Have you been involved in using a Google Hangout yet?
Basically, a Hangout is a video chat session and has appeal for families and professionals alike. The ones I have attended have been fairly painless and powerful from my end, but I have not been the host of the event. You may have noticed that even the American Library Association (ALA) is using Hangouts for some of their national, forward thinking topics, and these events have been well attended. Here in CMLE we are considering whether our members may benefit from some regional networking using this tool too.
The link here will take you to an article Edutopia did recently on using Hangouts for teacher development. According to the article, Google Hangouts is a perfect tool to increase the level of communication and professional development in every school. Individuals often feel more connected as a result of participating in a Hangout. Share your thoughts in comments either about your experience using Hangouts, or your interest in trying it out with CMLE staff.
April is a month long celebration of school librarians and their programs!
Use this list as a proactive way to share the merits of school library programming and staffing sometime this month. The list is taken from Standards for the 21st Century Learner by the American Association of School Librarians, suggestions from members of the American Association of School Librarians, and students in the school libraries of the United States. Released by Dr. Nancy Everhart President, American Association of School Librarians May 19, 2011.
Tip: This list would be good to keep on hand in case you need to defend the existence of the media center in the future too!
Would you be surprised to know that Bill Gates, the American investor, inventor and philanthropist is also an avid reader?
According to GeekWire, there are five books he thinks should be on the top of your list for 2013! Click here to find out more=>
If you would like to continue to follow Bill Gates’ previously preferred picks, you can go his website, Gates Notes. It offers a glimpse of his favorite reads and invites comments from book lovers alike. You might want to peruse the section on education!
The title of this blog post from the ALA Inside Scoop really grabbed me and made me think back to graduate school. I remember very little discussion there about politics and the importance of both national and state politics in our library world. It is possible that it simply did not grab my interest at that time like other subjects did. Politics is messy, often not very much fun, and just plain hard work. Whether testifying at a hearing, sending email voicing your concern or support, or talking to your legislator while in line to pay at the gas station, your engagement is important. Why? Because libraries must be engaged with their communities. And, community engagement requires political engagement. It is that simple.
Laurie D. Borman writes: “Librarians learned a dazzling array of tips and tricks for increasing their public relations efforts on Facebook in a Midwinter ALA Masters Series session. Ben Bizzle, director of technology at Crowley Ridge Regional Library in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and David Lee King, digital services director at Topeka and Shawnee County (Kans.) Public Library, shared ideas with a packed audience on how to maximize reach and increase impact cost-efficiently.”
If you were not able to attend this session but would like to hear more about their case study, click here to learn more=>
Partnering with libraries for visioning, advocating, and educating
