Check out Joyce Valenza’s August 24th blog post “Things I think Teacher Librarians Should Unlearn (20 & Counting)”. This post, and a related post by Scott McLeod, question traditional thinking about libraries and teaching.
Tag Archives: Food for Thought
iPad Trends of Interest
Apple’s new iPad is all the rage. It’s hard to get through a day without hearing about the iPad on the news, radio, or through RSS Feeds. A lot of people have A LOT to say about the iPad, but for this post, we’re bringing it on home to some iPad trends of interest to CMLE members.
News emerged on March 30th that Seton Hill University in Pennsylvania is “giving” all of its full-time students iPads beginning in fall 2010. Seton Hill is providing the iPad to its students as part of its new Technology Advantage Program. The goal of the Technology Advantage Program is to “…provide students with the best in technology and collaborative learning tools, ensuring that Seton Hill students will be uniquely suited to whatever careers they choose.” It sounds like they’re especially interested in the iPad’s ability to download and display textbooks. For more information direct from the source, try this link … http://www.setonhill.edu/ipad/. For additional coverage, visit these news stories: http://tinyurl.com/yb87ttz, http://tinyurl.com/y9uqfxm.
The iPad craze hits closer to home at GFW Schools in southern Minnesota. News broke on April 12th that the high school is in the process of providing an iPad to each of its students. The Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop School Board’s new $265,000 tech program will also provide Wi-Fi and technical training next year. At this time a group of students and teachers are test driving the iPads and will soon develop a plan for implementing and using the iPads to their full potential. Here’s an interesting recap provided by WCCO http://wcco.com/education/ipads.for.students.2.1628182.html.
Doug Johnson, of the Blue Skunk Blog, also provides some interesting iPad food for thought in two posts dated April 11th and April 15th. Be sure to read the comments too!
Budget Cuts and Your Job
Very interesting article from School Library Monthly Blog about how to stay relevant and hopefully employed.
Things That Keep Us Up at Night
Have you read the article in School Library Journal entitled, “Things That Keep Us Up At Night”. Find it at http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6699357.html . It was written by Joyce Valenza and Doug Johnson…two big names, and fairly interesting, if somewhat frenetic professionals.
Regardless of your library type, I suspect we all lose a little sleep over these same things. Are we changing with the times as much as we should be? Hmmmmm….
CPSC Issues Rule Regarding Lead Standards; More Guidance To Come for Libraries
As the American Library Association (ALA) has emphasized since first enactment of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), concern for children’s safety is our first priority in providing materials to young patrons. On August 26, 2009, the CPSC’s final rule on children’s products containing lead was released. In the rule, CPSC confirmed that libraries have no independent obligation to test library books for lead under the law. CPSC also announced its intention to release a Statement of Policy specifically providing guidance for libraries with regard to the treatment of older children’s books that could potentially contain lead. According to our conversations with CPSC officials, that Statement of Policy should be released within the next several weeks.
While we await the Statement of Policy, ALA recommends that libraries take the following actions. If a library is aware that any children’s book does indeed contain lead above the legal limits or otherwise presents a danger to children, it should remove it from public access, for instance by moving it to the non-circulating collection. We would also ask that if libraries do learn of any books containing lead to please let the ALA – Washington Office know so that we might share that information with other libraries. When the Statement of Policy is released, we will promptly notify our members.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jessica McGilvray, Assistant Director of the ALA Office of Government Relations at jmcgilvray@alwash.org or 1-800-941-8478.
Jessica McGilvray,Assistant Director
American Library Association
Washington Office – Office of Government Relations
1615 New Hampshire Ave., N.W., 1st Floor
Washington, D.C. 20009-2520
phone: 202-628-8410
fax: 202-628-8419