For a
bi-monthly wrap up of NOLA news and information, be sure to check out NOLA Notes!
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the Director's Desk - Paul Pormen |
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Visit the site: https://cs.ala.org/@yourlibrary/register.cfm
Participate in Thank You Day 2001
Your library is the center of information in your community. During National Library Week, the American Library Association invites your library to participate in Thank You Day - a new nationwide event to celebrate library programs and "success stories" made possible through the support of elected officials and federal and state dollars. For Thank You Day forms in downloadable text format, please visit:
http://www.ala.org/washoff/thankyou.html
Child Net Protection Act Will Be Put to Legal Test
http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,22766,00.html?mail
Filtering Articles
Boardwatch Magazine is trade rag for the ISP industry, they have had
several articles on the filtering/parental control issue...
http://www.ispworld.com/bw/sep/Notes_Underground.htm
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Buckeye Children's Book Award
There is a website available for the Buckeye Children's Book Award. To get information on the current and past winners of the award, and information on nomination procedures go to:
http://www.wpl.lib.oh.us/buckeyebook/ |
INFOhio Resources
The Cincinnati Enquirer recently had a great article about the possible loss of the INFOhio electronic resources.
Read it at: http://enquirer.com/editions/2001/03/20/loc_kids_lobby_lawmaker.html
Virginia Hamilton Conference
The Virginia Hamilton Conference is the longest-running event in the United States to focus exclusively on multicultural literature for children and young adults. Honoring author Virginia Hamilton, the conference reflects a commitment to promoting cultural awareness and affirming cultural pride while addressing the array of issues which surround the concept of culture. NOLA is a sponsor of the Virginia Hamilton Conference to be held April 5 & 6, 2001. For more information, visit the Virginia Hamilton Conference website:
http://dept.kent.edu/virginiahamiltonconf/
Items submitted by:
Paul Pormen - Email
Interim Executive Director
NOLA Regional Library System
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Cost of Education
So what is an adequate education in Ohio’s Schools? Here is the “Final Report of the Joint Committee to Re-Examine the Cost of an Adequate Education.” The report of the Joint Committee to Re-Examine the Cost of an Adequate Education is available online in a
PDF file.
Mac OS X
This past weekend Apple introduced its new operating system Mac OS X described as “ The power of UNIX with the simplicity and elegance of Macintosh.” Complete information can be found
at Apple's Website
Computers and Teaching
How could something as impersonal as a computer improve teachers' ability to treat students as individuals? The Director of Education Technologies for Apple Computers shares
observations from the
field, including three rules for effective technology implementation.
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| From
the Field - Brad Stephens |
New Palm on the Way
Palm plans to release a new version of their PDA this April. The new Palm's will add features
such as expansion slots, an option for an excellent color display, improved wireless Internet connectivity,
faster processors, an upgraded OS, and more.
With the new features Palm will move themselves much closer to the technical forefront
of the PDA market, which is currently occupied by PDA devices from Compaq and HP.
Read
more from CNN
Flat Panel Display Prices Drop
Holding off on your purchase of a flat panel display until the price drops?
Well now they have, prices on flat panel displays have dropped by at least
33% in the last year and continue to fall. With a bit of shopping you can now land a 15" LCD display for less than
$550 and 17" display for less than $900.
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DVD's and digital copying
Movies released in DVD format can't be copied right? Wrong. A number of software programs exist today that allow anyone with a DVD drive, and a
large hard disk to make copies of any movie they want. While many of these
programs are illegal in the US, the world-wide nature of the Internet provides for their continued availability. So how do they do it?
"DVD-rippers" as they are called reverse they encryption built-in to commercially
released DVD movies and allow users to easily decode and copy the contents. The end result of this process is a digital copy of the DVD
movie stored on a user's hard disk.
Want to read more?
http://www.latimes.com/business/cutting/ttimes/20010315/t000022521.html
Windows XP
What the heck is Windows XP? Windows XP is the long awaited convergence of
Windows NT/2000 and Windows 9x/ME. The good news is that now all Windows
users will be on the same operating system - XP, the bad news is that there
will be at least four different versions of XP - Personal, Professional, Server, and Advanced Server, so some of the confusion will linger.
For the true geeks out there it also appears that XP will ship in both 32
and 64 bit versions adding to the mix.
HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS: The Personal and Professional versions will require
at least a 233 MHz processor (400 MHz would be a minimum recommendation), 64
MB RAM (I'd recommend at least 128 MB), and at least 2 GB of hard disk space
(10+ GB recommended).
WHAT'S NEW:
The Interface, see below
Built-in Remote Assistance allowing a remote user to work with your machine
Automatic Updates, similar to windows Update technology
Emulation modes allowing Windows 95 and Windows NT only applications to run
Built-in personal firewall technology
Support for Drag and Drop copying to CD-R and CD-RW devices
Likely much more... but it's only in Beta at this point.
The Windows XP Desktop
Does the Net Make Cheating Too Easy?
Is it too easy to cheat today? A recent study from Duke University says yes, thanks to the Internet. The study found that at least 50% of high school students engage in "cut-and-paste"
plagiarism - copying pieces of text from websites to their papers without providing any citation for the source of the material. An even more troubling finding from the study was that 15-20% of high school students had either purchased or downloaded finished papers from the Internet. The study also discusses other trends and methods being used by students today, many of which they don't consider cheating.
Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/2001-03-20-homework.htm
Items submitted by:
Brad Stephens - Email
NOLA Regional Library System
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| From the Workshop Bench of Melissa
Lattanzi |
Prepare for it now so it isn't
a crisis later!
Are you, your board members, and staff, prepared if a
reporter catches you on the spot? Do you know who your library
spokesperson is? What should you and shouldn't you say to that
reporter? If you are unsure about these questions then I have a workshop
for you.
Join Robert Zajac for an information packed workshop on media
training. Robert has worked closely with Cuyahoga County Public Library
and has helped them to prepare for the unknown. On Monday, April
23, 2001 at Enzo's Restaurant in Warren, Robert will present a
hands-on workshop for directors, trustees and staff. that will focus on the skills needed to handle the difficult task of media management, with a focus on crisis intervention.
Specific techniques for handling television, radio and newspaper reporters
will be discussed, along with what to say.. and what not to say. Sign
up today for Microphone
in your Face....Libraries Under Siege.. From the Media!
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It's that time of year
again.
It's NOLA's Support Staff Day!
Don't miss this opportunity to hear Patrick Donadio reveal the
secrets to empowering yourself to success. Patrick shares what successful people do well and
techniques you can use immediately to increase your success.
After lunch sit back relax and let the laughter lighten your workload. Learn how
humor can help you cope with daily challenges in your job. End the day by
rejuvenating your work area and creating an attractive and functional circulation
desk. Support staff won't want to miss this fun-filled information packed day.
Sign up today for Relax, Rejuvenate, and Reward Yourself,
Tuesday, May
22, 2001 or Wednesday,
May 23, 2001
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Items submitted by:
Melissa Lattanzi - Email
NOLA Regional Library System |
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| YS
Corner - Sue McCleaf Nespeca |
Homework Central
This has to be THE SITE for Homework help. But first, let me tell you what else you will find - a special section s for teachers, students, library media specialists and parents. Each section has a gold mine of information and this is definitely a site you may wish to add to links on your library web page. But now for the homework – at the
Big Chalk site, click on the Student section. Then click on the bar (under the browse button) for the help you need by grade level – i.e. Elementary, Middle School or High School. When you are in the section (for example middle school) click on the words “all subjects” under “Homework Subjects” and you will find an incredible wealth of information. I spent an incredible amount of time checking out the amount of information – this has to be one of the best homework help sites and will be a place librarians will want to check often when helping students.
Middle School Mania
Don’t forget to register soon for the Middle School Mania Youth Services Symposium. This conference, covering the topics of materials, programs, and services for grades 5 – 8 is for public and school librarians. Registration Deadline is April 10. Authors Patrick Jones and Patricia Hermes are featured speakers.
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Celebrations For April
There are numerous special week celebrations occurring in April that you can promote for positive library publicity. Here are some ideas:
National Library Week –
The theme is Celebrate @ Your Library and runs from April 1 – 7. Why not hold a Celebrity Read-A-Thon? Information on how to do one can be found at the end of this newsletter.
Or hold a program on Great Sites for Kids on the Internet plus safety tips for parents and ways to understand the Internet and its usage. For ideas check out the
Librarians Guide to Cyberspace for Parents and
Kids. For great sites, check out the 700+ Great Sites: Amazing, Spectacular, Mysterious, Wonderful Web Sites for Kids and the Adults Who Care About Them.
And if you are just looking for ideas on all the ways kids can connect at the library (and ways to publicize this for National Library Week, you have to check out this page –
Kids @ at the Library: Tips for
Parents. It is loaded with tips on ways parents can “raise a reader” including suggested books for each age level. Great stuff here!
2001 Young People’s Poetry Week
This is a great week to get out all those fun poetry books (like Prelutsky’s new one –
It’s Raining Pigs and
Noodles) and have a poetry Read-In. Poetry Week is celebrated this year from April 16-22. For more information on Poetry Week or ways to celebrate, check out the information given at the
Children’s Book Center
site.
National TV Turnoff Week
Many libraries across the nation have joined in this annual event encouraging families to turn off their TVs in favor of other fun activities – such as reading! Celebrated this year from April 23-29, it is possible to buy posters, T-shirts, buttons and bookmarks with this year’s artwork created by Sandra Boynton. For more information, check out the
TV Turnoff Network.
Brian Jacques Live Online Broadcast
Do you have any REDWALL fans? Teens will love having the opportunity to participate in a live broadcast online and can already submit questions for their favorite author. This is also great idea for school classes to participate in a live webcast. To register and submit a question ahead, and receive other information regarding the webcast go to
http://www.onthescene.com/redwall. If you can’t make the live webcast, it will be available for later viewing at the same site.
Narnia Website
Last year was the 50th anniversary of C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe. Many libraries have added a link to the Harry Potter web page on the children’s section of their home page. Why not add the popular Narnia site too? Check it out -
http://www.narnia.com/ I had a lot of fun with the Narnia quiz and found out it is time for me to reread the Chronicles!
Celebrity Read-A-Thons
Recently I had an article published in the January/February 2001 edition of Rural Libraries Newsletter on this topic and I thought I would share it with you in case you do not receive the Newsletter. Here it is!
Celebrity Read-A-Thons: How-To’s and Tips
Looking for a great idea for a family program for your library? Why not hold a Celebrity Read-A-Thon or Celebrity Storytime. These programs are popular with patrons and can generate positive media for the library. And, the celebrities you choose, may welcome the exposure, and will be thrilled to be asked.
When should you hold a Celebrity Read-A-Thon?
This is a good program to hold during a “special” library week such as National Library Week (April 1 – 7, 2001) Children’s Book Week (November 12 – 16, 2001) or Read Across America Day (March 2, 2001). You can also hold a read-a-thon as a kick-off for your summer reading program. {Ideas for using guest readers for Read Across America Day are also available at:
http://www.nea.org/readacross/}
Who should you invite to be readers?
Every community, no matter how small, has “celebrities.” Anyone who is well known in your community and often makes the news could qualify. Here are a few examples:
- School Officials such as the
superintendent, principals, teachers
- Fire Fighters or the local Fire Chief
- Police Officers, Police Chief or Sheriff
- Local Government Officials such a the
mayor, members of city council, or other local politicians
- Sports Figures such as popular football
players, or other local members of college teams, professionals,
coaches etc.
- Radio personalities such as a popular
radio talk show host
- TV personalities such as the news
anchor, reporter, weather or sports celebrity
- Any other well-known community leaders
Tips for a Successful Read-A-Thon
- Your program can be as short as one-half hour (such as a storytime program) or as long as a day. Some libraries have held twenty-four hour read-a-thons with numerous celebrity readers which definitely generate media coverage.
- Make sure the celebrity knows the grade/age level of those attending the program. But again, this makes a great family program for all to attend!
- Select some books that you know will be popular OR see if the celebrity has a personal favorite to share. Then provide copies ahead of time so the reader can practice.
OR you may want to tie in the selection of the book with their profession. Examples:
- Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann for the police officer
- The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by John Scieszka for the sheriff
- My Fire Engine by Michael Rex for the local fire fighter
- After contacting a celebrity, send a letter explaining when the program is, why it is being held, and who the audience is. Also explain the importance of the program (i.e. to foster a love of reading, provide positive role models, show that the role model values reading etc.). Suggest book titles to be read (see above). Mention that if they are unfamiliar with reading to a large group of children, they should practice holding the book to their side, facing the audience, so that the children can see the pictures.
- During the program, have the celebrities share some information about themselves, their profession, what types of books they like to read, their favorite book/s, why they like to read, or any other personal human interest story connected to reading
- Advertise the program to all media outlets in your area and all newspapers
- In your library, display large photos of your celebrities advertising the event
- After the program, make sure you send thank-you notes and copies of pictures you took while the celebrity was reading to the audience
Items submitted by:
Sue McCleaf Nespeca
[email protected]
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