All posts by Angie

Communication, General

Learning About Library Associations: Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association

Library science is an enormous field, home to every interest you could imagine! This means that there are many organizations out there for you to join, in order to connect with other people who share your professional interests.

So even if you work alone in your library, there are other people out there doing work similar to yours! Each week we will highlight a different library association for you to learn more about, and depending on your work, potentially join! You can also check out our page dedicated to Library Associations.

This week we’ll take a look at the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA). This association was founded in 1980 and is “organized and founded by librarians of diverse Asian and Pacific ancestries committed to working together toward a common goal: to create an organization that would address the needs of Asian Pacific American librarians and those who serve Asian Pacific American communities.” To learn more about the organization’s history, check out this article.

According to their website, the purpose of APALA is:

  • To provide a forum for discussing problems of APA librarians.
  • To provide a forum for the exchange of ideas by APA librarians with other librarians.
  • To support and encourage library services to APA communities.
  • To recruit and mentor APA librarians in the library/information science professions.
  • To seek funding for scholarships in library and information science masters programs for APAs.
  • To provide a vehicle whereby APA librarians can cooperate with other associations and organizations having similar or allied interests.

APALA gives out several different scholarships and awards each year, including a travel grant, an Emerging Leader Sponsorship, and the Talk Story program. APALA offers a newsletter and archived webinars to members on their site. They also offer a mentoring program.

To learn more about membership to APALA, or to find out ways to get involved, check out their website!

 

School Media Specialist, Tech

AASL Recommended Apps: Humanities and Arts: English Central

Last summer, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced their Best Apps for Teaching and Learning 2017. The apps encourage qualities such as creativity and collaboration, and encourage discovery and curiosity.

 

Level: Kindergarten +
Platform: iOS  and Android
Cost: FREE

The app English Central helps students learn English through the thousands of videos it makes available. Videos range from casual to formal speaking situations. The app also includes courses specifically for those entering certain professions like hotel and service and offer levels from beginner to advanced. Students can focus on specific skills like grammar, pronunciation, and useful expressions and also take assessments to see how well they are learning material.  Students can even have daily lessons delivered to their phones, if they choose. A tip to make English Central even more useful would be to suggest that ESL students take the app home with them to share with other family members who might also be learning English.

English Central has a Teacher Portal which offers webinars, video lessons, and other tools specifically for teachers. The app has been reviewed by the MidAmerica Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, and also by Busy Teachers.org who posted this detailed review.

Watch this quick video to see English Central in action:

Communication

Learning About Library Associations: Minnesota Association of Law Libraries

Library science is an enormous field, home to every interest you could imagine! This means that there are many organizations out there for you to join, in order to connect with other people who share your professional interests.

So even if you work alone in your library, there are other people out there doing work similar to yours! Each week we will highlight a different library association for you to learn more about, and depending on your work, potentially join! You can also check out our page dedicated to Library Associations.

This week we’ll look at the Minnesota Association of Law Libraries (MALL) which is an organization dedicated to “legal research and information professionals facilitating access to justice and legal information.” MALL is the Minnesota chapter of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL). The mission of AALL is to “advance the profession of law librarianship and support the professional growth of its members through leadership and advocacy in the field of legal information and information policy.”

MALL offers scholarships, awards, and grants, holds seasonal meetings, and features a Newsfeed on their website to keep members updated. You can learn more about the history and goals of MALL here,  or check out their Event Calendar. Learn more about membership to MALL here.

School Media Specialist, Tech

AASL Recommended Apps: STEM: Lifeliqe

Last summer, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced their Best Apps for Teaching and Learning 2017. The apps encourage qualities such as creativity and collaboration, and encourage discovery and curiosity.

The app Lifeliqe is a digital science curriculum that helps to engage students with its interactive 3D models. The app is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core curriculum. Students can use augmented, virtual, and mixed reality to learn science concepts. Educators can make and share their own 3D lesson plans and presentations or customize the ones that come with the app. Check out the Lifeliqe blog for more more ways to incorporate the app into your classroom!

Level: All
Platform: iOS
Cost: Yearly plan $99, school discounts available

Common Sense Education has this review of Lifeliqe which includes lesson and activity ideas, and this article from Emerging Ed Tech has more information on the app, including some short demonstrations.

Watch this video to see how Lifeliqe works:

 

Communication, General

Take a library trip to Ireland or Cuba!

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Do the dropping temperatures make you itch to get away for awhile? And what would be better than a trip to an interesting location with fellow library colleagues? Even if you can’t go on either of these trips, it’s great to know these opportunities are available!

If you’ve ever thought about going to Ireland, this is your chance! The Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) is a division of ALA and “is the premier destination for members to find information and build capacity to serve populations that are served by state library agencies, specialized libraries, library cooperatives, library networks and library consultants among others.” ASCLA is traveling to Ireland May 10th – 17th 2018 and the itinerary looks amazing. You’ll get to visit several different cities, take a literary city walk, go on a writer’s museum tour, visit famous landmarks and even spend a night in a castle! Find more info here.

This next trip is one you may have to enjoy from afar, since the deadline to register was Oct. 20th. Still, it looks like a great opportunity! ALA will be sponsoring a trip to Cuba on March 3rd – 10th 2018. This is a study tour put together especially for U.S. librarians, and of course this itinerary looks incredible too. You’ll get to visit the Provincial Library in Old Havana to learn about Cuba’s library system, tour fortresses and museums, visit publishing houses, and meet members of the Cuban Association of Librarians. If you’ve already signed up for this trip, please send CMLE photos of your adventure!

Have you ever gone on a library sponsored trip? Share your experience in the comments (pictures welcome!)

 

 

http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/ala-havana-book-fair-tour