Looking back…. and forward.

You might think that after 20 plus years of being in education, one might be apathetic or even act a bit curmudgeonly regarding workshops. However, after 24 years of teaching and being a school librarian, I’m excited to attend workshops and conferences; I’m especially excited to be at the ISLMA conference.

I remember my first ISLMA conference in 1999. The conference was held in Decatur; I had just left the classroom and was a school librarian for the first time. My library director encouraged me to attend the conference. My first thought was “Are you kidding me?” I didn’t know where Decatur was (I had only lived in Illinois a couple years at this point), and I couldn’t imagine hanging out with librarians for three days. But I attended and was greeted by some of the friendliest folks I’d ever met. I’ve never looked back, attending the conference every year since then.

I warmly welcome the new ideas, techniques and friends I know are waiting for me. I look forward to reconnecting with old friends, revisiting those tried and true ideas and remembering why I became a school librarian in the first place. I’m so glad my library director encouraged me to attend all those years ago. (Thanks JY!)

I’m so thrilled I don’t have to wait any longer. The excitement has started! It’s Thursday morning and the friendly folks at the conference registration are starting to greet people. The exhibitor’s hall is buzzing with activity, getting ready for all the vendors. The coffee is percolating and I’m perusing the conference program, circling the sessions I want to attend, noticing that it’s hard to choose between them. I’m eager and ready to jump into the middle of it all!

See you there!
Patti Fleser

 

PALS Workshops

The Prairie Area Library System (PALS) is sponsoring workshops this summer that are open to all school librarians. They will be held in the three PALS service centers (Coal Valley—Quad Cities area; Rockford, and Shorewood—Joliet area) on different days so attendees may choose whatever is most convenient. There is no charge for these programs.

I-SAIL: Illinois Standards Aligned Instruction for Libraries and Other Hot Topics. ISLMA has adopted a new K-12 library media curriculum that utilizes skill sets aligned to the AASL and Illinois Learning Standards. Attendees will be introduced to I-SAIL and other related resources on the I-SAIL wiki. Time will also be allowed for participants to share information on their Internet Safety Curriculum, Top Tech Trends, and other items of interest.

From That State Report to College-Level Research Readiness: Preparing Young People for College Research. Haven’t you always wondered what information literacy skills will be expected of students when they leave you? How does knowing how to evaluate a website turn into knowledge of APA or MLA style? You taught them Ebsco, but now they need peer-reviewed/referred journals and primary/secondary sources. Of course they still want to know “What is wrong with Wikipedia?”, “Why can’t I use just the web?” and “What is paraphrasing anyway?’ Charlet Key, director of Black Hawk College Library, will discuss strategies and tactics for preparing students to be research-ready when they arrive on their college campuses. No matter what level of students you work with, learn how that fits into the end product.

Monday, July 20, Coal Valley Service Center—Preparing for College Research- 9:00 a.m. – noon; I-SAIL- 1:00-4:00 p.m.

Tuesday, July 21, Rockford Service Center — Preparing for College Research- 9:00 a.m. – noon; I-SAIL- 1:00-4:00 p.m.

Tuesday, July 28, Shorewood Service Center– I-SAIL- 9:00 a.m.-noon; Preparing for College Research- 1:00-4:00 p.m.

Please register on L2 at http://www.librarylearning.info/?LibSys=PALS.

Other topics offered this summer include booktalks on the Monarch, Caudill, and Abe nominees and a workshop on finding funding in your community and beyond. For information on these or other workshops, please contact Jane Lenser (janel@palsnet.info) or Norma Applegate (normaa@palsnet.info).

 

ISLMA Summer Professional Development

Summer Professional Development Opportunities – Watch the ISLMA website for registration materials.

This summer, as a response to our survey and to provide professional development opportunities for our members throughout the state, we are holding workshops all over Illinois. Most of these are sponsored by the systems and registration is on the statewide L2 site. One session is sponsored by ISLMA and will be held at North Suburban Library System in Wheeling on July 23rd. Registration information will be on the ISLMA website. At that workshop, there will also be an afternoon session on Web 2.0 tools for school librarians to use. The cost for both workshops is $50 or you can attend only one session for $30. Lunch would be on your own. CPDUs will be available, 2 for each session at NSLS for a total of 4 for the entire day.

July 23rd I-SAIL workshop 10a.m.-12:00 p.m.:
The Illinois State Library Media Association (ISLMA) has adopted a new K-12 library media curriculum that utilizes skill sets aligned to the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and Illinois Learning Standards. Attendees will be introduced to I-SAIL and other related resources on the I-SAIL wiki. Presenters for I-SAIL sessions will include Angela L. Green, Library Development Consultant, Alliance Library System, Christy Semande, District Librarian, Canton CCSD #66, and Becky Robinson, School Library Media Specialist, Galesburg High School.

Web 2.0 Workshop 1:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m.
Everyone is talking about the Web 2.0 tools, what are they? Which ones work best for school librarians? Do I have time to do this too? Come and see what two of our members have found useful and successful in their school libraries. Our presenters are Katie Kirsch, the Media Specialist at Lake Bluff Middle School and Erin Wyatt, the Media Specialist at Highland Middle School in Libertyville.

There are several other Summer professional development opportunities that are offered by the library systems.
Registration for the following is available on the statewide L2 calendar located at http://www.librarylearning.info/
Other I-SAIL workshops are as follows:
June 16 Quincy Alliance Library System Summer Camp 2 CPDUs

June 23 East Peoria Alliance Library System Summer Camp 10:00 am-12:00 pm
2 CPDUs

July 7 Decatur Rolling Prairie Library System SummerCamp 1 CPDU

July 20 V-TEL Prairie Area Library System 1:00-3:00PM 2 CPDUs

July 21 V-TEL Prairie Area Library System 1:00-3:00PM 2 CPDUs

July 28 V-TEL Prairie Area Library System 9:00-11:00AM 2 CPDUs

August 5 Edwardsville Lewis & Clark Library System 1:00-3:00PM 2 CPDUs

Web 2.0/Technology Training
June 23 East Peoria Alliance Library System Summer Camp 1:00—3:00 2 CPDUs Presenter: Amy Oberts

Summer Camp for School Librarians: Put the Pieces Together at Your Library
Create, Collaborate, Communicate: Integrating Technology in Your School Library
July 7 Decatur Rolling Prairie Library System 8:15 am – 4:30 pm
Presenter: Ruth Shasteen
School libraries can connect students, faculty, and community in a collaborative environment to learn and integrate 21st century technology and information literacy skills. Ruth Shasteen will demonstrate strategies implemented at Central A & M High School and discuss the technology used. The strategies are applicable for all grade levels.
Google for Librarians
Presenter: Doris McKay
There is more to Google than meets the eye. Hidden behind the familiar search engine are free tools that can help get you organized and make your life easier. RPLS Consultant and Webmaster Doris McKay will introduce you to Google Docs, Google Reader, Google Notebook, Google Calendar, iGoogle and more. Learn how these Google applications can work for you.

 

MLS Summer School Institute

Don’t forget before schools is out to register for the MLS Summer School Institute: Assessment, taking place Thursday, August 6, 2009

Location:
MLS Burr Ridge Office
125 Tower Dr.
Burr Ridge, IL 60527

This one day conference will complement the LSTA funded grant “Here’s the Evidence: Showing how school libraries impact student achievement on the local level”, conducted by the North Suburban and the DuPage Library Systems.

Presenters: Pam Kramer, Gail Bush, Dr. Steven Baule, and Jane Sharka.

Sessions will focus on:
• Why Assess Learning in a School Library
• Training sessions on How to Gather Information, Measure Library Impact and Assess your Library’s Progress
• Why and How to communicate your Library’s Value to your Administration

Lunch and time to network with other school librarians will be included.

6 CPDU credits. Option of purchasing with registration (for an additional cost) Dr. Violet H. Harada’s book “Assessing Learning: Librarians and Teachers as Partners”

Register at http://www.librarylearning.info/events/?eventID=5028.

 

2009 ISLMA Conference

Futures Begin by Embracing Change

Springfield, Illinois – October 29-31, 2009

Change isn’t always easy. But you want your students to succeed, and you’ve made changes to help them. Some of your efforts have had great results. Tell your colleagues what you’ve done! Share your experience and expertise, and present at the 2009 ISLMA Conference. The Conference Committee is gearing up to put together a powerful line-up of presentations to help library media specialists across the state help their students, and you can be a part of it all!

The theme of this year’s conference is “Futures Begin by Embracing Change.” As the world changes, our students change, and we need to change, too. The Request for Proposals is available on the ISLMA website at http://www.islma.org/request_proposal.php. Please consider submitting a presentation proposal before the March 31 deadline.

Yes, change isn’t always easy, but sharing resources and success stories help make it go more smoothly. And our students are worth it!

Chris Graves, Mary Richars – Publicity, 2009 ISLMA Conference

 

On the Front Lines Conference

ON THE FRONT LINES” MARCH 16-18
“On The Front Lines” <http://www.ilsos.net/departments/library/whats_new/pdfs/agentsofchange.pdf>, the sixth statewide library practitioners’ conference, will be held March 16-18 at the University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS). The event is designed to equip and enlighten “front line” staff with training, exposure and techniques that will enable them to handle their work more effectively and efficiently. Conference sessions will focus on topics of interest to all types of libraries.

Speakers will include:
* James LaRue, Director, Douglas County Libraries, Colorado
* Rachel Singer Gordon, Webmaster, LISjobs.com
* Karen Hyman, Executive Director, South Jersey Regional Library Cooperative, New Jersey
* Aaron Schmidt, Digital Initiatives Librarian, District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL) & Publisher, walkingpaper.org
* Anne Craig, Director, Illinois State Library

The conference will also feature an opening night hors d’oeuvres reception at the State Library sponsored by the Illinois OCLC Users Group. To allow conference attendees the chance to network with vendors and see new products, a Vendor Fair will be held March 17 running concurrent with other programs.

The registration fee of $15.00 is applicable to one, two and/or three days of this event. This fee includes breakfast, lunch (when applicable) and all programs. To register and learn about other details such as payment and hotel reservations, log on to L2 <http://www.librarylearning.info/events/?eventID=5241>.

Any other questions may be directed to Gwen Harrison <mailto:gharrison@ilsos.net> or call 217-785-7334.

 

Copyright and Fair Use

At my school we’ve worked hard to create an awareness of ethical use, putting emphasis on citing sources and considering copyright. I’ve read books on copyright, tried to keep learning, and encouraged people at my school to try to use Creative Commons licensed work. In the digital age when it comes to copyright, things are murky and, often, downright confusing.

I was able to sit in on the tail end of Doug Johnson’s session Beating the No U-Turn Syndrome: A New Approach to Teaching and Enforcing Copyright Compliance. Johnson wrote an article that appeared School Library Journal about copyright called “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad ©?” recently as well. During the session Johnson talked about taking full advantage of fair use, becoming more “user-centric” in our interpretation of copyright, and addressing issues of intellectual property from the standpoint of content creators (which our students and faculty are so often) as well as users.

Earlier today, Temple University unveiled The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education. There were two panels of speakers to help release the document. The first group was comprised of lawyers and academics who led the project. The second group was made up of educational practitioners, including Joyce Valenza who talked about the school library perspective. You can link to the complete document, teaching guides, and the archive of the panel discussion here.

Lots of food for thought…

Erin Wyatt, Highland Middle School, Libertyville

 

ISAIL unveiled at the ISLMA Conference

The 2009 ISLMA Conference has come and gone already. There was a lot of energy, sharing, and networking.

One session that really fired me up was Standards for the 21st Century Learner: A Sample K-12 Library Curriculum led by Becky Robinson, Christy Semande, and Angie Green. The room was packed to overflowing, so clearly it was a session that many others were interested in as well. The ISAIL (Illinois Standards Aligned Instruction for Libraries) draft document was presented. What an amazing amount of work has gone into creating the document so far! The document is organized in four levels: grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and high school, and uses four library & information standards as a framework. Each standard and level then is divided with library benchmarks, objectives, and aligned with Illinois State Learning Standards and AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner. The working group is looking for feedback and to bring other librarians into the fold to continue to work on the resource. Definitely check out the ISAIL wiki where you’ll find the document as well as supporting resources.

I really liked the metaphor that Christy talked about during the presentation. This document is meant to be a framework or a foundation for library programs. From that foundation each school library and librarian may build a different house. This effort is attempting to give us a common language and foundation to build upon and to clearly demonstrate that we are teachers working in all areas of the curriculum.

Another powerful lesson I was reminded of is the power and importance of professional learning networks. I posted to the my local library networking group about a handout for a session I was unable to attend. Several people responded quickly with offers to get me the requested information. Many of the session handouts have also been posted at the Conference Presentation wiki.

Thanks to all the conference committee folks who put together such a successful event!

Erin Wyatt, Highland Middle School, Libertyville

 

Planning Your Conference Experience

The 2008 ISLMA Annual Conference, Invest in Futures, is quickly approaching. I look forward to the attending the conference each year as it is a valuable opportunity to learn, network, connect with friends, and get inspired! I’m excited about seeing and learning with many Illinois school library folks November 6-8, 2008.

I was on the ISLMA Conference Page the other day and saw that the conference schedule is available online. What a great opportunity to look through the sessions and pre-plan a bit about what sessions I’d like to attend.

Can’t make it in person to the conference? Don’t forget about the virtual conference offerings!

What tips would others offer about maximizing the conference experience?

 

Virtual Conference

Many of you have already registered for this year’s ISLMA Conference in Arlington Heights.  It is going to be a terrific conference!

There are great sessions, awesome speakers & authors, exhibits, ….. and the one-on-one networking……just waiting for you to enjoy.  If you haven’t registered yet, there is still time.  Come and join us!

But if you CAN NOT get away to Arlington Heights, if your district will not allow you the time off, or you don’t feel you can afford the expense, consider one of our newer features – the ISLMA Virtual Conference.

The Virtual Conference is free!  At the specified time of the session, anyone registered for any of the four sessions, can sit down at their own computer, plug in a headset, enter the previously issued code on the designated website, and listen in on the LIVE CONFERENCE SESSION being broadcast through the Wimba meeting room at DuPage Library System.

To read all about Virtual Conference AND to register to attend the four sessions from anywhere, visit our website http://www.islma.org/VirtualConference08.htm.

If you can’t make it in person to Arlington Heights, this is the next best thing!

Barbara Lund

2008 Conference Chair