“You get what you pay for” is a folk wisdom that has proven true again and again. It becomes a useful phrase once again when attempting to teach information literacy and evaluation of resources. Yes, there is a great deal of wonderful FREE information on the Internet, but the quality of that “free” information must always be suspect.

The New York Times  is getting the message. Check it out:

Encyclopaedia Britannica helps prove that with information, you often get what you pay for

The following article expresses my concerns with Accelerated Reader perfectly!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/books/review/Straight-t.html

I supervise three library media centers in three elementary schools. All part of one district, the schools are 7-10 miles apart. I circulate between the three and am thankful for a full time aide at each building. The students deserve someone there full time. The faculty deserve someone there as a resource full time. And thankfully our district agrees.

In the 23 years I’ve been in the district two of my media centers have moved from minuscule spaces to areas designed just for them. I was able to collaborate on both spaces, especially on the one ten years ago where I was allowed to be involved in planning from the ground up.

So when there were rumors that there might be new construction at my third school I immediately began expressing my interest in collaborating early. I was working on my Master’s Degree at GSLIS at the time, so I made designing new space one of my projects in preparation: http://courseweb.lis.illinois.edu/~mbrandt3/LibraryDesign.1/indexhome.html

Unfortunately, with this new building there was no input from anyone who uses it. So we are left to make our beautiful new spaces as functional as possible. This is quite frustrating when you know that if ANYONE had asked “what do you need in the space?”, you could have made a huge difference. But as one of my colleagues said, “Suck it up, let it go, and make it work.” Good advice.

Bottom line – we went from almost 7,000 books and 20 computers shoved into one classroom sized space to a facilty the size of three classrooms. Here is what improved:
Student spaces were improved by 150%!

New tables

We can now seat 32 – a full class with a few seats left over!
The computer lab is separate from the “library” space.

Windows for leisure reading space

There are gorgeous windows which will be used as casual reading areas (as soon as we can order comfy chairs and rugs).

What didn’t improve:

We barely fit our collection on the shelving.  New media space should always allow room for growth.  We made a lateral move.

"circulation" desk

The architect designed the circulation desk and built it like a reception desk.  It is so high that we can’t supervise the room when we are seated behind it.  Worse, our fourth and fifth graders cannot see over.  There is one low area for circulating books.

The desk has a book return hole in it, but no depressable book truck to catch the books.  And the space is not standard so I can’t order one.

They provided zero space for storing equipment. 

The beautiful 24 feet of shelving behind our circulation desk has limited use because it is only 11 inches deep and open.

Bottom line…..

Do everything possible to collaborate on library renovations or building projects.  I did; but along with everyone else who should have been involved, for whatever reasons, there was no collaboration on this project.

So when all else fails….suck it up, let it go, make it work.  That’s what librarians do best, anyway, isn’t it?  We make it work!

And it is beautiful, isn’t it?  But libraries must be designed for function.

Deep cleansing breaths … I’m letting it go, I’m letting it go, I’m letting it go….

A smile goes a long way.  Librarians should smile, not only in the library, but in the hallways, in the classrooms, in the office, and in the grocery store.  Smiling at students, colleagues, and parents costs nothing but sincerity.  And I believe it can go a long way toward building your library program.

During my masters work at GSLIS we discussed in several classes how to make the library a welcoming place.  I believe that starts OUTSIDE of the library itself.  If you are truly friendly to students it will go a long way in making them want to enter your doors. 

On the way into the school building in the morning is a prime opportunity, I believe.  It is often the students with troubled homes who show up first in the morning and stand around outside our building.  They would rather stand in the cold and/or rain than stay at home; how sad is that?  As I walk in I try to say good morning to most of the kids I pass.  I’m terrible with names, but I can say good morning to all of them.  Often those closest to the door will rush to open it for me and I’m sure to leave them with a positive comment such as, “How very thoughtful (or polite, or kind) of you.  Thank you so much.”  I’m sincere, and I hope it shows.  Sometimes I will say to a boy, “What a gentleman.”  I like to believe it makes a difference.

Some of the staff hurry by without making eye contact, dashing into the building to get their papers xeroxed or whatever… but there are some who, like me, greet the kids.  It is important.

I see over half of the district’s students as they grow from K-8th grade.  I love seeing them when I occassionally need to make a trip through the halls at our adjoining high school.  But one day as I walked through the halls over there one of the students who attended the school where I do not serve commented after I passed, “She is SO grade school.”  Why?  Was it my Santa Claus shirt?  Very appropriate at the grade school since it was December.  Too grade school for high school, I thought at first.  And then I wondered if it was my smile and greeting as they passed me.  I didn’t know them, but I said hello anyway.  Shame on me for breaking through their adolescent detachment.  How “grade school” of me.  So- high school librarians – I beg you to smile and greet your way through the halls in spite of their cynical resistance.  When they need information assistance they are more likely to approach you for help if you do.

A smiling, positive, friendly attitude is something that school libraries of all size budgets can afford.  And unlike the book budget, the SMILE quota never runs out.  So hit the doors next August with a smile, won’t you?!  We will be…

Our back-to-school theme this year will include around 50 smiley face balloons.  (The balloons are being recycled from my husband’s 50th birthday party in May!)  Hopefully it will set the tone for all that we are happy to be back to school… and happy to see you in the library!

As I discussed last week, I am opposed to the way Accelerated Reader and Reading Counts are used in some schools.  When it has such specific requirements that it drives reading choices (and selection and collocation of materials in the library) it is just wrong.  Children should not be selecting books based on color codes and points!  They should read what interests them.  Librarians should not be selecting books based on whether a test is available, nor should they be reorganizing the whole library to reflect a testing program.

That said, I confess we have used Scholastic Reading Counts at our school since the program was called Electronic Bookshelf run by Jerry and Rosie out of their garage in Frankfort, Indiana in the early 1980s.  But we use it in a low key way. 

We feel we need to require reading by our 7th and 8th graders, because left to themselves they quit.  And we need proof that they really read.  Plus there are valid reasons to verify comprehension.  What we have elected to do, however, is require each student to read one book per nine weeks.  I have tests for over 400 titles of various genres and abilities.  All they have to do is pick one, actually read it, and pass the test.  We are making them read and prove it, but no points, no lists and no unreasonable goals.

We also use Reading Counts tests for the 4-8 students to prove they read the Caudill titles.  This is a voluntary program anyway, and we have put a positive spin on it.  Our kids think the testing is fun.  They are so proud when they pass!  And we never let passing the test be a stumbling block for a kid.  They get multiple chances to pass, and if they struggle we help them.  When and how they get help is determined on a case by case basis.

Our NEW model keeps it simple!

If you visit the Scholastic Reading Counts website you will see their boast that “Our NEW model keeps it simple.”  Well, their new model means it no longer suits my needs nor is it affordable.  Starting this year SRC is only available on a per student subscription basis and it now provides access to the complete collection of tests.  But I do not want the complete collection of tests.  I just want this year’s 20 Caudill titles and custom test disks which match specific new titles in my collection.  I do not want tests for books my school does not own! 

So I am no longer a customer… 

We own the currently installed software and can author tests.  I have spent a great deal of time this summer doing just that, but I have about eight tests left to write and I am NOT a happy camper.  I intend to spend this coming school year considering new options.  I welcome suggestions! 

Methods for teaching reading comprehension have come and gone.  School libraries, I believe, must respond with appropriate support.  However the comprehension testing program known as Accelerated Reader (commonly called simply ‘AR’) has impacted some libraries like a nuclear bomb. 

I object to the methods which many schools use when implementing AR.  Requiring reading and tracking progress are worthy goals, but when points, colors and reading levels drive reading selection I believe it poisons student’s reading success and negatively impacts their desire to read.  Poor readers will attempt to get all their points at once, tackling a book that is too difficult.  Their resulting lack of success does nothing for their motivation to read.  Excellent readers become stifled when their reading is limited to specific lists.  One of our friend’s daughters who attended a school over-immersed in AR would listen with interest as I recommended new novels for her.  But then she would sigh, “I can’t read that.  It isn’t in the blue section.  I’m supposed to read all blue books this year.”  (Or something to that effect…)

But what I object to VERY strongly are the school libraries that totally reorganize the collection to reflect AR!  Many collections have been collocated to reflect only the test program, with points and colors and reading levels.  Marking books with levels for the convenience of the students is helpful if your school is immersed in AR.  But I think those marks should be inside the cover to avoid reading stigmas for students.  “Hey, look at what he is reading… it’s a low level book!”  MARC records can reflect AR levels (and Lexile levels), and categories can be created in the electronic catalog to serve needs.  But collections should NEVER, NEVER be reorganized to match AR!

Accelerated Reader is not the only program.  Scholastic has a program called Reading Counts, and I assume there could be others.  And it is not the testing, nor the programs that I necessarily object to – it is the over-application of those programs.  That said, I will confess that 15 (or more) years ago I bought a product called Electronic Bookshelf which evolved into Scholastic Reading Counts.  Next week I’ll explain how and why we use it and why we will be using it less in the near future.

Side note:  Go to the AR website.  The header alone gives me chills… “Advanced Technology for Data-Driven Schools.”  Please spare me from ever working in a data-driven school!  Our district focuses on EDUCATING our students.  We deal with the data required by the state and federal governments when we must, but thus far our district has struggled to focus on student learning and not testing.” 

Data-driven… it makes me want to scream like the father in my favorite scene in the movie “Breaking Away”.  “Refund?  Refund?”  “Data-driven?  Data driven?” 

Wear comfortable shoes.  I was wrong about how people would be dressed similarly.  There was so much variety it wasn’t even funny!  But I’m right about the shoes.

What impressed me at ALA:

• Publishers gave away advanced copies of books!  I’ve never seen so many give-aways!
• Sherman Alexie was on the reading stage.  Best quote:  He urges his friends to hang out in bars near ALA when it comes to their cities.  “An entire conference of near-sighted women!  You guys actually have a chance!” he tells his friends.
• An electronic card that vendors can swipe which already has your name and address embedded so they can easily send you information.  (Do NOT pick up catalogs there… why carry them?  Save room for the advance copies of books!)
• Still take business cards and labels – not everyone uses the swipe card.
• You could spend two whole days at the vendors!
• I paid $14 for a sandwich and a pop.  Next time I’ll pack a lunch.
• The Library of Congress had a booth.  The LIBRARY OF CONGRESS!!!!  They told me that next year when ALA is in DC that they MAY have the reading room open for us.  My daughter was so bummed when we couldn’t go in there when we visited Washington, D.C.  So was I!
• There are grants for newbies to go to ALA.  Wonder if I could get one of those for next year?….

Maybe I can go to Washington, D.C.  If I do I will use the suggestions ALA offers on their webpage.  But I know for sure that next time ALA is near Illinois, I’ll be sure to use their suggestions. 

But you can trust me on the shoes…

Today will find me at the ALA Annual Conference!  Since it is being held in nearby Chicago (it moves around geographically) my colleagues and I are going up for the day to view the exhibits. 

Actually, while I have been to state conferences, this will be my first “national” conference.  And, of course, we are only doing exhibits (because they’re free with a readily available pass from a vendor!).   Perhaps someday I can do a full migration!

Migration?  You need to know that my absolute favorite You Tube video is “March of the Librarians”.  A parody of the nature film “March of the Penguins”, it examines the annual “migration” of librarians to ALA.  Truth is funny… and this short film nails the conference experience.  As I watched I kept thinking I knew people in the video.  Do we all look alike?

And the beauty of deciding what to wear for this event is that I know I’ll fit in!  We all tend to dress alike … well, maybe not the young ones… but I’m betting middle-age and up will be wearing a tank top covered with a short sleeved shirt opened like a jacket, capris, and sandals or tennis shoes designed for comfort and not necessarily looks.  I’m sure I’ll see folks I know since this is close to home.  And I’ll see plenty of librarians I “think” I know.  I’ll let you know…

Since we moved on May 2, 2009 I am spending my early summer sorting and putting things away.  Putting away my books was pure joy.  But as I examine my personal collection of books and analyze what has survived the weedings and purgings through the years, I am struck by the fact that it appears I have kept the books that inspired me. 

A short list:

• Christy - Catherine Marshall
• Karen- Marie Killilea
• The Story of the Trapp Family Singers- Maria Augusta Trapp
• The Family Nobody Wanted – Helen Doss
• Follow the River – James Alexander Thom (haven’t had this one as long, but somehow ended up with three copies so it must be important!)
• The Hiding Place – Corrie Ten Boom
• Mrs. Mike – Benedict and Nancy Freedman
• The Story of My Life – Helen Keller
• Letters to Karen- Charlie W. Shedd
• Little House series – Laura Ingalls Wilder
• Anne of Green Gables series – L.M. Montgomery
• Little Women (and sequels) – Louisa May Alcott
• Light a Single Candle – Beverly Butler
• A Lantern in her Hand- Bess Streeter Aldrich
• On the Night of the Seventh Moon – Victoria Holt
• Heidi- Johanna Spyri
• Joy in the Morning – Betty Smith

Did these books shape me?  Or did I gravitate to these books because of who I am?

As I think through the common thread of the titles above I see women who were survivors – women who did the right thing in spite of tough circumstances – women with positive, make-the-best-of-it attitudes.  I think I have kept these books because they shaped me.  (I admit, the Victoria Holt title is stupidly romantic, but I adore that book.  I reread it recently and still adore it.)

I’ve owned most of these titles since I was in junior high (or before).  As a librarian for young adults I ask myself what titles are my students going to own and have on their book shelves in 30-35 years?  What is being published today that inspires them, molds them, makes them who they are?  I am a librarian – I have to believe that they are changed by what they read!  Not by everything they read – we all read stuff and move on – but some things will make a difference!

I’ve noticed that a majority of the books in MY list are biography or fictionalized biography.  (OK – not the Holt book.)  I can’t think of anything like them that has been published recently for my students.  So what are they finding in literature to impact their lives?  Will their reading shape their lives?

In my opinion the best of what is out there now tends to be fantasy.  Harry Potter is somewhat inspiring.  Patricia Wrede’s “Dealing with Dragons” has an inspiring heroine.  Wolf Brother, Ranger’s Apprentice…. the positive role models that come to mind are all in fantasy titles.  I can’t help but wonder if that is a reflection of our society?  Do we have REAL role models anymore or must we invent them? 

I’m over-thinking, I’m sure…  but if you read this and can suggest truly inspiring YA titles which you think will survive purgings and weedings on a current student’s personal bookshelves 35 years from now I would love for you to submit the title(s) in the comments section of this post.  Or share titles YOU have kept that impacted you and why.

And now… I’m going outside to take the dog for a long walk so I can lighten up…

How do you explain a genre to students when it is can sometimes be subjective?  What is the difference between mystery and suspense?  Science fiction and fantasy?  When you look at individual titles, the lines can be well defined or can sometimes get blurry.  So when I’ve already read a book in question and have a difficult time deciding, how can I expect the students to sort it out?

OPAC you say?  Subject headings?  This IS what I teach my students to use.  But there is one annually assigned genre (assigned by our language and reading department to all 7th and 8th graders) which is impossible to identify via a collective subject heading – Realistic Fiction. 

Definitions of Realistic Fiction vary:

• Stories and novels that mimic the real world.
• Fictional stories that take place in modern time, right here and now.  The characters are involved in events that could really happen.
• Realistic fiction is stories of life in the real world (the world as we know it) and governed by the laws of the natural world as we understand them. Realistic fiction intends to provide a believable verisimilitude or plausibility to life as we experience it.
• A book is considered realistic fiction if events in the story did not really happen but could have. Fantastic elements such as magic, aliens, talking animals, or ridiculous exaggerations move a book out of this category and into other genres. Biographies or true stories, even if written in novelized form, are considered non-fiction.

To find Realistic Fiction you have to consult a variety of subject headings.  One library solved the problem with this guide:  http://www.uiowa.edu/~crl/infohawk/help/contemporaryfiction.htm  But notice their caveat – there are hundreds of other possibilities!  Expecting students to use hundreds of subject headings which may or may not occur to them is unreasonable.

Since I am a school library one of my main priorities must be supporting curriculum.  Because there is an annual assignment to read from the genre of Realistic Fiction, and because locating Realistic Fiction is obnoxiously difficult, my former solution was to pull displays of Realistic Fiction books for the students.  But that is a time-consuming nightmare which just repeats itself each year….  So this year I decided I would label the spines. 

I hesitate to put genre labels on everything because, as a library teacher I want the students to learn to locate Science Fiction, Fantasy, or the many other genres by using subject headings and the OPAC.  But when student needs are not being met, I know the priority!  Unfortunately I discovered that none of the vendors sell a genre label for Realistic Fiction, so I created my own!  A simple “RF” in large letters with smaller print below reading “Realistic Fiction”.  (The small print is for the user… How do they know what RF means? … and how many times do I want to explain it?  Using the library should not be an exercise is confusion for the user with only library staff knowing the secrets!)

I was able to get our 4-6 fiction section labeled during the school year, but the last day of school this June found me in the 7-8 fiction section labeling Realistic Fiction.  It was a cummulative task, unfortunately, as combing through the shelves to identify Realistic Fiction led to weeding.  Weeding led to a big pile on my aide’s desk.  And both of us stayed longer than we originally intended on the last day of school.

The Realistic Fiction project was time consuming and not convenient.  The paperwork on my desk was untouched and I would return AFTER school was out, as usual, to finish that work.  But labeling the books is easiest just after inventory when they are all on the shelf!  And my aide and I both love a good job well done.  (As she is the one who shelves the books she was estatic about the space my weeding created.  I continue to be thankful for aides who get excited about labeling and weeding books!) 

But the best part of this Realistic Fiction labeling project?  It is DONE!

Resources on Realistic Fiction… in case you want to tackle this project in your library:

Varied overviews of realistic fiction as a genre: 

• http://www.southernct.edu/~brownm/Grea.html
• http://www.mindspring.com/~stct42/edu/cont_his.html

Resources for Realistic Fiction: http://www.kimskorner4teachertalk.com/readingliterature/genres/realistic/realisticfiction.htm

Examples/bibliographies of Realistic Fiction:

• http://www.monroe.lib.in.us/childrens/realbib.html
• http://www.literatureplace.com/bookfolios/info/core_realistic_fiction.asp

For a good overview on all genre definitions:  http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/staff/SusannaTaylor/genre_definitions.htm