Electronic Newsletter of Oregon Association of School Libraries
dba The
Oregon Educational Media Association
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Volume 19 No.9
May - June,
2007
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CONTENTS:
the "official" letter
----- Allan Kopf
1. New readers --- Jenny Takeda & Kelly Kuntz
2. Movin' on ---- Retirees!!!
3. Better be one of your "favorites" --- JoAnn Klassen
4. Library Legislative day --- Gregory Lum
5. Movers and Shakers --- Yea Gregory!!
6. News from the Dalles --- Erin Fitzpatrick-Bjorn
7. Summer Reading Recommendations --- the group
8. Fall Conference 2007 Update --- Janet Setness
9. Conference Service Project --- Kathy Jensen
10. Resources! Resources! --- Patty Sorensen
11. Summer at Portland State --- Ruth Murray
1. Library Blogs --- Katie Anderson
2. More Library Blogging --- Laurie Bridges
3. PNLA conference --- Steven Engelfried
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FROM THE
PRESIDENT --- Allen Kopf
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May greetings to you. I always enjoy spring. It is a time when I am enthusiastic about getting outside to dig in the garden, mow the lawn, and plant new flowers. It won't be long until Memorial Day is here, followed closely by high school graduation ceremonies, and summer break. Ah, spring!
OASL Boards Meet
The OASL executive board met on Friday evening, May 11 and the OASL full board met on
the following day, Saturday, May 12. Both meetings had the usual full slate of business
including evaluating and issuing a new a new contract for our Executive Director,
choosing a new logo for OASL, and evaluation of the 2006-07 goals. New board members
were welcomed and time was spent passing board notebooks to members who are taking on
new board positions. We also heard that the paperwork on our name change has been
completed, and work on developing a PAC is in progress.
2007 OASL Fall Conference
It is not too early to begin thinking about the annual OASL Fall Conference, which will
be held at the Convention Center in Seaside on October 12-13, 2007. The conference
committee under the leadership of Janet Setness is working very hard to develop a
well-rounded and exciting program. Reminder cards will be sent out to all members, but
this year the registration will be done online using MemberClicks. No registration
packets will be mailed this year.
Oregon Battle of the Books
Oregon Battle of the Books Committee has been meeting regularly throughout the year.
Titles have been chosen for the first year of the project, and the committee is in the
process of ordering the books. Other projects that are underway include preparing the
handbook and writing the questions for the competitions. The OBOB committee is looking
for an individual in each OASL region to help with regional competitions. If you are
interested or know someone who would be willing to help the committee in this capacity,
please contact Debbie Alvarez
Deborah_Alvarez@beavton.k12.or.us.
You will find more information about OBOB at http://www.oema.net/OBOB/.
Oregon Reads
As part of the Oregon Sesquicentennial Celebration in 2009, the Oregon Library Association
(OLA) has taken the lead in organizing the Oregon Reads project. During the sesquicentennial
all Oregon citizens will be invited to read and discuss books about Oregon by Oregon
authors. The titles, which have been chosen by the Oregon Reads Committee, were recently
announced.
They are:
Stubborn Twig by Lauren Kessler for adults and high school students,
Bat 6 by Virginia Euwer Wolff for middle school students, and
Apples to Oregon by Deborah Hopkinson for elementary students.
The Oregon Reads Committee is looking for OASL members to help write curriculum for the
books at all three levels. If you are interested, please contact me.
allen.kopf@umatilla.k12.or.us
Renew OASL Membership
While our membership has increased this year, I want to remind you to renew your
membership when you register for the OASL Fall Conference. I also encourage you to seek
out one other librarian, school library paraprofessional, teacher, or an interested
parent and ask that person to join OASL. I believe that we have made good progress
toward our membership goal, but we need to continue to seek potential members and
invite them to join OASL.
Thank you for your support and help with this issue.
Connie Hull Minigrants
As you are finishing up the year in your library, you will probably be evaluating
programs you have used during the past year to promote your library. As you think about
new projects for the upcoming year, you may want to consider applying for a minigrant
to help with some of your expenses. Even though the actual grant application is not
due until November 2007, you may want to review the information about the Connie Hull
Minigrants. More information is available on the OASL website. http://www.oema.net/scholarships/scholarships.html
I want to thank all of you who have supported OASL during this past year. I especially want to recognize and say thank you to the Board Members for attending meetings, and for all the work they have done during this past year. Having an excellent board makes OASL a strong professional organization.
Allen
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1. New readers
--- Jenny Takeda & Kelly Kuntz
Babies are booming among the Beaverton Library ranks.....5 babies were born to four library media staff:
Emily Carlson and Molly Sloan are the proud moms of sons, Wayne Grimm is smiling double due to the birth of his twin girls,
and Jenny Takeda is beaming about the birth of her son, Kai Skyler born April 12th @
5:14 am weighing in at 7lb. 4oz and 20" long. Here are some pictures:
http://web.mac.com/chijotakeda/iWeb/Site/Kai.html
2.
Movin' on ---- Retirees!!!
Three library media teachers are retiring from the Beaverton district: Linda Lowell - Whitford Middle School, Bette Hess - Highland Park Middle School and Jan Hand - Raleigh Park Elementary.
Linda Ague is retiring after 28 years in the library at Cal Young in Eugene, 3 years at Ripon High School library in Wisconsin and 6 years teaching math and whatever else in Greenwich, CT and Sierra Leone, West Africa. She was honored at a recent meeting of the Eugene district librarians with an exquisite work of found art that included among other things a 6 1/2 in floppy disk, literary references to her chocolate addiction, a non-functioning shushing librarian and 1 sock.
Joy Haack, Bend-La Pine District Media Coordinator, is retiring in June. She worked 21 years in Beaverton as a teacher and librarian before working as teacher/librarian at the International School in Bangkok, Thailand and Colegio Franklin Deleno Roosevelt School in Lima, Peru. Joy came to Bend-La Pine as a teacher at Three Rivers Elementary and then spent five years as District Media Coordinator. She has worked with the Deschutes Public Library implementing Library Linx Project linking the public libraries and school libraries circulation. What's next for Joy? She and her husband Dave are moving to Portland to be near their grandkids. In the fall they plan to travel to South East Asia . Knowing Joy, libraries will continue to be close to her heart and she will be greatly missed in Bend.
3. Better be one of your "favorites" --- JoAnn Klassen
Check in you web browser favorites list or better yet your favorites bar.
If you don't see OEMA there, go to http://www.oema.net and put it there. Of course you should call it OASL but whatever.
And what will you find there?
Have you checked your profile in our online directory? You can maintain your information yourself.
Have you found a colleague using this resource?
AND
Fall conference registration will soon be available online. Register early by credit card and be entered in a drawing for free
registration or meals with authors Susan Patron or Bart King.
AND
Information about the 2008 statewide Battle of the Books.
AND
Lots of other good stuff. Check it out!
4. Library Legislative --- Gregory Lum
If I keep my walking regime over the last three days, I will be ready for the Portland to Coast! As the Oregon Association of School Libraries representative, I had the honor of representing Oregon school libraries here in DC at the American Library Association's National Legislative Day. This year's theme, Check Out the Future, provided the springboard for over 400 librarians and library supporters from around the country.
After a full day of briefings and presentations, I visited the legislative offices of Gordon Smith, David Wu, Earl Blumenhauer, and Ron Wyden. We spoke passionately about supporting President Bush's budget request for LSTA funding, increased funding for Improving Literacy through School Libraries Grants, the addition of school library media specialist language in the NCLB Act, and the Library Act of 2007 which provides Perkins student loan forgiveness for librarians that are employed in low-income schools and public libraries. In addition, we shared our concerns about the DOPA Act and the REAL ID Act. Between the seven other Oregon delegates, we hustled between all the buildings to meet with every senator and representative during this time.
This year I will keep you abreast of National Legislative issues. I will encourage you to write or fax your support for any legislative item that deals with school libraries. On a personal note, my DC highlights included my first Turkish meal, using the Metro with ease, a tour of the Library of Congress, and running into a former student who is now a legislative assistant in David Wu's office.
5. Movers and Shakers --- Yea Gregory!!
If you missed the earlier links to this great article about Gregory Lum our about to
be President who has been moving and shaking OASL for a long time, here it is again.
http://www.beavertonvalleytimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=117761371305462000.
You all have about 5 years to join ALA so you will be eligible to vote when he runs for ALA President.
You go Gregory!
6. News from the Dalles --- Erin Fitzpatrick-Bjorn
Terrie Woodward was chosen for the 2007 Paraprofessional of the Year Award
in The Dalles, OR. Apparently the principal who nominated her is on to other adventures
but she is still doing all she can to provide services to the students at the 9th Grade
only campus for The Dalles Wahtonka High. Terrie was at Colonel Wright Elementary School
for 26 years before taking on the job as Library/Media Assistant at Wahtonka High School.
Yea Terrie!!!
7. Summer Reading Recommendations --- The Group
---FOR KIDS (and the librarians who teach them)---
*The Lion Boy trilogy by Zizou Corder -- Mary Livermore
*Broken for you by Stephanie Kallos - A powerful, multifacited story of crossing generational barriers and developing new perspectives which brings a sense of fullness and forgivness to the lives of the old and young in this brilliant novel that combines psychology, history, and art. -- Karen Leeson
*Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (Out Aug. 7) - The long-awaited finale to the New Moon trilogy. Edward and Bella in a life or death struggle, but which is which?-- Karen Leeson
*Blood Red Horse by K.M. Grant - first in a trilogy about the third crusade; balanced high adventure with Richard the Lion Hearted and Saladin and one very special horse -- Linda Ague
*Sold by Patricia McDonald -- the tragic story of the sex trade of young women in Nepal and India beautifully told -- Linda Ague
*Take a peek at the Book Rave lists that Oregon young adults librarians developed
for 13-18 year olds. The books on the 2007 list were all published in 2005 or 2006. The librarians work very hard to include titles from all genres and a wide variety topics of interest to young adults. Several of the titles were even recommended by teens!
Here is the link: http://www.olaweb.org/oyan/BookRaves.htm. -- Katie Anderson
---FOR ADULTS (who sometimes like to read grown-up books)---
*Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See -- Mary Livermore
*Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund -- Ahab eventually is part of the story but Una's amazing life is a truly Transcendental adventure.
*Begin at One for the Money and laugh your way through the rest the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich.
8. Fall Conference 2007 Update --- Janet Setness
Watch out for that beach log!
Making Waves: Sneaker, Surfing, and Tsunami Ideas are about to roll in!
*David Loertscher is going to be our Library Guru for both Friday sessions and our Saturday keynote address!
*Friday dessert time will find us with Bart King, author and middle school teacher, known
for the The Big Book of Boy Stuff and now The Big Book of Girl Stuff.
By the way, he's written a serious book, too!
*Newbery winner Susan Patron for The Higher Power of Lucky will be here from L.A.
speaking to us at the Saturday banquet about her writing and the waves she's been making!
In between all that, the conference committee has planned sessions of old favorites, new discoveries,
and tried and true need-to-know stuff.
*We knew you couldn't do without your book talks sessions and we've got 'em!
*For new kids on the block we have sessions to help you get things going in your libraries!
*For your inner geek, (and your outer one, too), technology sessions with folks traveling into
new frontiers of library/teaching services will cause a few ripples!
*For everyone, sessions on how can we reach out to our own as well as community partners to support or be supported!
*Memberclicks station so everyone can get on board with this new technology OASL has adopted.
Ideas, ideas, ideas! Have we had ideas! We invite you to come start Making Waves with us at Seaside, Oct. 12 and 13.
9. Conference Service Project --- Kathy Jensen
It's New! It's Different! And we need your help!
Something new has been added to the 2007 Fall Conference. It's our chance to give back
to the community that we have our conference in. The idea of doing a service project was
introduced by Stephen Cox (Salem-Keizer School District), one of the conference planning
committee members.
The committee was excited about pursuing this idea and contacted
various organizations in Clatsop County and the Women's Resource Center was in need of
coloring books and crayons to take out on domestic violence investigations to keep
young children busy during their investigation.
Lum's Auto dealership in Astoria is going to match $1.00 per coloring book/crayon set up to $500. Look for coloring books both wordless and with text and a small box of crayons to go with each one. The director of the Clatsop County Women's Resource Center will join us at the banquet for the presentation.
Now's the time to start looking for coloring books and crayons to help a worthy cause and look for the donation center at the conference in October. See you there!
10. Resources! Resources! --- Patty Sorensen
A new book resource to check out from the State Library's collection:
McKenzie, Ed.D., Jamie. Learning to Question to Wonder to Learn.
Bellingham, WA: FNO Press, 2005.
Why question? Why bother? Isn't thinking enough? What's the difference, anyway? Isn't questioning and thinking part and parcel of the same whole? Pg. 1
The first paragraph of this book immediately starts modeling the practice of questioning.
The book is full of easily understandable quotes such as,
1-"At worst, thinking can resemble a cow chewing its cud." Pg. 2
2-"Questioning is to thinking as yeast is to bread making. Unleavened bread is flat,
hard and unyielding. Unleavened thinking is uninspired." Pg. 7
3-"Questioning is central to learning, growing and acting. An unquestioning mind is
condemned to 'feeding' on the ideas and solutions of others. An unquestioning mind may
have little defense against the data smog (Shenk, 1997) so typical of life in this
information age. An unquestioning mind is too much like a rudderless sloop swept along
by storm swelled currents." Pg.15
At least 10 different types of questions (Essential, Irreverent, Irrelevant, Inventive,
Hypothetical, Probing, Divergent, Provocative, Unanswerable, Subsidiary ) are eloquently
defined. The reader is provided concrete examples to help their understanding. Reading
this book is like attending one of those "just in time" workshops that send you home
with a toolbox of new techniques to try on your students first thing Monday morning.
Don't question yourself on this one, check it out! It would be a great professional book group study for any building!
"It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers."
James Thurber (1894-1961)
"Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers." Voltaire (1694-1778)
If you'd like to read reviews of the new Library Science titles at the State Library, check out OSL's
Collection Blog at http://osl-lis.blogspot.com/.
Along these same lines, I saw a great participatory question on a blog recently to pose to students:
"If you could lock yourself into a cabin and read one author's books all week, which author would you choose and why?"
Looking for a resource on how to be a great school librarian and great read-a-louds for students site? Check out this one: http://www.judyreadsbooks.com/.
BTW, if you are looking for a bit of flashy temporary PR, check out this site!
http://www.mcphee.com/items/11696.html.
11. Summer at Portland State --- Ruth Murray
Portland State offers a wide variety of classes this summer.We may have a class for you? Do you need more experience in some area of Library management? Do Web 2.0 and Blogs seem like a foreign language? Portland State is working hard to provide the classes you need to build your knowledge base or refresh your memory. Fill in the gaps with new information- try a class or two this summer. Classes are offered for a weekend, online, face to face- in technology- for promotion activity ideas- and even on Children's literature on film.
Join us this summer. We have classes arranged for many busy schedules.
Here are some great ideas! Please contact Deanna Draper draperd@pdx.edu or Ruth Murray murrayr@pdx.edu if
you have questions. Registration information at http://www.summer.pdx.edu/.
8th Annual Pacific Northwest Children's Book Conference (Face to Face)
Lib 408/508
July 9-July 13, 3 credits
July 9-13, 2007 at Reed College in Portland, Oregon
An inspiring week of lectures, small group critique sessions and creative opportunities
designed to enhance your skills and renew your sense of yourself as a writer or
illustrator of children's books.
The conference is held on the campus of Reed College (3203 SEWoodstock, Portland, OR, 97202).
Housing and meals will be available on campus to allow more opportunities for networking and
ongoing discussion with faculty and students. This course is offered through Continuing
Education, and is held in Portland on the campus of Reed College. For more information
contact Lisa Yesson, 503-725-9786, yesson@pdx.edu or check the website: www.ceed.pdx.edu/childrenyesson
For credit information contact Ruth at murrayr@pdx.edu
Children's Literature on Film & Video (Monday and Tuesday)
Lib 408/508
June 25-June 26, 1 credit
Overview of contemporary children's and young adult cinema for students at the elementary, middle,
and high school levels. Resources for selection and evaluation considerations.
Multicultural Literature K-12 (on-line)
Lib 432
June 25-August 19, 3 credits
An introduction to contemporary multicultural literature, fiction and nonfiction, for use with early childhood, elementary, middle school and high school students. Emphasis is on the selection,
evaluation, and utilization of literature in the classroom and library media center.
Literature Promotion Programs, K-12 (on-line)
Lib 530
June 29-August 10, 3 credits
A study of techniques for promoting literature in elementary and secondary schools: author/illustrator studies, reading books aloud, storytelling, booktalks,
reading promotion programs, and incorporating literature throughout the curriculum.
Design and Production of Instructional Media (face to face)
Lib 536
June 29-August 10, 3 credits
Study of the use of instructional media, K-12. Instructional design; criteria for
quality print and nonprint media. Production of instructional media including slide/tape presentations, video recordings, and advanced techniques for overhead transparencies; graphic techniques; and uses of computers and technology in production. Effective use of instructional equipment and technology. Research
of education technology and communication. Prerequisite: Recommended - Lib 425
Advanced Methods and Procedures in School Library/Media Centers (online
and face to face)
Lib 573
June 25-July 22, 3 credits
A study of the school library/media center as a teaching agency. Designed to focus on
the teaching role of the school librarian/media specialist in presenting concepts,
principles, content, and techniques to students and teachers. Emphasis placed on
instruction in library and research skills; reading, viewing, and listening guidance;
inservice for school personnel; and problems involved in performing effectively as a teacher.
Observation of library/media centers required.
Video Production
Lib 587 -
July 25-Aug 1 and online
3 credits
Web 2.0 in the classroom and school library: Blogs, Wikis, and more.
Lib 408/508
Aug 3 and Aug. 8
1 credit
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1. Library Blogs --- Katie Anderson
The Blogging Libraries Wiki - http://www.blogwithoutalibrary.net/links/index.php
The purpose of this wiki is to collect links to library blogs.
Does your library have a blog? Add it to the wiki!
Is your library thinking about starting a blog? Look at these library blogs for ideas.
Looking for information, new ideas, or just entertainment? This wiki lists blogs for book discussions, readers' advisory, movies, music, teens, children, homeschoolers, technology, career coaching, etc.
2. More Library Blog
--- Laurie Bridges
Several Oregon librarians (Margaret Mellinger, Hannah Rempel, Kate Gronemyer, and Jane Nichols), one librarian to-be (Michael Baird) and myself have been maintaining a blog dedicated to reviewing information tools on the Net. A little shameless self-promotion never hurts, and I wanted to spread the word. We hope our website is useful for librarians and other information-lovers.
Please check it out at http://infodoodads.com.
3. PNLA conference
--- Steven Engelfried
The Pacific Northwest Library Association's greatest strength is its regional diversity and human network. This year's conference features presenters
from each of PNLA State's and Provinces. The entertaining and hilarious Marty Chan provides the keynote address, and there are tours to some of
Alberta's finest libraries, as well as the annual Corks & Cans networking opportunity at the Maverick Brewery.
This year's theme is The Boom to the Echo: The Multigenerational Impact on Libraries, and there are a wide array of relevant programs on
this incredibly important issue.
The conference registration form is available online. Complete the form and mail it in. We are accepting payment by check or credit card this year.
Come to the conference in order to learn new skills. Take advantage of the opportunity to mix in a little pleasure, and you have the PNLA experience. If you have any questions about the conference program or how to register, contact Connie Forst at cm_forst@yahoo.com.