News from the CSLA/CLA Conference

Last week I attended the first joint California School Library Association (CSLA) / California Library Association (CLA) in memory. It afforded me a great opportunity to mingle with my school library colleagues from across the state and meet many librarians from other kinds of libraries, public, academic, and special, as well.
I have, for the past year, been President of the Northern Section of CSLA and as of the Conference I began my one-year term as Past-President. It's been most enjoyable working with my friends on the Northern Section board to promote school libraries in many different ways and develop workshops for our members across the northern counties of California. One of our most important state-wide accomplishments this year was the adoption of draft Model School Library Standards by the State Board of Education in September. They will be finalized in January and published soon after and will be the first state education standards aligned with the new national Common Core standards.

Welcome to Bessie Chin Library Leaves

For many years the librarian has fairly regularly published articles in the Post, Redwood's parent newsletter. With the new more interactive and electronic version of the Post, you are now linked directly from the Post's web page to the Library's news blog, Library Leaves.
We post articles here at least monthly which aim to keep students, staff and the community apprised of things happening in the library as well as links to cool web tools and sites and tips on how to use the information resources of the Library efficiently and effectively.
Enjoy!

Tom Kaun
Redwood Teacher librarian

Material Meets Metaphor

Pioneering book artist Richard Minsky will speak about his life and work at the Yale University Library, New Haven, CT. Please join us on Tuesday, October 5, 2010, at 1pm in the Sterling Memorial Library Lecture Hall, 130 Wall Street. Light refreshments will be served after the talk. This event is free and open to the public and is sponsored by the Yale University Library Standing Committee on Professional Awareness.

This event is held in conjunction with the current exhibit at the Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library “Material Meets Metaphor: A Half Century of Book Art by Richard Minsky” on display through November 29, 2010. The entrance to the Haas Family Arts Library is in the lobby of the Loria Center for the History of Art at 190 York Street, a short walk from Sterling Memorial Library. The exhibit is open to the public from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm on the day of the lecture.

Richard Minsky, contemporary book artist and founder of the Center for Book Arts in New York City, is known for his conceptual approach to hand bookbinding and commitment to changing the perception of the book arts from craft to fine art. He combines a background in Economics with an innovative use of traditional methods and new materials to create sculptural, often political bookworks. The blending of an eclectic mix of interests, from musical and theatre performance to social issues and virtual worlds, remain a hallmark of Minsky's career. This exhibition showcases his editioned (non-commissioned, made in multiple copies) bookworks alongside selections from the Richard Minsky Archive, which documents the history of his career and his working process.

A PDF catalog of the exhibition is free to view and download.

Royalty Free Music & Sound Effects

Need free sound effects or music for your awesome school (or personal) projects? Give JewelBeat a try.

Use these free music tracks & free sound effects for any production - advertising, education, videos, photos, YouTube...etc.

Their music tracks can be looped seamlessly & repeated to create a longer music track for your projects.

Gale * Apps * AccessMyLibrary iPhone App * School Library

The Bessie Chin Library subscribes to several databases and ebooks from Gale. They now have a free iPhone app called AccessMyLibrary School Edition which can be downloaded though iTunes.
After a simple, one-time log-in using our library's Gale password, the mobile app will give you free, unlimited access to the library's reputable, authoritative Gale online resources — anytime, anywhere! For password ask library staff or access all passwords through the library's website.

Iinternet Public Library 15 Things

In honor of their 15th anniversary, the Internet Public Library launched the IPL 15 Things – introducing 15 of their favorite online technologies, with background information, best practices, related readings, examples of how the IPL is using the technology, and hands-on exercises.
Check out the links on the site and take the 15 Things Challenge!

Get Ready for Teen Read Week!

The Bessie Chin Library is celebrating Teen Read Week this year (October 17-24, 2010) with an "App Opt Out" Book Festival.

This week will provide an opportunity for students and staff to share with others what they are reading and why at lunch sometime that week in the library.

If you'd be interested in sharing a book that's fascinated, scared, informed or otherwise entertained you recently text your name and the title of the book to Jessica (a parent volunteer) at 203.6476. 

You'll be entered in a drawing for a gift certificate to a local bookstore.


We'll also have other special surprises to share during that week. Mark your calendars!