COLLECT + CONNECT

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ACCESS .  It's so important. Digital access has been spotlighted in the last year with the major transition to distance learning due to the pandemic. This type of access is incredibly important as we address issues that revolve around equity in education and digital learning. That being said, print book access continues to be vital. Research has shown that print access helps to level the playing field by contributing to academic achievement and positive student outcomes. This is especially true for underserved students, younger students, and students without Internet or without reliable Internet. The South Dakota State Library created a new brochure titled Book Access and School Libraries to go along with its South Dakota Future Ready Libraries brochure .  This document lives on the SD State Library website under School Libraries > Advocacy and under School Libraries > Reading Resources.

Looking for children and young adult book titles with Native/Indigenous content?  The respected and renowned American Indians in Children's Literature blog has published its list of Best Books of 2020 . This list is a go-to when looking for book titles with quality content about Indigenous People and mostly from Native authors. This post allows you to systematically  explore the AICL blog further. You are also encouraged to check out previous years' best book lists . They are a gold mine for building the library or classroom collection or supplementing instruction.  Here are just a few titles from AICL's Best Books 2020 list... LINK LINK LINK LINK Link LINK Disclaimer: The South Dakota State Library does not endorse any service, product, or recommendation listed in this post.

Teacher-librarian Stefanie Hage at John Harris Elementary in Sioux Falls, SD injects digital literacy and student agency into her library curriculum. Hage shared with me two new projects she developed since taking last summer's Passionate Reader Book Study through the SD State Library.  In that course, we read Pernille Ripp's book titled Passionate Readers: The Art of Reaching and Engaging Every Child. The book hit home on the power of reading for the sake of reading - no strings attached. It emphasized the importance of student choice and voice. With this in mind, Hage created two digital choice boards for her students providing them student agency - the type of learning through activities that are meaningful and relevant to learners, driven by their interests and self-initiation. With these boards, students get to choose how they will learn through a digital activity like watching a video, listening to a book, or reading a passage.  The first board is for grades Kindergarten