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Every week on the SLJ Web site John Peters presents recommended titles on a different theme, along with our reviews for each title. This week—just in time for Hispanic Heritage Month—it’s Six from Mexico.
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| Interview |
| SLJ Talks to Internet Librarian Dave Fontaine about Blogs, Wikis, and Literacy |
 Forget the title "media specialist"—Dave Fontaine calls himself an "Internet librarian." This full-time librarian spends his days at Middletown High School in Rhode Island. But many of you may know him as the adjunct at the University of Rhode Island who teaches cool online graduate courses on subjects like how to use blogs and wikis to foster literacy.
SLJ caught up with Fontaine to talk about technology, literacy, and how anyone with an Internet connection can take his class.
We all know the term "media specialist" and even "teacher-librarian." But where did "Internet librarian" come from?
When I began my first job as a school librarian, I never imagined that the job description would evolve so quickly. As students progress from kindergarten through 12th grade, they have slowly come to rely upon digital resources as their first choice for any informational text. This is the primary reason behind my job title changing from "school library media specialist" to "Internet librarian." read more... |
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| TechTrends |
Pownce on This
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Those media specialists looking to better engage their teen patrons should consider the recommendations coming out of Library Camp, which occurred earlier this month in New York City.
To fuse a tighter connection with the student set, attendees suggested creating both a personal and official-looking page for those who maintain Facebook and MySpace accounts. "When you order a pizza by phone, don't you always want to talk to the same person who knows your preference for toppings?" wrote one attendee on the Library Camp wiki.
Librarians also shared more cutting-edge ideas to virtually connect to younger patrons, as opposed to expecting their physical presence at the library. As anyone who interacts regularly with teens knows, email is no longer the preferred way of communicating. Too cumbersome. The hip way to chat now? Tweeting—or sending text messages by cell phone. The Cleveland Public Library is one space that's using the tool called Twitter, which can also act as a less formal alternative to listservs. Want to appear even cooler? Push Twitterlit.com to teens, which provides the first line from selected books, then links to the titles on Amazon.
read more... |
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| News and Views |
| Coalition Sues DOE, Spellings for Violating NCLB |
If teachers in training can fall under the "highly qualified" category of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), why are media specialists still being left out?
That's the big question everyone's asking, now that a coalition of parents, students, community groups, and legal advocates has filed suit against the U.S. Department of Education and Education Secretary Margaret Spellings for violating the "highly qualified" provision of the law. read more... |
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| Web site Aims to Turn Kids on to Classic Cinema |
How many times has a middle school student told you about a great black-and-white film that he's seen? The answer is probably zero.
That's why The Story of Movies, a Web site created by legendary director Martin Scorsese, aims to "teach students to understand the visual language of film"—and it's all free—says Jennifer Ahn, managing director of the Film Foundation, which sponsors the site, along with IBM and Turner Classic Movies. The foundation supports the preservation of American film. read more... |
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| 'Eclipse Proms' a Huge Hit at Libraries |
Sure, it would have been nice if more boys turned up for the many book release "proms" that took place in libraries nationwide to celebrate Stephenie Meyer's latest YA novel, Eclipse (2007).
But it really didn't matter because the whole point was to gather fans of the fantasy series, which features vampire Edward Cullen and his love for Bella, a human. Eclipse is the third in a series that follows best-sellers Twilight (2005) and New Moon (2006, all Little, Brown). read more... |
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| Remarkable Reads |
| I Am a Bandito |
Any kid who has ever put on a backyard concert or sat through the pouring rain playing fight songs at a high school football game can attest to the ups and downs of being part of a band. Each title features characters that most kids will identify with, in spite of musical inclinations. Put these books on display around talent show time, or in conjunction with a music event in your library or town that is popular with teens.
ECHOLS, Jennifer. Major Crush. S & S/Pulse. 2006. pap. $5.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-1830-1.
Gr 8 Up–This romantic comedy takes a delightful look at the highs and lows of being in the high school marching band. read more... |
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| Librarian's Internet |
| Sickle Cell Kids |
| www.sicklecellkids.org/sicklecell_temp.html |
September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month. Since many people don't know much about the disease, why not schedule a brief program in your library? This excellent site, created by Emory University's Georgia Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center, is designed to teach those who don't have Sickle Cell Anemia more about the disease as well as to help kids who have it.
When kids first go to the site, they're asked for their first name and age—if you want kids to skip this step, have them click the "Skip Introduction" link below the "Submit" button (or simply click on the "Submit" button without filling anything out). If kids have never visited the site before, they'll be taken to an online quiz that will test their knowledge of the disease. If they've visited before (or if they've opted to skip the quiz), they'll be taken to the home page where they can find out more about the disease, play online games, and print out coloring pages. Sickle Cell Anemia is a serious topic, but learning about it can be fun for kids, thanks to this great site.—Gail Junion-Metz
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| Chief Executive Officer of Maine InfoNet |
University of Maine
Orono, Maine
The University of Maine and the Maine State Library seek an executive program leader to develop, direct, and manage this statewide library information program which is a partnership of public, academic, school, and special libraries throughout the state.
read more...
To see all positions available through the SLJ Career Center, click here...
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Gr 3-6–Dave Packer's fifth-grade classmates are so boisterous and difficult to quiet down that the teachers have dubbed them "The Unshushables."... 
