Web Site of the Month: Marathon (FL) Middle/High Library Media Center

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By Walter Minkel -- School Library Journal, 01/01/2004

www.monroe.k12.fl.us/mhs/media/default.htm

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Karen Hoth, a media specialist at Marathon (FL) Middle/High School, has loaded the library's Web site with offerings that include photos of students enjoying a book fair, links to her Accelerated Reader book list, and three prominent buttons labeled "Research Help," "Web Sites for Class," and "Check These Out," which features student book reviews.

Major Marketing: Hoth (hothk@monroe.k12.fl.us) launched Marathon's site in 1998 with links to other curriculum-related sites. "Since then," she says, "it has grown into a central location for research, library events, and collaborations with my colleagues." Hoth serves 700 students without an aide, but says that marketing the library to the school community is an important part of her job.

Essential skills: One of Hoth's priorities is teaching research skills to her students, so a "Research Help" page is loaded with helpful information, including annotated links to reference sites, search engines, and other recommended resources. Hoth says the research page is "the perfect place to begin with my students" for teaching information literacy skills—and quite a few of her local colleagues agree, having set "Research Help" as their media centers' home page.