March 20th (Sacramento Room)
I spent an hour discussing my work on the photograph accession register with the library's archivist. So far I've assessed and entered notes for about 16 images. We've agreed that I'll eventually have the opportunity to scan and upload the metadata into the library's digital collections. I'm working with historians James Scott and Tom Tolley to find out details on some specific images of Mather Aviation School and the Coral Reef Restaurant. Have also come across some cool images of Belle Cooledge in her younger years. My next visit to the Sac Room will happen on Sunday, March 23rd. Next I'll be tackling a collection of lithographs from early Sacramento newspapers - images of the Great Fires and Floods of the 1850s and 60s, early pioneer homes around Sutter's Fort, cool stuff.
Tsakopoulos Library Galleria, Sacramento Public Library Central Branch
Tsakopoulos Library Galleria, Sacramento Public Library, Central Branch
Friday, March 21, 2014
School Library Week, Paperbacks, & Webinars
March 18th and 19th (School Library)
I'm in spring cleaning mode! I'm shifting a few things around and creating new displays not only to celebrate National Poetry Month (I love the ideas provided at http://teacher.scholastic.com/poetry/) but also National Library Week and hopefully draw attention to books that students might not be aware of in the collection. There are no new funds available this year to purchase new fiction titles for the collection. In addition, the school has decided again this year to pass on organizing/hosting a Scholastic Book Fair. That being said, the students are still asking when the library will acquire new titles ("Divergent" is a popular request!!). My frequent readers have quickly exhausted the stack of titles that were acquired in 2010/2011. I feel for them and am trying to come up with some alternatives.
One solution has been to create a new shelf just for paperback titles alone. I like the approach that public libraries like Belle Cooledge Community Library have taken in attracting teen/young adult readers with their paperback readers. So I've decided to model this approach. By rotating the paperbacks out of the normal hardback collection and into their own separate space I'm hoping this will keep the frequent readers satisfied :).
The district's tech services this year updated their call numbering system for paperbacks, adding a "PBK" before FIC and the first three letters of the authors last name. This creates a disconnect in the call numbering for paperbacks in our school's collection. For example, in the Hunger Games series - we have paperbacks labeled FIC COL vs. PBK FIC COL. This disconnect might exist for a while until I have the opportunity to update the labels and change the records accordingly in the Destiny system (which I probably won't be able to do during this internship because Library Techs/Assistants do not have permission to update or correct catalog records in the system). I'm essentially sacrificing strict adherence to the Dewey Decimal shelving systems to get the kids excited about visiting their school library again. I would argue it's working so far.
In addition I've decided recently to take full advantage of all the free webinars and advice that the American Library Association offers for school libraries and librarians. Through Booklist Online (see http://www.booklistonline.com/Default.aspx) I've signed up for several webinars (complete current list at http://www.booklistonline.com/webinars). I'm particularly interested in the ones on weeding and literacy solutions for struggling readers. The fiction and non-fiction collection at our middle school's library is in desperate need of weeding - I can only make recommendations based on the advice and tips I'm reading from School Library Journal, the American Library Association, and elsewhere. Ultimately, however, the school's teacher librarian needs to make the final call on what is culled from the collection.
One solution has been to create a new shelf just for paperback titles alone. I like the approach that public libraries like Belle Cooledge Community Library have taken in attracting teen/young adult readers with their paperback readers. So I've decided to model this approach. By rotating the paperbacks out of the normal hardback collection and into their own separate space I'm hoping this will keep the frequent readers satisfied :).
The district's tech services this year updated their call numbering system for paperbacks, adding a "PBK" before FIC and the first three letters of the authors last name. This creates a disconnect in the call numbering for paperbacks in our school's collection. For example, in the Hunger Games series - we have paperbacks labeled FIC COL vs. PBK FIC COL. This disconnect might exist for a while until I have the opportunity to update the labels and change the records accordingly in the Destiny system (which I probably won't be able to do during this internship because Library Techs/Assistants do not have permission to update or correct catalog records in the system). I'm essentially sacrificing strict adherence to the Dewey Decimal shelving systems to get the kids excited about visiting their school library again. I would argue it's working so far.
In addition I've decided recently to take full advantage of all the free webinars and advice that the American Library Association offers for school libraries and librarians. Through Booklist Online (see http://www.booklistonline.com/Default.aspx) I've signed up for several webinars (complete current list at http://www.booklistonline.com/webinars). I'm particularly interested in the ones on weeding and literacy solutions for struggling readers. The fiction and non-fiction collection at our middle school's library is in desperate need of weeding - I can only make recommendations based on the advice and tips I'm reading from School Library Journal, the American Library Association, and elsewhere. Ultimately, however, the school's teacher librarian needs to make the final call on what is culled from the collection.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Creating Attractive Library Displays
March 10-12th (School Library)
This week I put in substantial time (12 hours total) thinking of ways to update the look of our middle school library and attract more readers. My academic supervisor came to visit our library on Wednesday, March 12th and had some great ideas! I'm partial to historical fiction, and had already been leaning towards developing a reading 'nook' for the middle schoolers with historical fiction novels. Although I have a curator background I've been afraid to apply that creativity towards the school library until now for various reasons. It helps to have other library professionals validate the work you do and that validation is something I've been lacking until now. That was definitely the spark I needed :)
The month of April is big for school libraries. April is National Poetry Month and National School Library week is April 13-19th (http://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/natlibraryweek). Ironically the school is closed for spring vacation the week of April 13-19th. However, I'm doing all I can to promote the poetry and historical fiction collections to tie in with the national celebrations. I purchased a few posters off of the American Library Association website with the intent of created a Helen Keller living history/poetry display. I'll put up a few famous quotes from historical writers and poets - however I'm going to have the kids post their own favorite writings/quotes and make the display interactive. I'm also going the extra mile for book displays and plan to continue re-shelving the fiction collection to make the books more accessible for the students. As a library technician with very limited hours in the school library, I can only accomplish so much. Processing and re-wrapping of the books continues and so does patron circulation.
This week I put in substantial time (12 hours total) thinking of ways to update the look of our middle school library and attract more readers. My academic supervisor came to visit our library on Wednesday, March 12th and had some great ideas! I'm partial to historical fiction, and had already been leaning towards developing a reading 'nook' for the middle schoolers with historical fiction novels. Although I have a curator background I've been afraid to apply that creativity towards the school library until now for various reasons. It helps to have other library professionals validate the work you do and that validation is something I've been lacking until now. That was definitely the spark I needed :)
The month of April is big for school libraries. April is National Poetry Month and National School Library week is April 13-19th (http://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/natlibraryweek). Ironically the school is closed for spring vacation the week of April 13-19th. However, I'm doing all I can to promote the poetry and historical fiction collections to tie in with the national celebrations. I purchased a few posters off of the American Library Association website with the intent of created a Helen Keller living history/poetry display. I'll put up a few famous quotes from historical writers and poets - however I'm going to have the kids post their own favorite writings/quotes and make the display interactive. I'm also going the extra mile for book displays and plan to continue re-shelving the fiction collection to make the books more accessible for the students. As a library technician with very limited hours in the school library, I can only accomplish so much. Processing and re-wrapping of the books continues and so does patron circulation.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
School Librarian as Instructional Coach
March 3-5th (School Library):
This week I spent 3 hours on M, T, and W in the school library. I'm still continuing my task of updating the fiction inventory with new call number labels and mylar wrapping. I feel that student patron use/circulation of fiction books is on the rise as a result. Popular books continue to be graphic novels, new paperbacks, and historical fiction.
I recently found a quote off the School Library Journal website that is fitting:
"There is a critical role for both school and community librarians in the transition to digital,” says Sara Hall, director of the Center for Digital Learning at the Alliance for Excellent Education. “Whether they’re librarians or media specialists, they’re often becoming instructional coaches leading the transition."
http://schoollibraryjournal.tumblr.com/post/78507933315/there-is-a-critical-role-for-both-school-and
I'm realizing more and more everyday that teachers and faculty are relying on the librarians to help them navigate the use of digital technology for the classroom. As a school library media specialist, not just a library technician, I've been given an added responsibility of assisting staff with digital resources. This week I spent a good deal of time explaining to students and teachers how to use the HP notebooks, connecting to WiFi, and accessing online databases/archives of historical images for educational use. I've also discovered a few nifty techno tools in the process. One is Discovery Education Streaming http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/ and the other is Atomic Learning online technology tutorials available to scusd employees on the District's employee intranet.
Our library has a pretty decent collection of audiovisual material, but it comprises mostly VHS tapes. Most of the teachers are looking for DVD copies of certain movies (e.g. The Outsiders) and if the library is lacking these resources, the teachers are looking elsewhere. Discovery Streaming appears to be one source. I predict that the audiovisual collection for the library will soon become obsolete as more and more faculty switch to other sources for their audiovisual educational media. I don't see the reference material as becoming so irrelevant, however. Many teachers are still requesting that their classes have time to use specific print references on subjects like science, medicine, careers, and U.S. government. Common core, however, may change that practice next year. New desktop PCs in the library would really help facilitate the transition!
This week I spent 3 hours on M, T, and W in the school library. I'm still continuing my task of updating the fiction inventory with new call number labels and mylar wrapping. I feel that student patron use/circulation of fiction books is on the rise as a result. Popular books continue to be graphic novels, new paperbacks, and historical fiction.
I recently found a quote off the School Library Journal website that is fitting:
"There is a critical role for both school and community librarians in the transition to digital,” says Sara Hall, director of the Center for Digital Learning at the Alliance for Excellent Education. “Whether they’re librarians or media specialists, they’re often becoming instructional coaches leading the transition."
http://schoollibraryjournal.tumblr.com/post/78507933315/there-is-a-critical-role-for-both-school-and
I'm realizing more and more everyday that teachers and faculty are relying on the librarians to help them navigate the use of digital technology for the classroom. As a school library media specialist, not just a library technician, I've been given an added responsibility of assisting staff with digital resources. This week I spent a good deal of time explaining to students and teachers how to use the HP notebooks, connecting to WiFi, and accessing online databases/archives of historical images for educational use. I've also discovered a few nifty techno tools in the process. One is Discovery Education Streaming http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/ and the other is Atomic Learning online technology tutorials available to scusd employees on the District's employee intranet.
Our library has a pretty decent collection of audiovisual material, but it comprises mostly VHS tapes. Most of the teachers are looking for DVD copies of certain movies (e.g. The Outsiders) and if the library is lacking these resources, the teachers are looking elsewhere. Discovery Streaming appears to be one source. I predict that the audiovisual collection for the library will soon become obsolete as more and more faculty switch to other sources for their audiovisual educational media. I don't see the reference material as becoming so irrelevant, however. Many teachers are still requesting that their classes have time to use specific print references on subjects like science, medicine, careers, and U.S. government. Common core, however, may change that practice next year. New desktop PCs in the library would really help facilitate the transition!
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Sac Photo History Detective
Feb. 27th (Sacramento Room):
Today I continued to play detective in analyzing some early photographs of Sacramento taken in Capitol Park and along K Street. I also looked at an intriguing photo that seems to be image of a reading room for the Women's Christian Temperance Union in Sacramento. This internship requires a lot of research on digital collections websites including those for the Sacramento Room, the Center for Sacramento Room, the Online Archive of California, and the California State Library. I'm enjoying the research that processing and accessioning these photographs require; although at some point I'd also like to have a shot at actually scanning the photos and uploading the metadata online. Learning a lot more about the early history of Sacramento and the Sacramento Public Library than I ever thought I would :).
Today I continued to play detective in analyzing some early photographs of Sacramento taken in Capitol Park and along K Street. I also looked at an intriguing photo that seems to be image of a reading room for the Women's Christian Temperance Union in Sacramento. This internship requires a lot of research on digital collections websites including those for the Sacramento Room, the Center for Sacramento Room, the Online Archive of California, and the California State Library. I'm enjoying the research that processing and accessioning these photographs require; although at some point I'd also like to have a shot at actually scanning the photos and uploading the metadata online. Learning a lot more about the early history of Sacramento and the Sacramento Public Library than I ever thought I would :).
School PC Challenges/Common Core Fun
February 25th and 26th (School Library)
Both days were a busy blur of challenges related to the school's ongoing Internet connection issues. Aside from the usual checkin/checkout of library books and textbooks, I had to deal with problems related to the HP notebooks that the teachers to teach Language Arts according to new common core standards. Also Wednesday (Feb. 26th) was a Common Core workshop day for math teachers - this meant the library was closed to students while the teachers used the room. I continued my usual effort of updating and replacing the call number labels on fiction book spines. I may have to adjust my objectives - the teacher librarian does not approve of reorganizing the fiction books according to genre. He and I have agreed to meet once a week on Mondays at the end of my shift (12:30pm) and the beginning of his to discuss new tasks and priorities for the collection. We both see a real need to weed collection at some point - many of the library books are in poor condition. Whether or not this task will begin this school year or during the summer is up in the air.
I learned a new feature in Follett's Destiny system that allows you to shave a few minutes off checking out textbook/novel sets to entire classes rather than individually by student. This may help facilitate teacher curriculum schedules in the future.
Both days were a busy blur of challenges related to the school's ongoing Internet connection issues. Aside from the usual checkin/checkout of library books and textbooks, I had to deal with problems related to the HP notebooks that the teachers to teach Language Arts according to new common core standards. Also Wednesday (Feb. 26th) was a Common Core workshop day for math teachers - this meant the library was closed to students while the teachers used the room. I continued my usual effort of updating and replacing the call number labels on fiction book spines. I may have to adjust my objectives - the teacher librarian does not approve of reorganizing the fiction books according to genre. He and I have agreed to meet once a week on Mondays at the end of my shift (12:30pm) and the beginning of his to discuss new tasks and priorities for the collection. We both see a real need to weed collection at some point - many of the library books are in poor condition. Whether or not this task will begin this school year or during the summer is up in the air.
I learned a new feature in Follett's Destiny system that allows you to shave a few minutes off checking out textbook/novel sets to entire classes rather than individually by student. This may help facilitate teacher curriculum schedules in the future.
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