Site of the Month: Naples (FL) High School Library Media Center

www.collierschools.com/nhs/lmc

When librarian Adam Janowski created his high school's media center Web site six years ago, it was mainly a simple list of teacher-requested links. Now Naples High School (NHS) students can access information ranging from the prevention of online plagiarism to poetry written by their classmates. Janowski (NHSWebmaster@collier.k12.fl.us) took an online Web design course from the University of Northern Iowa. Over time, he's added topics that enhance classroom curricula and address student interests.

A High Demand for Love: His most recent addition was "It's only a poem," a page featuring poems by NHS students. The school's students—who come from 45 countries—are drawn to reading and writing poetry at the moment, particularly if it has to do with matters of the heart. "We can't keep enough books of love poetry on the shelves," says Janowski. There's a "What? Me? Read?" page, with links to book review sites. Janowski also addresses plagiarism; there's a link on the home page to a "Citing Sources" page, which explains why it's important and how to do it properly.

Convincing Students: Janowski and fellow media specialist KT Brill recently completed a Web redesign that offers more useful tools. Students now use the library's subscription databases, including SIRS Discoverer, Gale's Student Resource Center, and the online World Book. "You've got to convince students of the value of the [databases]," Janowski says. And he has a clever way to promote their use at home—he trains all students on the databases and provides them with a laminated ID card with the school's URL, a personal ID, and a password. Students tape it to the top of their computer monitors and access the databases from home.

A Vibrant Presence: Janowski wants to expand the poetry page, possibly turning it into a student zine that includes book reviews, photos, and student art. He encourages librarians to spend more time on their Web sites and to keep students updated on new additions or changes to the site. "There are still very few school libraries that have a vibrant presence on the Web," he says. "I think it's my job to guide students to great resources, whether they are in print or on the Web."