ASLA (Alabama School Library Association) is a professional organization dedicated to the improvement of instruction through the utilization of media and technology. It provides a forum for school library media specialists, administrators, curriculum specialists, teachers, library media educators, graduate students, professional association leaders, and retired library media professionals, to promote excellence in education in Alabama through effective school library media programs.
ASLA is the state affiliate of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology, the American Association of School Librarians, and the Alabama Education Association.
Nikki is a veteran educator, Librarian/Instructional Technology Facilitator, and ISTE Librarians Network Past President. Nikki is passionate about 1:1 Digital Initiatives, collaboration with other education professionals, and assisting students in becoming well-informed, critically thinking digital citizens.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
ASLA Twitter Chat Sessions-Grow Your PLN With Us!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
TL Virtual Cafe 1st Monday Sessions-My Newest Find Thanks to Twitter!
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
Monday, September 12, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
AHS Library Remembers 9/11
We shall never forget
We shall keep this day,
We shall keep this day,
We shall keep the events and the tears
In our minds, our memory and our hearts
and take them with us as we carry on
The Auburn High School Library will observe the 10th Anniversary of September 11th during the month of September with an interactive display. Students, teachers, administrators, and community members are encouraged to share any of the following through the interactive display:
- What do you remember from that day?
- How has 9/11 affected you or your family?
- Do you plan to do anything special to observe the 10th anniversary of 9/11? If so, what?
- What can you do to bring peace into the world today?
Responses will be shared in this blog at the end of the month.
Our student created daily news program. Tiger TV, featured our interactive display in their special 9/11 Remembered episode (starting at the 6:00 mark). I would recommend watching this special episode starting from the 3:10 mark so you don't miss a great interview with our very own Lt. Col. Segars helped lead the 3rd Infantry Division as they invaded Baghdad.(http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-03-30-najaf_x.htm)
Lt. Col. Segars' accounting of what he remembers from September 11, 2001 is unique and we are proud to have him as a member of our Auburn High School family.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
ASLA Twitter Chat Wrap Up
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.
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.

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:
@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
Good ebooks for the purposes of literacy instruction for young children are hard to find
technological innovations are often hampered by poor funding, lack of time, and unsupportive administrators
http://teacher.scholastic.com/PRODUCTS/BOOKFLIXFREETRIAL/index.htm
http://overdrive.com/Solutions/Schools/K12/SDL/
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.scoop.it/t/ebooksk12
http://www.slideshare.net/buffyjhamilton/e-books-and-ereaders-in-your-school-library-program-buffy-hamilton-july-2011
http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/ala-members-blog/ebooks-has-their-time-come
http://www.schoollibrarymonthly.com/articles/Sanford2011-v28n1p37.html
http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2011/7/7/what-do-i-do-with-5-kindles.html
Unless you already have the e-reading devices* in hand, cancel the order
Have a purpose for any e-readers you purchase
http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2011/7/7/what-do-i-do-with-5-kindles.html
Collect data about your project
HarperCollins' attempt to ensure ebooks in libraries can only be loaned out 26 times is indefensible
Many ordinary trade books circulate far more than 26 times before they're ready for the discard pile
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/mar/08/ebooks-harpercollins-26-times
Programming ebooks to self-destruct after 26 checkouts is tantamount to asking librarians to embrace entropy
http://www.aasl.ala.org/aaslblog/?p=1602
Anxiety about choosing the wrong technology and investing scarce resources unwisely
http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/891052-264/kansas__state_librarian_argues.html.csp
Budler is asserting ownership of all the consortium's content on OverDrive's platform
http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/890729-264/3m_to_launch_library_ebook.html.csp
the 3M system would follow the one book/one user model, and use the EPUB format as well as Adobe DRM, as OverDrive's ebooks do nbvgfvcd
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