Funny? Maybe Not so Funny!

Just discovered Taylor Mali thanks to Nina Jackson.
"I'll Fight You For The Library" performed by Taylor Mali as part of the Page Meets Stage Series at the Bowery Poetry Club in New York City on April 29, 2009.

National Information Literacy Awareness Month

President Obama has proclaimed October National Information Literacy Awareness Month.

Here's the text of the proclamation:

Every day, we are inundated with vast amounts of information. A 24-hour news cycle and thousands of global television and radio networks, coupled with an immense array of online resources, have challenged our long-held perceptions of information management.
Rather than merely possessing data, we must also learn the skills necessary to acquire, collate, and evaluate information for any situation. This new type of literacy also requires competency with communication technologies, including computers and mobile devices that can help in our day-to-day decisionmaking. National Information Literacy Awareness Month highlights the need for all Americans to be adept in the skills necessary to effectively navigate the Information Age.
Though we may know how to find the information we need, we must also know how to evaluate it. Over the past decade, we have seen a crisis of authenticity emerge. We now live in a world where anyone can publish an opinion or perspective, whether true or not, and have that opinion amplified within the information marketplace. At the same time, Americans have unprecedented access to the diverse and independent sources of information,
as well as institutions such as libraries and universities, that can help separate truth from fiction and signal from noise.
Our Nation’s educators and institutions of learning must be aware of — and adjust to —these new realities. In addition to the basic skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic, it is equally important that our students are given the tools required to take advantage of the information available to them. The ability to seek, find, and decipher information can be applied to countless life decisions, whether financial, medical, educational, or technical.
This month, we dedicate ourselves to increasing information literacy awareness so that all citizens understand its vital importance. An informed and educated citizenry is essential to the functioning of our modern democratic society, and I encourage educational and community institutions across the country to help Americans find and evaluate the information
they seek, in all its forms.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2009 as National Information Literacy Awareness Month. I call upon the people of the United States to recognize the important role information plays in our daily lives, and appreciate the need for a greater understanding of its impact.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
BARACK OBAMA

This just in from Bonnie Gosliner, the Young Adult librarian at the Corte Madera branch of Marin County Free Library.

Hi everyone!

I hope you are all having a great start to the school year.

I want to tell you about a new FREE service provided by the Marin County Free Library. “HelpNow! Powered by Brainfuse” is an online free tutoring service for grade 3 to 12 offered 7 days/week from 1pm to 10pm.

· Math -- including Algebra I/II, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus
· Science -- including Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Earth Science
· Social Studies
· Writing Assistance
· English Language Arts
· Reading Assistance

Students must enter a library card number but no PIN. To try it, go to our website www.marinlibrary.org click on TEENS and then Help Now Homework Help

You should be aware that the Bel-Tib Library has its own homework help service available from its Teen Zone Page.

September Is Library Card Sign-up Month

According to the American Library Association "Library Card Sign-up Month was launched in 1987. Library Card Sign-up Month is a time to remind parents that a library card is the most important school supply of all. Since then, thousands of public and school libraries join each fall in a national effort to ensure every child does just that."

I'd like to recommend that every student at Redwood have a public library card. If you don't have one this is the perfect time to apply. Applications for the Marin County Free Library are available in the the library. Just ask for one.

Applications for each of the libraries in Marin is also available online.

WNBA star and Olympic champion, Candace Parker, honorary chair of Library Card Sign-up Month, says that a public library card is an essential school supply. I agree.

An Information Literacy Tutorial Series

I just came across this series of information literacy tutorials featuring the director of the Pima Community College in Arizona.
I'm hoping to do something similar for Redwood this year. Keep posted and we'll see what happens!

Twitter Feed

I just added a twitter feed from BessChinLibrary on Twitter. You can find the twitter updates further down this page.

I had already decided to do this and had just added the widget when I read a post on David Lee King's blog in which he discusses ways "not to tweet" for libraries. The first thing I did was open my tweets. I'm not sure why I set it up so the viewer would have to ask permission to follow the library tweets but I think he's right--it should be open to all.
In the post he also says that before setting up an institutional account you should answer these questions:

• What do you want to get out of it?
• Why are you setting it up?
• Who’s going to maintain the account?
• Who’s going to answer tweets?
• Who do you plan to connect with?

I plan on using this feed to inform students and staff as well as interested community members about current library happenings on a more regular basis. I would hope to get some interesting feedback from those folks who follow the tweets. As the teacher librarian, I will be maintaining the account and answering the tweets.

The Library Named One of the 7 Wonders

As mentioned earlier, the recently published Log, the yearbook of Redwood High School, had as its theme this year "The Seven Wonders of Redwood."

Named as "Wonders" were the spirit ball, the senior parking area, the new lunch plaza, the library, new gym and pool, the amphitheatre, and Mount Tamalpais.

When I talked to the yearbook advisor about the process used to pick these seven things, she said that the easiest one to pick was the library. The kids had started out wanting to name the librarian but decided that the library would be a better choice. It's really great to hear that they value both the staff and the library program at Redwood. As at most schools, it's not every day that we get feedback on the value of the library to students. So we say thanks!

Each section of the yearbook is headed by a two-page spread which speaks a bit more to one of the wonders. The Library heads the section on Academics which has photos of the staff and each of the departments as well as club pictures.
The copy which accompanies the spread reads as follows:

From dawn 'til dusk, Monday through Friday, August to June, the rooms of Redwood are filled with minds at work. We keep ourselves busy for all four years with everything from English 1-2 and AP Chemistry to Drama. Starting out as Freshmen we wander the halls, peering into Junior and Senior classrooms, and waiting for our turn to take those more exciting classes. We are offered a wide variety of challenging and intellectually rewarding classes. However, through our years at Redwood High School, one place remains the same for all: the library.
Whether we are looking for books, doing some last minute homework, picking up the IJ [local newspaper] or just hanging out before the bell rings, the library remains a constant at the center of our school: a meeting place that is always there and offers everything we need as students.