This archive was originally posted at serrc.org/schoollibraries
March 2nd – In This Issue…
Dr. Daniel S. Neuman. “Freshmen class on the trail, Nome, March 8, 1913.” ASL-P307-1011
SAYL News in Brief
ABC-CLIO School Library Connection and reVIEWs+ Online Professional Development Suite Subscription Requests Available
The Alaska State Library in conjunction with the Alaska Library Network are pleased to provide Alaska school librarians and school library support staff access ABC-CLIO’s School Library Connection & reVIEWS+ Professional Development Suite.
“School Library Connection & reVIEWS+ gives you 21st-century tools to grow your professional practice, build your collections, and make your library the vibrant and vital research and learning environment you envision.
School Library Connection:
- Self-paced, online learning workshops, giving you access to professional development content whenever and wherever
- An entire archive of legacy Library Media Connection and School Library Monthly magazine articles from the past five years
- Updated each month with new video workshops, articles, topic center content, learning support materials, and more to keep you up to date on the latest trends
- Unique opportunities to connect with your community, featuring “SLC One-Question-Surveys,” “Resource of the Week,” and more
reVIEWS+:
- Fully searchable product reviews and curriculum-enhancement resources to help you build and manage your school’s collection to meet critical curriculum and learning community needs
- Review coverage comprises a variety of educational product formats, including digital, print, audio, video, apps, OER, and more
- Updated monthly with new curriculum themes and collection focus”
Additional information and SLC subscription request form found here.
How Has Google Affected the Way Students Learn? (MindShift)
Some researchers say we’re losing our critical thinking and memory skills by relying on the search bar.
School Libraries Transform (American Libraries Magazine)
Having a transformative school library is an issue of equity.
Want to Start a STEM Program? Assess Your Community Needs First (School Library Journal)
If STEM programs aren’t something you’re already implementing at your library, it’s likely that you’ve been thinking about it. But don’t jump in without taking a good look at the actual needs of kids and families in your community.
ALSC Names Eight More Great Websites for Kids (ALA)
The Association for Library Service to Children has added more sites to its online resource featuring hundreds of links to exceptional websites for children.
UPDATE: Kiddle is NOT by Google and it’s NOT SAFE (A Media Specialist’s Guide to the Internet)
AkLA Conference Registration
If you haven’t yet, there’s still time! See you in Fairbanks.
Scholarship, Grant, and Award Opportunities
Closing March 13 – 2014 American Indian Youth Literature Award Books for School Libraries
The Alaska Association of School Librarians is accepting applications from school libraries for one of 15 sets of the 2014 American Indian Youth Literature Awards. Books must be added to library collections and cannot be given to individuals or classrooms.
Write an essay (no more than 300 words) about how the books will impact your patrons and/or collection. Preference will be given to libraries serving rural and/or Alaska Native students. At the top of the essay, include your name, email address, telephone number, and mailing address.
Submit entries by email (preferred) at akasl.treasurer@gmail.com; by mail at AkASL, PO Box 1010085, Anchorage, AK, 99510-1085; or at the AkASL booth at the AkLA Conference in Fairbanks, March 10-13.
If more than 15 requests are made, preference will first be given to applications that clearly identify a rural and/or Native service population. Any remaining book sets will be awarded by a random drawing. This fulfills goals and grant requirements of the Alaska Spirit of Reading program.
The awards recognize excellence in books by American Indians. By identifying and honoring outstanding writing and illustrations in the field of children’s literature, the American Indian Library Association encourages authors, illustrators, editors, publishers, and tribal entities to create materials that “present Native Americans in the fullness of their humanity in the present and past contexts.” Visit http://ailanet.org/activities/american-indian-youth-literature-award/ for more information.
Closing March 21st (initial submission) – Knight News Challenge. $200,000 to $500,000 for a program responding to the challenge: “How might libraries serve 21st century information needs?”
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.
Ongoing – Alaska Association of School Librarians Professional Development Grants
Deadlines:
Out-of-state travel: 80 days prior to conference
Deadline is April 5th to apply for a grant for ALA Annual Conference, June 23-28 and for ISTE Annual Conference, June 26-29.
In-state travel: 60 days prior to conference
Online events: 40 days prior to event
Closing April 14th – NEA Challenge America Grant. $10,000 (minimum $10,000 match required) for programs that “extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations.”
Closing April 15th – Snapdragon Book Foundation Grant. $500 – $20,000 to improve school libraries for disadvantaged children (primarily project-based collection development).
Closing April 15th – Great Stories Club. “Libraries selected to participate in the Great Stories Club “Change” series will receive copies of three theme-related books to use in reading and discussion groups of 6 to 10 people; travel and lodging support to attend a national orientation workshop in June 2016 ; and a variety of programming support materials”
Closing May 2nd – National Book Foundation’s Innovations in Reading Prize. $10,000 to an individual/institution/partnership “that has developed innovative means of creating and sustaining a lifelong love of reading”.
Closing May 6th – Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award for Exemplary Humanities Programming. $5000 to a “school library that has conducted an exemplary program or program series in the humanities during the prior school year.”
Closing September 1st – ALAN CART/CAMPBELL Grant for Librarians
Do you LOVE YA Literature? Want to hear from and meet dozens of YA authors, bring home a big box of books, hang out for two days with others who share your passion? You need to attend the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE (ALAN) Workshop which is held at the annual convention of the National Council of Teachers of English on the Monday and Tuesday prior to Thanksgiving Day.
Need a financial boost to get there? The Cart/Campbell Grant for librarians offers $500 funding plus complimentary registration toward attendance at the annual two-day ALAN Workshop. Eligible applicants are practicing librarians working with teens in high school, junior high school, middle school, or public libraries. Membership in ALAN is required for consideration. One Campbell/Cart Grant will be awarded annually, and each recipient may only receive the grant once. The grant honors the contributions of former ALAN presidents Michael Cart and Patty Campbell, both long-time ALAN members and passionate contributors to the field of Young Adult Literature.
The deadline for application submissions is September 1 of the year of the ALAN Workshop to be attended, and the recipient will receive notification by October 1.
Information on ALAN including membership, the annual Workshop, grants and more.
Training and Continuing Education Opportunities
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.
Monday, March 8th, 8am: Information Literacy – Do Students Know What They Are Looking For? (Minitex)
Monday, March 8th, 11am: Go Digital With Formative Assessment & Critical Thinking. (Education Week)
Monday, March 8th, 11:30pm – noon: Linking Literacy and Text (teachingbooks.net)
Monday, March 8th, 1pm: 10 Educational Apps New Teachers Need Now (edWeb)
Tuesday, March 9th – 5:30 – 6am: Linking Literacy and Text (teachingbooks.net)
Monday, March 14th, noon: Are We Technologically Self-Aware? (edWeb)
Tuesday, March 15th, noon: Your Guided Inquiry Program, Part II: Sharing the Learning (edWeb)
Wednesday, March 16th: Minecraft and Immersive Learning Environments for School Librarians (AASL)
Thursday, March 17th, 3pm: MyStorybook: Create, Illustrate & Publish (AASL)
[Additional and up-to-date Opportunities at the Library Development Training and Continuing Education Calendar]
AkASL Puffin
The latest from the newsletter of the Alaska Association of School Librarians, The Puffin. To submit an article, please contact The Puffin editor, Cayla Armatti.
Research Relevance: K-12 Library Instruction for the 21st Century “What I Did on My Summer Vacation”
ALA Annual Conference: Media Mentorship and YOU!
ALA Annual Conference: At the Awards Banquet
My Adventure at Library of Congress Summer Teacher Institute: Part 1
My Adventure at Library of Congress Summer Teacher Institute: Part 2
My Adventure at Library of Congress Summer Teacher Institute: Part 3
My Adventure at Library of Congress Summer Teacher Institute: Part 4
My Adventure at Library of Congress Summer Teacher Institute: Part 5
AASL 2015: The 4th E = Evidence: Empowering Evolution, Experience & Education
AASL 2015: Predictive Search
AASL 2015: Search App Smackdown!
Lessons Learned at the YALSA 2015 Symposium: Collaborate!
Lessons learned at the YALSA 2015 Symposium: Moving On Up: Introducing Middle Schoolers to the YA Collection
Lessons learned at the YALSA 2015 Symposium: Hot New Books For Teens
Does Your Library Have a Mascot?
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.
2/17 – Congratulations Deborah!
2/22 – Interesting looking free e-course from New Zealand. From the website,
“This free course will help you to :
– use digital tools for teaching and learning
– find and make online resources for learning
– include e-learning in your teaching practice”
2/23 – Check out new articles on The Puffin. Book reviews, conference reports, and more are available now! http://akasl.org/puffin-newsletter/
2/24 – This is made for library nerds, combining a favorite book with technology!
2/26 – How cool is this? [Middle Kingdom: Anchorage, Alaska]
2/26 – New Puffin Articles!
3/2 – “Now is our time. We must move forward in a period of sustained advocacy at the federal, state, and local levels in order to implement ESSA at the local level with effective school library programs.” [Leap Forward for School Libraries]
Almanac
March – Women’s History Month, National Reading Awareness Month, Music in Our Schools Month
March 6th-12th – Teen Tech Week and Return the Borrowed Books Week
March 8th – Proofreeding Day 😉
March 14th – π Day
March 16th – Freedom of Information Day
March 20th – World Storytelling Day
March 21st – World Poetry Day
March 28th – Seward’s Day (State Library Closed)
Something You’d Like to See in SAYL Mail?
To share news, success stories, resources, and opportunities, please contact Jared Shucha. The next issue is March 17th.