All posts by Theresa

Academic, General, School Media Specialist

Schools: Your Free Information Literacy Assessment!

public-domain-images-free-stock-photos-high-quality-resolution-downloads-public-domain-archive-10TRAILS (Tool for Real-time Assessment of Information Literacy Skills) provides free assessments on information literacy based on 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th grade standards!  TRAILS was designed with librarians and teachers in mind – the multiple-choice assessment helps identify students’ strengths and weaknesses regarding information literacy.  The program is free, all you have to do is set up an account.  For more information, visit the site.

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/neduyy4, licensed under public domain
Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist

Will ‘eBooksAreForever’ level the playing field?

time_alone3_hiresNate Hoffelder of Ink, Bits, & Pixels has shared news about a new startup program, eBooksAreForever.  In his post, Hoffelder points out the problems libraries can face when it comes to eBooks: the “annual fees, expiring licenses, and mysterious technical glitches.”  That’s where J. A. Konrath comes in.

Around this time last year he and August Wainwright launched eBooksAreForever, a startup that offers a library-friendly ebook solution.  Based on the idea that it’s more important to get ebooks into libraries than make a buck off of them, eBooksAreForever sells DRM-free ebooks under a ‘forever’ license. . .

Sounds exciting!  You can read more and join in the conversation here.

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/neb497z
Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Free Images from the Getty Center

UncertainThe Getty Center’s Open Content Program now provides nearly 100,000 images (and counting) for anyone to use!  Open Culture provides a brief intro to the program and links to related resources.  The Getty Center, a California-based organization, said that they “recognized the need to share images of works of art for free and without restriction, so that all those who create or appreciate art … will have greater access to high-quality digital images for their studies and projects.”  Learn more about the program out on the Getty Center’s website, or jump right in with the Getty Search Gateway.

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/ntzrb64, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Summer Reading Lists 2015

Tash reading on the beachWith June right around the corner, CMLE is here to help you get your summer reading lists created for all ages, including yourself!

For the kids:
The Association for Library Service to Children has a reading list for grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8.  Scholastic also has booklists by age, in their Summer Reading Challenge.

For the soon-to-be college kids:
Have your almost-freshman check out the Huffington Post’s  10 Books You Should Read Before College.

For you:
If you’re a moviegoer, see what Buzzfeed has to say about these 21 Books To Read Before They Hit The Big Screen In 2015.  Gear Patrol has a 2015 Summer Reading List, and, as always, you can check out Goodreads: here are their Popular Summer Reading List Books.

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/mogarhq, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Small town educators stick together through blogging

IMG_8460A recent post by Jasmine Garsd of NPR (National Public Radio) highlights Small Town USA – finally!  Live From Small Town America: Teachers Who Blog To Stay In Touch is about how educators from small towns stay connected to each other.  Katie Morrow, a technology integration specialist and middle-school English teacher, expresses one of the frustrations many small town educators face: a sense of isolation.

When Morrow became and Apple Distinguished Educator, she had the opportunity to meet with other educators from around the world.  The experience sparked a desire to show off the achievements of her school, recognizing that small town schools don’t receive as much attention.  Like many other rural educators, she started a blog.

Sarah Hagan, another small town educator-blogger, says, “most of the blogs I read are either people teaching in the suburbs or teaching in the inner city.”  Small town schools often have different problems and circumstances than other schools.  This is where blogging comes in handy – small town educators can meet on the blogosphere to vent, discuss, and problem-solve.  Finding others that share their struggle helps them to realize they’re not alone.

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/l798x27, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0