All posts by Kate

Recording from American Libraries Live: Landing Your Ideal Library Job

American Libraries LiveDid you miss it? Last Friday, American Libraries Live held Episode 2: Landing Your Ideal Library Job via Google Hangouts. Host David Connolly led a fantastic discussion with panelists Jill Klees and Bohyun Kim. Checkout the recording of the webinar/hangout at http://americanlibrarieslive.org/blog/archive-episode-2

While you’re there, also be sure to take a look at the left panel; it provides a listing of upcoming American Libraries Live episodes.

E-Books and K-12 School Media Event Summary

Thanks to everyone who attended the E-Books and K-12 School Media event at RJ’s American Grill and Bar on Tuesday, January 8! Patricia and I were quite happy with the turn-out (20 participants!) and were glad to touch base with so many of you again.

The event kicked off around 3:30, with a brief welcome and introduction to the topic and the event from Patricia. Soon after, we launched Sue Polanka’s webinar recording. Polanka is a Head of Reference and Instruction at Wright State University and is the author of the No Shelf Required blog. Polanka shared some broad information about e-books, e-book readers, e-book lending, e-book publishing, and trends to be aware of. She is a big picture thinker, and provided a thorough overview for the topic of e-books.e-book

After Polanka’s video, we conversed for about 30 minutes on a variety of topics related to e-books and K-12 media. The evaluations from the event indicate that attendees appreciated the opportunity to discuss e-books with others from around the region. And, that there was value in seeing where others are “at” with e-books at their media centers. Next, we took a break, allowing the opportunity for attendees to grab some pizza – yum!

The last video presentation was from Chad Mairn. Chad Mairn is the Information Services Librarian and Adjunct Professor at St. Petersburg College & Chief Technology Officer at Novare Library Services. Mairn was humorous and energizing, and talked about tips and tricks for library staff to help their patrons use their e-reading devices to their full potential. Specific focus areas included: dedicated and non-dedicated e-readers, new and innovative e-reading devices and software, current and upcoming e-formats, Digital Rights Management, privacy issues, and emerging technologies impacting reading in a digital age.

Attendees indicated that as a result of attending this event, they hope to:

  • share what they’ve learned about e-books with other media specialists in their district
  • publicize & market their current e-book collection
  • engage in broad discussions within their district about e-books
  • look into links and websites shared by the presenters
  • investigate e-book publishers/providers

Professional Development Opportunity for those Who Love Teen Authors

From Metronet (“sister” multitype in the Twin Cities)…

The metro public libraries in partnership with the Teens Know Best Book Club are bringing in eight of the best teen authors to visit the Twin Cities this winter. Though the events are free and open to the public, for just $20 we invite you to spend this winter earning 5-40 continuing education clock hours while enjoying these great authors:

  • Jay Asher – Saturday, February 9, 1:00-2:30, St Paul*
  • Steve Brezenoff – Saturday, February 16, 1:00-2:30, Woodbury
  • Lauren Myracle – Saturday, February 23, 1:00-2:30, St Paul, Apple Valley
  • Jodan Sonnenblick – Saturday, March 9, 1:00-2:30, Savage*
  • Neal Shusterman – Saturday, March 16, 1:00-2:30, Shoreview*
  • Andrea Cremer – Saturday, March 9, 1:00-2:30, Chaska*
  • Tamora Pierce – Saturday, April 6, 1:00-2:30, Edina
  • Barry Lyga – Saturday, April 13, 1:00-2:30, Anoka*

*Not all events are at the public library. Check the event site for full event details.

Here are the requirements to take advantage of this amazing deal:

  • Registration: http://www.tfaforms.com/239580
  • Fee: $20
  • For each 5 hour block, you must:
    •  Read a book by one of the participating authors
    • Attend that author’s event
    • Join in an online discussion
    • Promote the events with students

Here’s what you get for participating:

  • Between 5 and 40 clock hours, depending on the number of sessions in which you participate
  • A free poster and bookmarks to publicize the authors and events to your students,
  • A “swag bag” and a T-shirt* when you attend your first session.

*Participants who register after 1/15/13 will be awarded a T-shirt while supplies last

partners

Sponsoring Organization: Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA)

Contact Kathleen James with any questions.

Partnering Organizations: Mackin Educational Resources, Addendum Books, Teens Know Best Book Club, Metronet

Dassel-Cokato High School: A CMLE School Visit

CMLE recognizes that change is afoot in schools and media centers. Change is also happening at CMLE as we have a new strategic plan that includes a refined focus on serving school media centers. Because of this, it’s a perfect time for CMLE staff  to reach out and connect with our K-12 media centers.

This visit by CMLE was to Dassel-Cokato High School [DCHS] on Tuesday, January 2nd. The media program at Dassel-Cokato [DC] is incredibly exciting and forward thinking, and led by non-other than MEMO Media Specialist of the Year, (and CMLE’s former Board President) Paul Beckermann. Paul has been with the DC district for 25 years, first as an English teacher, and for the last seven years as a Media and Digital Learning Specialist.

The first order of business was to set-up a likely day for a visit to the school. With busy holiday schedules, we eventually landed on January 2nd. And, you know what that means, right? … Yes, it was the first day back to school after winter break! Perhaps not the most typical day, but certainly an exciting one! When I walked into the school, I instantly felt the energy of the students and staff. After checking-in, I made my way to the DC Media Center. Already upon my arrival at 7:45 AM, students and teachers alike were utilizing the library – some using computer terminals, others chatting or working quietly by themselves. This was so great to see, especially considering that it was their first day back!

After meeting with Paul in his office, he showed me around some of the office area and introduced me to a few teachers as well as staff members. I really got a sense that there’s a lot of great camaraderie, teamwork, and mutual respect there. Next, we went back to his office, so he could oh-so-quickly check email, and  briefly show me (in his Moodle) what he was about to teach to the 8:10 Journalism class. And, off we went!

Paul and I were greeted by English teacher, Ms. Georges, at the classroom door, and the 22 student class started with the school announcements and the Pledge of Allegiance. Now that took me back! 🙂 Next, Ms. Georges introduced the Journalism project, which focuses on photos and photo editing. Then she turned the class over to Paul so he could instruct the students on using Serif’PhotoPlus for photo editing. Paul explained to me that PhotoPlus is similar to Adobe Photoshop, but is substantially cheaper. What was interesting to me about this whole process is, not only does Paul spend a great deal of time teaching “traditional” information literacy workshops (mostly for English and History), but he’s also the go-to guy for huge projects like choosing software for the district (as Chair of the District Tech Services Committee), and later, teaching students and faculty how to utilize that software.

Paul teaching photo editing to students.
Paul teaching photo editing to students.

And, it doesn’t stop there! Paul is also responsible for instructing five sections of the DCTV [Dassel Cokato TV] course – a class that produces news and announcements for the school in a format similar to a 15-minute news show. This DC news program is broadcast to the entire high school on Thursdays, and is a great example of hands-on learning. The DCTV course is a blended learning classroom, with students working independently through parts of the course while receiving direct instruction from Paul on other skills. Because of the time required to instruct these five DCTV classes (which meet every day – throughout the  school day) Paul (and the other DC Media Specialists) operate on a flextime system, which affords greater opportunity for flexing their “average”  daily schedule to accommodate teaching requests throughout the day.

Of course, the flextime should be good indication as to just how much of Paul’s time is spent teaching. Paul estimated that on average, he spends about a third of his time teaching students, a third of his time teaching/providing professional development to staff/faculty, and the final third working on administrative duties. As previously indicated, Paul teaches five sections of DCTV, provides IL instruction in many classes (mostly History and English), and provides technology/media instruction in still other classes. Beyond his classroom teaching, he, and the other DC Media Specialists, are responsible for providing professional development and continuing education training for their teachers – they teach a strand during staff development days. Also, if Paul goes to a conference, you can bet that the information he picked up there, will quickly and efficiently be passed on to the teachers. Additionally, Paul is on the District Staff Development Committee (some of that administrative work he was talking about), and as such, plays a key role in determining upcoming staff development focus areas. One example of a key focus area for staff development at DC is “best practices for digital learning” – a project undertaken by the DC media team.

Though things are going incredibly well at the DCHS and its Media Center, Paul wouldn’t be the professional he is without some worries. Paul wants “to do everything right”. He mentioned that he feels a lot of responsibility for leading the school in its development of 21st century learning, and wonders about the best way to train staff, and how to integrate technology into the curriculum. Paul emphasized that it’s not about the tools, it’s about learning… and applying the best tools to ensure those 21st century skills are being absorbed and learned by students.

When asked to identify things that are going especially well at his school or in his work, Paul talked about DC’s four-year plan for becoming a 1:1 laptop school. Currently, all the English classes have carts with laptops within the rooms, and each year, more laptops will be rolled out to individual classes, until three years from now, all students should have their own laptop. Additionally, he’s proud to report that their circulation is up 588% over the least 5 years – and is happy that there are so many students interested in literature and works of fiction. He’s also very proud of the whole DC School District’s K-12 Media Program. The Media Specialists work well together and they share common goals for their program. Ultimately, these common goals ensure an easier working relationship between all staff and faculty, and a better flow or continuation of learning for students from grade to grade and from school to school… A flow that was quite evident after Paul brought me to the Middle School’s Media Center (housed within the same building). Like the High School, the Middle School’s Media Center also offers a top-notch and quickly evolving media program, led by Paul’s wife and fellow Media Specialist, Pam Beckermann.

Without a doubt, Paul is a leader at his school, within the district, and beyond. Throughout my time with Paul, so many teachers, staff members, and students sought him out for help and conversation. The interactions were so casual and easy, it spoke volumes to the fact that those at the school are familiar with Paul and his many abilities. Clearly, Paul and the work he does is much appreciated and valued. I felt privileged to have spent the morning shadowing him, and to have learned (at least to some degree) what a “day in the life” is like for Paul.

Librarian – One of the Ten Least Stressful Jobs?

StressCNBC’s January 3rd article, The 10 Least Stressful Jobs of 2013, lists Librarian as the ninth least stressful job of 2013. CNBC’s information comes from CareerCast’s annual list of Least Stressful Jobs of 2013, compiled by publisher Tony Lee. Lee sites that Librarian positions are one of the least stressful because “You’re working in a comfortable environment. Your job is to help people use services as best as possible. Given that environment, stress levels are low.” The article goes on to point out that libraries are quiet and you’re surrounded by books  — and books don’t talk back or demand anything from you.

Yikes, really? When is the last time the authors stepped into a library or considered the duties of a degreed librarian? Also, while books might not talk back or demand anything, our patrons certainly will… and if not our patrons, then certainly our supervisors, directors, deans, and board. In most cases, unless you’re running your own library… you have someone to report to!

In response to the CNBC article, the Screwy Decimal: Tales from an Urban Librarian blog, posted an blog article titled 5 Reasons Being a Librarian is Stressful. In it, the author highlights five categories of why librarian positions are stressful – but the author didn’t compile the list without a little help! The five reasons are a compilation of tweets from the author’s fellow librarians and colleagues about their daily stresses as a librarian. In summary, our work is not easy — not easy at all — and people that assume it’s an easy job, often have an antiquated view of the profession and of libraries as a whole.