Southern Region Scholarships - Applications Available!

  Need money for library school?  If you are a Southern Region member, fill out the applications posted at http://cslass.wikispaces.com/Scholarships for the opportunity to apply for our paraprofessional or professional scholarships.  And may the odds be EVER in your favor!  Any questions?  Contact Marie Slim: sraslim <at> sbcglobal <dot> net   Applications are due Friday, March 30th, 2012

Cyber Sunday Parent View

During the recent CSLA Annual Conference in Pasadena last month, our organization held the first ever "Cyber Sunday," an event open free of charge to the community with some of digital literacy's top experts providing sessions on many different aspects of digital citizenship. I publicized the event at my school, and Shirley Shoda, one of my great volunteers and the parent of a 10th grader and 3rd grader attended. I asked her to write a guest posting about her experience, which I also posted on my school blog. Here is what she wrote:

"My main reason for attending Cyber Sunday was to learn about ways to protect my family on the net. I signed up for a session called Parent Support: Young Children Online.


"The first portion of the session was covered by Daryl Hulce, Program Administrator for USA-SOS Internet Challenge. This program is an Internet Safety Program for 3rd thru 8th graders, backed by the FBI and is designed primarily for participation by schools. The students answer a series of questions to earn points. The schools then compete against other schools to win a prize. Some of the topics include Virus Protection, On-Line Predators, Reputable Sites, and Social Networking. (There are 17 topics in all). The program is designed like a game, making it very kid-friendly.


"The second portion included an introduction of Nooks for Books by a rep from Barnes and Noble, explaining how this technology can be used in the classroom and at home. Everyone in the audience actually got to play around with a Nook!


"In addition to these talks, I received some helpful handouts, such as “A Parents’ Guide to Facebook”, presented by ConnectSafely.org, explaining about how kids can socialize smartly and safely on the web. It covered topics like “Why you should be honest about your age”, “How to choose friends wisely”, “Configuring who can see what you post”, and “Limiting who can see your info or search for you”. These topics were extremely informative not only for my children but for me as well.


"Cyber safety will continue to be a hot topic in our household as we use the web more to connect with others. I feel that having attended Cyber Sunday has definitely helped me become better equipped in protecting our privacy and ensuring our family’s safety online."

Thanks so much for contributing, Shirley!

Holiday Season Reflection

The holiday season is a time of reflection, and as I reflect on this past year I am reminded of the all that we have lost, but also all that we have gained. When times are tough, and we all know they are pretty tough right now, we need to remember to rejoice a little each day. Rejoice in the fact that you have your health, your families and friends, a roof over your heads, and food on our tables. We can also rejoice in the friendships we have made and continue to foster through our professional organization. This year is my 3rd year serving on the CSLA Southern Region Board. As I reflect on these past 3 years, I realize that I have had the opportunity to be a big part of some important work in helping our organization grow and change. I have always been a proponent and true believer in volunteer work, and have found that I cannot give without getting something back in return. Through my volunteer work, CSLA has given me the opportunity to help guide the organization in a positive and hopefully prosperous direction. I have developed relationships with fellow library professionals that have been fulfilling and inspirational. The most important thing I take from my volunteering with CSLA is the feeling of pride I get from the work we have accomplished this year. In the next few months our Past Presidents will start their search for future CSLA board members at the regional and state level. Don't pass up the opportunity to "Give" back to your organization. Don't wait to be asked, make the call yourself and volunteer, I did! Being a part of a professional organization is a fulfilling and rewarding experience, don't miss out on this great opportunity to serve.

The work we each do on our sites, district offices and beyond is important work for the students of our state. Rejoice each day in your contribution to their growth. Rejoice in learning something new, in giving back to your school, community, professional organization. Rejoice that teachers before you gave of themselves so that you have the opportunities you have today.

It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that

no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Holidays,

Kathie Maier, CSLAsr President 2011

Introducing - Jessica Gillis

As the new Vice-President of Communications for CSLA I see my job as making sure that all the CSLA members have easy access to state and national news, events and issues regarding our positions and interests in K-12 school libraries. To support this we are starting a blog to share information as if becomes available and allow you to make comments and share your concerns, interests and questions. 
I'll take this time to share a little about myself.  I grew up on the East Coast but moved to California in 1988.  I had just gotten my teaching credential in MA and had to wait to take the CBEST so I took a classified job in an elementary school library for a year.  After 20 years in the classroom and working with homeschoolers in Monterey county I finally decided it was time to become a teacher librarian.  I was lucky to get a position in a Palo Alto elementary school while I was still finishing my library degree which I completed in Dec. 2010 from SJSU.  As a SLIS student I became a member of CSLA and ALA-AASL, taking advantage of the cheaper student dues, attending the conferences and meetings as well.  My involvement in AASL and joining the Taskforce for the implementation of the 21st Century Learning Standards led to my election as Region 7 Director-Elect.  This position acts as a liaison between State and the national organization.  An appropriate complement of that role is working on communication with my state organization.  I am honored to have been asked to fill the position of VP of Communications for CSLA and look forward to working with the other fabulous board members that are part of the CSLA team.