What+is+the+Library

Personal stories, how are our libraries used etc. The library is many things to many people Collection development so the kids would use the library for research. How about pleasure reading? How to balance this?

Using a NYSAIS visiting committee report to see where the library was and where it's going. Using this report as a springboard.

Space problem? How to deal with lack of space? Should the librarian get rid of certain portions of the collection to make room for students?

Should the library be a quiet space or a communal relaxation space? Certain groups take over, one group brought pillows and created their own space. The librarians nixed this.Nonetheless, the library should be a relaxed space where kids feel comfortable. The need for communal relaxation space might be addressed at the administrative level.

Enforcing quiet space to protect the right of students who want to work undistracted. But creating a space with pillows and comfy chairs in a pleasure reading area. No games playing - any games and you are out for a week. As far as quiet goes it's a 3 strikes policy.

Having a separate student lounge/coffee house with wifi creates a space for those kids who need to congregate socially (see Greens Farms Academy).

Digital library for dyslexic students.

Can we get rid of reference books/encyclopedias to make more room for Reference collection is key and essential to teaching research. One school combines reference with the rest of the collection for easy access. Another school specifically works to teach the difference between a ref book ad others Teach how to use a book and how to use different kinds of books. This is not only valuable for research purposes but for working through different thinking processes and ways of organizing information.

Books just left in classrooms for borrowing - based on the trust system. Kids are delighted when they find out they can just borrow without having to check books out. A booking blog came out of this. A booklet of book choices is available to any student. A web based commercial site that is linked to the library website. Kids log in and review books or look at reviews of others.

Integrating reference into regular collection. - ready reference including enwspapers is right there.

Using the library has a place to proctor exams, this allowed the librarian to see what the students were working on and then to anticipate what the teacher might need, outreach to teachers. Also important to limit use of our time as proctors. We do enough of that as we monitor noise level.

Bookpicks http://www.bookclubspot.com and Netlibrary

New books list sent to teachers using the Baker and Taylor order list, broken down by call number.

Subscribe to Pearls Picks. http://www.nancypearl.com/

Also, offering to purchase anything they want to read (within reason I suppose). B and N will also find hard to find videos.

Greenwood and Salem Press/ Great Lives and Great Events are good sets for reference.

Bogus websites - http://www.dhmo.org/ Dihydrogen Monoxide

Students must have book references as well as online sources, and subject headings.

Having structured time for formalized research. Basic skill set. HVLA library skills quizz. HVLA listserv is an excellent forum for discussing/commenting on library-related questions. Yearly membership subscribes you to the listserv: www.hvla.org.

New York Manual for Evaluation and Accreditation (library portion begins on page 26 or 31) http://www.nysais.org/page.cfm?p=647

http://lii.org for finding valuable web sites.

Using the catalog to link to website pathfinders!

Federated Searching may give the students a reason not to go to Google.

Pequod Museum in Ct.

References for Egyptians - reading something different in Egyptology. The Met museum has useful resources.

For creating Web pages: Dreamweaver and Sharepoint ( Sharepoint has a free and a pay version, built into Windows server 2003). Finalsite is also a recommendation.