Yesterday, while hectic and crazy, was one of the best days I've had in the library this year. Every period was filled with research, collaboration, projects, and a great deal of productivity. And yet, my absolute favorite part of the entire day was watching the faces of students when they realized that all of the new book purchases came from their recommendations lists. To see their eyes light up as they saw the names of authors they love and the titles of books from series they enjoy, validated everything I strive to do in the library. More importantly, the students now feel a sense of ownership for their library. I LOVE IT!
It's important to give our students opportunities to take the lead and make decisions. I know... giving up control is difficult, but absolutely necessary if we truly want to prepare our students for the world that awaits them when they leave the safety of our schools. No amount of promotional paraphernalia can produce the results that I saw from the students when they realized their voices had been heard and their choices mattered. Isn't this what education is supposed to be about?
Not only does our library have new and exciting titles specifically recommended/requested by students, but also the students now see the library as theirs, not mine. It's a great day to be in the library. Come check it out!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
Where to Begin?
There has been so much going on in the library the past few weeks, I find myself neglecting my blogging - yet again! Ok, so I need to be more dedicated to documenting life in the library. This is proving to be more difficult than originally planned. In an effort to bring this little blog up to speed, this post is dedicated to documenting the exciting new changes that occurred in September.
1. The library is a hoppin' place! The September calendar was jam packed with teachers bringing classes to work on projects, conduct research, and learn about the library. It was fantastic to see computers buzzing, collaboration between students, and teachers willing to take that leap of faith to try something new! Lunch to library passes also increased library usage by allowing students to bring their lunch to the library and enjoy time to socialize, do work, or simply enjoy a nice spot away from the chaos of the cafeteria.
2. New fiction titles were added to the catalog and went on display. Many of the titles were checked out or are currently out on loan. This is a great thing! KEEP READING, ELCO!
3. Our Donors Choose items were delivered and are ready for circulation. How exciting that students now have the ability to easily capture video footage and import it without the hassle of any cables, chargers, or tapes. Checkout this little lovely. I didn't specifically order red, but how fun is this color!
4. Banned Books week was celebrated with multiple displays of books that have been challenged or banned for a variety of reasons. How sad that censorship is still an issue! FREE TO READ! Celebrate this freedom by choosing to read!
5. Databases are now available for student use at home. Logins and passwords are available for any student who would like to take advantage of using our Ebsco and ProQuest databases at home. See me for this information!
6. Transformations to the library wiki are constantly occurring and continue to make the wiki a great resource for students (at least I think so). I'm still working on a glitchy Twitter gadget, but otherwise, things seem to be working smoothly. I'm particularly excited about the new tool being used to share valuable Web 2.0 resources. I came across PearlTrees and am very excited to have transferred all links to ELCOHSLIBRARY PearlTrees.
7. The Friday Find is a new wiki that I started as means for sharing resources that I discover over the course of a week. While some of the resources are not new to the techie world, they are worth posting and sharing. I hope that all who visit The Friday Find will discover some great tools to incorporate into projects and curriculum.
8. K-cups and Treats officially began today! I'm so excited to be able to offer the use of a Keurig to our students. Today's sale of coffee, hot chocolate, and cookies was a huge success. Thanks so much to the Renaissance program for supporting the purchase of the Keurig. Based on the overwhelming student response, we will continue to offer K-cups and seasonal treats for student purchase EVERY MONDAY MORNING. Why Mondays? Monday mornings are high traffic times for the library as students visit to select new books or renew their reads for Reading Across the Curriculum. All money raised will be used to replenish supplies as well as purchase new fiction titles to update our collection.
So... what is on tap for October? Well, I'm still working on processing the 5 Nooks. I was really hoping to have these ready to go for the start of the school year. Oh well. Better late than never! Stay tuned for an official announcement that the Nooks are ready for checkout. I'm also working on some collaborations with teachers for exciting projects to end the first marking period. I love that the library is a busy place. I hope that others love it too!
Until next time...
1. The library is a hoppin' place! The September calendar was jam packed with teachers bringing classes to work on projects, conduct research, and learn about the library. It was fantastic to see computers buzzing, collaboration between students, and teachers willing to take that leap of faith to try something new! Lunch to library passes also increased library usage by allowing students to bring their lunch to the library and enjoy time to socialize, do work, or simply enjoy a nice spot away from the chaos of the cafeteria.
2. New fiction titles were added to the catalog and went on display. Many of the titles were checked out or are currently out on loan. This is a great thing! KEEP READING, ELCO!
3. Our Donors Choose items were delivered and are ready for circulation. How exciting that students now have the ability to easily capture video footage and import it without the hassle of any cables, chargers, or tapes. Checkout this little lovely. I didn't specifically order red, but how fun is this color!
4. Banned Books week was celebrated with multiple displays of books that have been challenged or banned for a variety of reasons. How sad that censorship is still an issue! FREE TO READ! Celebrate this freedom by choosing to read!
5. Databases are now available for student use at home. Logins and passwords are available for any student who would like to take advantage of using our Ebsco and ProQuest databases at home. See me for this information!
6. Transformations to the library wiki are constantly occurring and continue to make the wiki a great resource for students (at least I think so). I'm still working on a glitchy Twitter gadget, but otherwise, things seem to be working smoothly. I'm particularly excited about the new tool being used to share valuable Web 2.0 resources. I came across PearlTrees and am very excited to have transferred all links to ELCOHSLIBRARY PearlTrees.
7. The Friday Find is a new wiki that I started as means for sharing resources that I discover over the course of a week. While some of the resources are not new to the techie world, they are worth posting and sharing. I hope that all who visit The Friday Find will discover some great tools to incorporate into projects and curriculum.
8. K-cups and Treats officially began today! I'm so excited to be able to offer the use of a Keurig to our students. Today's sale of coffee, hot chocolate, and cookies was a huge success. Thanks so much to the Renaissance program for supporting the purchase of the Keurig. Based on the overwhelming student response, we will continue to offer K-cups and seasonal treats for student purchase EVERY MONDAY MORNING. Why Mondays? Monday mornings are high traffic times for the library as students visit to select new books or renew their reads for Reading Across the Curriculum. All money raised will be used to replenish supplies as well as purchase new fiction titles to update our collection.
So... what is on tap for October? Well, I'm still working on processing the 5 Nooks. I was really hoping to have these ready to go for the start of the school year. Oh well. Better late than never! Stay tuned for an official announcement that the Nooks are ready for checkout. I'm also working on some collaborations with teachers for exciting projects to end the first marking period. I love that the library is a busy place. I hope that others love it too!
Until next time...
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