Web Site of the Month: East Side Middle School Library, Anderson, IN
Edited by Walter Minkel -- School Library Journal, 7/1/2004
East Side Middle School library's site looks like a professional resource, built by someone who knows how to organize information. Vicki Builta (vickicb@acsc.net), East Side's librarian and the site's creator, says she's developed the resource with a single goal in mind—to help students become good online researchers.
Choosing and organizing resources: In organizing the site, Builta carefully chose resources she wanted to feature—including one called "Cyber Mummy" (www.cmi.k12.il.us/Urbana/projects/cybermummy)—which relate to the curriculum and Indiana's academic standards. To help her code the site and tweak its appearance, Builta hired an assistant—a skillful high school student—who worked under her direction.
Suggestions and publicity: Builta has formed a student advisory board, named the "Builta Bunch," to provide feedback about the site, as well as suggest additions to the library's collection. Builta also sends weekly "Web Wednesday" electronic newsletters to inform the staff about new resources that have been posted on the site, as well as education news, such as the nominees for the annual Young Hoosier Book Award.
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