Library Space, the Non-Final Frontier

1.       Staffing and Learning Space

There must be at least one full-time certified or licensed librarian on staff at the library during the school day. Depending on the size of the school and school needs, depends on how much more staffing or volunteering there needs to be. The certified librarian delegates work and plans activities. They must also train staff and give feedback and evaluate them.  (American Association of School Librarians, 2009, p. 32) The library must be accessible to everyone, be flexible in scheduling, have the space (physical and virtual) and resources needed for every type of learner. (American Association of School Librarians, 2009, pp. 33-34)

2.       Woolls: Chapter 6 – “On the Job: Managing the Facility”

If the librarian ever gets the privilege of designing a new facility, they must design one that makes a good first impression and has plenty of space for people, equipment, and resources. With the surge in technology, libraries have had to redesign their space to accommodate that in recent years. Librarians must also consider attendance patterns, age of students, and student learning needs of the student body.

When remodeling, it helps to follow these steps. Measure the library; use a grid; show where doors, exits, windows, etc. are; review and make changes; figure the costs; analyze. When finished with these steps, go over it with the advisory committee to see if it will be efficient. Make sure there are sufficient electrical outlets, connections, and ventilation for computers, fax machine, and other electronic equipment. Keeping records and before-and-after photos is a must.  If the library needs to expand, it might be better to move it to another location. Remodeling doesn’t have to be expensive but the librarian must check on permits and inspections. Shelves should not be wider than three feet wide and eight to twelve inches in depth (oversized items should be ten to twelve inches).

When designing a new library, the librarian should include space for the staff including offices. Librarians should visit other libraries to see what works and what doesn’t for them. Getting input from teachers and students could be helpful. There should be designated areas for different things such as recreational reading areas, quiet areas for studying, and reference areas for example. When working with architects, they need to know every detail concerning the needs of the school and how things need to mesh. Some things to consider are shelves with backing, enough shelves to house collections for the next several years, sufficient electrical voltages and outlets, communications links, appropriate furniture, and have only temporary partitions.

When moving a media center, the librarian should keep good inventory. They should dispose of old and broken materials. If some of the collection is to be stored, the media specialist needs to decide which items will be stored and which items will be available. Moving a library should be planned at least one year in advance. (Woolls, 2008, pp. 93-108)

3.       Woolls: Chapter 7 – “On the Job: Managing Personnel”

Management skills are a necessity when dealing with volunteers and paid staff and are important in order to have a successful operation. The media specialist must have good communication skills and be the one responsible for personnel management. The librarian should be the one that defines job duties, trains staff, and help staff solve problems to improve tasks. In most states the official job title or a librarian is, school library media specialist. Unlike a regular teacher, a lot of librarians have the duty of hiring and firing. Another difference is that a librarian might have to train teachers on new technology. A media specialist must assign jobs, supervise, and evaluate staff. A librarian might need to create job descriptions of various staff positions which each position needs to be analyzed carefully and thoroughly. 

The media specialist plays many roles; the role of staffing, the role of teaching, and the role of leader are a few. Staffing “consists of defining personnel needs, securing qualified personnel, developing staff competencies to perform essential tasks, establishing standards of performance, and evaluating personnel performance.” (Woolls, 2008, p. 112) In the role of teaching, the librarian leads in curriculum planning. In the role of leader, librarians took the bull by the horns when it came to technology. The media specialist helps others use technology, and especially online, in the most efficient way possible as future jobs for students will depend on it.

When hiring qualified personnel, an advisory committee should help do the interviews but the media specialists may or may not be asked to recruit them.  When assigning job duties, the best scenario for a small library is for everyone to share all of the duties. This way, if someone is out, others can take over the duties in their absence. Regular meetings are helpful in motivating staff and to for discussing of duties. The media specialist should always regard all tasks with importance and to make sure the staff feels the same way. They should make sure the staff also feels important because they are. It is up to the media specialist to make sure everyone is trained properly for their job duties and if it means paying for outside training, if the funds are available, then it will be money well spent.

The best way to get maximum performance from staff and volunteers is to not monitor behavior but to believe that they are capable and responsible of completing tasks. It is good to hold meetings to discuss mutual goals and progress. “Job satisfaction exists in the library media center when (1) the facility is appealing, (2) staff appears to understand their jobs and they are doing them, (3) an efficient operation is in place, and (4) the library media center director is not a boss but a facilitator.” (Woolls, 2008, p. 117) Evaluation forms may be available from state library media organizations but the best way to evaluate is direct observation. It is best to keep records throughout the year to reflect on when evaluation time comes.

Media specialists must create and maintain good relationships with their administrators. They need to work together when planning the costs of materials and the media specialist needs to keep the administrator informed of activities and curriculum aspects. The librarian should give detailed reports of stats and activities and include future goals. With teachers, the idea is to make available services and materials to enhance classroom learning. The best way to make sure the library is used for what it was designed to do is to have an in-service day to show teachers what is available and to make sure they understand it is not a dumping ground. The librarian should also volunteer to help other teachers. When managing students, letting them know what is to be expected is key. Traffic flow, furniture arrangement, and shelf placement helps with discipline. Good lesson plans with a variety of activities also help. With parents and volunteers, the librarian does not need to monitor them but must make sure no student confidentialities are violated. Parents and volunteers should never be left alone with students. (Woolls, 2008)

4.       The Changing Role of the School Library’s Physical Space by Tom Corbett.

In the future, it looks like students will be relying solely on electronic resources. A lot of people currently use the Internet to find resources but most do not realize that good resources are not free. There are a lot of arguments on whether libraries should make the switch to digital but for now it seems best that they house both print and digital formats. Digital space should start with a good school library software platform. Another good digital format to have is e-textbooks. Both of these digital formats should be easy for students to use and should be easy for them to locate what they are looking for. To pay for eBooks and e-textbooks, schools are going with pay-as-you-go type services where the school only pays for the books that are actually used. Academic eBooks are delivered to laptops and eReaders. As libraries move toward more digital content, there will be less need for physical space to house books. Libraries are moving toward spaces that accommodate groups who are collaborating. (Corbett, 2011)

5.       Calgary LC 2012 by Sherri Bryan

One of the first things they mention are their goals which are to engage students with real-world learning that uses inquiry driven curriculum. They want students to learn how to use technology effectively to gain a deeper understanding and to be able to think critically as well as creatively. They want students to be able to work collaboratively. They then explain how they are going to meet these goals with their strategic plan that includes commitment and modern equipment and technology. A flexible schedule works best so teachers and students can come at their convenience. The furniture should also be flexible to accommodate large groups, small groups, meetings, and individuals. The space should allow for collaborative work. Electronic devices along with wireless connections should also be available. There should also be space for performances for poetry and such. The Library Learning Commons should display activities and student experiences to show others what truly happens in that space.  To create space for a learning commons area, it would help to do such things as weed out printed material, have furniture on wheels, and display activities virtually. (Bryan)

6.       The Learning Commons by Jessica Hansen

In previous libraries, they were designed to be an information warehouse. In learning commons, they have moved to exploratory learning and open commons. The old way to research was to search and summarize. Now, students are encouraged to explore and experiment. Technology used to be taught as a separate class, now students learn technology while learning other subjects.  Instead of a quiet place to study, learning commons are moving toward a social place to gather. Teachers coach and mentor now rather than boss students. (Hansen)

7.       The Learning Commons: Physical Learning Commons, Virtual Learning Commons

A learning commons must have two types of space, the physical space and the virtual space. The physical space should have a lot of room and the ability to move furniture around to accommodate their current needs. This space should be a space where students can create. Large screens such as smart boards, projectors, and LCD’s can offer collaboration, book trailers, and advertising for activities or events. Having wireless capabilities is essential so students can have access on whatever device they carry around with them. Virtual space is an online space that is created collaboratively between the media specialist, teachers, and students. Four areas of this space are reading culture, school culture, knowledge building center, and experimental learning center. (The Learning Commons: Physical Learning Commons, Virtual Learning Commons)

8.       The Unquiet Library Virtual Orientation 101 by Buffy Hamilton

The entrance to the Unquiet Library has several options for students to migrate to. There is the desk, lounge area, and computers. There is space for class visits as well as for individuals. In these areas are magazines, new books, and fiction section. The circulation desk is available for those who have questions or need help. The instructional area has a projector for group projects and presentations, etc. The unquiet library has a crafts area and comfy seating areas to sit and read. There is a computer lab, videos, audiobooks, professional development, and equipment. There is an area to laminate and for die-cuts. All of these areas provide collaborative and creative design and have room for instruction and professional development. Buffy also shows us what to expect in the future with 3D printing, ePublishing, Digital Composition, Product making, Fine Arts, Crafts, Music, and Multimedia. (Hamilton, 2012)

9.       Our 21^st Century Learning Commons Journey Begins by Michael Welton

The Forest Hills School Library takes us through the transformation of taking their library space and creating a Library Learning Commons. They started out with “a cold and uninviting ‘warehouse’ space with out of date resources.” (Whelton, 2012)  They had a vision of a warm and welcoming area where students could create and learn. They took out a lot of shelving which created more efficient space and painted it in school colors to keep with school culture. They created areas to display student work and art that can be changed throughout the school year. They added a game area so students can play board games or educational video games. Students will be able to create their own comic books, videos, a media area, and have areas to collaborate on projects. The furniture will be flexible to they can create the type of space they currently need. They are purchasing a pay-as-you-go software to allow students access to resources from school or home. (Whelton, 2012)

Questions:

1.       With all of the different areas that a media specialist must create such as a performance area and a quiet area for reading, how will they be able to see and keep track of students especially during emergencies?

2.       If my school is going to transform a library into a library learning commons and we are supposed to get input from various people, how do you show them the vision and concept of a learning commons?

3.       With the learning commons moving toward a social place, how do you make sure students are working on school work and not just messing around?

 

Works Cited

American Association of School Librarians. (2009). Empowering Learners. Chicago: American Library Association.

Bryan, S. (n.d.). Calgary LC 2012. Retrieved Oct. 6, 2012, from Calgary LC 2012: http://sites.google.com/site/calgarylc2012/home

Corbett, T. (2011, April). The Changing Role of the School Library's Physical Space. Retrieved Oct 6, 2012, from School Library Monthly: http://www.schoollibrarymonthly.com/articles/Corbett2011-v27n7p5.html

Hamilton, B. (2012, Aug. 3). The Unquiet Library Virtual Orientation 101: 2012-2013 Edition: What is the Unquiet Library? Retrieved Oct. 6, 2012, from The Unquiet Librarian: http://theunquietlibrary.libguides.com/content.php?pid=359923&sid=2948758

Hansen, J. (n.d.). The Learning Commons. Retrieved Oct. 6, 2012, from Screencast.com. TechSmith: http://bit/ly/Kv4aeF

The Learning Commons: Physical Learning Commons, Virtual Learning Commons. (n.d.). Retrieved Oct. 6, 2012, from Screencast.com. TechSmith: http://bit.ly/Kc4Y38

Whelton, M. (2012, Apr. 18). Our 21st Century Learning Commons Journey Begins... Retrieved Oct. 6, 2012, from Michael Welton: http://michaelwhelton.com/2012/04/18/our-21st-century-learning-commons-journey-begins/

Woolls, B. (2008). he School Library Media Manager Fourth Edition. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

 

 

Advocating Libraries, Librarians, and Becoming Visible

1.       Empowering Learning through leadership – Librarians are the biggest leaders and show others how to lead even though challenges creep up fast and multiply quickly. Learning has evolved from memorization to critical thinking and problem solving through collaborative efforts. Technology has been the biggest change to hit education and librarianship. If we don’t keep up, we will be left behind in the dust.  Librarians must also build strong relationships with others in their building such as with faculty and administrators. To build these types of strong relationships, a librarian must be seen and be active in all aspects of the building and in the community as well. Librarians need to advocate for the library and put the word out what they have to offer. Librarians must have good leadership characteristics such as enthusiasm and creativity. They must always look ahead, collaborate, and be a part of our global society. (American Association of School Librarians, 2009)

2.       Woolls – Chapter 12 On the Job: Advocacy and the Media Center – Media specialists must “sell” the library to administration, parents, and the community in order to keep funds coming in and to not be a target of budget cuts. In order to do this, the librarian must have something good to “sell.” They must show what exactly how the library can affect positive learning outcomes. When media specialists can get teachers and students to use the library and its resources, they will spread the word to others about what is available in the library which in turn will encourage more to use it. If there ever is speculation of cutting funds, these are the people who will speak up and give proof of why that should never happen. “Selling” a library is a lot like operating a business. “…it is the bringing together of producer and consumer.” (Woolls, 2008, p. 190) There are three marketing traits in advocating libraries.  One includes public awareness to which library staff must be helpful to everyone. Another is dissemination of information which can be included in the public awareness portion. Dissemination of information includes showing library patrons the materials and resources they may be interested in. Lastly, development of services is researching the target audience to support curriculum and classroom learning.

 

Services are the number one facet of the library that a media specialist must market. After services, comes the collection. What to market is determined by patrons by what they use most often, what needs do they have, services that people are not aware of, new services, new materials and databases, and special collections. School libraries are similar to businesses in that they have competition, producers, consumers, products, promotion, distribution, planning, etc. Media specialists are the producers and patrons are the consumers. Products are the services or collection the library has to offer. Distribution is how patrons access the products. There are four steps involved when planning. First, the media specialist must analyze what the library needs and what funds are needed. The second step is to build strategies to accomplish what needs to be done. The third step is to keep track using good records and the fourth step is to evaluate those records. To show the community exactly what is being used in the library, it would be good to display the statistics of patron usage.  

 

Communication is the key to promoting the library. The media specialist can promote through the printed press using newsletters and newspapers to get the word out. They can also use the intercom at school. Put notices in teacher mailboxes, present new materials at teacher meetings, hold contests, give away free samples, create displays and signs, etc. When preparing presentations, the media specialist should consider the length, have an outline handy, use visuals, and hand out copies. When speaking, the librarian should tell the audience what they are going to say, say it, then go over what was said. (Woolls, 2008)

3.       Woolls – Chapter 15 Leadership and Professional Associations – Librarians must work to change the way people perceive the library profession. Librarians that can get across to others the importance of the library will be able to help teachers by enhancing their classroom curriculum. They will also be able to help students become better at learning. One way librarians can help themselves to become better at what they do is to join professional associations. The National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) are both educational associations at the national level. Special associations are the National Council of Teachers of English, the International Reading Association, and the National Council of the Social Studies. Other organizations are the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the International Society for Technology in Education. These associations can help the media specialist with curriculum and keeping abreast of educational news. (Woolls, 2008)

 

Library and Media Associations can help with correspondence with other librarians and to get the latest information concerning librarianships. Some associations consist of state library organizations which usually hold annual events. There are national library organizations which help with lobbying efforts and include the Association for Educational Communications and Technology, the American Library Association, and the American Association of School Librarians. There are many benefits in belonging to these associations such as subscriptions, discounts, awards, scholarships, and training. There is also an international organization which allows global collaborations and it is called the International Association of School Librarianship. (Woolls, 2008)

 

The librarian must also practice politics. They must lobby locally for the needs of the library especially when programs or positions are threatened. Documentation must be kept on how valuable the library is to the school. They also need to show what would be lost if the school lost the library. The professional associations can provide help in these areas with pamphlets, books, articles, and more. When confronting elected officials, they need to know that they are elected and they also work for us. It is up to the media specialist to keep the community informed of legislative actions. When corresponding with elected officials it is best to be brief, be appreciative, be specific, be informative, and be courteous. (Woolls, 2008, p. 230)  It would be best to establish a connection with government offices before the need arises.

 

Media specialists need to learn how to expand globally as worldly communication grows globally. If librarians make connections in the global community, they can pass along what they learn to other teachers and students therefore expanding knowledge.

If media specialist expect to be treated professionally, they need to act and dress like professionals. Author Blanche Woolls devised “Fifty Ways to Succeed @ Your Library.” This includes ways to manage the library, of teaching in the library, how to have good public relations, and putting forth that extra effort. (Woolls, 2008)

 

4.       The ‘M’ Word – Marketing Libraries – Seth Godin points out libraries will be changing drastically and although they will change, he doesn’t want them to be eventually eliminated. He argues that right now, libraries are a place to house books, the price of eReaders and eBooks will go down, people can research from home, there will be no need for print, and future tax payers may not see the need for today’s type of library. As technology changes the way people need things, libraries need to change the way they provide these needs. A lot of it will be about connecting and communicating and libraries need to move forward with those aspects.  (Dowd, 2011)

5.       Are Librarians, Not Seth Godin, The Ones Missing the Point on Libraries? – As Buffy Hamilton states, “libraries should be idea and learning-driven – that focus and our rethinking what the spaces of library and where librarians can be embedded in our communities” (Hamilton, 2011) is where the future of libraries will go. She says we may not need clerks anymore but we will need the librarian more than ever. She quotes Dr. David Lankes in saying that librarians are moving from using tangible artifacts to producing the ability to gain knowledge. Buffy says she feels more like a teacher than when she taught English. She now questions what it means exactly to be a librarian. She says rather than push aside what non-librarians have to say, we should listen and keep an open mind on their vision of future libraries. (Hamilton, 2011)

6.       Transparency is the New Black – Gwyneth Jones states that educators need to have a web presence now more than ever to promote what they do. She lists eight tools she likes to use including Wikispaces, Twitter, Flicker, Facebook, Linkedin, Youtube, Google Apps, and Blogging. (Jones, 2012)

7.       Visibility Works!- Sara Johns gives a report about a guest (Rebecca Ekstrom) who created a fun way to show others what students have learned or accomplished in the library. She used Animoto to create videos. Her administrators loved it so much they allowed more people to have access to the videos. This type of visibility helped her advocate the library and all that she does. (Johns, 2012)

8.       Why I belong to ALA/AASL – Doug Johnson complains about the cost of joining professional organizations such as the ALA. He also complains about some of the things they do that he disagrees on but he continues to pay his dues. The main reason he continues is not for what he gets out of it but rather what the organizations stand for as a profession. (Johnson, 2012)

9.       Why You Need Your School Librarian – Kimberly Shearer talks about Common Core standards wanting teachers to teach 21^st century skills and how this is very similar to what students already know such as the use of Facebook for example. She says librarians are needed more than ever to help students evaluate information, collaborate, master technology, and to be readers. (Shearer, 2012)

 

Questions:

1)      From the readings above, we know librarians should be leaders in the school. How should librarians get this message across to administrators and other teachers who still believe librarians are merely circulation clerks to let them step up?

2)      Teachers often say they just don’t have the time to evaluate new web tools. How can a librarian show them that by using these tools, they would save time in the future?

3)      As community needs change and even if the media specialist is on board with those changes, how can the media specialist show their co-workers, administrators, and board members that if they don’t keep up, they will be left behind in the dust?

Works Cited

American Association of School Librarians. (2009). Empowering Learners. Chicago: American Library Association.

Dowd, N. (2011, May 14). The 'M' Word - Marketing Libraries. Retrieved September 20, 2012, from New Marketing Trends: http://themwordblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/godin-guttenberg-and-going-forward.html

Hamilton, B. (2011, May 16). Are Librarians, Not Set Godin, The Ones Missin ght Point on Libraries? Retrieved September 20, 2012, from The Unquiet Librarian: http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/2011/05/16/are-librarians-not-seth-godin-the-ones-missing-the-point-on-libraries/

Johns, S. K. (2012, March 9). Guest Post: Visibility Works! Retrieved September 20, 2012, from Make Some Noise! School Library Hournal: http://blogs.slj.com/make-some-noise/2012/03/09/visibility-works/

Johnson, D. (2012, April 14). BFTP: Why I Belong to ALA/AASL. Retrieved September 20, 2012, from The Blue Skunk Blog: http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2012/4/14/bftp-why-i-belong-to-alaaasl.html

Jones, G. A. (2012, April 3). Transparency is the New Black. Retrieved September 20, 2012, from The Daring Librarian: http://www.thedaringlibrarian.com/2012/04/transparency-is-new-black.html

Shearer, K. (2012, July 12). Why You Need Your School Librarian. Retrieved September 20, 2012, from Kentucky Teacher: http://www.kentuckyteacher.org/kentucky-teacher-of-the-year/2012/07/why-you-need-your-school-librarian/

Woolls, B. (2008). The School Library Media Manager Fourth Edition. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

 

Libraries, they are a changin'

The Libraries, They A Changin’

Throughout history, many issues have caused society to change such as war, national growth concerns, funding, and technology. With these societal changes, schools have had to adapt even more. There are a lot more transfer students and there are more single parent homes for example. Because of these changes, schools have changed as well. They have added such things as before and after school care and Kindergarteners are now taught to read and write.

School libraries, and in particular, the role of school librarians, has changed mostly due to technology growth and the way students are being taught. The librarian’s role has turned to leadership in meeting student’s needs, teaching teachers, and meeting curriculum. Students now have two teachers working together. Library materials now include digital formats and digital resources. They also work with public libraries to provide a wider spectrum of materials and resources for the needs of the school and community.

Today, the library media center leads the way with incorporating technology into the curriculum but it must incorporate cooperation, coordination, and collaboration between the librarian and teachers. Not only should the librarian make sure the state and local standards are being met, but they should also assess students to determine if students need further instruction or if the librarian needs to change the assignment. All of this should help the student gain the ability to do their own research.

School libraries enhance the educational process by encouraging students to learn the skills necessary to gain quality knowledge and to research ethically. As it states in the School libraries 21C document, students should also be taught to research efficiently and to critically evaluate rather than to wander aimlessly through miles of web pages.

Librarians find themselves in charge of technology more and more which means they must keep current with technology guidelines when incorporating it into the curriculum. They must also keep abreast on the constantly changing ways to communicate digitally. Along with keeping up with technology, librarians must also keep up with protecting students from harm that may come across the Internet. Policies should be in place to cover all of these bases.

Along with the surge in technology, which will not slow down anytime soon, if ever, many tools we use today will become nonexistent such as textbooks and email. This brings us to the question; will we still need school libraries in a digital age?  Many people believe we do saying that we need to blend the two worlds together. There needs to be a dedicated place for people to go who want to study or read. Librarians will continue to be needed for guidance and instruction as usual.

I love Joyce Valenza’s remark that “In tough times moving forward is more challenging. Not moving forward is not an option.” She breaks it down by giving digital examples in every library experience. In the end, the librarian comes out to be the leader.

Questions to ponder:

1.       What will future school libraries actually look like? Will they shrink? Will they have only stations to obtain the Internet or to download books? Will there be places to sit and read?

2.       Librarians are the ones who are supposed to teach others how to use this constantly changing technology so how will they keep up?

3.       With technology that is constantly updating, how will schools be able to fund not only new technology but the upkeep?

Works Cited

Abram. Stephen. “15 Educational Experiences my Granddaughter Won’t Have.” Stephen’s Lighthouse, 8 May 2012. Web. 7 Sept. 2012.   <http://stephenslighthouse.com/2012/05/08/15-educational-experiences-my-granddaughter-wont-have/>. 

Brichacek, Andra. “ READERS RESPOND: Do Schools Still Need Brick-and-Mortar Libraries?” ISTE Community Ning 17 Aug. 2009. Web. 7 Sept. 2012. http://www.iste-community.org/group/landl/forum/topics/readers-respond-do-schools. 

Hay, Lyn, and Ross J. Todd. School Libraries 21C. Rep. NSW Department of Education and Training, 2010. Web. 7 Sept. 2012. http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/schoollibraries/assets/pdf/21c_report.pdf.

 

Valenza, Joyce. “A Revised Manifesto.” NeverEndingSearch 3 Dec. 2010. Web. 7 Sept 2012. <http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/neverendingsearch/2010/12/03/a-revised-manifesto>. 

Woolls, Blanche. The School Library Media Manager. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2008. Print          

AASL Standards

AASL Standards Link

Home

Hello and welcome to my Library Administration Blog. My name is Lisa Garro and I have wanted to be a librarian for several years now ever since I finally figured out that because of my love of reading, I wanted to encourage children to love reading as well. I went to college the first time years ago and as an undergrad, worked in the library on a work study at Central Methodist University (previously called Central Methodist College). I loved working there and remembered that when I was looking to get out of computer programming and into something more gratifying. I am currently attending the University of Central Missouri as a graduate student and am enrolled in their Library and Information Sciences program.

I am currently employed with the Heartland Regional Library System as their children’s librarian. Our library consists of four branches that are located in two counties. I develop activities for children through young adults and am in charge of ordering the easy, juvenile, and young adult books. I work with local schools to encourage public library visits from teachers and their classes. I am a member of the Missouri Association of School Librarians and always read all of the books they nominate for all reading levels every year.  

I have used a lot of web 2.0 tools in the past and currently use several. I use Symbaloo as my home page which gives me access to all of my other web tools at a click. I use Facebook, Twitter, and ScoopIt to keep up with everyday news. I use Remember the Milk, Dropbox, and Evernote to keep all of my documents, photos, calendar events, and favorite Web sites well organized. I use NetVibes, LiveBinders, Prezi, Wall Wisher, Wordle, Glogster, Speaking Avatars, One True Media, VoiceThread, Shelfari, LibraryThing, and Good Reads to teach adults and students to be organized and creative with their literary knowledge. I often use widgets to place student creations into wiki’s for everyone to enjoy. I use Skype and have created several screencasts for previous classes.

I am familiar with and try to keep up with current developments in the areas of 21^st Century Skill and Learning and I am slowly learning about the new Common Core State Standards.