February 16th – In This Issue…
Arnold Granville photographs. “Winter recess.” (Anchorage, 1954) UAF-1991-18-127
SAYL News in Brief
Report: Broadband Access Making ‘Dramatic’ Progress
“Eighty-eight percent of U.S. school districts have reached the minimum connectivity–100 kbps per student, as recommended by the Federal Communications Commission–to help students effectively use technology in the classroom.”
[To see progress in Alaska and it’s national rankings, go directly to the State of the States report.]
LITA Publishes Privacy Checklists, Includes Students in Public Schools.
Privacy checklists in seven areas are now available from the Library and Information Technology Association. Three levels of priority actions are given for seven areas, including K-12 students. The five “Priority 1” actions are designed for all libraries to take without requiring a high level of technical expertise, resources, or organizational structure.
It Really IS about the Questions! (AASL)
“When we sat down together and began our discussion, I found out that what they really wanted was for me to give them a list of “reliable” sites that they could go to for their debates. I explained that reliability is one of those things that comes with baggage, and that perspective, authority, and purpose are all intertwined. They wanted to know more.”
An Inside Look at Librarians, Schools, and the Political Climate (SLJ)
Scholarship, Grant, and Award Opportunities
For the complete record of scholarships, grants, and other award opportunities posted in SAYL Mail, visit the SGA Archives.
Closing February 28th – “The Annual ISTE Awards recognize exceptional educators and leaders who are paving the way for connected learning.” Six juried and two non-juried awards for outstanding leadership in the digital age. Up to $1,500 award, plus travel award, conference registration, and association membership fees.
Closing February 28th – El Día de Los Niños/El Día de Los Libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) $500 in selected multicultural children’s books for libraries hosting a Día program.
Closing March 1st – Talk Story: Sharing Stories, Sharing Culture Grant. $750 to introduce a Talk Story, a literacy program that reaches out to Asian Pacific American (APA) and American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) children and their families.
Closing March 17th – Library of Congress 2017 Summer Teacher Institutes Professional development materials and instruction awarded at no cost.
Closing March 31st – Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Mini-Grant. Up to $500 for an innovative and creative program which bridges disciplines and grade levels, PK-12.
Closing March 31st – Bound To Stay Bound Inc. “My First AASL National Conference” Travel Grant. $750 for thirty first-time attendees for the AASL 18th National Conference & Exhibition, November 9-11, 2017, in Phoenix, AZ.
Closing May 5th – Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award for Exemplary Humanities Programming. $5000 to recognize, promote, and support excellence in humanities programming in elementary and middle school libraries that serve children K–8.
For the complete record of scholarships, grants, and other award opportunities posted in SAYL Mail, visit the SGA Archives.
Employment Opportunities
Elementary Library Media Associate, Denali Elementary, Anchorage
Library Media Specialist K-12, Chevak School
Media Specialist, North Slope Borough School District
Additional and up-to-date information at Alaska Teacher Placement
Training and Continuing Education Opportunities
UAS Upper Division Children’s Literature courses offered this summer.
ED 405 – Children’s Literature in the Alaska Context. Online: M 4:30 – 6:00 PM, May 15 – August 5. $723
ED 603 – Alaska Literature for Young People. Online: W 4:30 — 6:00 PM, May 15 – August 5. On UAS campus: M-F, June 5-9. $1386
UAS Summer Course Schedule.
Application Due March 17th – The Library of Congress Summer Teacher Institutes
In 2017, the Library will offer five Institute weeks:
* Open Sessions (any subject area): June 19-June 23, June 26-June 30, and July 10-July 14
* Science, Technology, and Engineering Focus: July 17-July 21
* World War I Focus: July 31-August 4
The following webinars are no cost and run approximately one hour unless otherwise noted. Opportunities not fitting your schedule? Many of these webinars will later be available as archives.
Wednesday, February 22nd – Media Literacy: A Crash Course in 60 Minutes (edWeb)
Wednesday, February 22nd, 10am – Libraries = Education: Your Key to Success (Demco)
Saturday, February 25th, 6 – 11:30am – How Google is Forever Changing the Classroom (Simple K12)
Tuesday, February 28th, 11am – How Schools in the Big Apple Built a PD Program to Cross the District Divide – And You Can, Too! (SLJ)
Additional and up-to-date opportunities at the Library Development Training and Continuing Education Calendar
As Seen on Alaska School Librarians Facebook
A roundup of resources shared and questions asked on the Alaska School Librarians Facebook group. This is intended to give readers the chance to access resources at work if Facebook is filtered. Only timely questions, announcements, and links to non-Facebook resources are listed here.
1/30 – [Books to Help Kids Understand What It’s Like to Be a Refugee]
2/1 – District Administration has a special report on maker spaces in schools and school libraries. Great info to share with your admin.
2/3 – Share your voice with our Governor and complete the survey to express your priorities for education in our State. Hopefully, you’ll mention the value of effective school library programs. 
2/3 – [Books to Help Kids Understand the Immigrant Experience]
2/8 – State Archives Places Documents Online Pertaining to
Elizabeth and Roy Peratrovich in Honor of Elizabeth Peratrovich Day
The Alaska State Archives has digitized and placed online historic documents related to the lives and work of Elizabeth and Roy Peratrovich, who are often remembered for their actions toward the passage of the Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945. The State Archives has placed these documents online for Elizabeth Peratrovich Day (Feb. 16), which the Alaska State Legislature established in 1988 to honor Peratrovich “for her courageous, unceasing efforts” to confront discrimination and bring about equal rights laws in Alaska. (AS 44.12.065)
The material placed online comes from Governor Ernest Gruening’s papers and amounts to 65 pages of correspondence and documents concerning Elizabeth and Roy Peratrovich between 1943 and 1946. During this time, Elizabeth and Roy Peratrovich served as Grand Presidents of the Alaska Native Brotherhood and Alaska Native Sisterhood. These materials document their general work as Native leaders, but also their efforts to address civil and human rights for Alaska Natives. One document includes the Territorial Attorney General’s 19-page legal opinion about the practice of segregated schooling in Alaska, which occurred at that time. This and other responses from the Attorney General came about from Roy Peratrovich writing the Attorney General and requesting a legal explanation about segregated schooling.
Correspondence and papers concerning Elizabeth and Roy Peratrovich as held by Gov. Ernest Gruening, 1943-1946, can be viewed here.
Digitized copy of the Anti-Discrimination Act, known as House Bill 14, Chapter 2 can be viewed here.
2/8 – Do you think you’d be able to show this at your school?
2/11 – Not sure about Dr. Shran’s conclusions or the teacher’s – but an interesting use of bibliotherapy.
2/11 – Very cool….
2/11 – Had to share. He says this so well. And his blog post is even more eloquent.
2/13 – [How to Search for Creative Commons Images]
2/14 – Battle of the books moderators needed. There’s a few spots left we are trying to fill for the state tournament. If you can juggle your schedule, the students appreciate having smaller brackets
HS battles. Feb 28. 9-11 am. 1 spot
MS battles. March 1 9-11 am. 2 spots [-Shelly Logsdon]
2/14 – [Yale Study: People Who Read Live Longer Than Those Who Don’t]
2/14 – [375,000 Images From the Met Are Now Yours for the Taking]
2/15 – Have you ever wanted to be able to add URL links to your Google Drive so they appear amongst your folders and files? LinkTo is a Google Chrome Extension that enables you to do this. Check out this tutorial for instructions how to download, install, and use the extension.
2/15 -Hay all you educators out there, I have a 10 y.o. Interested in magnets and lasers. Any age appropriate book suggestions? Most of what I’ve found are for early childhood or college level.