Site of the Month: Lifelines

Lifelines, a directory of homework resources useful to K–4 students, is a model for what schools and public libraries can do if they work together. The site was created with the help of a Federal Title III Technology Literacy Challenge Fund grant received by the Dutchess County Board of Cooperative

Educational Services, in partnership with the Mid-Hudson Library System (MHLS).

Demonstrating Cooperation: Margaret Keefe (mkeefe@midhudson.org) of the Mid-Hudson Library System, based in Poughkeepsie, NY, says the grant project was specifically designed to demonstrate that public librarians could contribute to the selection of sites that helped teachers meet the requirements of the New York State standards.

"Weather" Is an Umbrella: One of the best things about Lifelines is its simple design. The grant funds allowed the committee to hire Web designer Polly Farrington, and Deborah Begley, MHLS's graphic designer. The two of them developed spot illustrations with a hand-drawn look that serve as icons for the topics. "Weather," for example, is represented by an umbrella.

Keeping It Updated: Lifelines is expanding to include grades 5–12, and visitors will choose between K–5 and 6–12 resources. The MHLS staff is working diligently to keep Lifelines updated.