The Absolutely True Adventures of a School Librarian: September 2011

This past Monday evening I was scanning through my Twitter feeds, retweeting and answering tweets when I came upon a tweet about joining Gwyenth Jones for a Back to School Special starting at 8:00 pm. I clicked on the link and struck gold! Thank you @jane_librarian!

jane_librarian janelofton
About to log into TL Virtual Cafe Back to School Special with@gwynethjones & @librarian_tiff sas.elluminate.com/site/external/… #tlchat #4csla

The TL Virtual Cafe Back To School Special featuring Gwyneth Jones & Tiffany Whitehead took place Monday, September 12, 2011 via Elluminate. These informative, engaging, entertaining sessions are now in their third year, but they are new to me!

I learned so much during the hour discussion not only from Gwyneth and Tiffany but from the nearly 100 participants as well. In particular I loved the idea shared about using a digital photo frame to display all the many things you do every day @your library. I plan on getting this set up in my high school library over the weekend. I also plan to implement the idea of the 140 character book review using Twitter. This idea can easily be incorporated into the Virtual Library Club I started this year. I am also sharing this idea with one of my teachers who is using Twitter in his English classroom.

A great summary of the session can be found on Judy Gressel's blog: http://newtrierlibrary.blogspot.com/2011/09/teacher-librarian-virtual-cafe-for.html

eBooks: the final frontier? These are the discussions of the ASLA Twitter Chat September 6, 2011. Its mission: to explore ebook options, to discuss pros and cons of bringing ebooks to school libraries, to boldly go where few school librarians have gone before.

eBooks in School Libraries-Who, What, Where, When, Why

This month's ASLA Twitter chat session addressed the top focus of the American Library Association's 2011 Conference...eBooks. As school librarians we are on the cusp of this debate and can play in important role in how ebooks are integrated into school libraries. It is also a topic with no concrete guidelines for school librarians to follow as ebooks are still in an exploratory stage and on rather unstable ground as publishers, authors, etc wrestle with DMR, First Sale Doctorine, and other publication concerns.

Amy Gibson (@Mizgibson), a high school librarian from Newark, OH joined ASLA's Twitter Chat session sharing that she has 30 Kindles for her school library.

Mizgibson Amy Gibson

# I have 30 Kindles and students Love to read with them- a Lot of work to get ready though.aslachat

So far (fingers crossed) she has not encountered the problems with Kindle as Buffy Hamilton (@buffyjhamilton), media specialist/teacher-librarian at Creekview High School in Canton, Georgia. For details concerning the problems Buffy Hamilton has experienced with Kindle read her blog account here: http://www.edukindle.com/2011/07/amazon-policy-change-or-why-we-wont-purchase-more-kindles-at-the-unquiet-library/. School librarians like Amy Gibson and Buffy Hamilton who have pioneered ebook programs are helping to pave a path for the rest of us.

Cathy Manis (@Cathymgm), a school librarian at Vestavia Hills High School in Birmingham, AL brought up a point that is effectively crippling school librarians across Alabama and the country...budget woes.

Cathymgm Cathy Manis

Budgets aren't merely tight...for most, they're nonexistent. Even if kids bring their own devices, we still must provide content. #aslachat

Others who retweeted some of ASLA's Twitter conversation hailed from Colorado (@pgoerner) and New Zealand (@L2_s2s). ASLA welcomes all who are interested to particpate in our monthly Twitter Chat conversations.

A plethora of links about ebooks were shared during the ASLA Twitter Chat session. We are proud to point out that our own Carolyn Starkey (@carolynstarkey) and Wendy Stephens (@wsstephens) were well represented in the literature that has been published related to ebooks. Here is a listing with quotes for you to view:

http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/10/do-school-libraries-need-books/

Cushing Academy gave away 20,000 books transformed its library into a digital center

http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/communitylibraryculture/885871-271/libraries_ebooks_and_competition.html.csp

The survival of libraries will depend on their ability to take advantage of ebook technologies

http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/communitylibraryculture/885871-271/libraries_ebooks_and_competition.html.csp

how to manage ebook reading devices, reader application software, rights management, and licensing

http://www.thedigitalshift.com/events/e-book-summit/register/

How #libraries r leveraging ebook opportunity

http://www.thedigitalshift.com/events/e-book-summit/program/

http://livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=69250
@carolynstarkey @wsstephens

http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/887020-264/ebook_summit_kicks_off_with.html.csp
@RappDavid

http://www.edukindle.com/2011/07/amazon-policy-change-or-why-we-wont-purchase-more-kindles-at-the-unquiet-library/
Kindle Education: reflects a real lack of understanding of the needs of K12 schools and libraries

http://www.digitalbookindex.org/search001a.htm

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/printissuecurrentissue/890540-427/are_ebooks_any_good.html.csp

Checking out books from the school library will start to take on new meaning as more teachers and parents insist on 24/7 access in school and at home

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/printissuecurrentissue/890540-427/are_ebooks_any_good.html.csp

If ebooks r 2 b a significant part of early literacy how exactly should they be used?

http://www.brueckei.org/Raised-Digital/2011/04/07/developing-an-e-book-quality-rating-tool-part-4/
Good ebooks for the purposes of literacy instruction for young children are hard to find

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/890197-312/sljs_2011_technology_survey_things.html.csp
technological innovations are often hampered by poor funding, lack of time, and unsupportive administrators

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/890197-312/sljs_2011_technology_survey_things.html.csp

# of ebooks in school libraries is growing a ⅓ saying they now have them in their collections

http://teacher.scholastic.com/PRODUCTS/BOOKFLIXFREETRIAL/index.htm

http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/2011/07/12/school-libraries-what-next-ebook-project/

http://overdrive.com/Solutions/Schools/K12/SDL/

http://www.mediabistro.com/ebooknewser/overdrive-extends-ebook-lending-to-school-libraries_b11072

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2011/05/27/self-destructing-ebooks-rile-librarians/

http://theunquietlibrary.libguides.com/ebooks-ereaders

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFwbPCpZ_M0&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

http://www.cybraryman.com/ebooks.html

http://www.scoop.it/t/ebooksk12

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/889110-312/the_kindles__are_coming.html.csp