

SCHOOL LIBRARIES:  
WHAT'S NOW, WHAT'S NEXT, WHAT COMES AFTER

edited by

Kristin Fontichiaro and Buffy Hamilton

Foreword by R. David Lankes

Photographs by Diane Cordell

SMASHWORDS EDITION

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PUBLISHED BY:

Kristin Fontichiaro and Buffy Hamilton on Smashwords

Each essay and photograph appears thanks to a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives license granted to the editors by each author. This license allows each essay for redistribution, commercial and non-commercial, as long as it is passed along unchanged and in whole, with credit to the essay's author.

Smashwords Edition License Notes

Thank you for downloading this free ebook. Although this is a free book, we hope you will encourage your friends to download their own copy at Smashwords.com, where they can also discover other works. Thank you for your support.

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DEDICATION

For all who contributed to this book and to Aurora -- welcome to the world!

K.F.

To Joy Moore Hardy, Mary Ann Fitzgerald, and David Lankes, the three most influential librarians of my life.

B.H.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

OVERTURES

FOREWORD: R. David Lankes: Hanging in the Balance

EDITORS' INTRODUCTION: Kristin Fontichiaro and Buffy Hamilton: The Future of School Librarians: Fight, Flight, or Flourish

CHAPTER 1: LEARNERS

Jennifer Stanbro: Learning That Lasts

Tricia Kuon: The Jetsons Have Arrived: 21st-Century Learners Are Connected

Kathleen McBroom: Common Core Standards for 21st-Century Learners: All of 'Em

Shannon Hyman: You Had Me At "Hello"

Walter McKenzie: The 21st-Century Schoolhouse

Sara Kelley-Mudie: We Are All 21st-Century Learners

Mega Subramaniam: The 21st-Century Learning Lab in the K-12 School: The School Library

Robert Baigent: The Fearless Librarian

CHAPTER 2: WHO AND WHEN WE TEACH

Donna Watt: Beginning With One Special Teacher

Jennifer LaGarde: The Future of Libraries is Now!

Stacy Dillon: What Faberge Organics Taught Me About Librarianship

Beth Gourley: The Only Boundaries? Time, Energy, and Imagination

Heather Hersey and Marci Zane: Putting the Teacher in Teacher-Librarian

CHAPTER 3: EMERGING AND MULTIPLE LITERACIES

Laura Fleming: Transmedia Storytelling

Elizabeth Friese: School Libraries and Run-On Sentences

Howard Rheingold: New Literacies and Librarians

Evan St. Lifer: Lighting the Fuse of Inquisitiveness

Adrienne Matteson: New

CHAPTER 4: GAMING

Neil Krasnoff: Chess in the Library: Gateway to Research, the Social Web, and a Life of the Mind

David Meyer: A Place for Electronic Gaming in Libraries

Dan Bowen: Games-Based Learning, Literacy, Engagement, and Motivation

Kimberly Hirsh: Gaming for the 21st-Century Learner

CHAPTER 5: READING

Alida Hanson: Reading 2.0: Deep, Dark Secrets

Kelly Ahlfeld: The Future of Reading is Power -- Just Like the Present

Erin Drankwalter Wyatt: Fostering a Culture of Reading: As the Tools Change, the Text Remains

Jesse Karp: How We Learn to Care

Jennifer Colby: The Future of Storytimes: "On With the Show, This Is It!": The School Media Specialist as Performer

Teri S. Lesesne: Elroy Jetson Meets Captain Kirk at the School Library

Kate MacMillan: Athletes as Readers and Leaders

Pamela Jackson: Reading Interrupted: In Pursuit of Passion

Rachel Goldberg: Book Fairs 2.0

CHAPTER 6: PHYSICAL LIBRARIES

Len Bryan: The Physical Library -- Still Relevant

Margaret Sullivan: Planning School Libraries, Overcoming Decision Fatigue

Karen Villegas: The Library's Last Stand

Wendy Steadman Stephens: School Libraries as a Last Hope for Preserving American Democracy

Angela Washington-Blair: Inspiring Physical Library Spaces for High School Students

Margaret Sullivan: Tinkering Around the Library

CHAPTER 7: VIRTUAL LIBRARIES

Linda Straube: Together We Light the Way

Valerie Hill: Virtual World Libraries: A Global Community of Learners

Holly Weimar: Living in the Material World? Well, Virtually I Am

Joyce Kasman Valenza: I Want to Be an App

CHAPTER 8: COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT

Holli Buchter: Opening Day Collection for a Non-Dewey Library: The Red Hawk Elementary Library Story

Andrea Dolloff: Deleting Dewey: Elementary Style

Ben Mondloch: The Power of eBooks

Cathy Jo Nelson: Ten Reasons a School Library and Certified Librarian are Vital to Schools

Kathleen Atkin: Best of Times, Worst of Times: Responsible Collection Development in Changing Times

CHAPTER 9: COLLABORATION

Lorna Flynn: Outside and Inside Teamwork

Neil Krasnoff: Cultivating the Next Bill Gates in Your Library: Collaborating with Computer Programming Teachers and Students to Develop Software for Reading Incentive Programs

Diane Cordell: Bridging Space and Time: Collaborating for Learning

Kate MacMillan: Napa Valley School and Public Library Collaboration

Margaret Lincoln: A 21st-Century Collaborative Success Story

Beverley Rannow: Library 101 Sierra Leone Style

Jeanna Walker: They Said Yes!

Leslie L. Morgan: Collaboration with Academic and Public Librarians is the Future of School Librarians

Heather Hersey, Marci Zane, Cathy Stutzman, and Meg Donhauser: Capturing the Voices of All Stakeholders: Teachers, Librarians, Students, and a Supervisor Plan and Assess an Inquiry Unit

Emilia Askari: School Librarians and Journalists - Unite for Digital Literacy!

Senga White: Collaboration: The Key Link Between Librarians and Teachers

Jeff Stanzler and Kristin Fontichiaro: Show, Don't Tell

Amanda Yaklin: The Blink of an Eye

Caitlin Stansell: Jeanna the Queena

Diane Erica Aretz-Kernahan: Librarians are the World's Coolest People

CHAPTER 10: PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

Melissa P. Johnston: Preparing 21st-Century School Librarian Leaders

Nikki D. Robertson: The Unapologetic Twitvangelist

Senga White: Networking and Why We Need to Flock Together

Susan D. Ballard: We're Working on That

Carolyn Jo Starkey: Empowering School Librarians Through Professional Learning Communities

William Cross and Kimberly Hirsh: Legal Education for School Librarians

Violet H. Harada: Conducting First-Year Seminars

Daniella Smith: Champions of Equal Learning Opportunities

Joanne de Groot and Jennifer Branch: A Sandbox for Teacher-Librarians: Learning to Play 2.0

Michael Stephens: Filled with Heart: Characteristics of 21st-Century School Librarians

Alice Yucht: Professional Development is a Professional Responsibility

Dorcas Hand: Reimagineers for K-12 Libraries

LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS

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OVERTURES

FOREWORD: HANGING IN THE BALANCE

The future of school libraries and school librarians hangs in the balance. Every year communities are presented with a false choice: reduce the number of teachers in the classroom or lay off the librarian. A false choice because school librarians are teachers – their classrooms beyond the four walls of the library and extending into every classroom; indeed into every student's home with resources and assistance. All too often schools are making the bet on the short term, seeking to reinforce traditional classroom instruction rather than investing in inquiry and student-directed learning. At the federal, state, and local level our schools are doubling down on a model of education that seeks validation in test scores, and reifies practices set in place in the industrial age.

That is the story that we tell ourselves in conferences, on blogs, and in district meetings. It is clear to us the way forward. It is clear to us that librarians can unlock the potential of our children by unlocking their passions. We see the future of truly connected students who are literate beyond reading and writing and can move, as Barbara Stripling says, from knowledge to understanding. Yet that message will not escape the conference, nor meeting, nor our echo chamber of LM_NET and blogs unless we evangelize that message.

To evangelize is more than simply reciting the message. To advocate is to go beyond agreeing with a cause. To truly seek change is to live our own message. We, as librarians, must talk the talk and walk the walk. If you see yourself as a vital partner with teachers, you had better have teachers that say the same of you. If you seek to turn students into passionate learners, you must also learn – every day. You must become nothing less than a radical positive change agent. It is not enough to create a haven of true learning in your library -- you must spread that environment throughout the school.

Horace Mann (1859) once said, "Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity." Tall words to be sure. Who was Mann? Mann was a legislator, and the Secretary of Education in the State of Massachusetts at the turn of the 19th Century -- and a librarian. Many credit Mann with laying the foundations of public education in this country. When he talked about victory for humanity, he was talking about how we educate our youth. His victory was not won on a battlefield, or in some remote campaign, but in the classroom.

The future of school libraries and school librarians hangs in the balance. But the final decision cannot be made by administrators or school boards alone. It must be shaped and made by librarians in concert with, and frankly, at times in opposition to those who hold power in our schools. We must shape the future not to save ourselves, our jobs, or some sense of tradition. No, we win this victory for our students.

School librarians have more research supporting their effect than any other library type out there. The researchers have done their work and shown that it is the presence of a certified school librarian test scores rise. The national and state associations have done their jobs. They have set the standards and done what advocacy they can. The real work here is now up to you. This great victory for humanity – the embrace of learning and inquiry over memorization and testing – will be won student by student, teacher by teacher, district by district. We have examples: now we must have the courage to leave the confines of the library and become new examples.

In this book you will read others views on the future and what concerns school librarians. These are the voices of the brave and the concerned. You must add your voice. If you read these essays and disagree, then disagree and suggest another view. If you read these and agree, then voice your support. If you read these and learn, use your learning and teach others. If, on the other hand you read these essays and voices and remain mute, you abdicate the future. Don't.

Dr. R. David Lankes

Professor and Dean's Scholar for the New Librarianship

Syracuse University's School of Information Studies, Syracuse, New York

rdlankes@iis.syr.edu

quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/

@rdlankes

WORKS CITED

Mann, Horace. 1859. Quote from address at Antioch College. Web. <<http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/2046.html>>

* * *

EDITORS' INTRODUCTION:

**THE FUTURE OF SCHOOL LIBRARIANS: FIGHT, FLIGHT, OR FLOURISH**

" _Libraries are dead."_

" _The future of librarians is that they're gone."_

" _We don't need libraries in the era of the Internet, much less librarians."_

" _We've got classroom libraries of our own; we don't need a school library."_

" _What we need is tech integrators, not bookish librarians."_

" _You're just a bunch of shushers."_

If you're a school librarian, you've heard one or all of these phrases before. They pop up everywhere from a Board of Education meeting to a PTA coffee klatsch, a weekend cocktail party with friends or an ed tech blog. And yet you can always point to someone or somewhere where innovative, student-centered practices are deepening engagement, maximizing student skills development, and helping students learn the lifelong habits and behaviors that will help them lead info-savvy lives. It's undeniable that the number of certified school librarians is on the decline just as it's equally undeniable that the explosion of digital resources -- in parallel with existing print resources -- means students and classroom teachers need more support than ever before. Right down to the shadow of the guillotine, many of us have invoked Dickens, muttering, "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times" (1996, 1).

For many in our profession, it is a daily challenge to promote great learning practices while simultaneously fighting off budget cuts, library staff reductions, dilapidated technology equipment, and outdated job descriptions. One is reminded of those movie scenes where the hero is trying to simultaneously race through traffic while fending off sniper fire. We are in an era of flight or flight. It's tiring. Do we stay, fight the good fight, and continue to get black-eyed from time to time? Do we escape, knowing that our perspective and resources are valuable for kids and that by abandoning the fight, they may get to college unable to negotiate their professors' research paper expectations?

And what are we fighting for? A static profession of books? Storytime at the carpet? Deep rigor? Curriculum leadership? Circulation statistics? Whiteboards? After-school tutoring in our spaces or online? Pathfinders? Books? Multimedia? Critical thinking? Laptop carts? Innovative instruction? A place where teachers can requisition batteries and kids can buy poster boards? A large room where quarterly standardized testing brings new learning to a halt?

What is the future of school libraries? More particularly, what is the future of school librarians? At the present time, libraries aren't being closed in schools; librarians are the loss leaders.

For those of us still working in schools, what are we working toward? For those of us sent back into classrooms or other professions to await a better future, like Eastern European partisans waiting in the forests for rescue after Soviet Occupation, what would life after liberation look like? Both are valid and valuable questions.

Those are some of the question we posed to the extended school librarian community. What is the future going to be like? What do you see? What can you hold up from your own practice as a lantern to illuminate the way for others? These questions are too big to be answered by any single librarian, district, organization, or task force. They take collective thinking. And so we made an unusual overture: all voices would be heard, regardless of experience, reputation, or perpsective. (We drew the line at muckraking and fingerpointing; for our original guidelines, visit <http://bit.ly/ebooksubmissionguidelines>.)

As we began to envision this book, both of us were acutely aware that print books, the bread-and-butter of libraries for hundreds of years, were undergoing a dramatic format shift. Like the tablets and scrolls of societies past which had given way to bound print titles, the deckle-edged pages are now ceding to eBooks, eReaders, and digital text. Will print books, like the document formats of the past, disappear from our shelves? Or will print and digital texts co-exist, like microwave ovens and stoves, each providing affordances that the other cannot match? Or will yet a new wave of developments take over? No one knows for sure. Ownership and licensing arrangements are in nascent stages. Some librarians fear eBooks, worrying that eReaders remove bookstores and libraries as the traditional "middlemen" between reader and word. How do we deal with such fears while simultaneously moving forward?

Libraries. Librarians. Text. All in flux, reminding us of the apocryphal (but untrue) story that the Chinese symbol for crisis is made up of the symbols for danger and opportunity. How we interpret that apocryphal character depends on our context and our mindsets.

So we decided to tackle these issues -- fight or flight in libraries, and the digitization of resources -- head-on. But not alone. We are both interested in digital text and experimenting with it in our learning spaces. And we had recently discovered that publishing and distributing an eBook -- even getting an ISBN and getting the title distributed to major eBook retailers like Apple's iBookstore and Barnesandnoble.com -- could be done for free. Liberated by the space, time, and cost of traditional publication, what if we tackled all these issues together? As a profession? With adequate space for all voices -- from the never-published practitioner in a small town to the university ivory tower, from the publisher to the furniture vendor \-- to be heard?

What new inspirations could we gain from one another? What new questions might arise? What might help us gain strength and inspiration from one another, even as our roles and duties expand and our job security and salaries decrease?

Social media helped propel this project forward, and we thank the many librarians and colleagues who tweeted, Facebooked, emailed, talked, shared, and twisted their colleagues' arms to participate. Thank you to Diane Cordell for her cover photo and to Paul D. Storrie (http://www.storrieville.com) for his title suggestion. We thank all those who screwed up the courage to put pen to paper, finger to key, pixel to screen and shared their hearts and intellect with us. We didn't have a big publisher behind us -- just a simple Google Site and a handful of Google Forms. Thank you for believing that a publication philosophy of "everybody in, nobody out -- unless you're mean" could work. Thank you for sharing your stories. Stories of struggle, courage, blossoming, realization, growth, resolution, and accomplishment. Calls to action, manifestos, and visions.

Libraries. Librarians. Text. Flux. Crisis. Danger. Opportunity.

Welcome to our opportunity. Welcome to our profession. Despite all the odds, we still have something worth saying.

Kristin Fontichiaro

Clinical Assistant Professor

School of Information

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

font@umich.edu

www.fontichiaro.com

http://blog.schoollibrarymonthly.com

@activelearning

Buffy Hamilton

The Unquiet Librarian

Creekview High School

Canton, GA

buffy.hamilton@gmail.com

theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com

@buffyjhamilton

WORKS CITED

Dickens, Charles. 1996. _A Tale of Two Cities_. New York: Pocket Books. Print.

* * *
.. 
CHAPTER 1

LEARNING THAT LASTS

When I look into my future life as a school librarian, I don't see massive upheavals or revolutions. I see students who are very much like the ones I see today, who are learning to move from the unknown to the known.

I began my career in education as a technology instructor but later moved into libraries because I saw that the librarian tapped into the enduring core of what a strict focus on technology could only circle around with its endless stream of upgrades, inventions, and applications. I saw the skill my students needed was to be able to construct meaning and communicate effectively with any tool that happened to be at hand. The tools and media formats are constantly changing, but the processes involved and the habits of mind engaged remain the same.

Sure, the school library will look different physically and the media formats will change. The technologies we use will get smaller and more portable. Our physical collections will shrink and our virtual collections will grow.

The libraries in my district are doing away with most of our reference materials. We are designing flexible spaces and installing digital whiteboards. Our libraries can sometimes seem more like video production studios, art rooms, or teenage hangouts. We have evolved from desktops to laptops and are now flirting with tablets. Our curriculum conversations contain words like transliteracy and infographics. We are talking about how we can deliver services across distances and after hours. When I present to administration, I talk about teacher librarians as agents of change.

But in my heart I know that I am really performing the same timeless task that teacher librarians have been doing for years: I am clearing a path to new knowledge and experience. I am building a space where people can explore available forms of art and media in solitude or with others. As librarians, we open doors with information. We deal in the art of accessing, constructing and presenting knowledge.

On the surface, it might seem like we are a whole new profession. In fact, I have sometimes heard my colleagues described as "more than librarians" or "not really librarians" because they do so much more than hand out books. But "librarian" is not a misnomer for those who embrace collaboration, adapt to new technologies, and serve as leaders in schools. We do not need a new title. We don't even really need a new job description. We are and will continue to be librarians.

Jennifer Stanbro

K-5 Library Information Integrator & K-12 Library Coordinator

South Portland School Department, South Portland, ME

stanbrje@spsd.org

dreaminglibraries.blogspot.com

@jenstanbro

* * *

THE JETSONS HAVE ARRIVED:

**21ST-CENTURY LEARNERS ARE CONNECTED**

I was recently eating dinner out with my husband and five children who range in age from 16 years old down to 8 months. I was holding the baby and playing pat-a-cake with her and stopped for a minute to look around to see what everyone else was doing. My 16 year old daughter was on her phone talking and using face time with her iPod at the same time (talking to two different people). My 13 year old daughter was reading Manga on her iPod Touch. My 11 year old son was playing Words with Friends on my iPhone with my friends (he actually Googles hard words and scores more points than I do) while my 4 year old son was looking up YouTube videos for the Nick Jr. show _Backyardigans_ on the iPad. My husband was on his iPhone reading about football online (he is in two separate fantasy football leagues).

Now, I found it kind of funny that we were all sitting together to have dinner, yet everyone was connected to their electronic gadget... and then I decided to look around to see what was going on at the tables nearby. I started to laugh when I realized that the scene at our table was also the scene at almost every table in the restaurant!

As a child, I remember watching _The Jetsons_ and thinking how cool it would be to be able to see the person you are talking to on the phone. Of course, that possibility is now a reality. The Jetsons are here. They are in our classrooms and our libraries, and I think that we should embrace the possibilities available as a result of this wonderful phenomena.

You are probably saying to yourself, "She is going to say we need more technology in the libraries but technology is so expensive and we don't have money." Actually, it would be wonderful to have more technology owned by the library. However, in hard economic times, we could allow students to use the technology they already own.

Almost every child, and I do mean child (including my 4 year old), owns an iPod or smartphone. Rather than banning use of these wonderful inventions at school, we could show students how to use their gadgets, or toys as the case may be, to learn.

Last May my daughter learned in her first period class that she was going to have a quiz in her 5th period class after lunch. She texted and asked me to go to her teacher's website, copy the study guide questions and answers, and paste them in a text message to her so that she could study during lunch. It took me about one minute to do this for her , and she aced the quiz. Later, she said if they would just have WiFi available at school and let her use her iPod, she could have retrieved this information herself.

The availability of these electronic gadgets opens up a huge number of possibilities for us as educators. In the future, I think schools will embrace allowing students to use their iPods and cell phones in class and we as librarians will help by showing teachers and students the many uses of these wonderful technologies.

Tricia Kuon

Assistant Professor

Library Science Department, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX

tav005@shsu.edu

* * *

**COMMON CORE STANDARDS FOR 21ST-CENTURY LEARNERS – ALL OF 'EM**

One of the main justifications for the Common Core State Standards is the premise that all students across the United States will be held to universal standards. The geographic aspect of the "all" designation tends to get the most attention in that the movement seeks to eradicate the differences between existing state expectations. However, another application of "all" refers to individual students, including children who are members of subgroups. "All" encompasses each and every child, including those who are economically disadvantaged, qualify for special education services, or are English Language Learners. All these children will be held to the same rigorous standards. Teachers will be scrambling to locate appropriate support materials that allow them to scaffold instruction. Teachers will need to ensure that every student has access to foundational background knowledge that levels the playing field. Teachers will need differentiated material that explains and reinforces fundamental academic vocabulary. Teachers will need multiple reading selections that reflect increasingly sophisticated text complexity for all students, no matter their starting point.

These challenges present unique opportunities for school librarians to strut our prowess in finding engaging and accessible information resources. We have always included readers' advisory as part of our repertoires. It is not that much of a stretch to extend that aspect of our job to "researchers' advisory" – connecting the right child with the right resource at the right time. Databases that compile sources in multiple formats and multiple reading levels, including Lexile designations, are just a starting point. Our familiarity with nonfiction, graphic literature, picture books, photo-biographies, primary sources, pop-up books, e-zines, avatars, digital data, Web 3.0, gaming, blogs, media, and other nascent modalities will be a boon to beleaguered teachers. Our ability to integrate differentiated learning experiences, such as using technology to conduct research and create and publish results, will expand formative and summative assessment options, allowing students additional opportunities to demonstrate mastery of content. We are perfectly positioned to offer solutions to teachers who are reeling from the implications of ensuring that "all" students meet evolving and demanding common core standards.

We can cross content areas with ease. We can offer subject area support because of our knowledge of publishing trends. More importantly, we know what will engage students. We have the skill set to match students to information sources that will make content relevant, interesting, and accessible.

School librarians need to reach out to these students and their teachers. Current best practices support mainstreaming and co-teaching scenarios for special populations, and many schools still feature self-contained classrooms or pull-out support services. No matter the configuration, we need to find out who these students are, and establish ourselves as their allies and advocates. We need to expand our client base. We need to show that we are full partners in the educational process, and that we can help all students learn and grow.

Kathleen McBroom

Coordinator, Compensatory Education & School Improvement

Dearborn Public Schools

Dearborn, MI

mcbrook@dearborn.k12.mi.us

* * *

YOU HAD ME AT "HELLO"

In our fast-paced, information-saturated, over-stimulated world, we have to engage our students the moment they arrive. Otherwise, we risk losing their attention at best, and possibly shutting down their natural curiosity at worst.

It's Monday morning. A seventh-grade class files into the library to begin their inquiry for an expository research paper. The librarian greets the class warmly, reviews the assigned topics, discusses the research process, shows the students a variety of resources, and demonstrates how to search and cite in the school's awesome databases. What happens next?

A. Students dive in, voraciously seeking information to answer self-created burning questions. The room buzzes with collaborative conversation and discovery.

B. Those students who have not fallen asleep are thinking of how to get a hall pass or catch up with friends.

If you picked "B," you're right. How do we get to "Option A"? It's simple. To meet the needs of our 21st-century learners, we have to think like THEM! How do we do that? By providing engaging, high-interest connections designed to awaken prior knowledge and linking it to the research ahead we will jump-start the creation of new, authentic, and globally-shared knowledge.

It's easy: keep your finger on the pulse of what is happening now in the lives of teens. What is important? Grabs their attention? Makes them wonder or laugh? Frightens them? In many cases, answers can be found by tapping into the world of social media and pop culture.

Imagine an inquiry lesson where students research a controversial topic in order to write an expository paper. Start with a high-interest, easily-debated question. For example, ask, "Beyond age, what skills should a person have before being allowed to drive?" This high-stakes question usually brings enthusiastic responses. One student suggests needing to pass a driving test. Jump on it! Open up the laptops, navigate to the state DMV site, and take a five-minute practice test. Afterwards, ask if their scores have impacted their confidence in driving; then return to the original question to explore other opinions. Many students will suggest that future drivers need to understand how a car works, as well as be able to focus and drive safely.

This inevitably leads to a passionate discussion about the things that compete for drivers' attention, complete with first-hand (primary source!) accounts of older siblings (and parents!) driving while texting, eating, chatting, and scrolling though iPods. Here is your next chance to capitalize on the excitement: Challenge the students to another type of quiz: The Awareness Test. Invite students to watch a video (<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfA3ivLK_tE>) and follow its directions to count basketball passes carefully. Here is where the hook comes in: while viewers are carefully counting passes, a bear dances through the game -- unnoticed!

The students are shocked by what they miss and absolutely raucous with laughter over how easily they can be distracted. NOW the students are ready to enthusiastically dive into their research, voraciously seeking information to answer self-created burning questions about controversial topics that interest them. What could be better? How about the number of students who go on to seek not just articles and websites for their topic, but also interactive resources such as video and primary source interviews?

Our library program uses tweets, podcasts, movie trailers, television commercials, music videos, blogs, and more to connect students to the inquiry process. High-interest introductions can awaken prior knowledge and set the stage for engaging, participatory learning. Capture your students' attention from the start. Get 'em at "Hello" and you'll empower them with the curiosity and confidence to be lifelong learners.

Shannon Hyman

School Librarian

Byrd Middle School: Henrico, VA

schyman@henrico.k12.va.us

<http://blogs.henrico.k12.va.us/byrdlibrary>

* * * *

THE 21ST-CENTURY SCHOOLHOUSE

It's a bright, sunny Tuesday morning, and students are entering Roosevelt Elementary school with excitement and energy. No backpacks. No luggage on wheels. Just lunch bags and handheld devices.

As they enter the renovated 75-year old building, students find places to settle in. No homerooms. No morning announcements. Everyone busily logs in to the network system using their personal devices, indicating they are present for the day, reading school announcements, and reviewing their individual schedules for the day.

No bells. No hall passes. No tardy slips. The student body shifts and resettles as small groups come together to work on their first project of the day. Original classroom walls have been taken out to create larger collaborative spaces with a lot of light from multiple sets of existing windows. There are throw rugs, chairs, couches, coffee tables, high-legged stools, and larger work tables arranged and rearranged to meet the needs of ad hoc groups, as students busily delve into their work.

Teachers move through the open spaces, listening, questioning, coaching, and mentoring. No content commandos. No task masters. No clock watchers. Everyone is interacting and engaged as a low, purposeful buzz fills every nook and cranny of this once very traditional school. Files, documents, and artifacts are captured and uploaded on the school network, which is fully secure and authenticated yet open to all student devices, much like a college campus network.

After a constructive set of meetings disperse, students reconfigure themselves in new groups based on interests, research, and projects. Imagining, brainstorming, videoconferencing, immersion excursions, and deep dives proliferate as students meaningfully engage one another, their parents and extended family, fellow local citizens, students from disparate geographic locations, and subject-matter experts from around the world. Before they know it, the morning is spent and it is time to break for lunch and get some fresh air and exercise.

Returning to work, students opt to use their time after lunch for online journaling about their work, publishing results of recently completed projects and proposing new work to solve problems and create new products in the process. Teachers are partners, equally invested with the students in finding meaningful research to do, accomplishing identified goals, and sharing the fruits of their work with other schools, universities, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and private corporations.

The focus in this environment is not on teaching and learning and measuring success, but on contributing meaningfully to a growing global body of knowledge around pertinent, high-interest topics that help improve society both online and off. Journaling and publishing give way to gaming and virtual reality labs as students immerse themselves in activities that stimulate all the intelligences.

Each part of the day flows into the next, and as the afternoon winds down, students huddle together in small groups to review their work for the day and discuss what tomorrow holds when they once again return to the Roosevelt campus. Devices sign out and log off of the school network as students prepare to head home and pursue their interests remotely. No homework per se; just ongoing interests fueling the desire to understand, internalize, and innovate.

School environments can look very much different for students in the future if we are willing to let go of the trappings of schools of the past. No worksheets. No one-size-fits-all texts. No computer labs. No classrooms. No grade levels. No age cut-offs. An educational career that begins at home, flowing through public education and then into higher education and the workplace.

Walter McKenzie

Director of Constituent Services

ASCD

wmckenzie@ascd.org

http://www.ascd.org

@walterASCD

* * *

WE ARE ALL 21st-CENTURY LEARNERS

Every once in a while I'll read an article or blog post about what the current generation is like, and I think, "Yep, they totally nailed it. We're just like that." And then I have this moment where I realize that I'm not actually part of the current generation. So why is that I so often feel like articles describing the "current generation" are also describing me?

I think part of it is that working with young people keeps you more connected with the mindset of young people. It also makes it easier to remember what you felt like at that age.

More importantly, I think that even though we often think of the current generation as somehow "other" in their facility with new technologies, these new technologies highlight what teachers and learners of all generations have in common.

The demands placed on 21st-century learners—to explore, learn, and incorporate new ideas and technologies—are not new, but the pace has increased exponentially.

And while there are many of us who, as 21st-century educators, find our professional and personal lives enriched by these technologies, there are still those who claim they don't "do" technology.

Part of me can't blame teachers and librarians who are wary of engaging with new technology, and I think part of their hesitation follows naturally from some of the rhetoric that has surrounded the discussion of "digital natives." We speak of younger generations as if they come naturally to new technologies; the implication is that there is a steep learning curve ahead for those who are not "natives." The language of "digital natives" and "digital immigrants" implies a divide, and by focusing on what separates us, we make the idea of engaging with emerging technologies analogous to moving to an entirely new world—which is exciting, to be sure but can also be terrifying and overwhelming.

I believe that rather than focusing on what sets one generation apart, it is far more valuable to focus on what connects us as teachers and learners. The things we have in common—and the issues we're concerned about—pre-date the technology we're working with.

Shakespeare (and Sophocles) understood the power of and need for entertainment and the arts—and the gladiators understood that our tastes in entertainment have not always been refined. Van Gogh and Michelangelo understood the drive to create. Melvil Dewey was debating spelling conventions long before instant messaging and texting came along. Anyone who has ever brought home a paper or picture or paper to post on the fridge (which I would bet is most of us) understands the desire to share accomplishments. And as a five-year-old standing outside a neighbor's house calling for a friend to come out and play, I understood the need for social connections; my desire for social connections was disturbing the neighborhood long before Facebook entered the picture.

New technologies do not create or fill some new need; they allow us all to express needs that have existed for generations. We seek connection, we seek to understand, and we seek to feel understood. That is not something that separates "digital natives"—it is something that connects us all.

It is not about the technology; it is about the goals and desires that we all share. The desire to share and create is not something new; the impulses are the same, the tools are new. And yes, the tools require new learning, but when we focus on what connects us, we all become 21st-century learners. Together.

Sara Kelley-Mudie

Director of Library Services and Research Instruction

The Forman School, Litchfield, CT

Librarian.skm@gmail.com

kmthelibrarian.blogspot.com

@skm428

* * *

THE 21ST-CENTURY LEARNING LAB IN THE K-12 SCHOOL:

**THE SCHOOL LIBRARY**

Imagine creating a science artifact in the school with scientists from MIT. Imagine developing a new approach to information search with research leaders from Google. Imagine modeling a hurricane projection path with meteorologists from NOAA. Imagine creating music education previously not seen before with professionals from Carnegie Hall. Imagine bringing children to environmental education with the vast resources and expertise of the United States National Park Service. Imagine engaging students with materials from the Library of Congress and NARA. Imagine students interacting with exhibits at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History from their classrooms. Imagine if these content experts and resources came together in a living, learning lab school for the 21st-century – the SCHOOL LIBRARY via the creative endeavors of the school librarian.*

So, one may ask, given that we live in a nation so focused on high stakes testing and making sure that our children are on par with other developed nations in terms of test scores, can the above actually take place in our nation's schools? If there is one place in school where this learning environment can materialize, it will indeed be in the SCHOOL LIBRARY. "Why?" you may ask. The anecdotal stories that follow I have heard from school librarians and they inspire me to think that we are well on our way:

* A school librarian from a public school in Maryland tweets that his student has designed 33 games by himself using SCRATCH programming, and he only gets to do this in the school library because it is the only place where he has access to a computer.

* A school librarian from a private school serving students with special needs in Maryland tells me, "My principal asks me to design the library for the average special needs student. I have never met an "average" child, and I don't think I will ever meet an "average" special needs student. I want the school library to answer the need of every child in my school".

* A school librarian from a private school serving students with autism spectrum disorder in the mid-Atlantic mentions that some of her high-functioning students build apps with her guidance during lunch hours in the school library.

* A school librarian in a public school in Washington D.C. created a collection of graphic novels to encourage his middle schoolers to read, and he now opens the library after-school because the students complain about not being allowed to read graphic novels during instructional hours.

* A school librarian collaborated with her students at a public school in Maryland to publish a book on organisms that grow in the wetlands at the school's backyard. They consulted with a biologist from a science research center during the project.

* A group of school librarians in Washington D.C. metro area will be pioneering a virtual peer network (working around the technology policy in schools) where children will read science fiction books and watch science based movies, and participate in science infused multimedia storytelling activities that allow them to create characters and stories revolving around the themes and characters that they have read or watched.

...and I can go on with many more examples.

As I hear these stories, I realize that the concept of a living-learning lab is already taking shape in school libraries. There are several unique strengths that school librarians offer to their students, and leveraging their expertise will ensure that the living-learning lab becomes a reality. To build and sustain the learning community of the future as envisioned in the beginning, I see librarians functioning at three major roles in the school (in addition to the five outlined in our new standards): technology ally, learning specialist, and diversity ambassador in their schools. Embracing these roles should be the next step for school librarians for the 21st-century.

Mega Subramaniam

Assistant Professor

College of Information Studies, University of Maryland, College Park, MD

mmsubram@umd.edu

<http://www.terpconnect.umd.edu/~mmsubram/>

@mmsubram

Introduction inspired by Allison Druin, Associate Dean for Research, College of Information Studies, University of Maryland

* * *

THE FEARLESS LIBRARIAN

Students are accustomed to being able to find anything they want at the click of a button. Want the answer to your homework question? Simply type it into Google and see what comes up. It's a fearless approach to searching for information that reflects the comfort students have in the online world. But as we know, information literacy is more than just search and hope. The websites students find can be disreputable, misleading. or outright lies. Certainly there might be some quality amongst the dross, but students often lack the stamina, wherewithal, or patience to sift through what they find.

Luckily (in New Zealand) there is a solution: AnyQuestions.co.nz!

AnyQuestions.co.nz (and its companion sites UiaNgāPātai.co.nz and ManyAnswers.co.nz) is a free online reference service for New Zealand school students. The service is staffed by friendly librarians from around New Zealand and is funded by the Ministry of Education to provide information literacy skills. Operators don't find information for students but rather assist students in developing information literacy skills so they can find the information for themselves. The service exists to supplement the great work that school librarians do already, and since 2005 the service has helped over 80,000 New Zealand school students.

In many ways AnyQuestions is the future of librarianship, a decentralized service that students access as and when they need.

Yet many AnyQuestions operators are uneasy in this space. There is a definite sense that the online environment is a space where students have the power. After all, in the real life physical library, a Librarian is perceived as having arcane knowledge and that he or she is the Information Specialist, yet online, students are perceived as being the experts; this space is where they are comfortable and navigate with ease.

Of course this argument that the students have the power is fundamentally flawed. Students log on to AnyQuestions.co.nz because they don't have the skills to find the information they are looking for, skills which the librarian does have.

Perhaps more relevant to some operator's unease is that they never physically meet the students they are engaging with. Tone after all is extremely hard to gauge in the online chat environment. Operators cannot judge how students are reacting to the information they have been given in the same way that they would be able to in person.

A considerable component of our training and support of AnyQuestions.co.nz operators is around making the operators feel comfortable and at ease with the online environment. We have scripts for the entire process of the reference interview which help ensure that quality transactions occur.

However increasingly on AnyQuestions.co.nz we are finding that we are being asked more and more challenging questions. The old homework sheets that dominated in the early days of the service have vanished, replaced by much more complex and difficult questions that require much longer to research or even to help the student to understand.

What we have found is that the ideal AnyQuestions.co.nz operator is a librarian who is fearless. They will essentially jump into any transaction regardless of the topic. In the absence of library as place, the virtual librarian has learned to be as fearless as the students. Also by following the best practice that we have established, students for the most part will respond, and quality transactions will ensue.

At the heart of the matter is good customer service. This is a lesson that can be taken into all aspects of librarianship – if we provide a consistently engaging quality service then there will continue to be a demand for us!

Robert Baigent

AnyQuestions/UiaNgāPātai Service Manager

National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga O Aotearoa, Auckland, New Zealand

robert.baigent@dia.govt.nz

anyquestions.co.nz

uiangapatai.co.nz

manyanswers.co.nz

@anyquestionsnz

@robxoda (personal)

* * *

CHAPTER 2: WHO AND WHEN WE TEACH

BEGINNING WITH ONE SPECIAL TEACHER

Knowing who and when to teach is a key problem for school librarians everywhere. Should it be just-in-time learning or blanket programs with a one-size-fits-all ethos? Should we focus on individual students and curriculum areas, or should we work with the teaching staff to develop their skills in the hope that the learning will flow on to students? You may find it easier to start with just one teacher as I did.

My chosen teacher, whom I will call "William," was an experienced teacher of biology and a willing adopter of technology. He was liked and respected by staff and students, was actively involved in mentoring beginning teachers, and was leading professional development for teachers using interactive boards in the classroom. Even more importantly, he was a confident practitioner, managing behavior in the classroom effortlessly, and he engaged with students effectively to build relationships and facilitate a constructive learning environment. He also happened to be the teacher representative on our governing board.

All of those characteristics made William an obvious choice. The most important factor, however, was the open nature of his practice. His confidence allowed him to try new things without fearing failure, and he was comfortable with the concepts of team teaching and reflective practice. We could discuss what had worked, what hadn't, and plan for improvements and next steps with no risk of treading on professional toes.

One of our most successful collaborations was with a group of senior students studying genetically transmitted diseases. Traditionally, this project would have been a fact-gathering mission that amounted to cut-and-paste with little evidence of real engagement or learning. We brainstormed ways of delivering the information gathering process that would increase student engagement and make the learning more personal. Eventually, we decided to put the students in groups of five, assigning the following roles: a person with the genetic disorder; the parent who had passed on the gene; a medical professional; a sibling who did not have the gene; and a presenter who would interview the others on video.

The assessment required that the students explain the condition and how the genetic process worked; students were required to use reputable book and online resources and include information from a 'support' website for people with the disorder. The first few lessons were team-taught in the library with William teaching the science while I taught the information process, helped access resources in all formats, and modeled critical literacy practices.

The defining moment came when William phoned me from the science lab a week or so later, asking if I could come down and witness what was going on. Arriving at the science lab, he led me around the various groups of students who were filming their interviews. There were students arguing the science of genetics, writing all over whiteboards as they "proved" their case; there were siblings explaining how hard it was to be the "healthy" one and distraught parents describing the grief of having passed on a defective gene. The learning was deep, and the student engagement was all encompassing.

Seek out that special teaching practitioner. Look for a teacher with experience and a willingness to work collaboratively, a teacher who is looking for a new challenge. Avoid the brand new enthusiast, who will likely be overcome by the challenges, and in particular, avoid the jaded. If you select well and execute with grace and precision, this teacher will likely become your strongest advocate. Nurture this teacher; your future may depend on it.

Donna Watt

Manager, Technical Services

Invercargill City Libraries, New Zealand

Communications Leader, SLANZA

donna.watt@ilibrary.co.nz

halfpintofwisdom.wordpress.com/

@donnarae9

* * *

THE FUTURE OF LIBRARIES IS NOW!

It's an exciting time to be an educator and, in particular, a school librarian. As budgets, staffing, physical spaces, delivery methods, and collections evolve to meet the needs of 21st-century learners, the only constant is change. More than anything else, perhaps, that change is exemplified in the future librarian herself: a highly skilled teacher who is an instructional chameleon. Dynamic and adaptable, her mission is simple: meet the needs of students.

The future librarian understands the developmental and academic needs of students and spends her days planning, teaching, and evaluating their learning. She is a curriculum expert, who works with classroom teachers to craft inquiry rich lessons that require students to communicate and collaborate, to think critically and creatively.

The future librarian recognizes that technology alone does not meet the needs of the 21st-century learner. He does not make choices between eBooks or print books, between digital or analog; rather, he chooses the right resource for the right student because it is the right instructional tool. The future librarian plans and delivers relevant staff development to help his colleagues integrate technology in ways that are seamless, pervasive, and driven entirely by student learning. He understands that technology enhances good instruction; technology does not replace sound instruction.

The future librarian is an instructional leader and partner who works with teachers and administrators to build school-wide collections that are accessible beyond the walls of the library and that defy traditional delivery methods. She builds a library presence centered around both physical and digital spaces for conversation, creativity and collaboration. She and her students blog, Tweet, and share their work in collaborative online spaces. The future librarian embraces social media and uses it to build a bridge between students, teachers and the world. She understands that in order to meet student needs, the library must be accessible anytime, anywhere.

The future librarian is creative, flexible, and willing to do whatever it takes to engage students. He is an active member of personal learning networks and, what's more, he thinks reflectively about what make learning joyful and exciting for him. Then he applies those lessons to the library. The future librarian provides opportunities for wonder and experimentation. He promotes reading for pleasure and learning through play; this librarian knows that all instruction must be both relevant and riveting.

The time for the future librarian is now. Though we live in exponential times, the world of education has struggled to keep up. For school librarians, there has never been a time of greater uncertainty or opportunity. As what it means to educate the 21st-century learner evolves, school librarians have the opportunity to claim our place as instructional leaders in this new educational landscape. Today's students cannot afford to wait for the "future librarian." And, frankly, neither can we. Their world has changed. And so has ours. We must change, too.

Jennifer LaGarde

Lead Media Specialist

New Hanover County Schools, Wilmington, NC

jennifer.lagarde@nhcs.net

http://lib-girl.blogspot.com

@jenniferlagarde

* * *

WHAT FABERGE ORGANICS TAUGHT ME ABOUT LIBRARIANSHIP

When I was a kid growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, I was somewhat obsessed with television commercials, so it really should come as less of a surprise to me that one such commercial really frames what I think about good librarianship; specifically about who librarians should teach and when. ( <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcskckuosxQ>)

My idea of librarianship in the school setting has changed over time. When I first arrived at my school, I was quite adamant about carving out my own time and my own curriculum. Sure there could be some overlap with the classroom, but I had discreet skills to teach my students. The reasons I had for wanting to do this was primarily to justify my place on the faculty. If I had my own classes, my own curriculum ,and my own column on the report card, perhaps I would be seen as a "real" teacher.

Now, after 10 years in the school library arena, what I want is almost 180 degrees away from my former idea. While I still think that it is necessary for students to learn to use the library effectively, browse books for study and leisure, and learn systems and reference materials, I think there is a better way of doing it. Take me off the fixed schedule plan.

Librarians can be more effective when they can be in the classroom to help teachers navigate the growing world of information – from both the gathering and dissemination ends of the learning process. Librarians should be in the classroom whenever there is research going on. Librarians should be a part of guided reading circles. Librarians should be not only a part of social studies lessons, but of science, math, world languages, and technology lessons as well.

Are we experts in all of those areas? Of course we are not. But we can be (and are) experts in the new (and old) tools of finding, evaluating, and disseminating information. Most teachers do not have time to explore all of the new technologies for these tasks that pop up over time. If librarians make use of our wide professional networks, we can bring just the right tool into the classroom to facilitate learning. And if we do it well, word will spread.

A teacher will tell two other teachers, who will tell two administrators, who will tell two parents, and so on, and so on about the importance of the school librarian to the fabric of the school; hopefully, this sharing will lead more of us to the flexible schedule and to teaching students, teachers, administrators and parents how to use the best tools to the best ends.

Stacy Dillon

Lower School Librarian

LREI, New York, NY

smdillon@lrei.org

<http://blog.lrei.org/lslibrary>

http://tweendom.blogspot.com

@lrei_lib

@mytweendom

* * *

THE ONLY BOUNDARIES? TIME, ENERGY, AND IMAGINATION

For the past thirteen years I have been teaching in international schools in China, and the experience continues to provide exceptional opportunities concerning who and what I teach as a teacher-librarian. My only boundaries have been time, energy and imagination.

In the international school setting I work with students, classroom teachers, learning specialists, assistant teachers, administrators, staff, and parents. In the Chinese community I have worked with adults learning English, migrant children, college students, Tibetan students and teachers; and in the professional community— other librarians and integrationists.

I have worked with a wide spectrum of students—pre-kindergarten to adults—some who have never seen a computer to students who are highly computer-literate. I have worked with students who have no English to those who are eloquent speakers. I teach students on-line, in packed auditoriums, classrooms, group settings, and one-on-one. I have taught students who are in some of the best school facilities money can buy to students who are in some of the poorest. But more importantly, the students are best described as curious, disciplined, and respectful.

I am a storyteller, information curator, database expert, extended essay supervisor, book group coordinator, wiki specialist, transliteracy coach, interdisciplinary-information literacy collaborator, approaches-to-learning leader, guided inquiry mentor, curriculum team member, open-access advocate, one-to-one and mobile device promoter, reading champion, and accreditation team member.

To put it more succinctly I'm a librarian who has the flexibility and support to provide dynamic learning opportunities.

Beth Gourley

High School Teacher-Librarian

Western Academy of Beijing, Beijing, China

gplus.to/beahgo

<http://blogs.wab.edu/greensky>

@beahgo

* * *

PUTTING THE TEACHER IN TEACHER-LIBRARIAN

Last October, we heard some fantastic news! Teacher-librarian extraordinaire Buffy Hamilton was named one of "20 to watch" for Education Technology Leadership by NSBA's Technology Leadership Network (TLN). However, as our friend and colleague, Cathy Stutzman noted, she was not named "20 to watch" for instructional support in technology. Nope, Hamilton was clearly named as an educator, and her role was stated as media specialist/teacher.

What's surprising is that many people would not equate her with being a teacher because she is indeed a librarian. Having been classroom teachers, we realize that our role is different. Still, when we decided to pursue librarianship, the thought never entered our minds that where budget was concerned, we'd be considered support staff. We never thought that colleagues would say it was sad that we weren't teachers anymore or, even worse, that friends would say we were lucky we weren't teaching anymore.

Still, we chirped back, "But the library's our classroom," or "I know we don't currently have grading, but we're working on ways to bring assessment into the library." However, the chirping is not working anymore - for us or for our profession. In a time when budgets are shrinking nationwide, and consequently, library staffing, teacher-librarians need to change. We cannot simply support the curriculum anymore. We cannot wait for people to see our worth. Yes, part of our job is to support the staff and students, but we can also teach them and improve student learning directly.

In fact, we have been and still are teaching staff. In the past three years, we were one-to-one computing instructors for teachers new to the program, we were members of our faculty planning committee, and we co-taught several short skills sessions and courses to teachers on Web 2.0 technologies, the information search process, and 21st-century skills. These classes were the sparks to some amazing collaborations for us.

Yet, we still had difficulty forming true partnerships when it came to working with students. Many researchers have written about levels of librarian collaboration. In "Where Does Your Authority Come From: Empowering the Library Media Specialist as a True Partner in Student Achievement," Allison Zmuda (2006) describes what true partnership is and details changes that must occur in order for this to happen.

However, we are challenged to find time and to explain to non-librarians how we can be integrated into the curriculum. Possibly, an analogy can be made to the "writing-across-the-curriculum" movement: While English teachers are seen as experts in writing, all teachers are expected to infuse writing instruction and assessment into their classes. We, too, have an expertise to share and a right to claim it as our own. We know about information...how to find it, evaluate it, and use it, regardless of format. We also have studied learning theory, the affective and cognitive domains of learning, and how to provide interventions at appropriate stages of the research process.

Given these challenges, how do we form these partnerships and share our expertise with students? Do we work as partners with:

* just one grade level?

* one or two subjects?

* five or six projects?

Sadly, we really don't have an answer, but we are ready and willing to question and reflect our way to some possibilities like focusing our time on working with teacher who want to form true partnerships, communicating that work to administrators to let them know how we can improve student achievement, collecting evidence of practice beyond circulation and classroom statistics, and continuing to be involved in professional development as a teacher and learning leaders.

Heather Hersey

Teacher-Librarian

Lakeside School, Seattle, WA

heather.hersey@lakesideschool.org

flyingofftheshelf.edublogs.org

@hhersey03

Marci Zane

Teacher-Librarian

Hunterdon Central Regional High School

Flemington, NJ

mzane@hcrhs.k12.nj.us

@marcizane

WORKS CITED

Zmuda, Allison. "Where Does Your Authority Come From?." _School Library Media Activities Monthly_ 23.1 (2006): 19-22. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 12 Oct. 2011.

* * *

CHAPTER 3: EMERGING AND MULTIPLE LITERACIES

TRANSMEDIA STORYTELLING

Truly pivotal moments in teaching come along when you least expect them, and in hindsight you realize that those transformational moments will forever shape who you are as an educator. One such moment occurred for me more than a decade into my teaching career and was sparked off by my involvement in the online digital novel Inanimate Alice (http://inanimatealice.com). Written for, and specifically to be read and viewed from the screen, Inanimate Alice represents a radical shift to the transmedia universe. Designed from the outset as a story that unfolds over time and on multiple platforms, 'Alice' connects technologies, languages, cultures, generations and curricula within a sweeping narrative accessible by all.

My personal journey with this interactive text has made me think anew what it means to be an educator and a librarian in the 21st-century. In the words of one of my students who had a powerful reaction to the experience:

"After [the first episode] I was burning with curiosity to see and read the other episodes in the series. Finally....I finished episode 4 and I felt like I had just nearly fallen off the building like Alice. Inanimate Alice is heart-pounding, exciting, and adventurous and I enjoyed them. You should watch Inanimate Alice, NOW."

It is this kind of excitement for reading that we as librarians seek to ignite in our students every single day. Seeing the excitement it generated made me realize that Inanimate Alice is a game-changer. As a school library media specialist, understanding and integrating new literacies related to the production and consumption of digital content has become an essential part of my program. This born-digital story engaged my students and connected them through media like never before. For me, this story is the perfect bridge from conventional to technology-based learning. The technology engaged even my most reluctant of readers, enabling them to connect with the story and deepen their comprehension.

For me, Inanimate Alice represents a paradigm shift in how I approach education in the 21st-century. Through the power of transmedia storytelling, I am able to take what might otherwise be a one-dimensional task for some of my learners and turn it into a fully immersive and multi-dimensional experience for all.

Educating learners in this digital age has become vastly more complex and immensely more layered to an extent inconceivable just a few years ago. High quality digital content such as this transforms the way that learners are able to interact with and consume information. My students, year to year, will all grow with Alice, as I will continue to grow in my knowledge and understanding of the capacity of transmedia to galvanize my students' learning.

Laura Fleming

Library Media Specialist

Cherry Hill School, River Edge, NJ

larfleming@yahoo.com

http://www.edtechinsight.blogspot.com

@larfleming

@transmedialearn

* * *

SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND RUN-ON SENTENCES

In my years as a writing teacher, I spent many long afternoons thinking about grammar rules and how grammar might best be taught to developing writers. Although I learned grammar definitions through disconnected examples in grammar textbooks as a child, as a teacher I believe that we learn to write best by studying the work of published writers carefully. By reading the work of mentor authors as writers, then adapting and applying their expertise to our own ideas, we ourselves can also develop into powerful writers with style and voice.

These two things would seem to go hand in hand: the writers we laud would certainly be experts in grammatical correctness, right?

You may be surprised by the answer. Here's one example. Cynthia Rylant's book, _Tulip Sees America_ (1998), is often used as an example of beautiful language in writing. I show a video of a mini lesson featuring this text in my writing courses (Ray & Cleaveland, 2005). The lesson, taught by celebrated literacy educator Lisa Cleaveland, highlights a line about Nebraska skies as an example for young writers and word choice: "Then the skies break open into blue and white and yellow and pink, and it is like one great long breath of freedom and air" (Rylant, n.p.).

If an elementary-aged writer turned in a narrative with this sentence, it would likely be marked with red, the "ands" crossed out and replaced with commas, perhaps the words "run-on" written to the side. But in the real world of published writers, this sentence is crafted with style chosen by the author. The vilified run-on, when crafted with intention, is celebrated. Breaking the rules with purpose can enrich, entertain, and add another layer of meaning to authentic work.

People often ask me, why do we still need school libraries? We are just about books, and (so they say), books aren't essential anymore...right?

As we look to the future of school libraries, I see us as a run-on sentence of sorts.

People outside librarianship are often so anxious to box us in, to define us. They want to apply their grammar to the library - a place that is, at its heart, artful, authentic, and inquiring.

At times it is easy to get caught up in the "or" questions others pose. Are we the curriculum or student interests? Are we books or digital resources? Are we words or pictures? Are we questions or answers? Are we teaching or learning?

I refuse those choices. I refuse to box school libraries in with the word or.

The school library is all about and. We are passion and knowledge, rigor and laughter. We are study and sharing, talking and listening. We are content and choice, paper and pixel. We are what our community creates, and what we share from elsewhere, and connecting all of those resources together to form a place that both reflects and contributes. In the future, we will continue to welcome and incorporate new technologies, ways of communicating, and modes of meaning. Like one long breath of freedom and air, we will break new ideas open into all the colors you can imagine.

School libraries are the and in the educational community. By being and, we multiply.

Elizabeth Friese

PhD Candidate, Department of Language and Literacy Education

University of Georgia, Athens, GA

elizfriese@gmail.com

becausetowhy.wordpress.com

@librarybeth

WORKS CITED

Ray, K. W., & Cleaveland, L. B. _The teaching behind about the authors: How to support our youngest writers_. [DVD]. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2005. Print.

Rylant, C. _Tulip Sees America_. New York: Blue Sky Press, 1998. Print.

* * *

NEW LITERACIES AND LIBRARIANS

If helping people understand how to find their way through information to the knowledge they seek is still an important role for librarians, then they are the natural candidates for helping young people learn the new literacies that digital media necessitate. Instead of complaining that young people are distracted, we need to help them learn to discipline their attention – at least we need to show them what it means to be mindful of how they are deploying their attention in the era of smartphones and laptops in class and everywhere else.

Librarians are certainly among those who noticed that the availability of search engines has shifted the notion of the authority of the text – no longer can information consumers assume that if it is published online that a text is good information, slightly accurate information, inaccurate information, misinformation, or disinformation. While many schools regard collaboration as plagiarism, the use of wikis and other social media for collective knowledge-gathering and collective document creation is becoming a mainstream practice. With the opportunity to tag, comment, curate, blog, and participate in the creation of online culture, the librarian no longer deals with strictly passive consumers but now has a responsibility to help students become valuable digital contributors.

Now that everyone's digital activities can remain online forever, are readable by people far beyond what we might intend or suspect, can be duplicated and distributed globally and instantaneously, understanding digital footprints, privacy, boundaries, and other aspects of life in online social networks has become another necessary skill. While all of the skills involved with mindful attention, digital participation, search and credibility assessment, collaboration, and network awareness can involve more or less advanced lore, the elements are simple enough – and necessary – for elementary school students. The good news is that each of these literacies can be practiced and explored through inquiry-based learning.

Howard Rheingold

Lecturer, UC Berkeley, Stanford

San Francisco Bay Area, CA

howard@rheingold.com

<http://www.rheingold.com/university>

@hrheingold

Some of the resources I have created and compiled:

One hour video of Howard Rheingold keynote to Collabtech 2010 about Social Media, Participative Pedagogy, and Digital Literacies: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRG_Xy6y5G0>

Howard Rheingold blog post on attention literacy:  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/rheingold/detail?entry_id=38828

Howard Rheingold blog post on 21st-century literacies:  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/rheingold/detail?entry_id=38313

Howard Rheingold blog post on Crap Detection 101:  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/rheingold/detail?entry_id=42805

Howard Rheingold series of videos on Crap Detection: 101: How to Distinguish Good Information from Bad Information: <http://oreilly.com/catalog/0636920015024>

Howard Rheingold mini-course on network literacy:  http://howardrheingold.posterous.com/a-min-course-on-network-and-social-network-li

* * *

LIGHTING THE FUSE OF INQUISITIVENESS

Regardless of how dramatically content changes, both in form and function, students will always need to think critically and to possess problem-solving skills as well as the ability to question and to investigate.

Further, these skills of discernment are in greater demand now than ever before, due to students' unprecedented access to an unprecedented flood of information. Now the greatest commodity is not the information itself but the distinct ability to synthesize and contextualize it, to turn it into useful, practical knowledge.

School librarians—through Dewey, Bloom, and by other means—have always helped create order in the world as well as a context for learning and reading. Now they must work to apply these critically important skills to the next content wave: the emerging tide of Apps and other new streams of e-content on the verge of becoming ubiquitous.

There is a good chance that the school librarian or library media specialist, as one of the school's technology leaders, has the most organic understanding of how content and technology are most effectively comingled to the benefit of the student and to best help the teacher. They know that technology is not a means to an end but a means to help bolster reading skills, comprehension, and perhaps most importantly student engagement.

Things are moving very fast, and thus traditional content models are changing before our eyes. The definition of an e-book is already up for debate, particularly when formerly common characteristics such as length, chapters, and a beginning and an end no longer reliably capture the essence of the newly formed strand of e-content.

Is an eBook still a book if a student uses the same non-linear behaviors he deploys on his Facebook page or on YouTube, clicks to the last "chapter" first, then reverses course—going to the index, clicking on a topic, accessing it and emailing it to his friend, before Skyping about it with other kids?

Which brings us to a last, but no less crucial point: librarians fully appreciate, and have experienced first-hand, the power of community. Librarians intuitively understand the social behaviors of students. Librarians get that kids want to share everything through their smart phones or computers, and are therefore better positioned to successfully integrate elements of social networking into learning.

From books to video to audio cassettes to CD-ROMs to CDs to the Internet, the formats in which consumers digest information has changed dramatically in recent decades – and that rate of change is only accelerating. With their greatest challenge comes their greatest opportunity. Librarians must be at the forefront of technological innovation, but only insomuch as they can help their students and faculty make the most practical use of it. They must stay informed and maintain the capacity to advise on the new emerging content models, but only to be able to use the same evaluative skills they have always used in separating the "wheat from the chaff." The vetting and recommending that librarians do will appreciate in value among teachers and administrators as the marriage of content and technology becomes increasingly more complex.

Most of all, librarians have, since the beginning of time, cultivated in their students a sense of engagement for all manner of stories and subject matter. Regardless of the sea changes in content form and function, they will continue their most important role: lighting the fuse of inquisitiveness for their students.

Evan St. Lifer

Vice President, New Business Development

Scholastic Library Publishing, Danbury, CT

est.lifer@scholastic.com

http://www.scholastic.com

* * *

NEW

I am a new school librarian; new in the field and new in my building. Armed with my ideas and ideals, I entered my position with one overarching thought "I am the _new_ _kind_ of school librarian." I'm the kind who loves technology almost as much as I love books, and the kind who can't wait to share the power of Twitter with anyone who will listen. I have _plans_.

My plans immediately took a backseat to all of the things I needed to learn just to get through the day: the names of all of my co-workers and colleagues throughout the district; the new PBIS behavior management system being adopted district-wide this year; the Fountas and Pinnell Guided Reading program that is integral to our school improvement plan; and where the _Diary of a Wimpy Kid_ books are. On top of my own concerns, I've begun to sense a strong current of change sweeping through my building. We have a new principal, which always shakes things up. And, while there are few other new faces, many teachers are in new grade levels this year. The adoption of Common Core standards, and standards-based report cards, is forcing those who have stayed at the same grade level to create an entirely new curriculum for certain subjects. Add to that a little district re-zoning which has brought in a new population, and demographic, of students, and there is only so much change an educational community can take. So I've been making _new_ plans.

A little background: the media specialist who held my position last year was split between two buildings, and only in my building every other week. Having a full-time media specialist is a big change in itself, and everyone is thrilled to have me, but they don't know _exactly_ what to _do_ with me. This realization was both troubling and freeing, and it's helped me refocus.

The main ingredient in my news plans is information. I'm a recent graduate of an Information program, and I can collect data like nobody's business. I go to the planning meetings for each grade at least once a week, and I chat with the teachers every chance I get. I meet bi-weekly with our literacy specialist to brainstorm ways for the library to support Guided Reading. I have the daily, weekly, and yearlong schedules for each grade, as well as the curriculum maps and the Common Core standards documents. In terms of collaborative teaching, I am mostly listening, learning, and processing right now.

In the library, I've been working with my support staff to learn the collection and the library policies, and again, collecting information. I'm beginning to get a sense of what does and does not circulate in our school (I need more scary stories!), how frequently and how well the students use the catalog to find books, and which parts of the collection need a face lift. When the dust settles on this first quarter, I will be ready to make more suggestions, plan and co-teach more lessons, and ever so carefully, take my other plans out of the backseat. For now, my best plan is to make sure I am the one new thing that our teachers do not need to worry about.

Adrienne Matteson

Library Media Specialist

White River Elementary, Noblesville, IN

adrienne_matteson@nobl.k12.in.us

@queenaddie

* * *

CHAPTER 4: GAMING

**CHESS IN THE LIBRARY: GATEWAY TO RESEARCH, THE SOCIAL WEB AND A LIFE OF THE MIND**

In 10 years of working in high school libraries, my most rewarding interactions with students have been related to chess. The game has played a vital role in my library program, expanding student participation and generating positive publicity. This brief guide provides a rationale and a method for getting started as well some pathways to higher level student outcomes.

The benefits of chess are widely known and documented by numerous research studies. It's also a timeless game with an inexplicable allure. The simple act of making chess available in the library will certainly expand the number and types of students that regularly use the library. A small investment of under $200 is sufficient for purchasing quality chess set and starting a chess initiative. The immediate return on that investment will be many more teens gathering in the library.

Once you have a core group meeting in the library during lunch and before school, it is time to form an official chess club that meets weekly after school. Among those that are serious enough to come after school will be a number ready for extra-curricular competitive chess. Find some local chess clubs and tournaments that cater to students. It's best to start with a chess tournament that is "unrated," meaning one that does not require membership in the U.S. Chess Federation. The cost of entry is much lower and tournaments are lower stress. Rated tournaments, including state and national competitions ,are worthy goals for the long term, but it is not practical until the students have won a few local trophies.

Preparing students for competition is where the librarian can really have a field day. Among the first stops for any budding chess enthusiast is one of the many websites that offer checkmate tutorials and strategy guides.

Since chess has a fascinating history, students can be captivated by many episodes tied to the game. Chess has also played an integral role in studies of cognition and artificial intelligence. The Gary Kasparov versus IBM Deep Blue affair is rich in teaching material and even conspiracy theories! While many believe that chess skill is a matter of logic and thinking ahead, science has demonstrated that continual learning and a strong long-term memory are greatest factors in chess mastery. It's with this realization that students can start learning chess seriously using a variety of methods and tools.

For a librarian running a chess club, chess knowledge is certainly helpful. However, I am not a chess master. In fact, I usually teach students everything that I know in a month or two, and after that they are beating me regularly. Sometimes it may be advisable to hire a chess teacher for at least a few lessons; the web also offers a wealth of tools. Some of today's great chess players are also bloggers. A few of my students follow Susan Polgar on Twitter, and one of them studied her chess problem for 2 days before posting his analysis on her blog. Wikipedia contains a great chess knowledge base. By typing in the coordinates of the first several moves into Wikipedia, students can get a detailed analysis for the game they are playing. There are also video tutorials and interactive activities on various Web sites and many forums for active participation.

In short, chess is a gateway to many desirable student outcomes including goal setting and life-long learning. It's also a powerful venue to engage students in serious learning in using Web 2.0 tools and developing transformative relationships with adult role-models both in person and online.

Neil Krasnoff

Media Specialist and Technology Manager

New Tech High School at A. Maceo Smith, Dallas, TX

nskrasnoff@gmail.com

schooltechparadise.blogspot.com

@txlibraryguy

* * *

A PLACE FOR ELECTRONIC GAMING IN LIBRARIES?

Gaming, particularly electronic gaming, is clearly a very popular pastime in today's society, especially among youth. Many public libraries have added electronic games to their on-demand media collections and also offer regularly scheduled gaming events, often focusing on teens. These types of programs are consistent with libraries' developing efforts to become a community hub and a gathering place.

Many school libraries are also discussing the concept of the role of a library in terms of a gathering place. How far do you go to create a welcoming and social space for teens? Are there times, during the day, at night or on weekends when libraries can be positive places to "hang out"? And, how does gaming fit in? What types of games will be part of any program? The answers clearly vary and depend on individual staff and administration goals within a school or district.

I am not a library professional (and I don't play one on TV!) but I do know something about creating durable mobile carts, cabinets and kiosks that can hold gaming systems for use in public spaces.

I'm a vendor, working with TMC Furniture, with almost twenty years' experience in placing gaming systems in places such as hospitals, medical clinics and dental offices. And, in the last several years, we have received a growing number of inquiries about our products from public libraries.

I've done some research and pondered the question of how gaming could fit into libraries. In many public libraries, games are considered a collectible, storable media that people wish to use for recreation and for learning. As was done in the past with art, music and movies, libraries are now providing opportunities for visitors to check out games or use them on site.

And, like art, music and movies, gaming has become a key part of the entertainment palette of today's society. To be current and to attract the attention of visitors, libraries should carefully consider how gaming can be a part of their particular mission.

A debate can easily ensue as to the merits of the gaming trend, yet there are some positive aspects of gaming that youths, in the right environment, can benefit from.

Improving at any game or mastering it, clearly involves learning. Playing games can build skills in a variety of areas. Games often encourage players to plan and problem solve, sometimes under time constraints. Games have a set of rules to follow yet often reward creativity.

There are many social components of gaming to learn and grow with such as concepts of winning and losing, fair play, sportsmanship and team work.

Finally, game play involves... play, a feature that should not be overlooked. Young people need to play. Kids need to have fun with other kids. Gaming is a great way to bring together kids with common interests.

If your school library decides to establish a game night, afterschool or weekend gaming program or club, let us help.

David Meyer

TMC Furniture, Ann Arbor, MI

dma@chorus.net

www.tmcfurniture.com

* * *

**GAMES-BASED LEARNING, LITERACY, ENGAGEMENT, AND MOTIVATION**

As Paul McCartney once said, "In this ever changing world in which we live in..." The gap between students experiences of digital media and digital literacy in school and at home are huge. In schools we are still working in 19th-century factory schools for educating the masses with little collaboration. We teach facts rather than lighting fires. With the changing world, the role of the digital curator is crucial and it is important that we meet the students half way, use the tools and take advantage of the rich media experiences that they experience at home every day.

There are many people who have done lots of work in this field with students of many ages such as Professor James Paul Gee, Tim Rylands, and Dawn Hallybone, to name a few. I believe there are several ways that libraries and resource centers need to take this work forward.

They need to engage with literacy and cross-curricular potential within games. For example, Guitar Hero can be used to develop musical, lyrical, media based and deign and technology areas within the curriculum and promoting engagement on many levels. Games often have complex dialogue, so we must never think a game is just shooting or playing sport when there are often complex dialogue sections. In online game play, students often communicate with others in both the written and verbal form...but who teaches them good practice for this and who is safeguarding them online? There is a role for libraries in this crucial area.

Libraries can advise students and parents about the values of some games to promote literacy, numeracy, and other subjects at school to promote better outcomes. They can use the games and applications on themed days to promote use of the library by hosting competitions and creating a real vibe around the area. They can address the digital divide through the loaning and swapping of games as well as the curating of digital tools within their areas such as Nintendos, play stations, and Kindles. Using Web 2.0, librarians can create locally-relevant games and immersive experiences, using tools such as Google Maps, Panoramas, and Google Lit Trips.

So where does this leave us? Outstanding teachers have always used games. Learners often learn best with conceptual-based activities and games. So why don't we use these to generate interest and stimulate and motivate students in a media-rich resource zone which will allow students to engage with all types of technology from ebooks, to real books and from games to hand held learning?

It is vital to engage with this change now and lead in this area, and I can see no better vehicle than a library or resource area.

Dan Bowen

ICT Learning and Teaching Advisor

Surrey, England, UK

dan.Bowen75@gmail.com

@dan_Bowen

* * *

GAMING FOR THE 21ST-CENTURY LEARNER

Gaming is an excellent way for students to develop the skills, dispositions, responsibilities, and self-assessment strategies which will carry them into the future. We can align games with the American Association of School Librarians publication, _Standards for the 21st-Century Learner._ Because it is very popular with learners of all ages and exemplifies many of the ways gaming incorporates 21st-century learning, I will use the Pokemon game franchise as an example of this alignment. For an in-depth introduction to the franchise, see JP Porcaro's blog post entitled "Pokemon 101 for Teachers & Librarians" (<http://blog.8bitlibrary.com/2010/01/12/pokemon-basics/>).

Recurring themes within the text of the AASL _Standards_ are reflected in both the gameplay of Pokemon and the larger experience surrounding the game. These themes include the importance of reading, building and creating new knowledge, and learning in a social context.

The value of reading is mentioned both in the Common Beliefs that precede the standards and in the standards themselves. In both the video games and the card game, students are required to read descriptions of the individual Pokemon and their powers to determine which Pokemon to use as they battle their opponent. In the video games, they also have to read as they engage in conversation with characters in the game. The card game includes an instructional booklet which introduces them to game rules and procedures.

The _Standards_ state that 21st-century learners should "read, view, and listen for pleasure and personal growth" (AASL 2007, Indicator 4.1.1). All of these actions are part of the game. There is a wealth of relevant non-game material as well, including both fiction and non-fiction books, a cartoon series, and movies. Even more information is generated by fans of the series; this includes online encyclopedias such as Bulbapedia (<http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/>)and game guides at more general websites such as GameFAQs (http://www.gamefaqs.com). These reference tools are available not only for Pokemon, but also for almost any video game as well as collectible trading card and board games.

Another theme throughout the _Standards_ is the importance of placing learning in a social context. In some versions of Pokemon, players can engage in multiplayer battles. Players must trade Pokemon if they wish to complete their Pokedex, an in-game database which contains information about the individual Pokemon. Interacting with other players by participating in online communities centered on the game provides another opportunity for social learning.

Building knowledge and finding ways to create and share knowledge are also important skills for 21st-century learners. As students play Pokemon, they build their knowledge about the game's system and rules. They can transfer this knowledge to new situations within the game and to other games in the series. Analyzing and organizing information are key components of knowledge-building. Players must use the Pokedex as they play the video game to make decisions.

Outside of the game, websites such as Bulbapedia involve a significant flow of information which students might use to enhance their playing. Bulbapedia also provides players with the opportunity to express new understandings using both writing and technology. It includes a style manual, which will help students learn to write within certain constraints.

There are many other ways in which video, card, and board games can be used to enhance students' learning. The principles outlined here apply not only to Pokemon but to other games as well. How will you take advantage of this opportunity in your school library?

Kimberly Hirsh

School Librarian

Butner-Stem Middle School, Butner, NC

G. C. Hawley Middle School, Creedmoor, NC

hirshk@gcs.k12.nc.us

kimberlyhirsh.com

@kimberlyhirsh

WORKS CITED

American Association of School Librarians. Standards for the 21st-Century Learner. Chicago: American Association of School Librarians, IL. Web. 15 Oct. 2011. <http://www.ala.org/aasl/standards>.

Bulbapedia Community. "Main Page." Bulbapedia (in italics). Ed. Magnedeth. Bulbagarden, 2 Apr. 2011. Web. 21 Oct. 2011. <http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/ Main_Page>.

GameFAQs. "Video Game Cheats, Reviews, FAQs, Message Boards, and More - GameFAQs." Gamespot GameFAQs (in italics). CBS Interactive, Inc., 2011. Web. 21 Oct. 2011. <http://www.gamefaqs.com/>.

* * *

CHAPTER 5: READING

READING 2.0: DEEP DARK SECRETS

What is the future of the school librarian's role in student reading in an evolving media landscape that keeps giving students and teachers brand new opportunities to read, write, learn and think?

My gut tells me that from now on, school librarians will have to dig deeper to create student comfort and facility with different reading formats. By identifying and sharing my personal AHA moments (sometimes known as Deep Dark Secrets), I can have conversations with students about reading struggles and solutions.

I'll show you how it's done.

I'm a preservice school librarian who had a print media career before retiring to raise my children. When I started an LIS master's program last year I was like Rip Van Winkle in a new world of blogs, moodles, wikis, links, video, audio, and comments. Plagiarism and copyright were complicated by digital duplication and a new culture of collaboration.

As a committed reader of very long books by Dead White Men (Deep Dark Secret #1), I entered our new reading environment confident that after learning some technical skills, my heavy duty reading chops would be worth something.

Wrong.

I struggle mightily with digital reading. Staying on topic, keeping track of where I am in hyperlinked text, and using my time effectively is an enormous challenge. I am embarrassed to admit how many beautiful mornings I've spent lost in the web (Deep Dark Secret #2).

Time being finite, there's none left to read Balzac (Deep Dark Secret #3). My reading life is conflicted and anxious. Is this a result of my digital awakening, or the common mid-life shift from fiction to non-fiction? And can someone tell me why reading the nonfiction that attracts my attention now is nowhere near as exciting as reading the fiction that no longer attracts me (Deep Dark Secret #4)?

What is to be gained from this unburdening? Only insight, clarity, and direction!

I can't help what I like, but my reading diet must be varied. Like nutritionists at the USDA who developed the My Plate nutrition guide, I can create a My Page balanced reading guide for my students like this one at <http://bit.ly/pDlb5T> to start a discussion about reading diets and how to manage them.

Watching the clock and attempting to track and evaluate online reading are only the first steps of developing effective online reading and time management strategies. I can grab this opportunity to develop, teach and learn these desperately needed skills.

I don't understand why reading changes over time. I just know that it does, and that sometimes reading feels like lifting heavy weights. Struggling with reading makes me a lifelong learner--not a fraud!

Alida Hanson

M.S. Candidate, School Library Teacher Program

Simmons College GSLIS, Boston, MA

alida.hanson@gmail.com

<http://alidas460portfolio.tumblr.com/>

@alidahanson

BOOKS I'M READING ABOUT READING

Carr, Nicholas G. _The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains_. New York: W.W. Norton, 2010. Print.

Dweck, Carol S. _Mindset: The New Psychology of Success_. New York: Random House, 2006. Print.

Hanson, Alida. "Reading Pie Chart." Google Docs (in italics). Google, July 2011. Web. 21 Oct. 2011. <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ ccc?key=0AtrVBliv4CQYdDNvcmxvaFdvUlVheUFTc2s3bUJWQlE&hl=en_US#gid=10>.

Harvey, Stephanie, and Anne Goudvis. _Strategies That Work: Teaching Comprehension for Understanding and Engagement_. Portland, Me.: Stenhouse, 2007. Print.

Krashen, Stephen D. _The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2004_. Print.

Shirky, Clay. _Cognitive Surplus: How Technology Makes Consumers into Collaborators_. New York: Penguin, 2011. Print.

* * *

THE FUTURE OF READING IS POWER -- JUST LIKE THE PRESENT

Just yesterday, a fourth grader asked me to help her find books about jet planes in our library. That was an unusual request for this little girl, and when I inquired about it, she informed me that she needed the books for some younger boys. It seems these two little guys were always getting in trouble on the school bus. She knew they liked planes and intended to read to them on the bus to keep them out of trouble. If more adults had this 9 year-old's creativity and problem-solving capability, the world would be a peaceful, productive place indeed! Besides the fact that this young girl made my day in the library, she reinforced my feeling that librarians must be passionate and stalwart about one thing, now and in the future -- that reading has unlimited power, and we must do everything we can to give that power to as many as we can.

Sometimes the reading will come from a computer, iPad or e-reader. This kind of reading may hook a new reader, a struggling reader, or a more visual or kinesthetic learner. The e-reader can read aloud, serving as companion or literacy tutor. Built-in dictionaries enrich the reading experience as does the chance to share comments on books. The iPad may help activate a reader who wants to participate in text and visuals in a new way. The computer will open the reader to millions of books that have been scanned, either for free or a fee. I celebrate all of these options and must work hard to learn quickly how to provide and organize them to pass on the power of reading to my students.

However, there will still be many times when the physical book, the codex of paper and sewn binding, will be a superior way to read. For example, think about picture books. Children's book illustrators create their art for a 32 page museum bound between hard covers. Only a physical book can do justice to a double spread of Eric Carle. A child needs to feel Carle's busy spider or stick his or her fingers in the holes of the caterpillar's snacks as every child since 1969 has done. A large book that crosses several laps connects people in a unique way. I've watched many trios of kids sit in my library with the artwork of _I Spy_ and _Where's Waldo_ books spread across the middle child's lap, as they negotiate, share, take turns, and delight in finding pictures in those books in a very different way than a group of three around a computer.

How great is the invention of the board book? Here is a format with a child in mind. There is no worry about dropping or tearing paper or drooling. You wipe it clean. The board book is the ultimate gift of knowledge. It says we want you to learn so much that we are willing to create this format just for you, toddler! We get where you are at, and we really want to surround you with stories, great visuals, facts -- we want you in our world and we've created a way for you to do it on your level! Now and in the future, I want to be the kind of librarian who offers a wide diversity of reading options -- the right tool for the right situation.

Reading is power today, and it will be so in the future. Consider the 14 year old who, like many boys his age, spends some time each day killing zombies on his Xbox and can still be moved to tears by a read aloud of Chris Crutcher's _Angry Management._ Humans love story; we want to hear the tales of others, and when they are told well, we can learn to be better humans. Let's make sure we are the people who protect and carry on those stories.

Kelly Ahlfeld

Librarian/Technology Coordinator

Mettawee Community School, West Pawlet, VT

kahlfeld@brsu.org

@libraryin

* * *

**FOSTERING A CULTURE OF READING: AS THE TOOLS CHANGE, THE TEXT REMAINS**

As I stand in the hallway greeting students as they walk by or into the library between classes, I take note that most students have a personal reading book or device as part of the pile which they carry with them throughout the day. I'm at a school where reading is part of the culture. I've worked at other schools and know that this is not the case everywhere. The reading culture at Highland, where students read much and widely, is special, and it makes a profound difference for the students and the school. While the library program is a critical component, creating and nurturing this reading behavior is a community-wide effort by classroom teachers, administrators, parents, public library, and the students themselves.

Identifying factors that contribute to this culture will help strengthen the reading behavior at Highland and ease replication elsewhere. Members of the English department are dedicated to allowing students time for recreational reading and build this into their instructional time. Teachers check in with students about their reading choices, and students are held accountable for individual reading. Time and opportunity are made for readers' advisory as students are given regular access to the library collection and the librarian. The promotion of reading is not limited to the English department; literacy is valued throughout and across the curriculum as teachers in a variety of disciplines continually develop projects that encourage or require fiction reading connected to the content areas. For example, some science and foreign language classes are about to embark on projects incorporating fiction. Book talks and other strategies are used to expose students to a wide range of materials.

Materials are promoted in a variety of ways to raise awareness of reading materials and create conversations about book. Staff members put titles they are currently reading on display which allows students to see teachers in all areas as readers, not just their English teachers and library staff members. In addition to a display rich environment within the library, the library catalog allows for the promotion of materials through student recommendations and teacher lists. Classroom libraries are stocked with a wide range of choices for students.

In addition to the expectation of classroom teachers, the library program offers other incentives and contests to promote reading for those students who are motivated by such offerings. The library sponsors a variety of books clubs. A wide range of voluntary programs are also available for those who are looking for other motivations or way to connect to others with books.

Looking to the future, I plan to actively contribute to strengthening my school's reading culture. New frontiers are opening as technology stretches ways to access materials. In order to level the playing field, the library will need to make available resources such as digital audiobooks, ebooks, and ereaders in order to give all students the opportunity to try out different formats and support readers as they use these tools. While embracing new responsibilities as the landscape changes, I can continue to use my expertise in recommending books, offering forums to talk about books, and staying up to date on hot trends and titles. There will be new delivery devices to learn and new promotional tools to master in order to market and share materials, but working with my colleagues to support student interaction with novels and informational texts, regardless or format, will remain an important part of Highland's thriving culture of reading.

Erin Drankwalter Wyatt

Learning Center Director

Highland Middle School, Libertyville, IL

d70schools.org/~hlc

ejdwyatt@gmail.com

@ejdwyatt

* * *

HOW WE LEARN TO CARE

Yes, the future is hurdling towards like a freight train, faster than it ever has before, thanks to the speed with which new technologies are developed and made available. Yes, the simple act of reading now seems endlessly complicated. How early should our children be reading on their own? Should they be learning to read on Kindles or iPads, or are they losing something crucial to the experience? Are graphic novels "serious" enough to claim space on the shelves of school libraries?

There is, of course, no single answer to all of these questions. As always, the answers depend on the community you serve, the mission of your school, and the unique needs and strengths of each individual child. There is no sense looking for an answer that serves everyone, all the time.

However, there is something integral to be taken from the questions themselves, something essential that resides in the foundation of these questions and is integral to the nature of libraries themselves: the necessity of reading itself. I'm not talking about reading as a required means of transmitting information and thus an education (a notion growing increasingly shaky as more and more multimedia platforms become available). What I'm talking about is the sort of reading that makes a person want to read more, and makes a person love reading and feel a need to keep doing it.

I read to four- and five-year-olds, and I watch their imaginations open up, stretch out, and start to dance while I'm reading to them. I watch ten-year-olds come running into the library first thing in the morning to ask if we've got that new Spider-Man graphic novel yet. I watch sixteen-year-olds walk away from a hard test or a difficult conversation with a friend, go quietly up to a shelf, pull out a book, and go into a corner to curl up around something they love. All the way through from their first years at school to their last, I watch kids learn to care about themselves and the world through reading.

Reading is the only experience that imparts ideas as it simultaneously requires you to build new ideas as you go, to envision what is being defined for you in words. To love to read is to love to think and to love to imagine, regardless of whether you're reading about how to build a cabinet, how to program a computer, how Juliet faces the tragedy of Romeo's death, or how Spider-Man clobbers the Green Goblin.

Offering students an opportunity to find something they love in our libraries, something that helps them define their world and themselves and helps them invest in their own education and future, is the deepest, most powerful responsibility of the school librarian. Ultimately, we are here not for the administration, not for the parents, not for the teachers, but for the students themselves.

We can afford to let kids learn to read in a wide range of ways, we can afford to let parts of their education take place through video, through graphic novels, by cell phone, or even through direct transmission into their brains (don't think it's not coming). What we cannot afford is to let students forget to love to read. What we cannot afford is a generation of people who forgot how to think, to imagine, or to care.

Jesse Karp

Early Childhood and Interdivisional Librarian

LREI – Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School, New York, NY

jkarp@lrei.org

beyondwhereyoustand.com

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**THE FUTURE OF STORYTIMES: "ON WITH THE SHOW, THIS IS IT!" : THE SCHOOL MEDIA SPECIALIST AS PERFORMER**

Storytime in elementary school media centers will continue to exist and thrive as long as a young child's wonder can be engaged through appropriate content, enthusiastic expression and confident creativity as exhibited by an effective school media specialist reading a good book. Like an actor onstage, the school media ppecialist performs during storytime. A storytime that engages its audience will always keep them coming back for more.

The school media center is the gateway for new and exciting content; the book is the "script" of storytime. School media specialists must choose books with content that will capture the attention of their students. Children love reading good books they have been introduced to and storytimes are the most effective way to share that book with them. A wonderful new book can sit on the shelf of a library for months until it is read during a storytime; afterwards, every child asks, "Can I check-out THAT book?". An elementary school media specialist serves a broad range of ages and must adapt and revise storytime content to be appropriate to each grade level. Older kids don't want to be read the book their little brother chews on at home, and younger kids won't enjoy something they don't understand. As the best advocate for great children's literature, it is the job of the professional to provide the appropriate content necessary to satisfy the curiosity and appetites of all their students.

Everyone has sat through a dull movie and wondered why they paid the price of admission. Many kindergartners will give approximately 10 seconds of attention before they decide if the book being read to them is "bor-ring!". Children can be the unimaginative school media specialist's worst critics. Storytimes that employ sing song tones, varying inflection, and character voices hold the attention of the listener, conveying the content of the book in a very entertaining manner. No droning allowed! The school media specialist who uses imaginative expression and unbridled enthusiasm while reading will enthrall their listeners, keeping them sitting on their pockets and rapt with attention.

There is so much more to a reading then turning pages. Just like a choreographer designs blocking to interpret a stage show, the school media specialist must exhibit a creative physicality to interpret the text being read and the illustrations being shown. The script of the book can be brought to life through movement, music, visual aides, finger play, etc., inviting the students to become an active part of the story. Young children respond enthusiastically to positive stimuli and really want to express themselves. The best school media specialists become the director, encouraging the free involvement of the students through creative expression while maintaining constructive behavior within the group.

The school media specialist can be a child's most important proponent in building an interest in and love of reading. Engaging storytimes enable young students to strongly connect to books early in the development of their reading and comprehension skills. This strong relationship to a book doesn't usually happen through independent reading, especially for young readers who may struggle. Whether the school media specialist is reading a printed book or an eBook to their class, the ability of the professional to convey the meaning of story through choosing appropriate content, using enthusiastic expression, and demonstrating confident creativity ensures the success of a storytime. A captivating storytime will always be listened to by eager ears and watched by wondering eyes and, if you're lucky, will receive a standing ovation at its conclusion. Bravo!

Jennifer Colby

MSI Student

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

jeneve@umich.edu

jennifercolby.weebly.com

@MzzColby

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ELROY JETSON MEETS CAPTAIN KIRK @ THE SCHOOL LIBRARY

Growing up when I did, my visions of what the future might be like were fueled by _The Jetsons_ and the original _Star Trek_. That meant I could have a robot maid who would do all of the housekeeping chores for me or perhaps go off to visit other frontiers on the Enterprise. Has technology changed the landscape of literature and literacy? To some degree, the answer is affirmative, captain. However, growing readers and creating a love for reading, despite these technological advances, still requires good old-fashioned work and skills. As it turns out, the future is not so much like either Elroy or Kirk lived. It is a bit more complicated. So, what is the future of reading? Let me hazard a few observations via my crystal ball, keeping in mind the lessons I learned from the TV shows of my youth.

1. The book as it currently exists will still exist in the foreseeable future. Certainly eBooks and audiobooks (in downloadable and not in physical format) are going to become part of the standard library collection. They already are part of the collection in many school libraries. Of course, I have read the stories about well-meaning administrators who have suggested the elimination of all books (the physical kind), replacing them with eBooks and audio downloads and computers and e-readers. **Access** is still a central concern, though, and until each student can be guaranteed access to books in less than traditional formats, there will continue to be a need for shelving in the school library.

2. Librarians will, I sincerely hope, still give book talks, do story times, dress up as characters from books, put up displays, send out newsletters, and do everything they can to ignite a passion for reading in students of all ages. There does not exist, nor will there ever exist, an app or a format or a technology that will replace the personal touch that an adult, a reading model, an educated professional (i.e., YOU, the school librarian).

3. Books will continue to evolve and change. This hardly takes a crystal ball. Look at the explosion of graphic novels and manga in recent years. What we will see, though, are more and more apps being made available with the release of books. We are just seeing the tip of the iceberg now with wonderful apps such as _Wild About Books_ and _The Cat in the Hat_. These bring books into a new dimension for readers (at least those who have access to e-readers or iPads). They can serve to motivate more reluctant readers: play the game and then read the book (rather like the see the movie/read the book of today). More and more books will publish simultaneously in a wide variety of forms and formats including audio and eBooks. However, there will still be plenty of readers who curl up with a good book and not with their e-reader at night.

What would Elroy Jetson and Captain Kirk think if they could glimpse school libraries over the next decade or century or millennium? My hope is that they will smile with a mixture of approval and recognition.

Teri S. Lesesne

Professor of Children's and Young Adult Literature

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, TX

doctorl@shsu.edu

http://professornana.livejournal.com

@ProfessorNana

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ATHLETES AS READERS AND LEADERS

In the spring of 2008, three Napa Valley Unified School District educators began the Athletes as Readers and Leaders program. The three educators-- Coordinator of Library Service Kate MacMillan, Napa High School varsity football coach Troy Mott, and West Park School principal Julie Herdell -- teamed up to try something new after reading Team Sports for Overweight Children: the Stanford Sports to Prevent Obesity Randomized Trial (SPORT). The study noted that obese students who played after-school sports lost weight but often felt too shy to join an organized team. The three educators realized the best way to overcome this shyness was to create a program encouraging interaction between high school athletes and the elementary students. The program would feature an elementary school visit where high school male and female athletes representing different sports would read a sport related picture book to a group of children. The visit would include a discussion about the importance of reading; an awareness of nutrition and the necessity (and fun) of keeping physically fit.

In April 2008, Napa High footballers spoke at two assemblies at West Park School. At the end of the visit it was evident that Athletes as Readers and Leaders was a successful venue to build a relationship between the athletes and the students and enabled them to have an open dialog about reading, wellness, and physical activity, Numerous cards and letters from the students to the athletes and coaches attested to the difference they had made as role models. The model is simple, but it does require students and athletes to employ higher thinking skills in the discussions of nutrition, literacy, and the importance of being physically active. Asking elementary students to analyze the effects of lifestyle changes, including eating habits and exercise, is a powerful motivator for change. High school athletes learned to make connections to positive lifestyles that would engage the elementary student. As Coach Mott stated, "I don't know who gained more from this experience, the players or the kids."

The benefits of the Athletes as Readers and Leaders for the athletes and students were immediate. Although tracking elementary students' diets or physical activity is beyond the scope of this program, the conversation between the athletes and the students indicated a new awareness and appreciation of a healthier lifestyle. At the same time, the high school athletes became aware of the importance of serving as role models and volunteering to help their community. The program has not only spread to all NVUSD high schools but has also been replicated throughout the state. To date, over 8,000 elementary student and 325 high school athletes have participated in the program.

Athletes as Readers and Leaders involves student athletes rather than professional stars to bring the message of literacy, wellness, and physical fitness to our younger students. It fosters a love of learning and emphasizes the importance of scholarship and leadership. More importantly, the program provides realistic role models to elementary students. It goes beyond most literacy and wellness programs by creating positive relationships through close interaction between high school athletes and elementary students.

In 2008 the Association of American Publishers featured Athletes as Readers and Leaders in the _Get Caught Reading_ summer newsletter. The online nationwide newsletter referred to the program as one that "...sets a positive example at local elementary schools." In 2009, it was recognized as a best practice program by the California School Library Association. As long as there are dedicated coaches, librarians and motivated student athletes, this program will continue to improve student understanding of nutrition, leadership, literacy, and physical activity.

We invite you to view our Animoto slideshow at <http://animoto.com/play/FEK0im3S4wuaXYISE7JQqw> .

Kate MacMillan

Coordinator Library services

Napa Valley USD

Napa, CA

<http://www.nvusd.k12.ca.us/schoollibrarypage>

<http://libraryblah-blah.blogspot.com/>

@klibrarianljm

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READING INTERRUPTED: IN PURSUIT OF PASSION

This is a time of cultural enrichment and exploration of media. Reading can be very fragmented in a hyper world where students can be distracted by texts, chats, tweets, music, gaming, and Googling. Most often I hear that students are not reading anymore. They are not reading what we want them to read like the latest novel or assigned reading. Instead they have personalized and socialized reading in a visual, digital world of blogs, tweets, texts, Facebook, and YouTube.

There is a vast amount of information that students can read on the Internet. One asks: do I really need to read a whole topic when I can access it at any time in so many places, segmenting reading? What is the purpose for reading? How did we lose readers? When reading became a high stakes test, students perceived passing a test as the purpose for reading. How are we personalizing or sharing reading after students achieve grade level, move to middle school, then high school? It seems that students do assigned class reading as they become socially active, develop close friendships, and engage in outside activities. Using social media to connect students to content with strong themes and characters that mirror their lives is just one way to gain their attention.

How are we reaching out to students, 8-3 or 24/7 with mobility and flexibility vs. warehousing? Is our focus on reading? Or passion and interests? Industries have researched and aggressively marketed youth for years. Are we listening to our youth? I asked some of our high school students what games would they like in the library. Who would have guessed Monopoly? They told me that it was the best game ever. I keep a school puzzle going in the library. Anyone can sit and add a piece to the puzzle: students, staff, parents, and visitors. It is during these times that I learn much about their passion and interests. Kids and adults still love a good story. Share one on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or while putting that last piece on your puzzle.

Pamela Jackson

Media Specialist

East Wake H.S., Wendell, NC

pjackson_1234@yahoo.com

@librario868

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BOOK FAIRS 2.0

I feel compelled to begin with a confession: I am a middle school librarian, and I am morally opposed to book fairs. I spend the entire year working to create a culture where students and teachers feel safe and free to access, evaluate, and create information resources. However, for two weeks out of each year, I turn the "research section" of the library into a place where the only ones who can access (and take home) materials are the ones who bring enough money to school. Book fairs break my heart because they represent all that the library is not. While book fairs are designed to be fundraisers, requiring a financial investment for participation, the library shares its resources at no cost.

However, my book fairs raise money that I use to buy more books for the library. The more people buy, the more I can provide to the rest of the people for free. This knowledge is what gets me through book fair weeks.

Last year, after researching various spring book fair options, I decided that I wanted to do an experimental custom book fair with Nicola's Books, a local, independent book store. I've been a frequent customer at Nicola's for years, and I liked the idea of introducing the independent book store to my school community. Nicola's is located about thirty minutes from my school, so I assumed that most of my colleagues, students, and parents were not familiar with the store.

After contacting Nicola Rooney, owner of Nicola's Books, to set a date and to create an action plan, I contacted the head of my school's language arts department and introduced the idea to her. She was immediately enthusiastic and told me I'd have time to explain the plan and get input during their next language arts department meeting.

At the language arts department meeting, I explained the concept of a "custom" book fair. I told the teachers that we were going to work with Nicola and Linda (the children's book buyer) to create a book fair that met the unique needs of our school community. The language arts teachers immediately jumped on board with the idea, and together we generated an incredible list of genres, authors, and titles that we wanted to expose to our students. Furthermore, one of the language arts teachers happens to be a huge fan of the Michigan public radio show on which Nicola happens to be a frequent guest speaker, so the teacher was not only excited to be a part of the book fair planning process, but he was also somewhat star-struck by the idea of working with "the" Nicola Rooney.

After the language arts teachers and I created our list of requested gees, authors, and titles, I sent the list to Nicola. She and Linda put a final list together. The week before the fair, our library secretary and I took a field trip to Nicola's, loaded a pickup truck with book boxes, and returned to school to unpack. With the help of wonderful parents, students, and teachers, we unpacked the boxes and set up the fair. Several hours later, the library tables were piled high with hundreds of titles from an incredibly wide variety of publishers.

We ran the book fair for four days, selling over $2000 worth of quality, hand-selected books for our students. Teachers loved the fact that the books that THEY had selected ended up in our students' hands. Parents loved that their children came home with actual books. I love the fact that my school community embraced something new. On our end-of-school climate survey, multiple parents and students commented on the awesome spring book fair.

This is a fundraiser with which I can sleep well at night.

Rachel Goldberg

Librarian

East Middle School, Plymouth, MI

rachel.goldberg@pccsmail.net

@rachelthereader

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CHAPTER 6: PHYSICAL LIBRARIES

THE PHYSICAL LIBRARY – STILL RELEVANT?

As we develop new libraries and re-design existing spaces, one of the questions we must face is whether or not we truly need all of the square footage once devoted to storing shelves of print library materials. Many libraries have begun allocating significant percentages of their collection development budgets to electronic media, including eBooks and databases. Because students, staff, and parents are becoming more comfortable with electronic information, many school libraries are working toward building their digital collections, while at the same time, weeding down their print volumes. One then wonders – do we really need all of this space?

At Cedar Ridge High School (opened in August of 2010), we faced the immediacy of this challenge as we worked on our collection to begin the 2010-2011 school year. We were given a healthy opening day collection budget, but gwe were severely limited in the amount of square footage and shelving space in our library. This was somewhat offset by the architect's inclusion of "satellite media areas" (more on those later), but we still had to be creative in how we spent those taxpayer dollars to ensure we had a terrific opening day collection that served all of our community's needs within a limited physical space.

Our main library is 3000+- square feet. This seems pretty roomy until one learns that our building is designed for 2300 students. With a little over one square foot per student, things can get a bit claustrophobic! Once we include the furniture and shelving, the actual free space left over consists mostly of walkways and aisles. The architects included "satellite media areas" in each of the four academic wings of our building, which were initially great ideas, until it came time to put library resources in those areas. Since these media areas are open to the hallways with no fourth wall, we certainly could not have included print media, since we were not provided staff to supervise those areas. At 300 square feet each, our main library basically lost 1200 valuable square feet to these virtually unusable lobbies.

With a library space that is so tiny, how can we possibly store the materials we need and provide effective learning spaces for our students, staff, and community? We have a few solutions that we have employed, and these, along with a couple of architectural design advantages, have helped us deliver an excellent library media program despite our square footage limitations. While we believe the architects made a poor decision in adding four virtually unusable spaces in our building, they did an excellent job in designing auxiliary areas of the main library. We have two computer labs that are attached to the library. Our library also contains a large storage room, two small offices, a processing room, a conference room, and a professional library, housed in another small room. These spaces, along with a creative arrangement of shelving, allow us to host up to 4 classes at once or up to 150 students during free time, such as before school, during lunches, and after school.

While we started the 2010-2011 school year with only 9th and 10th graders, we grew into these spaces quickly and will go beyond during the next two school years. In conclusion, the physical library is still relevant, but as we move into more digital collections, storage and shelving spaces becomes less necessary than collaborative, technology lab, and general learning spaces. Libraries should not shrink as physical collections shrink; they should grow as opportunities for collaboration and cooperative learning grow.

Len Bryan

Co-Librarian

Cedar Ridge High School, Round Rock, TX

len_bryan@roundrockisd.org

<http://schools.roundrockisd.org/cedarridge/crhs_library.aspx>

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PLANNING SCHOOL LIBRARIES, OVERCOMING DECISION FATIGUE

School libraries are an extremely complex space. Hundreds of decisions have to be made early in the planning process concerning infrastructure, curriculum and technology integration, content development, layout and design, furnishing, and aesthetics. At some point, you have a mental energy slump, stop being a creative participant, and revert back to what is familiar. What is familiar happens to be the library people have known for 50 years: the beautiful, quiet library focused on a print culture.

We start the planning process rested, excited, and ready to tackle hundreds of multiple choice questions from a team of architects, administrators, project managers, IT directors, electricians, and interior designers. Questions come at you from all the latest social media so you keep your iPhone and laptop charged and your door always open. But at some point you hit the Bermuda Triangle; mentally you try to disappear while a new paranormal storm rages. That voice in your head starts screaming, "How should I know!?! If I knew the future I would be on a speaking tour." You now have decision fatigue.

Work through the fatigue and chart a new course for your school library. Planning a truly new library requires a number of skills including patience, the ability to communicate with people possessing different background knowledge, and a willingness to gather new ideas from multiple resources. Be a librarian who practices what you teach.

You need to collaborate with the team. You do not have to think of everything. The above mentioned team each needs to bring their expertise to the table. You are an expert in things like content development, research skills, teaching, and library management. You want to work in a safe environment that encourages students, teachers and yourself to grow. Learn to clearly articulate these components.

Listen to additional ideas your school administrators have for the library. How do their ideas overlap with your thoughts? Understand their concerns and plan on incorporating their ideas into the library as well. Inclusion is a two way street: you need to be an active team member and engaged throughout the planning process.

Don't allow the space to have zones that are limited to just one function. You want a flexible space that can grow with your student's learning needs. Large open spaces can change quickly; once a wall goes up it is a major issue to take it down later.

Diagram the key activities occurring daily in the library; list resources and their formats so you have that information readily available. You want to be able to merchandise your resources so ask the designer to incorporate ideas into their work. Also, talk with a designer about the tone of the library, social interaction areas versus quiet spaces. Can they suggest unique ways to communicate information visually? Talk about symbolic elements that can be focal points for students.

Schedule meetings with architects, project managers, IT directors and electrical engineers to talk about the library infrastructure when you are at your highest level of energy, you need to be sharp in these meetings. You want access to power and WiFi everywhere. Are Cloud resources being considered? How does that impact services and software? Will nature be a bigger component than simply a view from the library windows? Wood, carpet, paint and ceiling tiles "off gas" and mold loves paper and fabric; who is responsible for the library being "green" and healthy?

Make decisions based on learning goals; don't become complacent when the decisions start to be overwhelming. Collaborate with a team of experts and create a new space for a new generation of learners.

Margaret Sullivan

Library Sales and Marketing Manager

Smith System, Plano TX

MargaretS@smithsystem.com

http://www.smithsystem.com

WORKS CITED

Tierney, John. "Do You Suffer from Decision Fatigue?" _The New York Times_ 17 Aug. 2011. Print.

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THE LIBRARY'S LAST STAND

It seems that lately, in education, we like to have a formula that we can use as a measuring stick for everything. We ask all students to conform to a specific set of tested skills that we measure to determine if they are "worthy" as students. We have the expectation that they should all attend college in order to be "successful." Many parents are so concerned about their children getting into the "right" college that they essentially map out their child's education path before the first day of kindergarten.

Schools too-often dictate what children should read and the order in which they should read them. The curriculum status quo postures that all students will read the same book in the same grade, and the standardized test will verify whether or not the student has mastered the relevant themes. Forget about choice; instead, read the book the curriculum committee has determined to be the best choice, and forget about interest level because the only thing that matters when reading is whether or not the book is at the proper reading level. Forget about creativity, artistic ability, or social skills – they aren't easily measured, so they must not be an important part of a student's development.

So thank goodness for libraries, the last place kids can go to be creative and have choice! Librarians provide reading choices and recommendations based on the interests of individuals. They provide opportunities to be creative with technology and probe at ideas. In libraries, intellectual freedom is alive and well, and that makes them essential to a thriving democratic society.

In recent years we have suffered shock and awe at the number of school library closings, and we have become frustrated with the school administrators, school boards and even most legislators who don't "get" the importance of libraries. Many of them hold a vision of who we were, not who we are. Under the spectre of increasing budget cuts, they don't see that almost half of the student population visits the library daily – many by their own choice, and some to investigate a topic that their classroom teacher has assigned. They don't see that students love to collaborate on assignments and are comfortable sharing thoughts and ideas, unafraid of failure. They don't see how excited kids are to bring home a special book that caught their eye and that they can't wait to read for pleasure. They don't see how kids wander in the weedy glut of online information and that they need to develop skills in order to become information literate, lifelong learners. Yes, libraries and librarians have a price, but it is an investment, not an expense.

If we are to continue to be the most innovative country in the world, we must continue to have strong school library programs that foster creative learning environments and provide the widest variety of resources to our children. School libraries are the last stand for intellectual freedom!

Karen Villegas

Media Specialist

Grosse Pointe North High School, Grosse Pointe, MI

<http://tinyurl.com/3rubk4s>

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**SCHOOL LIBRARIES AS A LAST HOPE FOR PRESERVING AMERICAN DEMOCRACY**

Sometimes, I believe school libraries represent the last gasp of real democracy. We celebrate the potential in all children, but in their attempts to force every last student towards some arbitrarily mediocre competency, American public schools have become productivity-centric, with unending simulations of activity masking real lassitude and intellectual torpor. How has this happened? We know that too many Americans are incurious, many of today's college graduates never reading another book after graduation. Fewer people than ever are reading the newspaper, sometimes preferring to cultivate their own narrow channels of predigested pabulum rather than work through issues independently. And, perhaps for the first time since universal education was undertaken, we are in an almost unprecedented era of rampant ahistoricity and geographical ignorance, where a failure of basic knowledge is too often dismissed as appropriate given the always-available information retrieval mechanisms.

Public schools make obvious the factory metaphor with their emphasis on work, be it class- or home- . In this environment, well staffed and stocked libraries are invaluable in combating the anti-intellectualism and industrialization. In the specialized and institutional confines of 21st-century schools, the librarian is, in contrast, the rare generalist in the building with some knowledge of the entire curricula, technology, media, and the information ecosystem shifting by the moment. It is the library that can preserve a life of the mind in a way both independent from place and time, introduce students to a variety of traditions beyond themselves, show them mechanisms to reach beyond their community to connect with those whose passions they share.

There is some anxiety as public education increasingly privatized that anyone with even modest means will send their children to private schools to avoid the scripted drill-and-kill course of study, so easy to teacher-proof, the sort of approach dominating too many schools forced to focus on improving standardized test scores. Meanwhile, young people in more affluent settings still retain the enrichment opportunities stripped from many cash-strapped systems funding remediation. It seems logical that, in lockstep march towards baseline efficiency, many schools would like to excise libraries because they are fundamentally dangerous, dangerous because they offer the potential for subversive thought, for exploring multiple points of views, for exposing propaganda and totalitarianism. The attitude of a building's administrations towards library materials can be largely indicative of their stance on student rights in a variety of other arenas, including intellectual stimulation and artistic expression. The administrator who sanctions the removal of a professional librarian from his building is committing an act of cultural cowardice.

There is particular rhetoric of education, one that we all aware is illusory and far from beneficial to our students. School librarians, more than anyone in the building, are aware of the shallowness of arbitrary curricula and standardized methods. If they are good, our schools will seek to cultivate master teachers, instead of insisting that the alchemy that is effective teaching is something formulaic and quantifiable. But perhaps, for the most beneficial academic ecosystem, there must also be something different in the mix, the master learners that are librarians, the ones who can see the shortcomings and pratfalls of the current regime. But it is important that the library must continue to be the only place in the school where it is safe to say the emperor has no clothes. Otherwise, we can abandon our belief that we are anything more than a sheeplike proletariat, systematically subjugated by an inferior educational process draining resources from the most talented, mechanizing instruction, and removing the last vestiges of societal respect for the educational profession.

Wendy Steadman Stephens

School Librarian

Buckhorn High School, New Market, AL

wendysteadmanstephens@gmail.com

http://wendysteadmanstephens.com

@wsstephens

* * *

INSPIRING PHYSICAL LIBRARY SPACES FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Our six-year-old library facility is beautiful. Visitors have likened it to a law or college library. Mahogany colored shelves, heavy matching tables and chairs, and carpet that refuses to show much dirt, Neat book shelves with many new books. Lots of windows. A nice computer lab. We decorate with posters, flowers, and current books. We have a nice following of student users. But the space is not what I envision for a future facility...because some students still shy away from our library.

A high school library facility should generate excitement about learning and inspire creativity. It should be a place students want to be. In preparing for future high school library facility design, I don't want to think of a warehouse, law library, or college library. Not that those are bad places. But do they beckon to today's young adults?

Today's net generation cannot relate to status quo school library design, or rigidly defined uses of library space. They need a space that will be used flexibly by all stakeholders in the learning community. I really like the idea of learning commons as posited by David Loertscher and others. Brilliant I say. Kudos to those schools who have already adopted this philosophy.

It should be a hub. Some classrooms should open into it for easy access. I would suggest new schools put the learning commons on the first floor. It will be a place that not only has quiet study or reading areas, but also lively "happening" areas.

Visitors will see teacher groups and student groups working together, creating projects. Indeed, as educators, we are evaluated by the evidence of student work, by their interactions, by their efforts in creating projects. I love this quote by technology consultant Joan Frye Williams: "Stop being the grocery store, and start being the kitchen" (Fitzpatrick 2010).

The place will be wired and students will be able to use their smart phones, tablet PCs, netbooks, etc. Obviously more than adequate bandwidth needs to support this technology. There will not be a digital divide because students will be able to check out technology tools. There will be a room for technological creative works: it will have interactive whiteboards, digital cameras, and digital video cameras. Post production of projects will be done with the latest software.

There will be places for viewing digital student projects as well as showcasing physical projects.

Coffee and conversation will abound in this learning commons. Who says you can't eat or drink while you read or surf the web? Light snacks and beverages can be sold at a coffee/juice bar. So the design needs to include a coffee bar/kitchen area. Can't you imagine it also having a small media viewing room with theater seating and a large flat panel TV for watching CNN, the Weather or History Channel?

Definitely, architects and planners should involve the stakeholders in new design or even remodeling or transforming a high school library into a learning commons. What it will look like will vary from campus to campus. It could have fun upholstered restaurant style booths, some soft seating, art work on the walls (some painted by students), fun paint colors, colorful rugs, or some outdoor spaces (a deck with a few wind chimes, perhaps).

But it will beckon to the user, "Come in, enjoy your learning experience, and stay awhile."

Angela Washington-Blair, Ph.D.

Media Specialist

Emmett J. Conrad High School, Dallas, TX

awashingtonblair@dallasisd.org

WORKS CITED

Fitzpatrick, Sean. "Top Technology Trends at ALA 10 Part One: Current Technology." Web log post. Inside Scoop Blog. American Libraries, 2010. Web. 26 Sept. 2010. <<http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/inside-scoop/top-technology-trends-ala10-part-one-current-technology>>.

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TINKERING AROUND THE LIBRARY

I love to read. There are numerous "favorite" spots around my home and patio to read. And, I believe your library should possess the same favorite spots for students. Everyone should read and learn to read well.

All that love of reading aside, people think I am a good cook because I cook, not because I read cookbooks. My gardens invite gawkers not because I study plant anthologies but because I use a garage full of tools to create something beautiful. My nephew Eion can discuss the pros and cons of red worms and leeches not because he reads earth science books. It is because he can fish from sun rise to sun set, bait his hook like a pro and casts a fly rod like he is on television. And for a first grader he reads well; he has a preference for books on fishing with color pictures.

People learn by tinkering, exploring topics of interest, they build knowledge effortlessly when they are engaged. Student centered learning is not exactly breaking news yet schools overlook this obvious victory in their mad dash to finish with high test scores.

It is exciting to experience schools that are built around the model of student centered or project-based learning. A good example is Larry Rosenstock's High Tech High in San Diego. It is an integrated school of doers and explorers who are successfully tinkering their way through an educational system focused on cross curriculum, hands-on learning.

Unfortunately, one of the strangest things I have seen going into project-based schools is that no one is quite sure what to do with the library. Some schools decide they simply don't need one. Eerily, other spaces remain empty waiting for a brave new concept. Some are traditional: an inflexible space with rows of bookshelves mixed with computers plus a lovely, custom-built circulation desk. In some the librarian is mobile; the library is a stationary warehouse to load resources to ship into the student's world, implying the library is not part of that world. In some the library has no central location: it is satellite stations spread out around campus, again assuming the performing arts students won't need science resources to complete their dance project, etc. Interesting concepts, yet none are a functional WOW, although several were an aesthetic wow.

So I ask myself, why isn't the library the largest tinkering space in the school? Why in a project based environment isn't the hub of activity located in the library? It could so easily be a large open space with mobile resources forming constellations around working students. Tables where 3D models are built can cluster with tables supporting wireless laptops. Print resources on wheels can parallel park next to those tables. And the whole project could have been diagramed and dissected into peer accountability with a mobile whiteboard and chairs pulled into an open space cleared of resources a week earlier.

As the scope of resources evolves blending print and primary material with digital information and demonstrating knowledge ranges from oral presentation set to original music to artwork to interactive term papers the library could be a hands-on studio of activity. Students could manipulate the space around their projects, have easy access to resource tools over long blocks of time, and have enough flexibility to display or demonstrate their project both in progress or finished.

It is disappointing the creativity found in designing schools for authentic learning experiences has not quite made it to the library. A library could be so much more than a place to research and read about life.

Margaret Sullivan

Library Sales and Marketing Manager

Smith System, Plano TX

MargaretS@smithsystem.com

http://www.smithsystem.com

WORKS CITED

New Learning Institute. "Student-Centered Learning." New Learning Institute/Pearson Foundation, 2011. Web. 15 Oct. 2011. <<http://newlearninginstitute.org/film-series/a-21st-century-education/student-centered-learning>>.

* * *

CHAPTER 7: VIRTUAL LIBRARIES

TOGETHER WE LIGHT THE WAY

A few years ago, at one of the opening Institute days for faculty and staff, our Education Association President spoke about being a lighthouse school. That image of sharing and shining a light for others has stayed with me and I believe that is it more critical than ever for librarians and educators today.

I marvel at our colleagues who regularly blog, tweet, experiment and share with the rest of us and I am thankful for the resources they highlight which I, in turn, encourage others to use. One community that I have found to be extremely helpful and supportive is the 35,000+ librarians contributing to the LibGuides community site: <http://libguides.com/community>. While drafting this essay, I searched the literature and found that others are equally enthusiastic. In addition to the community connections described in articles in _Kentucky Libraries_ and _Indiana Libraries_ , reviews of specific recommended LibGuides are beginning to appear in _Choice;_ faculty members at SUNY Brockport have used LibGuides for interdisciplinary collaboration (<http://brockport.libguides.com/research>); and those at the University of Calgary have created one to describe the value of embedded librarians (http://libguides.ucalgary.ca/content.php?pid=117035&sid=1009393).

As I create new pathfinders for my students and mull over possible assignments and/or uses of technology, the LibGuides Community is a lighthouse for which I frequently look. In addition to New Trier High School (<http://newtrier.libguides.com/index.php>) , other high schools with more than 100 LibGuides include Barrington, Blue Valley (Southwest and West), Creekview, and Mesa public schools, although guides can be found across the entire K-12 spectrum. Examples abound of creativity on topics of interest like the Gulf Oil Spill Information Center (<http://guides.lib.usf.edu/gulf-oil-spill>) or any of numerous guides on _Zeitoun_ , this year's all campus read at Tufts University: (http://researchguides.library.tufts.edu/content.php?pid=216182&sid=1798067).

When I create a LibGuide, I collaborate with teachers during that process so that their assignments are readily available to students and to those advisors, instructional aides, and parents who encourage them. I strive to make the LibGuide visually appealing and engaging for students, incorporating or creating videos and images to reinforce learning. I currently do receive and include student suggestions for links; however, one of my goals for the future is to incorporate more student-generated content, too.

I am contributing this essay in part as a call to action as we all continue to experiment with effective online presence. I encourage you to take a moment to look at the speakers list for AASL and when you hear someone who lights the way for you, search their name or organization in LibGuides. Find out what they are doing every day with students and learning communities. Ask to use and build upon their work and spread this knowledge. Whenever I have contacted a librarian, he or she has graciously agreed to share, often only asking for a small attribution, while establishing the beginnings of a professional relationship. More than 185,000 guides are available to everyone – granted, some links require passwords, but many do not or can be modified for your school on whatever platform you use to communicate with students, faculty, and community.

I recognize that information and RE-search – looking, looking again, evaluating, analyzing, and connecting ideas – will continue to evolve and I am excited that we have tools such as this in order to engage others and to act as lighthouses along the journey.

Linda Straube

Teacher/Librarian

New Trier High School, Winnetka, IL

straubel@newtrier.k12.il.us

newtrierlibrary.blogspot.com

amexchange.blogspot.com

WORKS CITED

Brazzeal, Bradley. "Research Guides as Library Instruction Tools." _Reference Services Review_ 34.3 (2006): 358-67. Print.

Little, Jennifer J., Moira Fallon, Jason Dauenhauer, Betsy Balzano, and Donald Halquist. "Interdisciplinary Collaboration: A Faculty Learning Community Creates a Comprehensive Lib Guide." _Reference Services Review_ 38.3 (2010): 431-44. Print.

* * *

VIRTUAL WORLD LIBRARIES: A GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS

When kindergarteners enter my school library today, they are often more comfortable with a mouse than a pencil. Many of my students have spent time in virtual worlds designed for children, such as Webkinz or Club Penguin. The use of computer simulation for education is widely recognized; however, some schools are reluctant to embrace virtual worlds, such as Whyville, due to anonymity of users and a perceived lack of control. However, teachers and librarians understand the value of new technology tools and trends to enhance learning and some may choose to explore virtual worlds as a medium for synchronous and collaborative learning. Unfortunately, emerging tools and trends are so numerous, many of us find it impossible to learn and explore them all. Developing a professional learning network has become crucial to awareness of new modes of information delivery. In the report, _The Future of Learning Institutions in a Digital Age_ , Davidson and Goldberg said, "Our argument here is that our institutions of learning have changed far more slowly than the modes of inventive, collaborative, participatory learning offered by the Internet and an array of contemporary mobile technologies" (2009, p.9).

How can virtual worlds provide library resources? My research focus on the adoption of virtual worlds by librarians began when I read a librarian's blog post about a group of librarians meeting at the American Library Association Island in the virtual world of Second Life. I was intrigued! Librarians were creating avatars, building exhibits and sharing resources in a 3D computer simulated world. After exploring for myself, I began a research study which shows evidence of numerous possibilities for school libraries (Hill and Lee, 2009). Along with participating in transliteracy projects (learning to communicate across multi-media platforms in addition to reading and writing), I attended professional development sessions, presented at virtual conferences, and graduated with a Certificate in Virtual Worlds from the University of Washington.

In the near future, students may enter virtual worlds to visit historical simulations set in eras, such as the Alamo. Librarians in Texas created a virtual exhibit featuring live events in the Virtual World of Second Life. I filmed a machinima (a portmanteau combining the words machine and cinema) showing avatars at the Texas Capital and the Alamo, which can be viewed at <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ6uxSaS3io>).

While Second Life is currently only available to users over the age of 13, educators are creating virtual worlds for K-12 using the same open source code. Librarians and teachers can learn how to build content in Second Life and bring that knowledge into other virtual worlds, such as Reaction Grid or Jokaydia. One of the advantages of virtual worlds (over other distance education platforms) is the potential for students to create 3D content themselves. I visited the virtual world of Reaction Grid, where many teachers are creating 3D resources, and took some machinima shots, which can be viewed at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPRaFJuWKI4&NR=1&feature=fvwp. A librarian created the Dewey Decimal System in 3D!

Libraries of the future will undoubtedly look different than they do today. The combination of physical and virtual realities (along with augmented reality) will provide opportunities to present resources in numerous formats. Virtual worlds are only one possibility for creating educational resources and librarians understand the importance of balancing tradition and innovation when striving to meet the information needs of the community.

Valerie Hill

School Librarian

Ethridge Elementary School, The Colony, TX

Doctoral Candidate & Graduate Teaching Assistant

Texas Woman's University

School of Library and Information Studies

Denton, Texas

vhilledu@gmail.com

vhill.edublogs.org

@valibrarian

WORKS CITED

Davidson, Cathy N., and David Theo. Goldberg. _The Future of Learning Institutions in a Digital Age._ Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press 2009. Print.

Hill, Valerie, and Hyuk-Jin Lee. "Libraries and Immersive Learning Environments Unite in Second Life." _Library Hi Tech_ 27.3 (2009): 338-56. Print.

WEBSITES TO EXPLORE

http://www.jokaydiagrid.com

http://www.reactiongrid.com

http://www.secondlife.com

http://www.whyville.net

* * *

LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD? WELL, VIRTUALLY I AM

I love books. I love printed works. I love reading. The physical touch of paper inspires me to want to read more and to write. However, my lifestyle does not allow me the strength or the privilege to carry with me all that I desire. A computer, iPad, or Kindle will do just fine. But how can the school library meet the needs of such a person as me?

Welcome to the virtual world. For many years, school librarians have been placing information about their school libraries on the Web. As you browse their sites, you notice that there are innovators, early adopters, the majority, and those who lag behind making sure that the time spent is worthy of their labor. What I have observed through my efforts and those of my library science graduate students who research school library websites for their own learning is that school libraries that offer virtual services and points of contact attract readers and have a much greater potential to reach out to their community of readers.

Some of the important things I observed about the smart virtual library sites were that they had presence, were up-to-date, and offered Readers' Advisory. I figure that if I were a student who used one of these sites, these things would be lures that would bring me back to the library's site. Why? Because the reason that I visited the site in the first place had to do with homework or a project that was due and I needed information fast!

Presence in the virtual world is usually through a website. Some school libraries have multiple pages to their sites. Others use wikis or blogs. Still others use a combination of websites with wikis or blogs. For school libraries limited to only one Web page, innovative librarians create a link to an additional site for sources as an extension to their district site. No matter how the site may be set up, other social networking tools may be included making the virtual presence robust and capable of serving students, teachers, and parents.

Keeping the school library site current is engaging. I want the site to be up-to-date with the information that meets my needs. In addition, I want to be able to contact someone should I need help. A picture of a friendly face with an email address or phone number next to it allows me to seek assistance when I am not on campus. I may not receive an answer right away, but I will have communicated with the librarian when I may not be able to do so during the school day.

Readers' Advisory is a big plus to me in the virtual world! As a student, I may hear booktalks during the day, but most likely those books are checked out before I have the chance to get to them. However, when I am online viewing reading recommendations, I can go to the online catalog to look for the eBook or reserve the printed copy. In addition, I view the booktalks when I am relaxed in my own space, which is the place where I will most likely to read the materials I select.

So much more may be done with a virtual presence for school libraries than what I have mentioned here. What matters most is that the library meets the needs of its community of readers. The virtual reality should inspire and fit the lifestyle of the school library users so they will come back again and again and again.

Holly Weimar

Assistant Professor

Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX

Haw001@shsu.edu

hweimar.wikispaces.com

@drweimar

* * *

I WANT TO BE AN APP

At the ISTE Conference last summer, my colleagues spent a lot of time flexing their apps, flaunting apps for learning, apps for productivity, apps for documentation, reference, and reading.

Whether it was in the hallway and lounges, or in formal presentation mode, these educators excitedly shared every individual dictionary, concise encyclopedia, or almanac on their screens.

Their librarian friend was frankly and completely unimpressed.

All those growing collections of icons, especially those reference and research tools, cannot approximate what libraries might contribute to those screens. And that contribution would include easy access to thousands of dollars of reference content for free.

When I talked my ISTE colleagues through loading the Gale Access My School, Access My University, and Access My Library apps, jaws literally dropped. Those suites of free ebooks and database apps offered depth quite unlike their already-loaded, pseudo-impressive referency apps.

So, why didn't they know about them?

I don't think we've done nearly the job we might have done getting the word out.

I don't think we are migrating our practice quickly enough.

Our students' and our teachers' networked worlds must link them to their libraries.

Why would we pay for, curate, and develop services and content that we cannot scale out to the spaces and devices our users actually use?

The potential reaches well beyond content. To be relevant and effective and competitive, school library itself must be a hybrid and portable experience.

Through both our websites and apps, teacher-librarians should be able to apply and translate traditional skills—for instruction, collection development, collaboration, reference, communication, creativity—in powerful ways, offering just-in-time/just-for-me learning opportunities, new zones for learning intervention.

As scalable strategies, school library websites and our yet-to-be-developed apps must allow librarians to guide unlimited numbers of students—onsite, at home, or otherwise distant.

Universities now offer their constituents entrée to access to their wealth of resources from a single mobile portal. On the K-12 level, our learners are equally ready. And they are ready for something more than a basic index-type phone app.

After more than 16 years, web-based practice for school libraries has been inconsistent, with practice ranging from single-page brochures to dynamic, interactive, mashed-up learning environments. The disparity of these efforts, compounded by the digital lives embraced by our students, and a body of professional literature that documents the need for instructional intervention with learners, suggests critical need for new scalable strategies.

Building on my research on library websites, I want to develop an app. School library, the app, should be fully customizable, brandable, beautiful. It should represent the mission of ensuring that learners are effective and ethical users and producers of ideas and information. I want it to offer easy access to our catalog, with immediate and attractive access to our ebooks; access to our heavily-used database collection; access to our curated instruction and resources; access to our evaluation, documentation, and annotation tools; access to our collaboratively developed online instruction and media; access to tools for outlining, mindmapping, storyboarding, writing, reflecting and creating; opportunities for interaction and intervention.

I want our whole program—instruction, services, tools, learner contributions, as well as our resources, and somehow its joy—to be as available to our learning community as their favorite online games or shops. I want whatever we do in our library to be supported, enhanced, reinforced, and reinterpreted by a vibrant digital presence.

Practicing teacher-librarians today are obliged to communicate their programs effectively in both face-to-face and digital spaces. Hybrid practice is no longer optional. Mobile practice is no longer optional. Our practice should be cloud-based, participatory, portable, and attractive.

I want to be an app.

Joyce Kasman Valenza

Teacher Librarian

Springfield Township High School, Erdenheim, PA

joycevalenza@gmail.com

http://springfieldlibrary.wikispaces.com

<http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/neverendingsearch/>

@joycevalenza

* * *

CHAPTER 8: COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT

OPENING DAY COLLECTION FOR A NON-DEWEY LIBRARY:

**THE RED HAWK ELEMENTARY LIBRARY STORY**

The St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD) opened its first bookstore model library this August (<http://www.timescall.com/news/longmont-local-news/ci_18517432>). This was the most difficult and time intensive collection I have assembled. It required 500 hours to select 6000 titles. SVVSD attemped this to get students to read more books and to empower them as searchers and users of information. I was a Dewey Librarian all the way until I toured the Anythink Public Library system with my cataloger, Norm Birt. This visit was the beginning of a paradigm shift for me and potentially for the libraries of our district.

We met with Anythink's Collection Development Manager, Rachel Fewell. One of the first things she mentioned was the ILS system was not a factor. It was the same system we used, so obviously that was not a deal breaker. We discussed the increased circulation and the decreased reference desk questions. She mentioned once they pulled out the biographies, circulation increased 300%. The tour ended with the picture book section.This section interested me since we would be opening our 26th elementary school in August 2011. This school was going to be a complicated collection because it would be our first dual curriculum school.

Anythink's fiction section was grouped by genre. Graphic novels were broken out. I expected to see this. I did not expect to see the picture books broken out the same way. Using the bookstore model with picture books, keyword thinking and searching begins in Kindergarten. In this age of digital natives, making this connection between the library and the Internet is crucial.

With my cataloger, the principal of this new school, my boss, and a vendor on board it was time to begin. My cataloger designed the grid to be used. This was based on the grid used by Maricopa Public Libraries and Anythink Libraries. I worked with Ann, the same Opening Day Collection Coordinator I had used for the 4 previous schools.

The defining moment of the whole process came when Ann asked me "Are you aware, you will have to assign the classification code to each title you purchase?" By this time, the principal had blogged about this innovative new library. No turning back. My boss quoted John Maxwell to me over and over again, saying, "If you fail, you will have 'failed forward' (Maxwell 2000)." This was my mantra for the next 9 months. We typically place approximately 6000 titles in a new elementary school library. I would have to assign the classification for each of them.

The bookstore model solved some problems our students had with Dewey, but not all of them. We used the major classification categories such as art, music, biography, science, history, etc. What was the criteria for a sub category? We made the arbitrary decision that a subcategory had to have a minimum of 15 books. What about those categories that did not have 15 books but needed a subcategory? Snails and Mollusks are an example of this. Pirate books are still a problem.

The students and staff love the new arrangement of the library. Circulation statistics have increased. After the first week, 17% of students checked out a nonfiction book in a new category. 38 percent of students checked out a fiction or picture book in a new category. Use of the online catalog has decreased.

Will this model be deemed a success? Time will tell. This will be a year of data collection and analysis. Was it worth attempting? Absolutely.

Holli Buchter

Media Services Coordinator

St. Vrain Valley School District, Longmont, CO

buchter_holli@svvsd.org

<http://blogs.stvrain.k12.co.us/mediaservices>

@svvsdlibraries

WORKS CITED

Maxwell, John. _Failing Forward_. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2000. Print.

* * *

DELETING DEWEY ~ ELEMENTARY STYLE

Although Dewey wasn't exactly "broke," we still wanted to "fix it." "Why?" you ask. Because informing a six year old that she'll find books on magic at 793.8 didn't feel entirely helpful. And even more challenging was explaining that while Goldilocks certainly learned valuable lessons after her unlawful break and entry, she can be found at 398.209242: among the other non-fiction shelves.

This kind of mulling led our team of librarians at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York City to lay to rest the respected but rather antiquated Dewey Decimal System and create a whole new one that we have named proudly, "Metis."

In Greek Mythology, Metis was the goddess of wisdom and deep thought. And it was exactly "deep thought" that we found ourselves steeped in...knee deep actually, for the last 8+ months. Our task was to figure out where the location of each and every book in our collection of 20,000 would make the most sense to students between 5 and 12 years old. Our goal was to create a user friendly, flexible, and intuitive system that would enhance the naturally inclined reader's experience in exploring and locating books of interest, while also reaching out to the less inclined, and create a supportive and enticing environment.

Upon reflection, we had been grappling with Dewey's system for quite some time, making modest attempts to simplify and improve accessibility for the children. But it wasn't until December 2010, when one of our librarians shared an article about a public library in Connecticut that had done away with Dewey and created a broad subject based system for ages 0-5, that the quest truly took hold. We stood around our colleague's desk as she read the article out loud, nodding our heads in curious agreement, while interjecting occasionally, "Hmm. Nice. Cool. But it wouldn't work here."

If you know anything about librarians, you know this: they are generally helpful, pleasant, kind, well mannered, and patient. In addition, they tend to be inconspicuously adventurous and sometimes...they can be...well, overly ambitious.

Throughout the spring sections were created by sorting through and integrating both fiction and non-fiction books based on their topic. The lower library's (pre K - 2nd grade) experiment began with clearly defined sections for "celebrations" "scary" and "transportation" books. In the upper library, fiction was broken down into genres such as "humor" "mystery" "science fiction" etc. serving as litmus tests for ease of browsing, statistics on circulation, and overall enjoyment of the library space. The feedback from students was strikingly positive and enthusiastic, leading us to commit to spending our approaching summer realizing this vision in full.

Holding on to our convictions we arrived day-by- day, and sorted book by book. Some days were fun and exhilarating, while others were stressful and downright overwhelming. Thankfully however, almost every day was made up of rich and thoughtful conversations contemplating the most sensible and useful place for each book. Admittedly, by the last two weeks of August, as we stood in our maze of piles and piles and piles of books, we too, with tears, questioned, "Why?" But when students arrived on September 8th, 2011, not only was Metis up and running, we librarians had never felt more ready and excited about opening day.

We have yet to determine thoroughly if our system works. We believe it does but will remain open and committed to adjusting as we observe our students in action. The library belongs to them, and Metis was created to show them just that.

Next, we tackle the website!

Andrea Dolloff

Assistant Librarian

Ethical Cultural Fieldston School, New York, NY

adolloff@ecfs.org

andreadolloff.com

* * *

THE POWER OF EBOOKS

The future of school libraries is uncertain. In this ever-increasing digital world, will there be a need for a physical library? What role will the library and librarian play in the education system? Will there even be a need for school librarians?

In a recent article I wrote for _School Library Monthly_ (Mondloch 2011), I emphasized that current education reforms, like the Partnership for 21st-century Skills, STEM, and the Common Core State Standards Initiative, could lead to a renaissance for school libraries. The innovative ideas and philosophies contained in these important reforms dovetail perfectly with the experience and expertise of school librarians. Inquiry, problem solving, critical thinking, and information literacy have been the pillars of school library media programs for many years. As we say, "It's where we live." But the opportunities provided by this innovative approach to education will not simply be handed to librarians; we need to stand up and claim our place at the educational table. We need to educate teachers, administrators, parents, and students about our expertise and the value we can add to the emerging approach to education. We can no longer "tell our story" to each other; we need to stand up and demonstrate the important role that we can, and will, fill in the future.

One of the shifts contained in the new Common Core State Standards Initiative is a focus on incorporating informational texts into the teaching in the core content areas. Having quality informational texts in the classroom will be a key component of implementing CCSS. However, numerous studies show that classroom libraries are outdated, inconsistent, and dominated by fiction. (Jeong, Gaffney, and Choi, 2010, p.445) Yet, down the hall, most school libraries contain wonderful, relevant collections of informational texts. Most classroom teachers simply lack the time and the skills necessary to manage classroom libraries. What can librarians do to assist teachers in the management of classroom libraries? Most librarians are concerned that they don't have the funding necessary to run the library, much less take on the management of classroom libraries. One possible solution is to have librarians lead the effort to create and manage digital classroom libraries.

Most publishers now offer subscriptions plans that allow unlimited access to e-book collections. Librarians should establish digital classroom libraries for their teachers. These collections can be managed centrally, but shared with every classroom. Each classroom can create its own digital bookshelf that fits specifically with the units of study. The digital bookshelves could contain books that are "at," "above," and "below" grade level. Every student would have access to an updated, complete, and well-managed library, assessable in the classroom, library, or at home.

Schedule a meeting with your administration and explain the cost-saving benefits of centrally managing digital classroom libraries. Sharing collections across several classrooms is more cost-effective than having each classroom purchase its own resources. Show them how effective classroom libraries support the implementation of the CCSS standards. Point out how librarians can add value and relieve teachers from the burden of managing classroom libraries. Creating a centralized e-book collection, managed by a certified librarian, could save the school thousands of dollars while providing classrooms with quality resources vetted by professionals, trained in collection management.

If we want to save our profession, we need to market our services to teachers, administrations, students, and parents. We must insert ourselves into the planning and implementation of current curriculum reforms. The future of school libraries does not need to be uncertain. In this ever-increasing digital world, students, teachers, and administrators need certified librarians now more than ever. Let's work together and claim our place in the digital school of the future.

Ben Mondloch

Publisher

Cherry Lake Publishing, Ann Arbor, MI

http://www.cherrylakepublishing.com

benmondloch@me.com

WORKS CITED

Jeong, J., J. Gaffney, and J. Choi. "Availability and Use of Informational Texts in Second-, Third-, and Fourth-Grade Classrooms. " _Research in the Teaching of English 44.4_ (2010): 435-456. Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 7 Oct. 2011.

Mondloch, Ben. "Libraries of the 21st-century. _School Library Monthly_ 1:Apr. 2011: Research Library, Proquest. Web. 15 Oct. 2011

* * *

**TEN REASONS A SCHOOL LIBRARY AND CERTIFIED LIBRARIAN ARE VITAL TO SCHOOLS**

1. The free world wide web is vast, but solid research is not free. Your library offers valid online resources and an array of subscription services to help learners and researchers sift through information.

2. Searching the free world wide web requires lots of time for one to sift through the gazillions of links. Try school library pathfinders instead, or use smart searching strategies you have learned from your school librarians.

3. A school library with a certified librarian ensures quality control. As patrons use the Internet, they are taught and reminded to evaluate each site.

4. What you don't know really does hurt you. Ignoring evaluation tricks or search strategies can lead your research down a treacherous path.

5. The Internet does not replace having books in the library. In pathfinders for projects, we strive to include print resources as well as web links to enhance the resources for a project.

6. While eBooks are a growing trend, there are still many issues with format and cost. It's too early to rely strictly on eBooks at this time, especially in our school libraries with shrinking budgets. Yeah, cost is an issue. Check your school's collection of eBooks, specifically chosen to meet research needs in your school.

7. Schools can be successful even if "library-less" now that the Internet is widely available? Not true. The role of the library and the librarian is much more than physical space and books. We are instructional partners, collaborators, research and information specialists, and we strive to ensure our students are getting their needs met by educating the school community on best practice in terms of instruction AND resources/collection development. We are the Google of our schools. An added bonus–a school library is not just a place to offer Internet access or books. It is a place designed for learning, either self-directed or collaboratively. School libraries of today are places where students can come to read for pleasure, study, research independently or with classes, and even delve into being a creator of information.

8. But a Virtual Library ensures continued service, no? A virtual library just one facet of a program. What is lost? Lost is the total instructional component of this picture. Who exposes students and teachers to new virtual library resources? Often these resources are complex, confusing, and just plain messy.

9. The Internet: a mile wide and an inch (or less) deep. Yes relatively speaking, the Internet is young and not fully developed. And much of what is available free is shallow. To gain more research worthy information, one will have to seek out sources that are provided by experts in the respective fields of research. Librarians are trained to select print and digital resources that meet the needs of the curriculum in their school. .

10. The Internet is ubiquitous, but books are portable. Many true readers prefer hard copies of books to an electronic site, device, or gadget. This has not changed despite the Internet becoming a major part of a school library program. School libraries are beginning to dabble in eBook devices, which is breathing new life into programs, but this is still a significantly uncharted territory for school libraries that have little to no budgets. Comparing the Internet to hard copy books does not make sense. We must work in tandem with both. Our goal as librarian is to evolve our programs as time changes while new methods and resources change the landscape of today's libraries.

A school librarian ensures the school library program evolves to meet the varied needs of today's learners, and ensures it continues to support the needs of the learners in the "learning commons." As the landscape of information changes, school librarians are on the frontlines embracing the changes and preparing their programs for the school and community of learners.

Cathy Jo Nelson

School Librarian

Dorman High School, Spartanburg District 6 Schools, Roebuck, SC

cathyjonelson@gmail.com

blog.cathyjonelson.com

@cathyjo

_This essay is an abridgement of a longer blog post available at_ <http://blog.cathyjonelson.com/?p=1837>_._

WORKS CITED

Herring, Mark Y. "10 Reasons the Internet Is No Substitute for a Library." _American Libraries_ 32.4 (2001): 76-78. Print.

* * *

**BEST OF TIMES, WORST OF TIMES: RESPONSIBLE COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT IN CHANGING TIMES**

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" – rather sums up my relationship with collection development these days. When Charles Dickens wrote these classic opening lines to _A Tale of Two Cities_ (Dickens 1996, p. 1), he described a time of new beginnings, emerging from within a period of uncertainty. Revolutionary turmoil aside, the school library is undergoing a similar period of dramatic change, where there is great opportunity for learning, amidst challenges that force us to rethink how we can best serve today's learners. When so much is expected by students, parents, teachers, administrators, and school boards, how do school library collections persevere and remain relevant in the future?

For many reasons, the future of collection development in school libraries promises "the best of times" – where increased accessibility to both print and electronic resources is providing new opportunities to select materials that satisfy the needs of many different types of learners. The ubiquity of the Internet also means that the school library collection is no longer defined by its physical space – "anytime, anyplace, anywhere" is the new expectation. Portable devices such as e-readers, iPads, and laptops certainly demand our attention and engage students in wonderful ways. They enhance and enrich our options for collection development because, like their paper predecessors, they have the potential to build community, aspire to integrity, provide equity, and appreciate diversity.

Collection development in the future should continue to become a more collaborative activity whereby stakeholder participation is essential to the process – but with responsibility, also comes accountability when selecting for others. Authentic opportunities for students to browse online, read reviews, consult peer recommendations, supports more informed choices based on independent research and developing a critical eye.

The popularity of social cataloguing websites is also emerging as a popular tool with tremendous potential for collaborative collection development. Sites such as Shelfari, LibraryThing, and Good Reads make it easy for both students and teachers to manage personalized, virtual collections that can be developed, shared, and discussed. Connecting school library personnel through these sites not only supports richer collection development, but also encourages a strong professional learning community.

As much as it is an exciting time to be reinventing our school library collections, it is also a very challenging time. There are questions as to whether or not school libraries are even necessary in today's high-tech world and the vulnerability of school library budgets often results in juggling more with less. When times are tough, school library personnel continue to explore creative solutions to provide equity, and to ensure that the communities they serve have access to the instructional materials and technologies they need to support learning and teaching. Ongoing assessment of the learners' needs both informs and refreshes the integrity of a collection. As student populations represent an increasingly global clientele, it is essential that school libraries recognize the importance of expanding resource collections to celebrate, rather than homogenize, human diversity.

The essence of responsible collection development does not reside in reading text or images from either a book or a screen, but in those big ideas that a collaboratively designed collection offers – balance and choice, appreciation for human diversity, and the inclusion of multiple perspectives. It is clear to me that the school library is poised to play a key leadership role in how students learn in the future – and how school library collections are transformed and customized to meet the emergent needs of future learners, may be a "far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done."

Kathleen Atkin

Coordinator of Library Services

Louis Riel School Division

Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada

kathleen.atkin@lrsd.net

katkin.edublogs.org

WORKS CITED

Dickens, Charles. _A Tale of Two Cities._ New York: Penguin, 1996. Print.

* * *

CHAPTER 9: COLLABORATION

OUTSIDE AND INSIDE TEAMWORK

Every spring, crown daisies, mallow, and a wild variety of herbs flood the vacant spaces on roads leading to my school. Out of curiosity, I learned the names, folklore and usefulness of each. This personal project became the heart of a larger idea. One day after rereading the new ALA guidelines and doing some initial tweaking of a plan, I visited the art room.

"How about we co-plan a little activity for our first graders and get them outside?" I asked. The art teacher and I had developed a professional camaraderie so asking that question was never unexpected from either partner.

I have learned that interesting results occur when people put their heads together. Within the month, the first graders explored the local neighborhood with the art teacher, first grade teacher, and librarian. The teachers helped the children identify species as they inspected the multitude of plants growing on the school grounds, the roadside, and in a nearby park. It was easy to find the nettle and mustard. It look a longer search to locate Field Marigolds, Scented Mayweed and Shepherd's Purse.

As librarian, creator and promoter of information, I had constructed a website with a list of all the plants, including a photograph and a small paragraph on each: the children could undertake indoor research at the appropriate reading level.

The cabal of teachers took the children back to the great outdoors after they had chosen their special plant. They took sketchpads and in the fields drew plant pictures in a scientific style they had learned from the art teacher.

"Where does this flowering tree come from?" I pointed to the Golden Wattle that shaded their play area. By now they knew it was indigenous to Australia.

"Why do I use gloves with this one?" I asked holding up Stinging Nettle. All their hands went up.

"How many have seen these plants near your home," I asked as I held up a Common Mallow?" Again, the response was boisterous.

Better yet, they started asking questions or provided new insights about the wild things that grew in their world.

"I showed my father the Cape Sorrel in the backyard. He didn't know it was from South Africa!"

In the classroom, the children read about their plants on the website and then wrote about them in their own words. In the art room, the children polished the drawings using watercolors and then labeled them. In the library, the children prepared an oral presentation for a class of 9th grade biology students since a high school teacher had joined our cabal. The first graders were given a rubric to use and practiced their presentations in front of each other getting tips from the group.

The big day arrived when the biology students, rubrics in hand, entered the first grade classroom and listened to the children talk about all the wild plants that grew in the school neighborhood. They had their drawings and plant cuttings for the presentation. They looked at their audience, smiled, paused, made eye contact, remembered to include a beginning, middle and end, and exchanged personal insights.

"Each mustard flower had four petals."

"Cape Sorrel goes to bed when it is cold!"

"Pimpernel helps you tell the time."

The biology students encouraged the first graders. Perhaps from this experience, they learned to recognize and value the younger students just as they did the little roadside plants.

Ideas like seeds transform when spread. Oh we should team up, share often and see where it takes us, outside and inside!

Lorna Flynn

School Librarian

American International School in Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus

Lorna@mac.com

lornathelibrarian.com

@lorna_librarian

* * *

**CULTIVATING THE NEXT BILL GATES IN YOUR LIBRARY: COLLABORATING WITH COMPUTER PROGRAMMING TEACHERS AND STUDENTS TO DEVELOP SOFTWARE FOR READING INCENTIVE PROGRAMS**

A few years ago, I was reading a brief biography of Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft. One thing that leaped out at me was a powerful formative experience that Mr. Gates had as a teenager. While attending a privileged private high school, young Bill developed his programming abilities and was actually given the task of automating the process of issuing student schedules. In addition to getting paid for the job (in the form of time on a pricey GE computer), Bill was able to place himself in classes with friends and various female students he found interesting!

At the same time I was reading about Bill Gates, I learned about a reading incentive program called 50,000 Pages. This reading competition had many data collection requirements, and I thought of some variations that would make those requirements even more complicated. For example, I wanted to have individual awards chosen randomly at various stages of the contest as well as an ice cream party for the participants of the winning class at the end of the contest. Eventually I decided to raise the magic number to 60,000 pages. When one class reached this total, the contest would be over. One group would win an ice cream party and one lucky winner (not necessarily in that group) would win the grand prize drawing for an iPod touch. Entries for each individual depended on the number of pages they read, with each 100 pages equaling one chance to win. I also wanted to give out small gift cards as prizes when one class reached 20,000 pages and 40,000 pages.

If these data requirements make your head spin, you're not alone. I tried to figure out a way to run the contest in an Excel spreadsheet, and could not find the right formula. At that point, I had an epiphany to approach the computer programming teacher and see if any students were available for a special project. After describing the nature of the program, the teacher sent me two students with the necessary skills. At the initial meeting we clarified the data requirements and standards for usability, data retrieval, contest rules and so forth. I also managed to get approval to pay the students in the form of a $50 gift card. They would also get credit for the project in their class.

This was not a simple project. The software went through several iterations which had various bugs and problems that made it unusable for the contest. With the projected start of the contest fast approaching, the student developers had to get a workable version before the Winter break. In the process of fixing problems, I even added a few requirements, including search and editing features. After perhaps 20 hours of actual work, which put the students' earnings well below minimum wage, we had a workable product.

By May 2007, we had an ice cream party and an iPod winner, and I also generated some needs for a 2.0 version of the software. Fortunately one of the students on the project was a junior and was able to develop the improved version for the 2008 contest with the help of another student. I'm happy to report that both of these students are now studying computer science at the University of Texas at Austin, and one of them even traveled to the storied Googleplex in California for a summer program.

I would like to think that the collaboration with these students and their teacher helped launch these budding programmers on a path to IT greatness. I know it didn't hurt.

Neil Krasnoff

Media Specialist and Technology Manager

New Tech High School at A. Maceo Smith, Dallas, TX

nskrasnoff@gmail.com

schooltechparadise.blogspot.com

@txlibraryguy

* * *

BRIDGING SPACE AND TIME: COLLABORATING FOR LEARNING

Sometimes ideas are too big to be limited by geographic or other boundaries. And sometimes we find collaborative partners in unexpected ways.

Shannon M. Miller and I knew each other casually through social networking sites; John Schumacher wasn't even on my radar. Yet when we met in person last year, at the _School Library Journal_ Leadership Summit, we immediately clicked.

Shannon and I found common ground in art and photography, and decided to become co-advisors for a student camera club. Shannon and John began working as a teaching team, planning lessons together and facilitating interaction between their classes, eventually including me in some of their projects. What is unusual about these activities is that none of us are in the same school or even the same state. I am, in fact, a retired teacher/librarian with no students except those "shared" with me by Shannon and John. In very real ways, we all profit from this relationship.

Shannon's students, in Iowa, and John's students, in Illinois, along with classes in New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Georgia, benefit from a greatly enlarged landscape, in both a physical and a metaphorical sense, as learners partner with "colleagues" in diverse geographic locations. This coming year, we plan to expand our photography club, Club Click, so our borders will stretch even further: to New Jersey, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, Florida, Hawaii, perhaps even Australia.

Since I'm no longer working in a school district, my contribution to the collaboration is different, but just as real: I help to bridge not only space, but time.

I can offer these young people a window on another world, primary source information about the America of the 1950s through the present. My perspective is necessarily shaped by my experiences, and I'm able to relate this different viewpoint via stories, conversations, and personal mementos.

Educators love to toss around the term "lifelong learners." Well, I am able to model that for students, letting them see my excitement in exploring new ideas and acquiring new skills. Our nation is getting grayer, and tolerance is a two-way street. Mature adults need to value the young, and children and young adults should understand that growing older does not mean withdrawing from life and learning.

One of John Schumacher's elementary children asked him why I was Skyping with their class, if I was retired. He explained that Mrs. Cordell was still interested in libraries and books and missed having her own students. Retirees are a great untapped resource for schools, a vast living database of information and expertise. Those of us who choose to remain active in our profession must vigorously seek out opportunities for involvement.

Shannon and John have offered me the chance to engage with students in a meaningful way. Our collaboration enriches many lives, not the least of which is my own.

Education is too big, too important, to be limited by arbitrary constraints. Collaborating with teachers and students allows me to share what I've learned, and, in turn, learn from my collaborators.

What a wonderful bargain for us all!

Diane Cordell

Retired Teacher Librarian

Queensbury, NY

dmcordell@gmail.com

dmcordell.blogspot.com

@dmcordell

* * *

NAPA VALLEY SCHOOL AND PUBLIC LIBRARY COLLABORATION

Lately it seems as though the budget crisis worsens day by day. The constant news reports of layoffs and decreased school funding send shivers up and down our collective spine. In the school library world, we wonder how we can possibly provide services to our students when we are understaffed and underfunded. With this in mind, Napa Valley School Library Consortium and the city county public libraries began exploring a number of innovative collaborative programs that would benefit both library systems.

To give the reader some background....seven years ago Napa Valley Unified School District's Library Services was approached by the Napa County Office of Education about the possibility of hosting the newly renovated Curriculum Library. At the time, little did we know that this was the beginning of the Napa Valley School Library Consortium The consortium is now made up of 35 schools from three school districts, the County Office of Education, one private school, and two parochial schools. The consortium's goal has been to provide managed library services to assist smaller rural districts and schools with database hosting, collection development, technical support, and staff training. In addition, the consortium membership provides fiscal benefits of belonging to a larger purchasing pool.

However, as budgets tightened the NVSL Consortium began to experience the elimination of funding that purchased valuable student print and digital resources. The city county public library systems and the consortium member school districts began to collectively explore different ways to provide much needed services. The NVSLC, the Napa City County Library, and the independent St. Helena Public Library formed a valuable partnership to make available student resources that were beyond the NVSLC's funding capabilities The result of this collaboration has been to define the student library card or instant eCard as the point of entry to access public library resources.

A few of these resources include public library databases and online encyclopedias; TumbleBooks through the NCCL and St. Helena Public Library's homepages; Homework Help (online live tutoring) 24/7; ability to reserve a book and/or computer at any participating library; and eBooks circulations available through Nook and in the future through Kindle. The public library staff visit each site to provide training and update information.

The public library also provides one staff librarian to participate in the NVSLC quarterly networking/training meetings. Public librarians and school library staff meet regularly to collaborate on programs and policies. In the spring, city/county librarians visit each elementary site to promote the annual summer reading program to encourage student and library staff participation!

This has been a positive experience for both library staffs. Both librarians and staff have benefitted from the knowledge that we share and the respect we have for each other!

Visit <http://animoto.com/play/rl0sBIR0EPfqeWESThwPvQ> to view an Animoto slideshow that we call Library Partnerships Now.

Kate MacMillan

Coordinator Library Services

Napa Valley USD

Napa Valley School Library Consortium

Napa, CA

<http://www.nvusd.k12.ca.us/schoollibrarypage>

http://libraryblah-blah.blogspot.com

@klibrarianljm

* * *

**A 21** st **-CENTURY COLLABORATIVE SUCCESS STORY**

As a veteran school librarian of 38 years, I've been fortunate to collaborate with some outstanding educators. Together we've developed innovative ideas for library research assignments and co-taught lessons infused with technology. Such partnerships have contributed to gains in academic achievement and strengthened the perception of the school librarian as more than someone merely fulfilling clerical duties.

Yet one particular cooperative relationship of the past 12 years has positively impacted the instructional program while allowing me to grow professionally. The opportunity to work with Lakeview High School Social Studies teacher Scott Durham is a 21st-century collaborative success story. A Lakeview graduate, Scott was a student library assistant whom I have since come to know as an esteemed colleague and friend.

Our official collaboration began, appropriately enough in 2000, when we were chosen as American Memory Fellows with the Library of Congress. We spent a memorable week in Washington, becoming versed in using online digitized materials to enhance instruction. We developed a web-based unit on World War I that remains published on the Library's Teachers Page at  http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/lessons/great-war/ and is an integral part of Scott's "World at War" course.

Scott and I next turned our attention to the topic of World War II and the Holocaust, desiring again to provide students with significant resources to supplement curriculum. Through our efforts, two separate traveling exhibitions from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum came to our community of Battle Creek, Michigan. "Oskar Schindler" and "Life in Shadows: Hidden Children and the Holocaust" were seen by thousands of students and adults who also heard unforgettable addresses by survivors. The Art Center of Battle Creek was selected as a site for "Life in Shadows" which only traveled to Chicago's Spertus Museum and to the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York. Classroom visits to the Art Center were organized and instructional materials developed. The "Life in Shadows" exhibition project was recounted through a _School Library Journal_ ( _SLJ_ ) article at <http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6302986.html>.

Our collaborative work focusing on Holocaust education continued with a follow-up project in 2007, also described in an _SLJ_ article at  http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/printissuecurrentissue/863876-427/all_but_her_life_holocaust.html.csp. Gerda Weissmann Klein, Holocaust survivor, historian, author and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom accepted our invitation to speak to 1900 students at Battle Creek's W.K. Kellogg Auditorium. In a dynamic and passionate speech also streamed online, Gerda Klein inspired students to "stand up" today to the same type of discrimination and extremism that befell European Jews. Our Lakeview students responded by helping build houses for Habitat for Humanity, volunteering at the local Veterans Hospital, and even collecting school supplies for Iraqi children.

Most recently in May 2011, Scott and I organized a week-long celebration of race and diversity in Battle Creek with support from local service and non-profit groups. Under the theme "Remember OUR Past; Celebrate OUR Progress; and Commit OURSELVES to a Better Tomorrow," a traveling Jim Crow exhibition from Ferris State University was viewed by 971 people. Coach Herman Boone (whose life was depicted by Denzel Washington in "Remember the Titans") gave an address. A community-wide discussion stimulated reflection about important current issues.

As a school librarian in these challenging times, I am proud to have successfully collaborated with Scott Durham so as to make instruction vibrant, relevant and meaningful for students. Through joint projects we have opened doors to a world of knowledge and to experiences that otherwise would have remained closed. Our work together, begun in the school setting, has extended into our minds as learners and into our hearts as human beings.

Margaret Lincoln

Lakeview District Librarian

Lakeview School District, Battle Creek, MI

MLincoln@LakeviewSpartans.org

remc12.k12.mi.us/lhslib

@mlincoln

* * *

LIBRARY 101 SIERRA LEONE STYLE

For all the ups and downs in the library world here in the United States, we are lucky! We have libraries, we grew up with libraries, books and reading, and we have evolved into 21st-century learners, readers and researchers courtesy of libraries, the Internet and our access to vast resources.

Sierra Leone in West Africa is stuck in the 19th century in a 21st-century world. I served as a Peace Corp Volunteer from 1974 to 1976 in Sierra Leone and recently had the privilege of returning after 35 years.

The educational system is not in very good shape due to an 11-year civil war. The government is trying to provide free education to all children through the 6th grade but they do not have enough qualified and trained teachers, especially in the small villages. The reality is that most teachers at the primary level have a high school education at best and some only a 6th grade education and no teacher training. The secondary schools have more trained teachers, but even some of them have only a high school education and no teacher training. Materials? _Ee no day_ (Krio for, "there are none").

This summer, I assisted with a teacher-training workshop that was seeking to close the gap. The teachers attended a full day of learning teaching strategies and then many chose to attend an hour of library skills training and instructions for setting up a simple library loan system at the end of the day. Each attending school was encouraged to send one teacher to this training, many sent more.

The majority of schools and communities in Sierra Leone do not have a library so both teachers and students have very little idea what a library actually is. Few people read outside of the classroom because of the lack of libraries and the lack of a reading culture made worse by the civil war. The teachers were hungry to learn library skills and greatly desire to start libraries in their schools. I came home with 18 letters requesting me to return and help these schools set up a library and connect them with groups willing to provide resources to buy books to stock their libraries with appropriate books of interest to Africans. What an opportunity to make a difference! I am very much hoping- as they say in Krio " _if God go gree_ " - to find grant money to return to help them and to take a few more librarians with me!

Beverley Rannow

Library Media Specialist

Otsego Public Schools, Otsego, MI

brannow@otsegops.org

@brannow53

* * *

THEY SAID YES!

What do you get when you combine one teacher librarian, the Western Michigan University (WMU) School of Business and High School American History classes? An "unlikely partnership" and collaboration at its best!

By chance, our principal, Jim French, had met two professors, Dr. Thomas Rienzo and Dr. Bernard Han, from the WMU School of Business. Mr. French came back from the breakfast meeting and gave me a flyer to the WMU High School eProject Seminar, to be held the next day. I attended, was impressed, but thought perhaps there could be a different venue for collaboration at our school. Rather than work through the traditional route of high school business classes, Mr. French and I decided to approach the professors with the idea of collaborating with our American History classes, a subject area ripe with team-based learning. To their credit, the School of Business professors said YES! Our projects, initiated by Dr. Bernard Han, Dr. Thomas Rienzo, and Dr. Kuanchin Chen, WMU professors, Stacie Phillips and Kim Palmer, American History teachers, and myself were inspired by the work of Muhammad Yunas of Bangladesh, winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. The basis of his work involved giving micro loans ($20- $50) to people with few resources in developing countries. These loans "improved the lives of many people." Yunas showed that even modest investments can yield significant results. Our PN/WMU project focus continues to be that the acquisition of two or three collaborative technology skills can help students build confidence that they can succeed in a technological world, and that exposure to technology tools will help attract students to professional technology fields, while meeting our history and library media benchmarks.

In this collaborative effort between Portage Northern High School's freshmen American History students and Western Michigan University Haworth College of Business, Department of Business Information Systems (BIS), students explored key elements of Immigration into the United States through the use of research, organization, and presentation techniques. The students worked collaboratively in groups of four using online and print resources to obtain knowledge of the essential questions: Should the United States government have restricted immigration in the late 1800's and early 1900's? Should the United States government restrict immigration today? The students analyzed, evaluated, and presented their findings to the class in a Socratic Seminar. Western Michigan University's BIS students assisted us in our instruction in the use of collaborative online tools such as Google Docs, Google Spreadsheets, Google Presentation, Google Groups, GTalk, and GMail and assisted in the research process.

Another project was developed for the Portage Northern High School American History classes. The students worked in collaborative teams to research the deployment of the atomic bomb in World War II. Using primary and secondary sources, the students formed teams to debate, in a Socratic Seminar format, the pros and cons of the actions of President Truman, as if they were his advisors. Western Michigan University's BIS students and professors supplemented our instruction in the use of Google online collaborative tools and Prezi.

Our forward-thinking projects are unique in our academic worlds. We continue to partner with the Western Michigan University School of Business to develop a model for online collaboration and skill and capability development. We are assessing student engagement with these projects, a first in our district. I am grateful to work with such outstanding educators as Dr. Thomas Rienzo, Dr. Bernie Han, and Dr. Kuanchin Chen of WMU, Stacie Phillips and Kim Palmer, American History teachers, and Jim French, our principal, as we continue to explore the possibilities of teaching and learning with these tools and collaborating with Western Michigan University. They said YES to a teacher librarian!

Jeanna Walker

Teacher Librarian

Portage Northern High School, Portage, MI

jwalker@portageps.org

http://cyberlibrary.portageps.org

* * *

**COLLABORATION WITH ACADEMIC AND PUBLIC LIBRARIANS IS THE FUTURE OF SCHOOL LIBRARIANS**

Collaboration is the key to the future of school libraries and librarians in the United States. Many of our newest college students have not had the opportunities of an information literacy instructional experience, and it is a shock to the first year undergraduate mind when they discover that they are not prepared to research and write a formidable research paper that could evolve into a paper that is appropriate for scholarly journal publication.

What results is students entering academia unable to be critical consumers of information. College freshmen possess the _de facto_ notion that Google and various web sites provide satisfactory arguments, rhetorical analysis, and thesis statement based appropriate for academic writing. Nationwide, school districts have essentially cut budgets, placing teachers or paraprofessionals in school libraries instead of certified librarians. In addition to those high school English or history classes that introduce critical thinking skills, it is the librarian who takes critical thinking development further in prepping their students for the rigors of academic writing that include the essentials of Boolean searching, how to read a scholarly article, how to effectively use citation tools, and more.

I know I am revealing my age, but as a teen, a number of my history and English classes in high school relied heavily on the librarian to assist students in understanding how information is created and developed over time. We learned about the usefulness of indexes, reference tools, and information resources that could help us present a synthesized, well-researched paper. I learned about the differences between scholarly, popular and substantive news in my college prep curriculum before technology diminished the K-12 librarian's role.

I would argue that technology has made us lazy: our children are less critically analyzing the information that sits in front of them because of our inherent need for quick and fast results. Local universities, colleges, and public librarians should seek out ways to come together and collaborate for the benefit of their students. Many of my former first year and undergraduate students have found what they learned in high school (and now in college as critical consumers) is that information literacy skills have provided avenues for them to gain employment as researchers for various corporate and non-profit entities. Information literacy begins in K-12 settings, and school librarians are the catalyst for this effort in partnership with public and academic librarians.

Leslie L. Morgan

Associate Librarian

Hesburgh Libraries at the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN

lmorgan1@nd.edu

<http://www.library.nd.edu/fys/>

<http://blogs.nd.edu/first-year-library/>

Facebook: LibrarianLeslie Morgan

@LadyLibrarianND

* * *

**CAPTURING THE VOICES OF ALL STAKEHOLDERS: TEACHERS, LIBRARIANS, STUDENTS, AND A SUPERVISOR PLAN AND ASSESS AN INQUIRY UNIT**

What We Did

In a few English classes at Hunterdon Central Regional High School, students create their own inquiry units and learning plans for American and British Literature, respectively. Students choose their own standards (from the Common Core State Standards Initiative), create essential questions, and design their own activities and assessments. We use Google Docs to track texts, develop learning plans, and discuss feedback! We want our students to have a collaborative and differentiated experience.

After attempting this type of inquiry the first time, we were eager to rework the process since some students felt unprepared for and overwhelmed by this new style of learning. Often, this type of reflection is a solitary, grade level, or content area occurrence. However, we realized that this had to include more stakeholders. Therefore, content-area teachers and two librarians met with the English Supervisor and two students to figure out how we could improve the overall process, and it was one of the most rewarding experiences we've ever had!

What We Learned

The students were particularly helpful in determining what skills, strategies, and content knowledge future students would need before engaging in inquiry. Here are a few strategies that we saw as critical to increase collaboration among all participants, including ways for teacher-librarians to collaborate with the class virtually.

* Provide various means of assistance for when students get "stuck."

* Explain inquiry and Carol Kuhlthau's "Information Search Process." As one junior stated during one of our earlier attempts at inquiry, "Like Carol Kuhlthau says, we need to go through a period of uncertainty before we can earn clarity and a sense of accomplishment! And trust me; it happened to all of us in the class."

* Use Google Docs to group students who want to get feedback from or work with others.

*Discuss standards to help students identify areas of improvement so they aren't practicing what they already know.

*Provide practice opportunities and model strategies that will help students make progress toward meeting standards.

*Provide formative feedback as students articulate evidence of their thoughts and make connections between the standards, their own lives, and their pursuits in our class.

*Track learning and reflections using digital tools.

*Create a LibGuide pathfinder that allows all participants to aggregate resources.

The success of these strategies depends upon collaboration in all aspects of the course: the planning, the instruction, and the assessment, both formative and summative.

What We Gained

As educators, we gained the student perspective on what was most helpful, useful, and challenging to them in the course of their own learning. The English Supervisor, Brendan McIsaac, noted that "the resulting conversations and learning with students and colleagues was rich and posed new challenges around balancing individual inquiry with collaborative and authentic projects" (2011).

Students also gained an awareness of the way their own education works. As one student explained, "I have learned that in order for me to get the most out of a class, I really need to find a way where I can teach myself.....that I really need to learn through my own examples and my own findings.....I can take what this class taught me and apply it to every other class...and any other assignment that I need to complete in the real world."

Lastly, students recognized the librarians as resources and teachers, which will greatly help them and the library profession in the future. Through this collaborative experience, students saw the librarians as experts in inquiry and information, and therefore, they are more likely to view librarians in a similar way in the future.

For more detailed information on this project, visit:

 http://cstutzlearn.edublogs.org/2011/06/20/american-literatures-amazing-inquiry-adventure/ and

<http://nobodydoesitalone.blogspot.com/2011/02/unit-plan.html>

Heather Hersey

Teacher-Librarian

Lakeside School, Seattle, WA

heather.hersey@lakesideschool.org

flyingofftheshelf.edublogs.org

@hhersey03

Marci Zane

Teacher-Librarian

Hunterdon Central Regional High School, Flemington, NJ

mzane@hcrhs.k12.nj.us

@marcizane

Cathy Stutzman

Teacher of English

Hunterdon Central Regional High School, Flemington, NJ

cstutzma@hcrhs.k12.nj.us

cstutzlearn.edublogs.org

@Stutz01

Meg Donhauser

Teacher of English

Hunterdon Central Regional High School, Flemington, NJ

mdonhaus@hcrhs.k12.nj.us

nobodydoesitalone.blogspot.com

@MegDonhauser

WORKS CITED

Kuhlthau, Carol Collier. _Seeking Meaning: a Process Approach to Library and Information Services_. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2004. Print.

McIsaac, Brendan. 2011. Personal communication.

* * *

**SCHOOL LIBRARIANS AND JOURNALISTS – UNITE FOR DIGITAL LITERACY!**

I'm a laid-off newspaper reporter who sees great potential for collaboration between journalists and school librarians. Both professions have been revolutionized in recent years by digitization of information, and both are called to help increase the multimedia literacy of future generations.

For the past year, I've teamed with other journalists and a social studies teacher to experiment with new ways of engaging middle school students with news. We call our efforts "The Living Textbook Project," because we're encouraging students at McCollough Unis School in Dearborn, Michigan to create a website that's a multimedia text about their lives and their community.

The project is run by the Asian American Journalists Association with grants from the Ford and McCormick foundations. One of its goals is to help young citizen journalists understand the difference between a Facebook update and real reporting: facts.

Librarians know where to find facts. Citizen journalists need to learn how to gather and present facts. There's opportunity for some beautiful partnerships there. Indeed, I would argue that to remain indispensible in the 21st-century, both school librarians and journalists must increase their attention to helping young people discern and appreciate the most relevant and trustworthy facts from the rest of the information that streams into the students' tablets and mobile devices.

Initially, many students involved with The Living Textbook project put their own opinion into every story and caption. The students also seemed to have an aversion to statistics \-- even when one expert's estimate about how common bullying is in American schools turns a story from a whiny complaint into something that speaks to a much wider issue. The adults involved with the project encourage the students to search the Internet and the library – and to conduct their own conversations with experts – as they polish their stories.

In my vision for the future, I see journalists and school librarians working together to teach young people to find difficult-to-get facts and appreciate their power. Journalists and school librarians also are natural allies in the development of true multimedia literacy. We can't stop at helping young people find their way around the digital universe. In addition, we must show people how to create good content on multiple platforms.

I encourage school librarians to reach out to their share-the-answers brothers and sisters in journalism. Invite them to visit your school and share tips about finding hard-to-get information.

You could start by contacting your local news organizations. Keep in mind that newspapers typically employ far more journalists than do other local media outlets, such as television stations. So, your chances of finding a collaboration partner at a newspaper might be greater. Don't overlook online news outlets, such as AOL's patch.com, which has launched more than 800 local news sites across the country in the past year and hired thousands of journalists.

I also suggest that you contact leaders of the Council of National Journalism Organizations, journalismassociations.com. This group coordinates the efforts of 61 separate professional journalism organizations, from the American Copy Editors Society to Unity: Journalists of Color. The leaders of these organizations are likely to know some journalists in your region who would be willing to help.

If we can't convince young people that finding the right facts and presenting them fluidly in multiple mediums are worthy and difficult but doable tasks, then both journalism and school librarianship are in trouble – and so is our democracy.

Emilia Askari

Journalist and Co-Director, Living Textbook Project

McCollough Unis School, Dearborn, MI

easkari@umich.edu

livingtextbook.aaja.org

@easkari

* * *

COLLABORATION:

**THE KEY LINK BETWEEN LIBRARIANS AND TEACHERS**

During eleven years of working in a large school library in New Zealand I've come to believe in the power of collaboration. It is my touchstone in everything I do professionally. Finding those first collaborative opportunities can seem daunting but it can also be liberating – like a clean whiteboard with nothing written on it, you can start wherever you like.

My epiphany was hearing the findings from a 2006 survey on the information seeking habits of first year tertiary students in the southern region of New Zealand. Unsurprisingly the results were poor, though students rated themselves highly. This provided the catalyst for my journey to embed information literacy skills into the teaching and learning in my school.

As a two-campus, two library school of approximately 2000 students, this turned out to be no small undertaking! Initial agreement from HOD's of English, Science and Social Studies on a whole-school research model and a shared format for producing bibliographies, progressed to my first collaboration with Year 9 teachers of these three subjects in trialling an Information Literacy Module. That was six years ago and that small opportunity grew into information literacy modules across all junior classes incorporating all three subject areas. Forty teachers and I collaboratively teach the skills underpinning each research stage from finding and using to deciding and evaluating.

Other collaborative projects currently underway include working with a reference librarian at the University of Otago to develop a Tertiary Prep programme, designed to smooth the transition between the last year of secondary school and first year of tertiary study, a big leap for many of our students.

There is any number of successful approaches to collaboration ranging from small, informal approaches to more strategic, political forays. Below are some steps that have worked for me.

When teachers book the library, make it a habit to ask what the students will be doing and ask for a copy of the assignment in advance. This gives you an opportunity to put together resources for the class and email any online resources to your teacher. They will not only appreciate this, they will realise how beneficial it is to include you in their assignment planning.

When you find a useful online tool, share it with your teaching colleagues. You can do this by creating email groups and sending it to them or you might consider using a tool such as Livebinders.com to curate these resources and then just share the link with them.

Don't underestimate the conversations you have with your colleagues over a coffee or lunch in the staffroom. Discussions about what you're currently working on or ideas that have excited you in your professional reading can spark all sorts of collaborative opportunities.

Identify the movers and shakers in your school and strategically target them with some of your big picture thinking and ideas.

Ask to be included in any in-house professional learning opportunities. Offer to lead workshops in an area of expertise or maybe introduce a new concept at a staff meeting. Position yourself as the information specialist within your school community.

Ensure you have discussions with decision makers about information literacy or inquiry learning and how the library can underpin the teaching of these skills.

Above all, be passionate about what you do. It will draw others to you and compel them to hear what you have to say. Passion added to knowledge and expertise is a powerful combination.

Senga White

Library Manager

James Hargest College, Invercargill, New Zealand

sengaw@windowslive.com

sengaw.wordpress.com

@motherofwinter

WORKS CITED

Van Zijl, Philip, Dale Bennett, Vicki Darling, Glynis Shields, and Emma Bennett. _Information Literacy Survey._ Rep. Dunedin: Otago Polytechnic, 2006. Print.

* * *

SHOW, DON'T TELL

Together at the University of Michigan, we teach a Teaching with Technology course for preservice secondary teachers. We encourage students to test out not only a variety of technology tools, but their growing pedagogical muscles. We want them to test drive, kick the tires, and ask about the warranty. Most importantly, we want them to see educational technology integration as a series of questions, not answers. How do we make valuable instructional choices for students? When are virtual discussions more valuable than face-to-face ones, and vice versa? What are the affordances and constraints of social media in the classroom? While our students usually know our personal preferences, we encourage them to decide which tools and technological strategies will yield the most fruit in their classroom.

We build on a tradition of team-teaching between Jeff's home in the School of Education, and Kristin's in the School of Information. We talk about information literacy, instructional design, copyright, and resource selection. We think about when Wikipedia might serve students well and when a scholarly resource might be better. We look at Lexiled and differentiated database articles, as well as machine-read text and auto-translation features, as means of reaching diverse learners. We share what we believe: that librarians and teachers make great teammates.

The students listen respectfully. But it wasn't until we showed them the power of librarians that they believed us. We invited nine savvy school librarians to join our class in the not-even-open-yet Brandon Center for the Study of Educational Practice, a space designed to support several configurations of large- and small-group collaborations. Each librarian worked with a trio or quartet of our preservice teachers. Each group had the same task -- to imagine that they are planning a daylong teach-in about the tsunami in Japan, a lesson they could not teach from a textbook \-- but each group approached it from the perspective of their teachable major or minor.

Immediately, the teams got to work. One group looked at _New York Times_ before-and-after photos and wrangled with how to teach about the liabilities of nuclear reactors. An English team looked at translated survivor blogs, a 21st-century primary source. One team learned how to look up national and world headlines at the Newseum online. A science team pored over teaching standards; a language group considered how their students might interact with "ancient Romans" on Twitter. Conversations flowed from backward design questions to how they would quickly transition groups to how there could be a methodology to assigning those groups in the first place.

"Take a break when you need one," we nudged repeatedly. It was a hot day, and the Brandon Center's thermostats had yet to be calibrated. They nodded absentmindedly at us and kept talking. No one moved for two hours.

Later, we asked our students to debrief about the experience on their blogs, and some graciously agreed to share their reflections with us on the following pages.

And what did we gain as instructors? With the luxury of getting to watch others interact with our students, we could see different glimmers than we could from the front of the room. We heard doubts and worries we hadn't heard articulated before. We saw students learning the power of team planning.

We are deeply grateful to the librarians who joined us that day. To Jeanna Walker, Addie Matteson, Sue Lay, Jan Toth-Chernin, Jan Dohner, Carmen Pianko, Julie Rick, Sarah Sindelar, and Rachel Goldberg, thank you for showing, not telling.

Jeff Stanzler

Lecturer and Director, Interactive Communications and Simulations

School of Education

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

<http://ics.soe.umich.edu/>

stanz@umich.edu

@stanzj

Kristin Fontichiaro

Clinical Assistant Professor and School Library Media Coordinator

School of Information

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

blog.schoollibrarymonthly.com

www.fontichiaro.com

font@umich.edu

@activelearning

* * *

THE BLINK OF AN EYE

In Summer 2011, our Teaching with Technology class worked with nine school librarians to develop a lesson. We met in the UM School of Education's Brandon Center for the Study of Educational Practice, a brand new social learning space. Talk about a beautiful, functional, technological adventure! The center has several small group areas with power sources readily available. This is what every coffee shop on campus should be like. It is a highly functional and cozy space. My post-class reflection is excerpted below:

We were split into groups of three to create a lesson plan related to the tsunami in Japan. We were provided the most useful resource, school librarian Addie Matteson! She took the big picture ideas we had researched and put them into useful context on a wiki page. She had fantastic ideas on how to integrate technology usefully with the lesson plan. We were able to conceptualize small ideas that are priceless, such as creating a resource page that was dual-purpose, hosting the information that the teacher would utilize to plan the lesson and serving as a resource for the students during the project. Here is some of what we learned:

New Technology

Addie talked about using Facebook fan pages for the lesson and suggested Google Plus as an alternative. She quickly demonstrated circles and other Google Plus features.

Resources

Group members showed us Energy Games and suggested books as _The Carbon Diaries_ to help conceptualize what life with limited energy resources. This could help students relate with the post-tsunami struggles in Japan.

Classroom Management

Some ideas were simple: cut tennis balls and put them under chair legs so you can move everything around with less noise and greater ease. (Wash them in the summer!) We also discussed the importance of creating a classroom routine. Not just how you start and conclude each day, abut also with the tools you utilize. If you make a wiki, you will spend some time introducing it early in the year, but it will become a seamless routine.

Group Work

It is important to contemplate how you group your students depending on what you want to accomplish. You can group with people next to you, give numbers around the room, or set groups ahead of time based on interest areas or ability levels. Perhaps you group people with different abilities to complement each other or group similar-ability students so that high functioning groups can take off on their own and you can concentrate on groups needing more assistance. One visiting librarian suggested having classmates write down the names of two people they would like to work with and two people that they would not. It was a tool for her to recognize who was causing issues so she could solve them.

Differentiation

Addie mentioned a Mac feature that will read text aloud. If you show your entire class the tool, it benefits everyone. Advanced readers can excel at an even faster rate, and stuggling readers aren't singled out. (To activate,:go to System Preferences > Speech.) Not only can you use this for your computer, but also for iPads and iPhones. I am going to check it out for sure.

All of this assisted in the overarching goal of creating lesson plans with backwards planning. It was evident how important it is to first think about what you want students to learn, then go back and figure out the activities to accomplish that.

It is difficult, so I wish we had many more hours to interact with our visiting librarian Addie. The time went by in the blink of an eye.

Amanda Yaklin

Preservice Teacher

Secondary Teacher Certification (MAC)

University of Michigan School of Education

Ann Arbor, MI

aryaklin@umich.edu

aryaklin@aol.com

* * *

JEANNA THE QUEENA

"Librarians have always been among the most thoughtful and helpful people. They are teachers without a classroom. No libraries, no progress."

~Willard Scott, NBC TV weatherman (Iowa Library Services, 2011)

Monday's class was very eye-opening for me. We discussed in small groups how we would teach a lesson on the Japan Tsunami. Because my group consisted of English and world language majors, we decided to write a lesson plan that incorporated English and foreign language classes in the school. This was a great opportunity to work together to learn how to plan a lesson from two different perspectives.

Our librarian/media specialist, Jeanna Walker, gave us some great ideas about how to teach students to search different databases and find information that is relevant. I remember being in high school and dreading research projects because I had no idea how to even start searching for material. My number one choice: Google. This led to hours of completing numerous searches, which produced very few relevant results.

I have a whole new appreciation for what school librarians/media specialists do every single day for their students. Their roles are essential for students to succeed. They provide information, encourage and promote student learning, and help teachers better educate students.

I am very grateful to Jeanna for showing us exactly how to teach our students to search for data. I also know now that a school's librarian/media specialist is someone very special and has a lot to teach students. There really is nothing better than having another teacher to help students with assignments and higher learning.

Caitlin Stansell

MAC Graduate Student

School of Education

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

cstansel@umich.edu

http://boilerwannabe.blogspot.com

WORKS CITED

Iowa Library Services. "Quotes About Librarians, Libraries, Books and Reading." State Library of Iowa. Web. 7 Oct. 2011. <  http://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/ld/t-z/tell-library-story/scpt/quotes-about-libraries >.

* * *

LIBRARIANS ARE THE WORLD'S COOLEST PEOPLE

And I'm not just trying to suck up, either!

Until I met my dear friend Kirsten, I held the stereotype of librarians as little old ladies who constantly whisper "hush." Kirsten is a librarian in British Columbia, Canada, and one of the best, smartest and coolest people I know. She is the first of many librarians I have known who have shown me that librarians are, contrary to the stereotype, With It! They treasure knowledge, guard it and devote themselves to leading people to it. They are lovers of new ideas and new technologies and whether they wear pearls and cardigans or tattoos and dreadlocks (like my friend Kirsten), they are people the world needs.

I feel very grateful, therefore, to have been given the opportunity to work with J, an amazing librarian, in a Teaching with Technology class project. This project paired groups of students like myself pursuing a Masters degree in Secondary Education with a librarian from a Michigan high school in order to create a lesson plan in our content areas that dealt with the tsunami in Japan.

Jeanna Walker was amazing; a tireless, ebullient font of ideas and knowledge. Her commitment to teachers and teaching was evident, and should I end up in a school with a librarian as committed as she is, I would consider myself very lucky.

What struck me about this collaboration is how a good librarian can really help you have a vision and keep focused on the learning. Jeanna, for instance, emphasized the importance of teaching students to think critically about their resources, and wanted to make sure we understood that there was more to the world of searching for information than Google. She helped us find some of those good resources. She also presented to us the intriguing possibilities that Google Docs offers as a way of democratizing learning and making group work more transparent to the teacher—and, importantly, facilitating collaboration between students.

Jeanna had other suggestions for us as to how to further promote the sharing of ideas and resources, such as a multi-class Skyping session—that is, one that takes place between multiple classes within one school building. One of my colleagues suggested Skyping with students in Japan. Others in the group pointed out some of the logistical difficulties this might present, but I thought it was a good idea and at least a suggestion of some of the promising possibilities technology holds for connecting students with the people, information and ideas not only within their schools, but also outside of them.

My final takeaway from the experience is that there are so many rich possibilities for working not only across curricula but also collaborating with colleagues in other disciplines—and with librarians, above all. Such collaboration offers an incredible benefit to students by making their learning more relevant and making connections between ideas more apparent. But when teachers collaborate together and with librarians, it offers us an opportunity to think about what the big picture of what education should be for our students.

So maybe I'm sucking up a little. But if it makes me a better teacher someday, and helps me create a richer educational experience for my students, so be it. I believe that great things can happen when two of the world's coolest people—teachers and librarians—collaborate!

Diane Erica Aretz-Kernahan

MAC Graduate Student

School of Education

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

dianeak@umich.edu

* * *

CHAPTER 10: PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

PREPARING 21st CENTURY SCHOOL LIBRARIAN LEADERS

I love being a school librarian – it is my true passion and a profession I believe in. As changes in education and budget cuts came along, I saw the profession I love struggle and suffer. I began to ask myself how I could make a difference and decided the way for me was to teach and prepare future school librarians for the realities of being a school librarian in the 21st century.

I realized my first year in practice that technology and its integration as a tool for learning was an important part of the future for education and for school librarians. Throughout my twelve years as an elementary school librarian I have continued to learn, stay current, adapt, and evolve with this constantly changing profession. Technology has indeed changed the role of the school librarian and has presented us, as information specialists and teachers, a wonderful opportunity to make ourselves indispensible in our schools.

School librarians are the ones charged with ensuring that that this new generation of learners is equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to participate and succeed in the technological society of the 21st century. In order to do this school librarians must teach and lead students in utilizing technology in learning, but must also lead teachers in integrating technologies into their instruction to create engaging and relevant learning experiences for all students. Yet many school librarians are having difficulty enacting technology leadership roles and this wonderful opportunity is passing them by.

In my new role as an educator of school librarians, I am guided by my belief that if school librarians are expected to assume leadership roles, whether informal or formal, in their schools they need to be educated and prepared for this. School librarian preparation program curriculums must evolve to better prepare school librarians to:

* _Assume active leadership roles._ Programs need to include competencies that support the concept of teacher leadership and teach school librarians leadership skills such as effective communication, relationship building, problem solving, conflict resolution, time management, professional development, and other skills and strategies that will prepare them to assume leadership roles.

_* Understand the learners._ Programs should include elements that teach students about this new generations of learners, their habits and their way of thinking, where they come from, what they need, and how as both as teacher and as a librarian to best meet the needs of students.

* _Integrate technology._ The specific technologies will always be changing, but school librarians need to be taught good instructional practices, the fundamentals of inquiry learning, and global thinking that they can use in order to effectively integrate technology for learning, no matter the specific technology.

* _Cultivate relationships._ So much of what school librarians are able to accomplish depends on collaboration with others. Preparation programs must instill the importance of relationships with principals, teachers, instructional technologists, students, parents, other school librarians, and the community. School librarians need to be educated about these various stakeholder groups, how each of these groups can impact the school library program, and how best to relate to them to further efforts in serving the needs of students.

Just as the school librarian must evolve to remain current and relevant, so must school librarian preparation programs \- we must look toward the future and prepare this new generation of school librarians to be leaders that can adapt, stay relevant, and carry our profession into the next century.

Dr. Melissa P. Johnston

Assistant Professor

School of Library & Information Science

University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

melissa.johnston@uky.edu

@MelissaJ_atUK

* * *

THE UNAPOLOGETIC TWITVANGELIST

A few years ago I attended a professional development conference for school librarians where I learned how to open a Twitter account, the history of Twitter, what a tweet is, how to retweet, and a few other functionary aspects of Twitter. Always eager to learn new ways to grow professionally, I opened a Twitter account...and there it sat...until this past year when I stumbled upon Shelly Terrell's Teacher ReBoot Camp: The 30 Goals Challenge (2011), which provided my first glimpse into the awesome personal learning network (PLN) Twitter can provide. It wasn't long before I discovered the hashtag from which I have learned more from in just one year than in 19 years of professional development sessions and over 6 years of college: #edchat. This Twitter chat session is my personal Aha! Moment.

What exactly can #edchat do?

* Develop your Personal Learning Network (PLN) by engaging in conversations with other educators.

* Gather research for an article, blog, or presentation.

* Collaborate with others in solving an issue at your school.

* Exchange ideas to improve an upcoming lesson plan.

* Receive constructive criticism on a lesson plan, presentation, or idea.

* Share tips and advice for educational endeavors, such as holding a parent education workshop.

* Show new teachers how useful Twitter is for having thought-provoking conversations.

* Scan the discussion topics to decide which topics educators are interested in for your blog.

* Poll educators to gather research for your blog post or articles.

Although I can retire in just five years, my passion as an educator has been re-energized due to Twitter. My enthusiasm has incited passion in other educators who like me, hunger to know more but feel confined by the limited professional development offered through their school district. Just last month Twitter lead to my discovery of a "rogue" movement of plugged in, empowered educators across the country known as EdCamp. EdCamp conferences are "events organized by local groups of educators who strive to create an UNconference environment that encourages participant-driven discussions in an informal area. By attending, educators are guaranteed to learn something new, meet other motivated educational enthusiasts, and receive information that can immediately be applied in the classroom and professional life."

I attended EdCamp Birmingham, and it was hands down the best professional learning experience I have yet to encounter. At EdCamp Birmingham I presented a session with my professional idol, Jerry Blumengarten (aka: @cybraryman1), met and formed professional friendships with other like minded educators, and was able to engage in meaningful discussion regarding current topics in education. I cannot begin to emphasis how empowering it has been to take professional development into my own hands.

I now moderate The Alabama School Library Association's (ASLA) Twitter chat sessions at #aslachat on the 1st Tuesday of each month at 7CT/8ET immediately following #edchat. I feel great pride knowing that I am helping other school librarians in my state and across the nation find their voice, improve their libraries, and feel the same sense of empowerment by taking professional learning into their own hands.

Nikki D. Robertson

School Librarian

Auburn High School, Auburn, AL

robertson.nikki@gmail.com

http://educationrejuvenation.blogspot.com

@NikkiDRobertson

WORKS CITED

Blumengarten, Jerry. "Cybraryman Internet Catalogue." _Cybraryman Catalogue of Educational WebSites - Educational Web Sites for Teachers, Educators, Parents, Students_. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 May 2011. <<http://www.cybraryman.com/chats.html>>.

Robertson, Nikki D. "EdCampBham = Giant Vulcan Mind Meld." The True Adventures of a High School Librarian. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 May 2011. <<http://educationrejuvenation.blogspot.com/2011/05/edcampbham-giant-vulcan-mind-meld.html>>.

Terrell, Shelly. "Oh The Adventures You Will Have If Only...." _Teacher Reboot Camp._ N.p., n.d. Web. 09 May 2011. <<http://teacherbootcamp.edublogs.org/2009/07/13/oh-the-adventures-you-will-have-if-only>/>.

Terrell, Shelly. "What Is #Edchat?" _Teacher Reboot Camp._ N.p., n.d. Web. 09 May 2011. <<http://teacherbootcamp.edublogs.org/2009/07/30/what-is-edchat/>>.

* * *

NETWORKING AND WHY WE NEED TO FLOCK TOGETHER

The highlight of attending the International Association of School Librarianship (IASL) Conference in Brisbane was listening to the inspirational keynote address by Dr. Erica McWilliam, Australian professor, educationalist, and futurist during which she introduced us to the concept of flockmates – referring to those colleagues who are exactly on your wavelength and understand the work you do and your passion for it in a way that means that communication you get from them takes top priority. This made me acknowledge my own flockmates, who share my passion, my journey, and my drive to do what I do every day. I'm pleased to say that in the ensuing twelve months my own flock has grown in surprising and gratifying ways.

All this is possible because of our ability to connect with like-minded professionals in a Web 2.0 environment. Social networking has given us a plethora of tools with which to connect with others, regardless of location or library sector. National or local library organisations used to be the main portal for seeking professional contact and advice but now, in addition to these organisations around the world, librarians have the means and opportunity to join with colleagues from around the globe, directly and in a current and meaningful way.

We live in exciting but constantly moving times! The world is altering exponentially and our ability to network in multiple spheres is more important than ever to our future relevance.

So what does this mean for us?

* Intentionally seek local groups, both formal and informal if possible for sharing ideas and seeking support.

* Belong to your national and/or state organisation. Those of us who are school library professionals in New Zealand belong to SLANZA (School Library Association of New Zealand Aotearoa). You can find out what we do at www.slanza.org.nz .

* Make it your business to be aware of what school library organisations in other parts of the world are doing.

* Consider joining IASL, or at least visit their website http://www.iasl-online.org

* Use Twitter and/or Facebook as a professional networking tool - An excellent way to find out immediately what's being talked about around the world.

* Join a professional listserv, follow some blogs or create one of your own. Be part of the global conversation.

Today's challenge: if you haven't already, begin to create your own personal nest, gather your flockmates and invest in networking with library and information professionals without the constraint of boundaries or the tyranny of distance. Make sure you are part of the library and information network of the future.

Senga White

Library Manager

James Hargest College, Invercargill, New Zealand

sengaw@windowslive.com

sengaw.wordpress.com

@motherofwinter

* * *

WE'RE WORKING ON THAT

As a guest-star on _Star Trek: The Next Generation_ , Physicist and Nobel Laureate, Stephen Hawking, was given a guided tour of the set. When he stopped in front of the warp core set piece, he is said to have smiled and remarked, "I'm working on that" (Shatner & Walter, 2002, p. 7).

While someone as brilliant as Hawking may well be able to single-handedly make warp speed drive a reality, I suspect that even he needs interaction with others in the scientific community to get it done. It is by sharing work, ideas, and best practice that science advances. I think the same sentiment applies to the role of networks and organizations as they relate to the future of school libraries. Their very nature brings together like-minded individuals who form a community of common concern and interest to continue "working on that."

Whether through membership in a national, regional or state association, collaborative/consortium, wiki, subscription to a listserv or blog, or participation in a social network like Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn, there is a need for us to find and connect with one another as professionals committed to continuous improvement of our work. I can't imagine that this need will change though I do imagine that the ways in which we do connect may be very different. In the here and now, know that I can get frustrated at the seeming stodginess of our more venerable associations and the bylaws and traditions that seem to get in the way of providing a rapid response to address compelling needs or just get necessary work done in a timely fashion. However, given the ever-evolving opportunities that the digital landscape provides and the emergence of 24/7 informal connectivity among us, I find that as a community we are becoming more and more nimble at getting ideas and information and most importantly, our voice, out there; our voice is being heard by our standard-bearer organizations, the ones who help to articulate to other organizations and the public what our vision, mission and role is. They are becoming more strategic in their work and better suited to providing an accurate picture of who we are, what we do, and our vital and unique contribution to teaching and learning.

For these organization and associations to remain relevant today and twenty years from today, it will require that they keep listening and improving their ability to separate the signal from the noise and the chatter from meaningful conversation, even from among their critics. It will also require that they build on the social capital that their members represent and continually assess the value of their services to ensure that they retain and even grow their ranks. But most importantly the future of associations and organizations rests with us – whether we see their worth in speaking for us and whether we are willing to become involved and put our collective hands on the lever to lift our profession to new heights by being part of the work and not expecting someone else to do it for us. We are the sum of our parts but especially of our participation and by connecting and being part of our profession in a formal and demonstrative way that promotes the vision of our indispensable role and our indisputable impact on student achievement, we can truly say, "We're working on that."

Susan D. Ballard

Consultant and Adjunct Faculty

Simmons College/GSLIS, Boston, MA

sdballard@comcast.net

susanballard.org

@nholb

WORKS CITED

Shatner, W., & Walter, C. _I'm Working on That: A Trek from Science Fiction to Science Fact._ New York: Simon and Schuster, 2002. Print.

* * *

**EMPOWERING SCHOOL LIBRARIANS THROUGH PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COLLABORATIVES**

We were surprised. It was not at all what we expected.

Despite the fact we had been told EDUCATEAlabama was the evolution of teacher evaluation in Alabama into a 21st-century formative learning process, we did not really believe it. Since when had teacher evaluation been anything but a judgmental summative process for appraising the quality of teaching performance?

The real surprise of EDUCATEAlabama was that it lived up to its hype. The structure was indeed that of a collaborative professional learning community.

The foundational "big idea" of the collaborative was provided by the Alabama Quality Teaching Standards' mission to improve the academic achievement of all public school students in the state through a standards-driven professional teaching corps. The Continuum of Teacher Development served as the articulator of the shared vision and common purpose of the collaborative community through its expectations and performance standards and indicators. EDUCATEAlabama provided the instrumentation and procedures for collecting and analyzing information about an educator's current level of practice within the Alabama Continuum for Teacher Development from which a Professional Learning Plan was collaboratively developed by the teacher and the evaluator(s).

Sounds easy enough.

But there was a fly-in-the-ointment for Alabama school librarians. Because the expectations and level of performance descriptions on the Continuum of Practice for Teacher Development was developed for classroom teachers, it did not align to librarians' responsibilities and practices. Since the continuum was to be utilized statewide to guide educator reflection, self-assessment, and goal setting for professional learning and growth, Alabama school librarians felt as if their evaluations were to be based on standards that did not describe their daily practice. During the public feedback period, school librarians expressed their concerns to the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE).

ALSDE was receptive to the librarians' apprehensions. In the fall of 2010, twenty school librarians, most members of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL)-affiliated Alabama School Library Association (ASLA), were invited to revise the Continuum's indicators and levels of performance to reflect librarian practices. Meeting in both large and small breakout groups, the librarians restructured the Continuum over the course of two months, hammering out a document that reflects the intent of the Alabama Quality Teaching Standards and the principles of AASL's _Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Programs_ and _Standards for the 21st-century Learner_ as well as Alabama's School Library Media Handbook for the 21st-century Learner. Distributed statewide through both the ALSDE and the ASLA for comment, the draft document was well received by Alabama school librarians.

The state of Alabama has a history of supporting school library programs with library media specialists certified at the Masters' Degree level, and EDUCATEAlabama for Librarians represents a strong step forward for our profession ibecause our voice was heard in both the expressions of need for a separate librarian document and the setting of expectations and levels of performance for the document. The formative nature of the EDUCATEAlabama system can only result in stronger library programs in the years to come for Alabama students through improved librarian performance and professional learning.

Implementation of EDUCATEAlabama for Librarians began this year in the Fall 2011 semester.

So far so good.

Carolyn Jo Starkey

School Librarian

Buckhorn High School, New Market, AL

admin@jojo-starkey.com

educatealabamalibrarians.wordpress.com/

jojo-starkey.com

@carolynstarkey

Additional EDUCATEAlabama for Librarians information and links may be found at <http://livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=93898> .

* * *

LEGAL EDUCATION FOR SCHOOL LIBRARIANS

School librarians face many legal issues in their day-to-day practice, but often lack the legal training to confront these issues with confidence. The future of education for school librarians must include grounding in the legal issues presented by students, parents and administrators. As written in the American Library Association's Core Competency 1G, librarians should know and be able to employ "the legal framework within which libraries and information agencies operate" (2009, p. 2). For school librarians this framework includes topics such as copyright, free expression, and privacy.

School librarians are presented with copyright issues when developing their collections, when teachers turn to them for guidance, and when students test the boundaries of copyright. Often school librarians find themselves caught between opposing pressures. On one side, students may incorrectly assume that nothing without the traditional © symbol is copyrighted. On the other, administrators are often hesitant to permit any unauthorized use even in cases such as showing films in class as part of a lessons as explicitly permitted by Section 110(1) of the Copyright Act. A thorough grounding in the contours of copyright law should prepare school librarians to navigate these issues.

School librarians face a similar set of pressures in the context of free expression. Book challenges from conservative parents, filters that limit internet access, and student organizations voicing their opinions all raise issues of free expression that require familiarity with legal rules and principles. This area is particularly sensitive since the rights of students under the First Amendment are different than those of adults, particularly in the educational context. Legal education can prepare school librarians to protect free expression while balancing the need to avoid legal liability and provide grade-appropriate materials.

Privacy issues also require thoughtful and informed analysis by school librarians. Statutes such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) create unique requirements for school and academic librarians. Additionally, privacy law grants special protection to minors based on their inexperience and vulnerability to abuse. Teachers carelessly posting private information such as student grades and parents looking to "check on" the reading habits of their children all raise privacy concerns that school librarians must address. As in all of the contexts discussed above, school librarians should be well-versed in the legal strictures related to privacy.

Overall, school librarians must be prepared for these legal issues and for many more. They should be aware of resources such as Columbia University's Fair Use Checklist (<http://copyright.columbia.edu/copyright/fair-use/fair-use-checklist/> )as well as the many books and articles that can help them make the right decisions. They should also expect their library education to prepare them for these challenges and seek out opportunities for continuing education in this area as new issues emerge. As the next generation of school librarians are preparing for their careers they should demand coursework and resources that empowers them to address the new literacies and trends, including the legal issues that undergird so much of their practice.

William Cross

Director, Copyright and Digital Scholarship Center

North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

wmcross@ncsu.edu

lib.ncsu.edu/cdsc

Kimberly Hirsh

School Librarian

Butner-Stem Middle School, Butner, NC

G. C. Hawley Middle School, Creedmoor, NC

hirshk@gcs.k12.nc.us

kimberlyhirsh.com

@kimberlyhirsh

WORKS CITED

American Library Association. "ALA's Core Competences of Librarianship." _American Library Association_. N.p., Jan. 2009. Web. 15 Oct. 2011. <http://www.ala.org/‌ala/‌educationcareers/‌careers/‌corecomp/‌corecompetences/‌finalcorecompstat09.pdf>.

* * *

CONDUCTING FIRST-YEAR SEMINARS

" _Help! I don't know where to start!"_

" _Library school was great but it didn't prepare me for this circus!"_

When I started coordinating the school library media specialization at the University of Hawaii in 1993, I received the above types of desperate e-mail messages and phone calls from our recent graduates, who were both elated and terrified about their first library jobs. This led me to collaborate with Jane Kurahara, a retired librarian, and Claire Sato, a practicing librarian, in designing an in-service seminar for beginning school librarians.

For the past seventeen years, we have offered this course through the UH Outreach College as a five-session seminar that meets in the fall semester on Saturday mornings or afternoons. Each session lasts for three hours. The seminar enrollments are small and manageable—anywhere from five to fifteen. Jane helped with the seminar for the first few years and Claire stayed with it for fifteen years. Another retired librarian, Karen Muronaga, currently assists me with the seminar.

As seminar facilitators, we emphasize that this is not a formal course with prescribed readings, tests, or papers. It is truly learner-centered! The specific content for the sessions comes from the participants. We simply create a structure for the learning to emerge by informally organizing each session around three major activities:

1. _Talk story time:_ a forum where everyone introduces something they want to share. We leave it wide open.

2. _Focus on a topic:_ discussions on topics that participants indicate are high-interest areas for them (e.g., instructional planning with teachers, communicating with administrators, time management). As facilitators, we might also suggest relevant readings and resources for these discussions.

3. _Smart planning:_ a work session with each person identifying a priority goal for the year. Participants create action plans over the five sessions that include stating a specific goal and the rationale for it, selecting strategies to realize the goal, and establishing a timeline for making things happen. Examples: participants have worked on a bank of lessons to promote literacy, incorporated technology as a tool for learning, and expanded access to print and online resources in targeted content areas. Participants frequently end up working in pairs and small groups on similar projects.

The icing on the cake is holding the sessions at some of their libraries. Folks love the opportunity to host these sessions and to visit their colleagues' libraries. We use the acronym CARE as the overarching rainbow for the seminar.

_C = camaraderie._ More than anything, fledgling librarians need the fellowship and support of other first-timers. At the initial session, they are relieved to hear that they are not alone in feeling afraid and anxious. They gradually develop professional and personal bonds that extend beyond the life of the seminar.

_A = assistance._ We emphasize that the seminar is intended as a support system. We welcome everyone to honestly and openly share the a-ha moments as well as the frustrations and uncertainties. As a group we focus on problem solving. If librarians request it, Karen and I also visit their schools in between sessions to offer consultative help.

_R = reflective practice._ Everyone sends weekly electronic logs to the group about specific incidents and encounters that they wish to reflect on. The important thing is that everyone in the seminar can respond, not just the seminar leaders. We are always impressed by the thoughtfulness and empathy reflected in their responses.

_E = empowerment._ We want participants to leave the seminar with a greater sense of self-confidence and connectedness. Folks confirm this happens in their exit notes:

"I made professional connections that will carry me a long way."

"Creating an action plan really gave me focus and direction. My principal is impressed."

"It's still a daily circus in my library but I now feel like a ringmaster...on most days!!"

A footnote: In recent years, we have had second- and even third-year librarians asking to join us. They couldn't make it in their first year and they felt they missed a golden opportunity to stretch their wings. We are also receiving requests from veteran librarians, who are transferring to other libraries, or assuming new responsibilities in their current schools. They want to expand their professional networks and to learn in a safe and nurturing environment. In turn, they contribute a wealth of expertise to the seminar.

Violet H. Harada

Professor

University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI

vharada@hawaii.edu

hawaii.edu/~vharada/

* * *

CHAMPIONS OF EQUAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

One thing I have always appreciated is watching my kids explore a library. It is such a simple thing. Yet a visit to the library is more than just reading a book. It is a key to self-discovery and the power of knowledge. I could not imagine a child not being able to enjoy this same experience until the first year that I became a school librarian.

There I was in a fairly new media center feeling quite excited about my new job. I felt extremely prepared. I met the teachers. I planned my lessons. The computers were booted up and ready to go. I also had the library decorated for the first days of school. Naturally, I was ready to share all the books and wonderful resources that I learned about during my degree program. Then I experienced something that I was not prepared for. It was nothing out of the ordinary... just a small first grader who came to the library with his class.

I greeted the class enthusiastically. Then I waved goodbye to the teacher. Unbeknownst to me, the quiet boy seated on the front row was a special needs student. My untrained eye did not know the difference until I watched him repeatedly rock back and forth. Then he began to bang his head against a table leg. He did not stop until I placed myself between him and the table.

Now take a moment to envision my horror. I looked calm on the outside. Internally I panicked. I thought, "What will his parents and his teacher think about that bump on his head?" Now imagine my bewilderment when the students exclaimed, "He does it all the time!" Was I in the twilight zone? Why did everyone in the room know about this except for me?

Children always teach us lessons. That day I learned that I was not prepared at all. School librarians are not fully prepared until they learn about the specific needs of their students. My lack of knowledge about my students, their characteristics, and their Individual Education Plans signified my need to have a greater understanding of my role in their academic achievement. A greater understanding of my student who was likely autistic would have allowed the student to enjoy his library visit.

We want to help our entire student population feel comfortable, develop a love for reading, and become information literate. I believe that it is crucial for school librarians to be equipped with the tools to help us do these things. Tools can take forms such as collaborative relationships, mentors, knowledge of research, teaching and communication strategies, and technology. All of these tools would have helped me to address the needs of my student.

As I have continued to work throughout the years, I have learned that many school librarians have experiences similar to mine. We endeavor to learn new strategies to cope with these predicaments on the job. Still the mainstreaming of special needs students is an indicator that we need to learn more about the tools that I have mentioned.

Conditions such as autism will not go away in the near future. Yet it is known that technology is an enabler that breaks down boundaries. School librarians have the unique ability to connect literature, people, technology, research, and differentiated learning. Let us continue to develop and seek educational opportunities that will empower us to be champions of equal learning opportunities.

Daniella Smith

Assistant Professor

University of North Texas, Denton, TX

Daniella.Smith@unt.edu

<http://courses.unt.edu/dsmith/homepage/Home.html>

* * *

A "SANDBOX" FOR TEACHER-LIBRARIANS: LEARNING TO PLAY 2.0

Think back a few years ago to when Web 2.0 was new and shiny. Imagine two instructors in an online graduate teacher-librarianship program getting excited about the possibilities offered by these new technologies. These two instructors were trying out Web 2.0 in very simple ways: using Facebook to connect with old friends, sharing bookmarks on Delicious, listening to podcasts, and dabbling in blogs and RSS feeds.

And then imagine teaching a course in a graduate program for teacher-librarians in the Teacher-Librarianship by Distance Learning (TLDL) program at the University of Alberta (in Edmonton, Canada) and getting a LOT of pushback. Imagine having only ONE student choose to explore blogs, wikis, and podcasts!

This course was the only technology class in the whole TLDL program, and the students were only interested in learning about PowerPoint. Why were our students so scared about Web 2.0?

We knew that there was a need for teacher-librarians to be leaders in terms of learning new technologies. We also knew that teacher-librarians should be supporting teachers and students as they used these new and emerging tools for collaboration, resource-sharing and organization, information access, and the creation, presentation, and sharing of new knowledge.

We needed to help our teacher-librarians become not only comfortable with some current Web 2.0 tools but also willing and able to try other new tools as they were developed. We realized that there were really two components to helping our teacher-librarians become school leaders in the area of technology integration for teaching and learning. The first was that our graduate students needed to play with the tools themselves – to imagine how they might use the tools for their personal and professional lives. Then, and only then, could they start to imagine how they would use these tools in their schools, libraries and classrooms.

Since 2008, students in the TLDL program have been required to take a course devoted to Web 2.0 technologies. The purpose of the course is to give students opportunities to play with a variety of Web 2.0 tools (for example, social bookmarking, social networking, photo, video and audio sharing, multimedia creation tools, wikis, and RSS readers). The main assignment is a personal inquiry project in which students blog about their experiences using these tools and reflect on how these tools can be used both personally and professionally.

Requiring that students take the Web 2.0 class early in their program required us to change how we teach and assess other courses in the program. We provide assignments, assessments, and experiences that encourage them become active participants in online culture. All of the courses in the TLDL program now build on the ideas of connectivism and participatory culture, with students expected to create digital content, actively participate in their learning, and connect with others in their classes and in the wider world through the development of their personal learning networks.

Although students were initially reluctant to play with Web 2.0 technologies, that has all changed now. As a result of taking this course, our students are seen as technology leaders in their schools and school districts. They see themselves as trailblazers! They play with new technologies and encourage their colleagues and students to do the same.

As a result of developing and teaching this course, we now believe that the future of teacher-librarianship education requires this playful attitude as new tools emerge to help us stay connected locally and globally.

Joanne de Groot

Adjunct Assistant Professor

University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

degroot@ualberta.ca

<http://www.quasar.ualberta.ca/tl-dl/>

@joannedegroot

Jennifer Branch

Associate Professor

University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

jbranch@ualberta.ca

<http://www.quasar.ualberta.ca/tl-dl/>

@jennbranch

* * *

" **FILLED WITH HEART":  
CHARACTERISTICS OF 21st-century SCHOOL LIBRARIANS**

I'm always impressed by the school librarians I've met at conferences and the future school librarians I meet in my classroom. They have a passion and focus that burns strong - sometimes more so than their counterparts in public or academic settings. They are fired up about emerging technologies and the power and potential for those technologies to change students' lives. And many times, they won't take no for an answer.

As budgets tighten and public perception of the importance of school libraries falters in some places, they persevere. A few characteristics come to mind when I consider what makes these folks who have chosen to become teacher librarians so successful. These are also the things I want my students to learn to be as they graduate and become school media professionals:

_Barrier Breakers:_ These librarians work within the school's structure to educate teachers and administrators about the value of bringing emerging technologies into the school. They've performed a "kindness audit" of library space to see what students see. Posted rules made up of "No" statements are not encouraging to the young learner's heart.

_Curious_. These librarians look up from their desks and wonder what's changing in the world around their schools.And they wonder what it means for them and their students? How do shifts in technology impact the process of education? And how should the school media center play a role?

_Big Thinking._ It's easy to get caught up in the day to day routines of the school and not think much beyond what's happening inside the four walls. Big thinking school librarians balance the important day to day stuff with big picture thought for the future. Change comes rapidly - thinking bigger helps them prepare.

_Learners._ These librarians are learners in their own right - lifelong. They recognize that stopping is not an option if they are to best serve their constituents. Mastering a new technology, exploring a burgeoning trend on the horizon is part of what they do. The have created and curated a useful, multi layered and stratified personal learning network (PLN) of their own.

_Evidence-based:_ These librarians use current studies, _The Horizon Report_ , books like _Born Digital_ , and supporting materials/blog posts/tweets from their own PLN to demonstrate the power and potential of online collaboration. When they need evidence, they seek it out or do research.

_Persistent:_ These librarians meet resistance with a kind but firm push the other way. They educate everyone every chance they get: administrators, governing bodies, parents, colleagues.

_Filled with Heart:_ Foremost, these folks have heart and it travels with them everyday to school. They recognize the importance of kindness, humanity and support for everyone involved in learning. They encourage the heart through action and via the spaces they keep.

Michael Stephens

Assistant Professor

School of Library and Information Science

San Jose State University, San Jose, CA

mstephens7@mac.com

tametheweb.com

@mstephens7

(This paper is based on the Dr Laurel Anne Clyde Memorial Keynote Address: 'Engage,explore,celebrate:The Hyperlinked School Library" at Australian School Library Association Biennial Conference, Perth,Western Australia, October 2009)

* * *

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS A PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

How are you keeping up with the latest news, strategies, and applications for doing your job these days? For years we depended on new guidebooks, professional journals, and conference presentations to guide our practices. Now, thanks to the ReadWriteWeb, we can build our own Personal Learning Networks to keep us up-to-date without ever leaving home... or spending money!

I've always believed that SHARE is the mantra of every good librarian: information is useless if not put to use, and a PLN is all about the sharing of information. Let's use SHARE as a mnemonic for how to build your own PLN:

_S = seek out gurus:_ Who are the influencers and innovators out there that you keep seeing on professional conversations, conference flyers, recommended reading lists? A quick online search will often lead you to all kinds of resources they've made available for free. Learn how to 'follow' these big thinkers, and benefit from their wisdom.

_H = harness technology:_ The Web can 'push' info to you, even while you're sleeping! Subscribe to at least one professional listserv, whether it's your state association or a national group. LM_Net is the biggest school library listserv, with members all over the world, all sharing their ideas and strategies. Use an RSS feed reader to keep up with the latest blogposts from the gurus you've chosen. Not sure how RSS feeds actually work? Neither do I. All I know – or care about – is that they somehow scoop up the latest posts from the blogs I've chosen to follow, and deliver them to me in a single simple format for me to read. YouTube is great for visual learners. Need to figure out how to download a video, repair a torn book, teach Boolean searching, explain social networking? There are tutorials galore, and you can even replay them as often as necessary. Slideshare.net is an amazing repository of presentations, documents and professional videos on all kinds of topics. Many of the big names in library and ed-tech upload their slideshows here, so that everyone can see them! Podcasts let you listen and learn while you drive to work, exercise, and do routine tasks. iTunes University has an amazing array of lectures from all over the world. Engage your imagination wherever you are.Need the latest scoop on a specific topic from a variety of sources? Try http://www.surchur.com, a unique search engine for gathering current info from a wide variety of crowd-sourced sites, or do a Twitter search for fast facts and opinions.Yes, Twitter can be both overwhelming and addictive. In just 140 characters, 'tweeple" share their thoughts, both personal and professional. My favorite use for Twitter? Onsite reports from conferences I couldn't get to. Find out what the conference hashtag is, and then do a search; many folks now use Twitter as their on-the-go notetaking system, posting highlights from the workshops they're attending.

_A = add and adapt:_ Start small, with a few select activities: 2 or 3 blogs, one podcast, a social networking site and maybe a Twitter search. Schedule time to learn how to use these different info-formats. Explore some of the sites that pull together a variety of possibilities: <http://teacherlibrarian.ning.com/> includes photos, discussions, videos, blogs, and special interest groups for " those... who connect, teach, share, and lead in new information landscapes." Be forewarned: this kind of personalized learning can become addictive, so pace yourself! Don't subscribe to so much that you find yourself overwhelmed and just chuck it all as unmanageable. Keep in mind the empty closet syndrome: is this a problem or a possibility?

_R = read, reflect, repurpose:_ Don't just let the data flow over you. PUT IT TO USE!! What did you discover that you can utilize right now/next month/next year? Who else in the building might be interested in that app or website? Show your teachers how to expand their own learning sources and resources. A network is a living organism. The more you explore, the better you will get at establishing your own filtering criteria.

_E = Engage and encourage:_ Give back to the hive mind. Keep the conversations going... and growing. Post comments on other people's blogs, join the discussions on the listservs and nings, retweet and reach out. An effective PLN is based on professional generosity: circles of trust and knowledge that keep expanding and paying it forward.

Professional development is no longer restricted to a specific time or place. Now it can happen anywhere, anytime, anyhow, for just-in-time or even just-for-fun learning. You could just lurk, absorbing but not participating. But then you're just recreating that archaic library atmosphere: piles and files of data, stacked and stagnant, archived but not actively-used. That's not what sharing is all about, is it?

Alice Yucht

Retired/rewired Teacher-Librarian

Somewhere in cyberspace or central NJ

ayucht@gmail.com

slmps.wordpress.com

aliceinfo.org

@ayucht

* * *

REIMAGINEERS For K-12 LIBRARIES

You already know what libraries look like today – and what they have looked like through history. As we try to see libraries of the future, the mist rolls in. But the fun is in the hunt – so I spent the weekend in Atlanta with 150 people I didn't know well reimagining K-12 libraries as they might look tomorrow. It was an amazing event – intense, overwhelming, confusing and energizing. We collectively tried to understand what are the core values of libraries that should be retained – and to conceptually throw away the extraneous bits. Then we rebuilt the package.

So, what are those core values we wanted to retain? Service, information, teaching support, collaboration – the same things we push now. And what are the new ideas we developed? We proposed several possibilities that bring all library services together on one dashboard – one stop shopping for students that would be simple and enticing, that would make the library and its virtual alter-ego so exciting as a community tool and a research venue 24/7 that students would clamor to be there, physically and virtually.

How could we make our students collaborators in the library experience? Could we find ways to move previously immovable library fixtures to build flexible spaces that would be physical places to sit together face-to-face as well as spaces to converse across the globe using digital access? Could our dashboard improve virtual access to experts everywhere? Would a Facebook-like app encourage students to use a library access point to journal their curiosity and progress in academic pursuits as well as to share library discoveries with friends? Would an internal tool like Goodreads improve student reading communities? Might the library catalog include a record of books read and sources sought for future reference, a path that could be followed backwards and forwards? A student ReImagineer commented that this layered dashboard approach would totally help her continue an academically successful education.

Did we find any magic bullets? Yes – and no. The magic bullet we found was our own energy and enthusiasm to continue to seek better ways to reach students 24/7 with the best information and resources while adding new community building tools. The not magic part is that we still have lots of work to do. Some might say that these ideas are only fancy window dressing for the same services K-12 libraries have always offered – and that would be correct. However, at a deeper level, we turned the questions around and made them fresh in our own minds so that we can seek individual solutions on our own campuses, solutions that will contribute to larger solutions – maybe even digital products that bring our dashboard visions to life. Now the ReImagineers have headed back to their home libraries to continue to build long-standing K-12 library traditions into a new iteration, one that will maximize school library effectiveness with students who think their personal information devices tell them everything they need to know by becoming the best personal information device available.

Dorcas Hand

Director of Libraries

Annunciation Orthodox School, Houston, TX

Handd51@tekkmail.com

www.strongschoollibraries.org

@handdtexas

* * *

CONTRIBUTORS

Editors:

Kristin Fontichiaro, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Buffy Hamilton, Creekview High School, Canton, GA

Foreword:

R. David Lankes, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY

Photographs:

Diane Cordell, Retired Teacher Librarian, Queensbury, NY

Contributors:

Kelly Ahlfeld, Mettawee Community School, West Pawlet, VT

Diane Erica Aretz-Kernahan, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Emilia Askari, Living Textbook Project, McCollough Unis School, Dearborn, MI

Kathleen Atkin, Louis Riel School Division, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Robert Baigent, National Library of New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand

Susan D. Ballard, Consultant and Simmons College, Boston, MA

Angela Washington-Blair, Emmett J. Conrad High School, Dallas, TX

Dan Bowen, ICT Learning and Teaching Consultant, Surrey, England, UK

Holli Buchter, St. Vrain Valley School District, Longmont, CO

Jennifer Branch, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Len Bryan, Cedar Ridge High School, Round Rock, TX

Jennifer Colby, School of Information, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Diane Cordell, Retired Teacher Librarian, Queensbury, NY

William Cross, Copyright and Digital Scholarship Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

Meg Donhauser, Hunterdon Central Regional High School, Flemington, NJ

Joanne de Groot, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Stacy Dillon, LREI - Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School, New York, NY

Andrea Dolloff, Ethical Cultural Fieldston School, New York, NY

Meg Donhauser, Hunterdon Central Regional High School, Flemington, NJ

Laura Fleming, Cherry Hill School, River Edge, NJ

Lorna Flynn, American International School in Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus

Elizabeth Friese, University of Georgia,Athens, GA

Rachel Goldberg, East Middle School, Plymouth, MI

Beth Gourley, Western Academy of Beijing, Beijing, China

Dorcas Hand, Annunciation Orthodox School, Houston, TX

Alida Hanson, School Library Teacher Program, Simmons College GSLIS, Boston, MA

Violet H. Harada, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI

Heather Hersey, Lakeside School, Seattle, WA

Valerie Hill, Ethridge Elementary School, The Colony, TX, and Texas Woman's University School of Library and Information Studies, Denton, TX

Kimberly Hirsh, Butner-Stem Middle School, Butner, NC, and G. C. Hawley Middle School, Creedmoor, NC

Shannon Hyman, Byrd Middle School, Henrico, VA

Pamela Jackson, East Wake High School, Wendell, NC

Melissa P. Johnston, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

Jesse Karp, LREI - Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School, New York, NY

Sara Kelley-Mudie, The Forman School, Litchfield, CT

Tricia Kuon, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX

Neil Krasnoff, New Tech High School at A. Maceo Smith, Dallas, TX

Jennifer LaGarde, New Hanover County Schools, Wilmington, NC

Teri S. Lesesne, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX

Margaret Lincoln, Lakeview School District, Battle Creek, MI

Kate MacMillan, Napa Valley USD, Napa Valley, CA (see also Chap. 9)

Adrienne Matteson, White River Elementary, Noblesville, IN

Kathleen McBroom, Dearborn Public Schools, Dearborn, MI

Walter McKenzie, ASCD, Alexandria, VA

David Meyer, TMC Furniture, Ann Arbor, MI

Ben Mondloch, Cherry Lake Publishing, Ann Arbor, MI

Leslie L. Morgan, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN

Cathy Jo Nelson, Dorman High School, Spartanburg District 6 Schools, Roebuck, SC

Beverley Rannow, Otsego Public Schools, Otsego, MI

Howard Rheingold, UC Berkeley, Stanford University, San Francisco Bay Area, CA

Nikki D. Robertson, Auburn High School, Auburn, AL

Daniella Smith, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas

Evan St. Lifer, Scholastic Library Publishing, Danbury, CT

Jennifer Stanbro, South Portland School Department, South Portland, ME

Caitlin Stansell, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Jeff Stanzler, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Carolyn Jo Starkey, Buckhorn High School, New Market, AL

Wendy Steadman Stephens, Buckhorn High School, New Market, AL

Michael Stephens, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA

Linda Straube, New Trier High School, Winnetka, IL

Cathy Stutzman, Hunterdon Central Regional High School, Flemington, NJ

Mega Subramaniam, University of Maryland, College Park, MD

Margaret Sullivan, Smith Systems, Plano, TX (see also Chap. 6)

Joyce Kasman Valenza, Springfield Township High School, Erdenheim, PA

Karen Villegas, Grosse Pointe North High School, Grosse Pointe, MI

Jeanna Walker, Portage Public Schools, Portage, MI

Donna Watt, Invercargill City Libraries, Invercargill, New Zealand

Holly Weimar, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX

Senga White, James Hargest College, Invercargill, New Zealand

Erin Drankwalter Wyatt, Highland Middle School, Libertyville, IL

Amanda Yaklin, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Alice Yucht, Retired/rewired Teacher-Librarian, NJ

Marci Zane, Hunterdon Central Regional High School, Flemington, NJ
