All posts by John

Check this out:, General, School Media Specialist

Questions from the field: Accelerated Reader Responses Part 1

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We asked and you answered! Our questions about Accelerated Reader drew a bunch of great responses from the field. Thank you for taking the time to write in! In this post we summarize responses from question 1.

Question 1 from the field about Accelerated Reader: We have used Accelerated Reader for the past 16 years and are exploring other options/alternatives.What are other schools using to help create strong readers?

We got a mixed bag of positive and negative responses about Accelerated Reader. Some found it “limiting and detrimental to a lifelong pursuit of literacy and takes all the joy and choice out of reading,” while others noted that at their district without it, “circulation dropped by over 50 % and… reading scores have also tanked.”

Unfortunately we didn’t get a long list of alternatives but there were a few! One person said their district is using Daily 5 and CAFE. Another person said they are using Read 180 but only for their “lowest” students. Most of our responders mentioned making sure to have proper motivation for students. Luckily this ties directly to our second question. Stay tuned for next weeks post!

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Are you ready for National Novel Writing Month?

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NaNoWriMo logo

National Novel Writing Month organizes events where children and adults find the inspiration, encouragement, and structure they need to achieve their creative potential.  Our programs are web-enabled challenges with vibrant real-world components, designed to foster self-expression while building community on local and global levels.” -National Novel Writing Month mission statement

October has brought us wind and rain, but November will bring us National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)!  The month-long celebration, according to the about page of the event’s website, “is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30.” In 2014, “325,142 participants started the month of November as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors, and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists.”

Still have questions about National Novel Writing Month?  Check out their FAQ page, and be sure to celebrate NaNoWriMo in your own special way!

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

DPLA’s public domain GIF-IT-UP contest is back!

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GIF%20IT%20UP%20Banner%20--%202015%20--%206%20--%20withEuropeanaTroveLabel.jpeg

Last year we shared the GIF-IT-UP contest and its winners. GIF-IT-UP is back:

“GIF IT UP 2015 is here! The rules are simple: find openly licensed and public domain material from the DPLA, DigitalNZ, Trove and Europeana create an animated GIF, and be in to win nifty prizes. Entries are open from 12 October until November 21. Click here for all the details. Please note this page contains multiple flashing images, which loop continuously, and a continuous scroll.”

Need inspiration? Check out their tumblr page. Need a tutorial? Check out this one on how to make a GIF.

 

 

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Notable Dates for your Noggin: November 2015

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Calendar BannerEach month we’ll bring you a compiled list of fun national holidays, birthdays of authors, and publication dates of favorite books.  You can use these for your own personal use or for some library inspiration!

November is National Novel Writing Month and of course Movember!

Other things to celebrate in November. . .

November
1 National Authors’ Day
8 11/22/63 (Stephen King) published in 2011
Cappuccino Day
12 Chicken Soup for the Soul Day
15 America Recycles Day
21 Stuffing Day
International Games Day
28 French Toast Day
25 Marc Brown’s Birthday (1945)
29 CS Lewis’ Birthday (1898)
30 Mark Twain’s Birthday (1835)

Did we miss anything?  Let us know if we did!

For our calendar of library events, including conferences and library days, check out our Events/Initiatives page.

And for more Notable Dates for Your Noggin, check out our Notable Dates page.