COLLECT + CONNECT

Here are some off-the-top-of-the-head ideas for prepping for this year in the school library: Source Have you??? Introduced yourself to new staff in person and by email? Think about your good ol' elevator speech. What do you do in a few sentences or less? Why should people care?  Reached out to staff in a staff meeting and/or by email? Have you communicated what you do and what you can do for them? Have you shared library resources, programming, Makerspace info., schedule changes, updates? Touched base with your administrator IN PERSON?  Made your Back-to-School newsletter with vital resources like  SDSL K-12 free databases , the new  2019 School Library Standards , new books, and resources for school-specific programming/initiatives? Updated your virtual library/website?  Updated your management/OPAC system? Updated any curation lists? Scheduled orientation for new students or new-to-the-school classes. You could go big and do a...

- a smattering of two random reads about libraries, education & growth - Is perfect the enemy of good? Is overworking something just as bad as failing to polish it? It’s Never Going to Be Perfect, So Just Get It Done  by Tim Herrera Photo by  Jonathan Hoxmark  on  Unsplash O Shakespeare, Shakespeare, wherefore art thou Shakespeare? 21 Phrases You Use Without Realizing You’re Quoting Shakespeare  by Dana Schwartz Photo by  Matt Riches  on  Unsplash Disclaimer: The South Dakota State Library does not endorse any service, product, or recommendation listed  in this blog.

Last spring a few school library staff from central South Dakota asked if we could meet up in sort of an EdCamp + Library 101 course + social summit kind of way.   So... we made the mash-up happen! A mighty little group of library professionals + a classroom teacher showed up at Kimball School Library ready to connect and learn in an informal way.  And did we! Take a look at  the notes  from our time together. My hope is that you'll take away a nugget or two and share with others. Also, if you're interested in hosting one of these trainings/get-togethers, email  Alissa Adams , SDSL School Library Technology Coordinator. (this event has already occurred)

Thirty-seven library and other school staff across South Dakota successfully completed the first round of the one-credit online course  An Introduction to the 2019 SD School Library Standards .  This course is part of the Learn & Lead series from the South Dakota State Library and is specifically for school librarians and others who work with and in school libraries including classified staff. Participants made their way through a digital workbook incorporating a variety of related topics including: a comparative look at the 2010 and 2019 standards the history of the SD School Library Standards  the process of standards revision in South Dakota  a deeper dive into each strand of proficiency of the new standards. Additional rounds of this course are scheduled for fall 2019 and spring 2019. Registration for the fall session will open in September with 20 virtual seats available. Here's what recent participants had to say about this course: ....

- a smattering of two random reads about libraries, education & growth - "What Teachers Want You to Know: A Letter to Administrators" via The Cult of Pedagogy ...You stand right in the middle, wedged between those who make the policies and the teachers and students impacted by them. "How To Speak Administrator"  via School Library Journal ...Because we can’t speak to every principal, superintendent, and school board member directly, allow us to help you be heard with these seven tips to make the case for your library.

Each summer the American Association of School Librarians puts out its annual list of Best Apps for Teaching & Learning and its Best Websites for Teaching & Learning . This is a good opportunity to share with your staff via a quick email series or via a PD session or staff meeting. By sharing, you're not only promoting technology as a teaching resource and learning tool, but you're also promoting the library and the work you do. These opportunities to share resources absolutely count as collaboration! All apps and websites on the lists are 'crosswalked' with the AASL Shared Foundations - helpful to librarians and classroom teachers alike when selecting the digital tool/resource but also when lesson planning. I've already shared in a past post  my five picks from the Best Websites list , so now I'll share my five picks from the Best Apps list. Be sure, though, to check out the entire list; you're sure to find your own favorites too! doi...

Each year at the ALA Annual Conference, the American Association of School Librarians puts out its annual lists of Best Apps for Teaching & Learning and Best Websites for Teaching & Learning... and the lists are out! Apps and websites on the lists are 'crosswalked' with the AASL Shared Foundations - helpful when selecting the digital tool/resource but also when lesson planning. I'll use this post to share my five favorites from the  Best Websites for Teaching & Learning  list but be sure to check out the entire list of quality educational websites for use in the library - spaces where teaching and learning happen just as they do in the classroom. Of the five I've listed below, three are ones that I've used extensively; in fact, they were already on my curated resource lists here  and  here . These five resources are spot-on when it comes to beefing up library services in terms of inclusive and global curriculum as well as curation ...

About 40 library staff across South Dakota are diving into the first round of the online course  An Introduction to the 2019 SD School Library Standards. This course is part of the Learn & Lead series from the South Dakota State Library and is specifically for school librarians and others who work with school libraries. This one-credit course aims to introduce the new 2019 School Library Content Standards and help guide school librarians and other educators in their professional practice. Additional rounds of this course are scheduled for Fall 2019 and Spring 2010.  To learn more for this upcoming opportunity, visit LEARN & LEAD: An Introduction to the 2019 SD School Library Standards or contact Alissa Adams.

Check out this go-to resource from the Young Adult Library Services Association. YALSA has a free Teen Book Finder Database  to support collection development and literacy programming at the middle school and high school levels. This database provides access to all of YALSA's annual selected book and media lists, awards, and honorees. It replaces individual award lists formerly on the YALSA site. S earch 4,000+ books, audiobooks, and films and filter  by author, list, genre, theme, and year. Plus, download, print, and share lists. Technology at work for you! ala.org/yalsa/ And, of course, there's an app for that!  Teen Book Finder App . ala.org/yalsa/ Bonus! Additional award books focusing on diversity have been recently added to the database. Those include books from  Amelia Bloomer Book List ,  American Indian Library Association ,  Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association ,  Association of Jewish Libraries ,  ...

Weeding or deselection of materials is a part of collection maintenance. It should be tied to the goals and mission of the library and the district. An optimal library collection is reviewed consistently for accuracy, currency, usage, diversity, and subject area gaps. Space limitations, edition, format, physical condition, and number of copies are also considerations. Districts, with school librarians leading the charge, should develop district policies to guide collection maintenance. This policy could be called a collection development policy (a more comprehensive term) or a weeding policy. The policy should not only provide considerations for the development of the collection, it should also specify who repairs materials and is responsible for ordering, weeding, and inventory. Lastly, policies may also provide guidance about the disposal of weeded items. Conducting regular inventories are a very important part of collection development. Inventories don't necessarily need to be ...