinking a great deal about how to promote the library and its resources and some of the ideas I have come up with include sending weekly e-mails to staff so they know what is available and what I can do. Almost like a tip of the week. I also have thought about taking an idea that Chris had a tweaking it a bit. I thought about having cookie days and using them randomly throughout the year. When a student or staff member checks out a book they get a bite-sized cookie. I figure that word will spread and students and staff that normally would not enter the library would come in just for the cookie. That would then be my opportunity to guide them to areas that may interest them and hopefully gain new patrons to my library. For Read Across America Week my district wants all of the libraries to participate, so I am thinking of coming up with some different games/quizzes that students can do during their homeroom time and if they turn them in to the library and they are correct I’ll put them in for a drawing. I’m not sure what the drawing will be for yet, but once again by having the students/staff drop off their game cards they would be entering the library, so it’s the opportunity to gain non-users and turn them in to users.
5. (Louis Questions): How has our class and this week's activities affected you in your professional life? Discuss two things that you've learned this week.
This week’s class has affected my professional life because I have learned about more selection tools that are out there for me to use. I think by seeing what my classmates liked and didn’t like was beneficial because I have developed new tools to use. Also, viewing others websites has been helpful. Just being able to see different formats is nice and gives me a better idea of how things can be done.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
December 8, 2010
What are your thoughts about Badgerlink? Did you find it easy to use? Do your patrons know about it now? What items can you use at Badgerlink so that you don't have to purchase them out of your budget?
I think Baderlink is an excellent resource that is available to the citizens of Wisconsin. I am not completely aware of the resources that Badgerlink has to offer since I was never trained or showed these resources as a teacher, so I know that I have a lot of research and exploring to do to find out all the ways it can help the students and staff. I think the teachers in my building know about Badgerlink, but I think many of the teachers don’t know all it can do or how to go about using it. One thing I would like to do is give teachers the opportunity to explore Badgerlink during a future inservice.
Some of the items that our school can use at Badgerlink for free instead of paying for are Soundzabound, Encyclopedia Britannica, the history and literature reference. I’m sure there are more items, but I’m just not aware of them all. I hope that we will continue to learn about Badgerlink and what it can do in our class.
What other databases does your library have now? Would you buy others? Which ones?
The other databases that my library has include Discovery Education, Learn 360, CultureGrams, Inspiration, ABClio, Oxford Online, World Book Encyclopedia, Wisconsin Careers, and Wisconsin Cultural Exchange. I think that we have a nice assortment of databases, however I do feel that staff need to be reminded that they are there and how to use them.
A different database that I am looking at is Gale. I don’t know a ton about Gale at the moment. The reason I will be looking in to the database is because the LMS at our high school uses it and she thought it would be good for me to review. The one downfall that there may be is that the level could be too high for the middle school so I do need to look in to that. Other than the databases I have at school, I’m not sure which other ones I would like, mainly this is because I don’t know everything that is available. I can’t wait to see what databases are at some of your schools.
Which selection tools are you using/or think you'd like to use most when selecting resources for your library?
Currently, one of the tools that I am using for selection is the School Library Journal. I have found that not only are the book lists in the back great, but the articles are wonderful and there are often web links with great information. The School Library Journal reviews all formats, so it’s a nice starting place when looking at what I would like to select. I am now using the reviews on Titlewave to help me in selecting as well. And I have to say that I did enjoy the Best Books of Young Teen Readers. The major problem I found with this is that the most current books were published in 1999. I would love to find a newer version of this, maybe one will be out next year?!
What kinds of formats do you want to have in your library?
The formats that I want to have in my library include books, magazines, newspapers, DVD’s, maps, online databases, graphic novels, comics, graphic materials, and websites. Some of the formats are obvious as to why I want to have them in my library, so I’ll discuss the items that I do not think I want and some items that I think may be beneficial down there road, but I’m not sure about yet. VHS tapes are something that I plan on not buying any more of due to the fact that they are not replacing VCR players that break, also more than half of the teachers have SmartBoards, therefore VCR’s are becoming obsolete. I would definitely like to purchase more DVD’s so that there is a better assortment for teachers. Realia is something that I may think about if the right item were to come my way, but overall I don’t think I’ll go searching for realia. Playaways are another item that I’m trying to decide if I’d like to purchase more of or not. Last year the librarian purchased about a dozen, but I don’t see them going over real well with the students. I am going to try to promote them more and see if that makes a difference, but I don’t want to spend a ton of money on something that may not get used. Likewise, I have kept very few of the tape cassettes because they never get checked out. One item I am very curious about is e-books. There has been a lot of talk about getting some Nooks for the library for check-out. Also, I know that we have several students who have their own e-books. This is something I will investigate and have to look in to with my PLN. I think e-books are something that I will be purchasing in the near future, but I need to make sure that there is a need for them in my school.
Louis Question): How has our class and this week's activities affected you in your professional life? Discuss 2 things that you've learned about this week
I think one of the things that I took from class this week is that format is unique to each library. Examining the library at West Milwaukee was a nice opportunity because it allowed me to see how it is done somewhere else and to take some ideas back to my library. I also found out what a Core Collection Publication was and how this can be beneficial to me as a librarian. I didn’t even know publications like these existed, so it was a great opportunity to learn what is out there for me to use.
I think Baderlink is an excellent resource that is available to the citizens of Wisconsin. I am not completely aware of the resources that Badgerlink has to offer since I was never trained or showed these resources as a teacher, so I know that I have a lot of research and exploring to do to find out all the ways it can help the students and staff. I think the teachers in my building know about Badgerlink, but I think many of the teachers don’t know all it can do or how to go about using it. One thing I would like to do is give teachers the opportunity to explore Badgerlink during a future inservice.
Some of the items that our school can use at Badgerlink for free instead of paying for are Soundzabound, Encyclopedia Britannica, the history and literature reference. I’m sure there are more items, but I’m just not aware of them all. I hope that we will continue to learn about Badgerlink and what it can do in our class.
What other databases does your library have now? Would you buy others? Which ones?
The other databases that my library has include Discovery Education, Learn 360, CultureGrams, Inspiration, ABClio, Oxford Online, World Book Encyclopedia, Wisconsin Careers, and Wisconsin Cultural Exchange. I think that we have a nice assortment of databases, however I do feel that staff need to be reminded that they are there and how to use them.
A different database that I am looking at is Gale. I don’t know a ton about Gale at the moment. The reason I will be looking in to the database is because the LMS at our high school uses it and she thought it would be good for me to review. The one downfall that there may be is that the level could be too high for the middle school so I do need to look in to that. Other than the databases I have at school, I’m not sure which other ones I would like, mainly this is because I don’t know everything that is available. I can’t wait to see what databases are at some of your schools.
Which selection tools are you using/or think you'd like to use most when selecting resources for your library?
Currently, one of the tools that I am using for selection is the School Library Journal. I have found that not only are the book lists in the back great, but the articles are wonderful and there are often web links with great information. The School Library Journal reviews all formats, so it’s a nice starting place when looking at what I would like to select. I am now using the reviews on Titlewave to help me in selecting as well. And I have to say that I did enjoy the Best Books of Young Teen Readers. The major problem I found with this is that the most current books were published in 1999. I would love to find a newer version of this, maybe one will be out next year?!
What kinds of formats do you want to have in your library?
The formats that I want to have in my library include books, magazines, newspapers, DVD’s, maps, online databases, graphic novels, comics, graphic materials, and websites. Some of the formats are obvious as to why I want to have them in my library, so I’ll discuss the items that I do not think I want and some items that I think may be beneficial down there road, but I’m not sure about yet. VHS tapes are something that I plan on not buying any more of due to the fact that they are not replacing VCR players that break, also more than half of the teachers have SmartBoards, therefore VCR’s are becoming obsolete. I would definitely like to purchase more DVD’s so that there is a better assortment for teachers. Realia is something that I may think about if the right item were to come my way, but overall I don’t think I’ll go searching for realia. Playaways are another item that I’m trying to decide if I’d like to purchase more of or not. Last year the librarian purchased about a dozen, but I don’t see them going over real well with the students. I am going to try to promote them more and see if that makes a difference, but I don’t want to spend a ton of money on something that may not get used. Likewise, I have kept very few of the tape cassettes because they never get checked out. One item I am very curious about is e-books. There has been a lot of talk about getting some Nooks for the library for check-out. Also, I know that we have several students who have their own e-books. This is something I will investigate and have to look in to with my PLN. I think e-books are something that I will be purchasing in the near future, but I need to make sure that there is a need for them in my school.
Louis Question): How has our class and this week's activities affected you in your professional life? Discuss 2 things that you've learned about this week
I think one of the things that I took from class this week is that format is unique to each library. Examining the library at West Milwaukee was a nice opportunity because it allowed me to see how it is done somewhere else and to take some ideas back to my library. I also found out what a Core Collection Publication was and how this can be beneficial to me as a librarian. I didn’t even know publications like these existed, so it was a great opportunity to learn what is out there for me to use.
Monday, December 6, 2010
December 1, 2010
1. Have you had a chance to get a Titlewave account set up? What features did you especially like that were pointed out during the Follett presentation? Do you think this tool will help you in your work as a library media specialist? How, specifically?
I do have a Titlewave account which was set up shortly after I started my job. Some of the features that I thought were really neat were finding out the date of each of the books. I also like that it had showed what percentage each section took up in your library and compared it to ideas of what should be in a library. I think that will allow me to easily see what areas I need to work on. Titlewave also makes it really easy to purchase items that a school needs and ones that fit in with the curriculum. I think this tool will help me in an amazing why in the library. The tools that Titlewave has will allow me to weed better, to purchase better, and to analyze my collection with a different viewpoint. I also think that by using information from Titlewave I will be better able to show administration and other teachers what is available to students and themselves.
2. What questions or comments do you have about the Follett presentation or Titlewave as you start to explore it on your own? The presenters didn't talk a great deal about what's called "full processing". Do you know what that includes? (If you don't, don't worry, we'll talk about it in class.) If you are familiar with this, what is it? Would you spend your library money on it? Why?
I don’t have any question besides the full processing. I know that I can get full processing through Follett, which I think is when they barcode, put on the call number, and cover the book. However, I’m not sure if they do the tattle tape or the school marking inside the book. I would also be curious to find out how much the full processing is. I do think that I will spend money on the full processing due to the fact that processing takes a ton of time and I think it is more valuable for me to spend my time with the students, working on lessons and staff in-service, keeping the website up-to-date, finding new tools to be used online, etc.
3. How is your Library Web Page progressing? Any concerns, comments or tips that you have this week?
My Library Media Web Page is progressing fine. I’m working on it a little bit at a time. I feel like I have a lot done, but at the same time I feel like there is so much yet to complete for it to be called finished.
4. Does your district have a Selection Policy for library materials? How would you rate it? Why?
My district does have a Selection Policy. I reviewed it for last week and rated it a 27. I thought that it was well done in general, but there I thought that the philosophy could have been clearer. I do feel that a great deal of time and effort went in to the selection policy.
5. Any questions or concerns that you've run into as you start to think about your Needs-Based Three-Year Improvement Plan?
I think that you clarified the Needs-Based-Three Year Improvement Plan well in class. Understanding that I should focus on three areas makes it seem much more manageable. I don’t think that I have any questions regarding what needs to be done.
6. Please describe 3 things that you found out about at the Milwaukee Public Library on Saturday, Dec. 4th.
Three things I found out about the Milwaukee Public Library…
1. They have a program for loaning books to patrons who have visual needs. They will ship the books to the homes of those individuals and teachers can request loans for students.
2. The Childrens sections is separate from the rest of the library which makes it more conducive to allowing children to be children and not disturb other patrons.
3. There is a section for teenagers, but it is minimal and lacking. This really surprised me.
7. Discuss 2 features of the Stritch Library that you really liked on your December 4th visit.
One thing I really liked about the Stritch Library is that it looked like a place where college age students would want to go. The furniture was up-to-date, computer table were funky, etc. I think the library definitely is trying to keep up with the age of population that it focuses on. I also like the feature of the library website. I think t here was a great deal of information on the website and the lay out was easy to use.
I do have a Titlewave account which was set up shortly after I started my job. Some of the features that I thought were really neat were finding out the date of each of the books. I also like that it had showed what percentage each section took up in your library and compared it to ideas of what should be in a library. I think that will allow me to easily see what areas I need to work on. Titlewave also makes it really easy to purchase items that a school needs and ones that fit in with the curriculum. I think this tool will help me in an amazing why in the library. The tools that Titlewave has will allow me to weed better, to purchase better, and to analyze my collection with a different viewpoint. I also think that by using information from Titlewave I will be better able to show administration and other teachers what is available to students and themselves.
2. What questions or comments do you have about the Follett presentation or Titlewave as you start to explore it on your own? The presenters didn't talk a great deal about what's called "full processing". Do you know what that includes? (If you don't, don't worry, we'll talk about it in class.) If you are familiar with this, what is it? Would you spend your library money on it? Why?
I don’t have any question besides the full processing. I know that I can get full processing through Follett, which I think is when they barcode, put on the call number, and cover the book. However, I’m not sure if they do the tattle tape or the school marking inside the book. I would also be curious to find out how much the full processing is. I do think that I will spend money on the full processing due to the fact that processing takes a ton of time and I think it is more valuable for me to spend my time with the students, working on lessons and staff in-service, keeping the website up-to-date, finding new tools to be used online, etc.
3. How is your Library Web Page progressing? Any concerns, comments or tips that you have this week?
My Library Media Web Page is progressing fine. I’m working on it a little bit at a time. I feel like I have a lot done, but at the same time I feel like there is so much yet to complete for it to be called finished.
4. Does your district have a Selection Policy for library materials? How would you rate it? Why?
My district does have a Selection Policy. I reviewed it for last week and rated it a 27. I thought that it was well done in general, but there I thought that the philosophy could have been clearer. I do feel that a great deal of time and effort went in to the selection policy.
5. Any questions or concerns that you've run into as you start to think about your Needs-Based Three-Year Improvement Plan?
I think that you clarified the Needs-Based-Three Year Improvement Plan well in class. Understanding that I should focus on three areas makes it seem much more manageable. I don’t think that I have any questions regarding what needs to be done.
6. Please describe 3 things that you found out about at the Milwaukee Public Library on Saturday, Dec. 4th.
Three things I found out about the Milwaukee Public Library…
1. They have a program for loaning books to patrons who have visual needs. They will ship the books to the homes of those individuals and teachers can request loans for students.
2. The Childrens sections is separate from the rest of the library which makes it more conducive to allowing children to be children and not disturb other patrons.
3. There is a section for teenagers, but it is minimal and lacking. This really surprised me.
7. Discuss 2 features of the Stritch Library that you really liked on your December 4th visit.
One thing I really liked about the Stritch Library is that it looked like a place where college age students would want to go. The furniture was up-to-date, computer table were funky, etc. I think the library definitely is trying to keep up with the age of population that it focuses on. I also like the feature of the library website. I think t here was a great deal of information on the website and the lay out was easy to use.
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