LIBRARY 2.015 ONLINE CONFERENCE

Teacher Librarian Day is OCTOBER 19, 7am-8pm. 

The Library Online conference is celebrating the fifth anniversary! Huge thanks and a shout-out to founding partner The School of Information at San José State University<http://ischool.sjsu.edu/> and its director (and conference co-chair), Dr. Sandra Hirsh <http://ischoolapps.sjsu.edu/facultypages/view.php?fac=hirshs>, for the vision and support that has made this unique event a reality. 

With their help the conference community has grown to over 21,000 members, and teacher librarians are encouraged to learn more, make connections, and get future announcements by joining Library 2.0<http://www.library20.com/>. 

For the pre-conference event this year, the conference organizers are excited to announce Teacher Librarian Day <http://www.teacherlibrarian.org/page/teacher-librarian-day> on Monday, October 19th, a five-hour special (and also free) series of online sessions around the topic of "Teacher Librarians and School Culture" - organized by Joyce Valenza<http://about.me/jvalenza>, with lots of special guests<http://www.teacherlibrarian.org/page/teacher-librarian-day>, and supported by CiSSL, the Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries at Rutgers<http://cissl.rutgers.edu/>. The conference has inherited the Global Teacher Librarian Ning network, with over 7,000 members--learn more and connect with others at http://www.teacherlibrarian.org<http://www.teacherlibrarian.org/>.

October Library Ideas

October.  Summer is gone with fall beginning its reign.  This is usually the signal that school is in full-swing and routines are almost standard.   So what’s happening in California’s school libraries?  What routines are being followed?  What events does a typical school library host during the month of October?

Here are some events that you can use to promote your collection or sponsor an event in your library:

• Banned Books Week (Sept. 27- Oct. 3)  ALA’s Frequently Challenged Books or CSLA Pinterest Board
• Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15- Oct. 15)  Scholastic’s 24 Great Ideas
• Teen Read Week (Oct. 18-14) Teen Read Week Activities
• Halloween (Oct. 31)  Fall Library Displays on Pinterest   Another Pinterest Board Another Pinterest Board And Door Display Ideas Board

And don’t by shy, share your success stories with us and your patrons, teachers, administrators, and library supporters to show we are active participants in our libraries.  Tweet or post on Facebook or share a pin on Pinterest.  Use the CSLA official hashtag #4csla so that we can retweet or add that to our collection of ideas.

Don’t forget about PiBoMo (Picture Book Month) which is in November. 

CSLA Betty Barkema School Library Improvement Grant

As the winner of the CSLA Betty Barkema School Library Improvement Grant in 2015, I applied for this grant as a supplemental funding source for current renovations to Lafayette Elementary School Library in Long Beach, Ca.  Using LCFF funds with LBUSD approval, the Lafayette Library Media Center was created; a library and adjoining 35 desktop computer lab.  Large picture windows and a doorway separate the two spaces, allowing for the rooms to be used separately or as one continuous space. The remodeled library needed a space for 8 new laptops for online catalog access.

The goal of my grant proposal was to seamlessly integrate purchased laptops in the new library media center.  As space is always premium and the library is a multipurpose room; used for staff meetings, parent trainings, and library classes, I researched DEMCO Technolink Stations as the perfect solution to house the laptops used by students for access to our online catalog.  The multi-station free standing unit could hold two laptops and the single station could be attached to the wall, with adjustable shelf, I could place two more laptops and the others sit on bookshelves in one section of the library. I contacted DEMCO for a quote and used it in my grant proposal. I was totally shocked and excited to be the grant winner!! 

DEMCO has so many solutions to updating our libraries; seating, book shelving, tech integration...the possibilities are endless!  Thank you to CSLA/DEMCO Betty Barkema School Library Improvement Grant for bringing Lafayette Elementary School Library into 21st Century Learning! 

 

Katherine Tacea

Teacher Librarian

Lafayette Elementary School

Long Beach, Ca