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L4L to help AASL Learning Standards Gain National Recognition
The American Association of School Librarians' (AASL) Board of Directors approved the development of Learning 4 Life (L4L).
L4L is a 3-5–year plan to nationally implement the "Standards for the 21st-Century Learner" and other guidelines being developed for school library media programs.
The plan was approved during the American Library Association's (ALA) 2008 Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif. A full launch of L4L is scheduled for fall 2008.
For more information, visit: http://www.merrittfund.org/ala/pressreleases2008/July2008/AASLl4l.cfm
“Great Early Elementary Reads” from Association for Library Service to Children
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), has released a new bibliography, “Great Early Elementary Reads.”
The annotated book list is divided into two categories: “Starting to Read” and “Reading on My Own.” The books included were published between 2005 and 2008. However, many are part of a larger series that young readers also will enjoy.
A PDF of the book list is available on the ALSC Web site in full color and black and white at www.ala.org/ala/alsc/booklists and is free to download, copy and distribute.
REGENTS ADVISORY COUNCIL ON LIBRARIES RECOMMENDS INCREASED STATE FUNDING FOR LIBRARIES TO BOARD OF REGENTS
The 2008 report of the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries to the Board of Regents on the needs of New York’s libraries and library systems is now online at www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/adviscns/rac/2008rept.htm.
The report highlights the Council’s discussion of the impact of the two percent across-the-board cut to New York State’s Library Aid Program. Citing that the cut amounts to approximately $1.9 million of the $94 million ongoing Library Aid Program, the Council expressed concern that New York’s libraries would be able to offer fewer books, fewer programs, and shortened hours to New York’s library users.
The report also outlines the Council’s recommendations to the Board of Regents for 2009 budget and legislative priorities for libraries. This includes:
* $5 million in state funding for the New York Digital Collection
Initiative
* $20 million for the Public Library Construction Grant Program
* $10 million in Aid to Library Systems
* An increase to $10 per pupil in School Library Materials Aid
* State funding for the Statewide Summer Reading Program, Early
Literacy Programs, and English as a Second Language Programs-$7
million
* State funding for Library Book Aid, Statewide Trustee Training and
Support, Library Services for the Disabled, and Saturday hours for the
State Library and State Archives-$12.05 million
The recommendations presented to the Board of Regents include a new
proposal for a New York Digital Collection Initiative. The Initiative
is a collaborative project involving libraries, archives, historical
records repositories, museums, public broadcasting, and other partners.
It will incorporate the NOVELNY pilot project/Statewide Internet
Library. The purpose of the Initiative is to promote the use of digital
technologies to broaden and enhance access to information available from
local, regional, and New York State cultural education institutions.
More information about the Digital Collection Initiative is available
online at http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/adviscns/rac/index.html
NOVEL New York and Statewide Internet Library News
The New York State Library is pleased to announce that the license agreement for EBSCO content included in NOVELNY, a pilot project for the Statewide Internet Library, has been extended through March 31, 2009. Access to General Science Collection, MasterFileSelect, Primary Search (including the Kids Search and Searchasaurus interfaces), Science Reference Center and TopicSearch continues through this agreement.
NOVEL New York and the Statewide Internet Library is available at: http://novel.nysed.gov/
Any questions regarding the resources described above should be sent to: nyslnovel@mail.nysed.gov. The NOVELNY Help Desk is available from 9:00am to 4:00pm Monday thru Friday by calling (518) 486-6012 or (Toll-free) 877-277-0250.
NOVELNY is a powerful virtual library that gives New Yorkers full computer access to thousands of national and international newspapers and magazines, health and medical magazines and resources, valuable business and investment information, and fun and educational material for adults and youngsters - all free via their local library. It connects New Yorkers in every community to state-of-the-art information without regard to economic, geographic, or physical barriers. Over 5,000 libraries across the state subscribe.
The NOVELNY pilot opened a new era in library service, thanks to support from the LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act) program and the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
Information Literacy Task Force - Standards for the Digital Learners of New York
New York Library Association Executive Director Michael J. Borges was appointed by the Governor to the NYS Universal Broadband Council and was asked to Chair the Digital Literacy and Community Outreach Action Team. Mr. Borges's co-chair of this Action Team is Board of Regent Joseph Bowman. Part of the Action Team's mandate was to develop Information Literacy Standards for the Digital Learners of New York, which NYLA hopes will be adopted by both the Universal Broadband Council and the NYS Board of Regents.
In response to this initiative, NYLA created a Task Force made up of distinguished librarians from around the state to work together to develop Information Literacy Standards that could be utilized in a P-20 environment and beyond.
The Standards are available at:
21st Century Information Literacy Standards for the Digital Learners of New York
http://www.nyla.org/content/user_1/NYLA_Info_Lit.pdf
NYLA would like to hear comments and suggestions on these proposed standards. Submit them to info@nyla.org
State-Wide Summer Reading Program Web site for Students and Families
Students and their families can now find unusual and interesting games, fun activities, reading lists, and links online for the Statewide Summer Reading Program at http://summerreadingnys.org.
The web site includes special features like a quiz for children and teens related to this summer’s themes: “Catch the Reading Bug” and “Metamorphosis @ your library.” Whether a youth is a budding entomologist or environmentalist, or just loves puzzles and games, these quizzes will delight and educate. Thanks to the generosity of EBSCO, the quizzes provide direct access to the NOVELny Searchasauraus database. Searchasaurus is one of the many databases available through the NOVELny databases program. Children and teens taking the quiz will not need a login ID or password to access to the database through the quiz. New links and activities will be added all summer long - so bookmark this site and visit it often.
IMLS Announces Results of Study on the Internet’s Impact on Museums and Libraries
A recent Institute of Museum and Library Services study has found that libraries and museums are the most trusted sources of online
information among adults of all ages, education levels, races, and
ethnicities. Libraries and museums rank higher in trustworthiness than
all other information sources including government, commercial, and
private Web sites.
The Internet is not replacing in-person visits to libraries and museums
and may actually increase onsite use of libraries and museums. There is
a positive relationship between Internet use and in-person visits to
museums and public libraries. To view the IMLS report, please go to http://interconnectionsreport.org.
The Youth Services Section (YSS) and School Library Media (SLMS) Sections of the New York Library Association (NYLA) announce The 2008 3 Apples Book Award goes to Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss (Random House), and The 2008 3 Apples Teen Book Award goes to A Child Called It: One Child's Courage To Survive by Dave Pelzer (HCI).
The 3 Apples Book Award was developed to encourage the joy of reading for pleasure, and to give the children and teens of New York State the opportunity to participate in honoring their favorite books. Each year in New York, children in grades three through six, ages 8 to 12, and teens in grades seventh and up, ages 12+, have the opportunity to nominate their favorite book at either their school or public library. The top fifteen nominees are then announced and children and teens are encouraged to read or listen to three of the books selected.
Nominations for the next Children's Choice and Teen Choice Award will begin in September of 2008.
More information about the 3 Apples Book Award can be found at www.3applesbookaward.org.
Preliminary findings from a large scale research study being conducted by the Syracuse University Center for Digital Literacy and School of Information Studies indicate that scores in New York State schools with certified librarians are higher than in those schools without librarians. The research being conducted by the Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies shows preliminary findings with a 10-point increase of ELA test scores amongst 4th graders in schools with library media specialists. To address this gap in student achievement, American Library Association President Dr. Loriene Roy and library advocates in New York and the nation support the inclusion of the Strengthening Kids’ Interest in Learning and Libraries (SKILLs) Act in the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), to place a state-certified school library media specialist in every school in America.
The full preliminary report is currently available on the New York Library Association Web pages at:
http://www.nyla.org/content/user_19/Preliminary_Report_Small.pdf