Fall 2009 Newsletter

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November 16, 2009

Volume 27, Issue 1

Fall Newsletter

Hudson Valley Library Association

What’s Inside:

Linda Braun & Web 2.0 2 AASL 2009 2-3 Spotlight on Professional Development 3 Interview with Author Marilyn Johnson 4 Overheard in the Library 5 HVLA Divisional Groups 5

HVLA Notes 6

Formed in 1959, HVLA brings together librarians from independent K-12 schools in the Hudson Valley area. Visit us at: www.hvla.org

Having just returned from the annual NEIT (NYSAIS Education and Information Technology) Conference at Mohonk Mountain House I feel simultaneously energized, relaxed and overwhelmed. It has been a tech-heavy few weeks between our wonderful HVLA Fall Meeting and NEIT. At the former Linda Braun shared her ideas about Voice Threads, Screenr, Twitter, and Wordle while NEIT left me with many ideas to process about the future of libraries, social networking, authority of information, and society.

NEIT is a mixture of keynote presentations and open space sessions proposed and led by attendees. Visit the conference wiki (http://neit.wikispaces.com/) to see a list of the open space topics and to study the notes generated during each session. You can also watch complete presentations by the Keynote speakers Siva Vaidhyanathan, author of The Googlization of Everything and Michael Wesch, a professor at Kansas State University. Michael, a cultural anthropologist, is concerned with the central questions: “How can we create students who create meaningful connections? What are basic literacy skills? What am I really teaching? Am I hindering or helping the learning process?”

Over 70 open space sessions were convened, including discussions of Ebooks & Ereaders, Information Commons and the Future of Libraries, Streaming Video, Working with Students to create Graphic Novels, and Reference Management and Social Bookmarking Tools.

Thanks to these sessions I have more to explore than I could manage in a year, but a few highlights include learning about Diigo, Evernote, netvibes, and LibGuides, joining Twitter and using Tweetdeck. I came away with an expanded understanding of various Google apps, Zotero and Delicious, and a new appreciation for YouTube and Wikipedia. Yes, Wikipedia.

NEIT is a wonderful place to learn about new ideas and share with colleagues, but there is little time to sit down and figure things out for oneself. And that is what we all need, isn’t it? A few HVLA members have requested a meeting that would give us that time, together; time to sit in a room with our laptops and work through a handful of new technologies. Interested?

Please feel free to contact me, or anyone on the HVLA Board, if you have a suggestion for a future meeting, social event, library or museum tour, or wish to offer your school as a place for a future meeting or social event. We would also love to receive feedback, both positive and constructive!

At our Fall Meeting this year, I was struck by the energy of the social gathering moments before and after the program. Librarians love to talk with other librarians! We come away energized, feeling heard and understood. That is what our meetings give us, and I hope you will all be able to join us for at least one of the gatherings yet to come this year.

Angela Carstensen HVLA President &

Director of Library Services at Convent of the Sacred Heart

A Letter from the HVLA President…

“Web 2.0 [means]

no matter what it is or

where you are, your

content is available

everywhere.”

--Linda Braun

Educational Technology Consultant and librarian, Linda Braun, spoke at HVLA’s Fall Meeting on October 28, 2009 and explained that when it comes to thinking about today’s student learners, indeed “shift happens” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ILQrUrEWe8). Braun, formerly a children’s librarian, used to be “anti-technology.” This changed when she noticed teens coming into the library with the sole purpose of using the computers for gaming. Inspired to learn more about technology and youth, Braun eventually

Web 2.0 & Student Learners in the 21st Century Fall Meeting Presenter: Linda Braun by Angela Ungaro

For those unable to attend this year’s AASL conference, the opportunity to get connected and follow a live-stream of over 3,000 tweets shared by librarians throughout the conference was available.

Twitter (twitter.com) is a great resource for librarians to network with each other as well as other educators, authors, illustrators, publishers and more. In fact, HVLA is now on twitter (search HVLA_Librarians) and we hope you’ll join us soon!

Until then, we hope you’ll enjoy “the tweets heard ‘round the conference…”:

melissathibault Choosing sessions for #aasl2009 so many great sessions, so little time!

Something to Tweet About What the Micro-Bloggers Were Saying at AASL 2009…

Page 2 of 6

became a YA librarian and now trains librarians, educators, and teens about technology tools and uses.

At the meeting Braun explained that the often used (and sometimes misunderstood) term, “web 2.0”, essentially means “no matter what it is or where you are, your content is available everywhere.” This is the world our students are living in today and plenty of accessible tools have been developed so that we can meet them there.

Braun shared the following

tools at the Fall Meeting: • Googledocs Forms – use

for library polls, book reviews, student feedback, etc. (docs.google.com)

• Voicethread – use for digital storytelling, book discussion groups, etc. (voicethread.com)

• Screenr – use for database/catalog demos & how-tos (screenr.com)

• Wordle – use to analyze texts, make connections between different writings (wordle.net)

• Twitter – use to keep connected, build your PLN [Personal Learning Network] (twitter.com)

Angela Ungaro is a middle school librarian at Brooklyn Friends School.

kathyfs24 "this profession needs to grow and it needs to grow now" joyce valenza #aasl2009

ayucht Joyce's wiki about widgets: http://newtoolsworkshop.wikispaces.com #aasl2009

DeweyDecimator It is NOT if we build it, they will come. It is NOW, if they build it they will use it. --Loertscher #aasl2009

librarybeth The Learning Commons - a "giant conversation" - virtual and physical spaces @davidloertscher #aasl2009

RdngTeach RT @librarybeth: "Any good inquiry ends with more questions" - Carol Koechlin #aasl2009 Let kids "muck about" and play with ideas

dmcordell Make sure your voice is heard: vote in the AASL elections, March 2010 #aasl2009 ksbrannock think nationally, act locally #aasl2009 ksbrannock nothing native about kids' use of technology... they're learning it as they go #aasl2009 franceyharris #aasl2009 boyd: Locking it down doesn't make it safe zephoria I love librarians. They always make me feel like the world's gonna be AOK. ReaderNirvana Libraries are not a luxury. -Patterson #AASL2009

“[A] growing trend

toward bringing these

events online makes it

easier than ever to

attend sessions virtually

and even join in

the rich conversations

that make conferences

so valuable.”

--Christopher Harris “Live Blogging, Tweets Help

Spread the Joy of Events” (SLJ, 11/09)

Page 3 of 6

libpendragon The term Web 2.0 (being thrown around a lot at #aasl2009) is pretty much obsolete. It's just the way the world is now. Right, @sonjafoust?

sjcoker #aasl2009 Use of Google Forms for book reviews--nice idea. Google Apps for Ed is great.

MatthewWinner [SkypeAnAuthor.com] for FREE virtual author visits (10-15 min.) #aasl2009

sandykelly Are your students globally competent? Good communicators and collaborators? #aasl2009

Something to Tweet About (continued)

This summer I was fortunate to receive a fellowship to attend the Korea Academy for Educators in Los Angeles. The weeklong program provided 60 educators with learning experiences about Korean history and culture. Experts in history, politics, art, religion, martial arts, literature, music, and dance presented lectures, performances and films from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day. Korea has an importance in world history both past and present that is not always reflected in its treatment in history curricula. This program opened my eyes to many facets of Korean history and culture that could be incorporated into parts of my school’s world history courses as well as ways I could support both

Korea Academy for Educators in Los Angeles Spotlight on Professional Development by Constance Vidor

For webinars, blog posts, podcasts and more visit

bThere: Your Virtual Track Pass to the

AASL 2009 Conference. www.learningtimes.net/aasl

To view/use the

voicethread

created for A Single

Shard go to

http://voicethread.co

m/share/584594

To view/use the

voicethread

created for The Kite

Fighters go to

http://voicethread.co

m/share/631151

franceyharris #aasl2009 Buffy: Google Books is a great way to fill in gaps in her print collection. Google is not the enemy.

NancyW Ode to Martha Stewart: Don't Just Gather. Arrange! "So you wrote some facts. SO WHAT?" Kristin Fontichiaro #aasl2009

DeweyDecimator We don't have time for systematic progress; we need to adopt radical thinking! –Loertscher #aasl2009

lectitans Being an advocate isn't enough. Be an activist. #aasl2009

booktalker Send valentine cards to state legislators to tell them how much you love your state databases! #aasl2009

buffyjhamilton An educated person is someone who is curious, resourceful, and who has resourceful friends. #aasl2009

bekcikelly So excited that I can attend the American Assoc. of School Librarians conference vicariously through #aasl2009 - thanks librarian tweeters!

For an archive of all #aasl2009 tweets visit http://twapperkeeper.com/AASL2009/.

curricular and serendipitous learning about Korea through collection development and displays in the library. The quality of the speakers and performers was truly extraordinary. We were given a plethora of books, DVDs, maps, and pamphlets to take back to our schools. Those of us who came from out of state were accommodated in a hotel in Koreatown, a fascinating and vibrant neighborhood that testifies to the vigor and beauty of Korean culture. As a fellowship recipient, all costs including transportation were covered. Lunches were gourmet meals catered by Korean restaurants and one afternoon we visited a Korean Buddhist temple.

I highly recommend that librarians consider applying for the program at the Korea Academy for Educators (www.kafe.org) or one of the programs for teachers at The Korea Academy of New York (www.koreasociety.org). For my final project at the Korea Academy I created a voicethread on the history, culture, and themes of Korean-American author Linda Sue Park’s Newbery award-winning book, A Single Shard, as well as a voicethread for her book The Kite Fighters. All librarians and educators are welcome to view and use these voicethreads with their students (see sidebar right). Constance Vidor is the Director of Library Services at Friends Seminary School.

Page 4 of 6

In February 2010, a new book is hitting shelves and it’s all about us—librarians! The book, entitled “This Book Is Overdue! How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All” is author Marilyn Johnson’s exploration of what we as librarians do in our profession today and why it still matters. Jessica Pigza, guest blogger for The Desk Set (http://thedeskset.org) interviewed Ms. Johnson to learn more about how we are more vital than ever. The Desk Set: Your last book, “The Dead Beat,” was about obituary writers. How did you get from that profession to librarianship? Marilyn Johnson: I couldn’t have written “The Dead Beat” without the help of librarians. My local librarians not only helped me track down old newspapers that hadn’t yet been digitized, but they were instrumental in showing me how to save and organize my computer research. I remember watching one of my reference librarians zip around a computer database and thinking, “Wow, what happened to the librarians?” It amazes me that they preserve all this culture, provide access to all this technology, and also help everyone who walks through the door (or calls or IMs). DS: Who is your ideal audience for your new book? What do you hope they’ll take away from it?

This Story is Early! An Interview with Author Marilyn Johnson

“Librarians are

everywhere these

days—like in my laptop

at 3 am!”

“I’d love to be one of

those great librarians

who turns children on to

books, then throws Wii

parties in the stacks.”

MJ: I wrote this book for patrons, though I hope librarians will read and enjoy it. I particularly want people who love the idea of libraries but haven’t stepped in one for years to see what amazing transformations are taking place, how savvy the librarians have become, and how indispensable librarians are in this culture. DS: In your research you attended conferences and meetings and also talked to lots of us. How did you devise your game plan when it came to immersing yourself in the world of librarians? MJ: I shadowed librarians in public, academic, and research libraries, went to conferences, interviewed like mad, and plunged into as many social networks and virtual reality sites as I could manage. I loved using virtual reference services in the middle of the night. Librarians are everywhere these days—like in my laptop at 3 am! DS: Stereotypes always creep into talk of librarianship. Did you find that any stereotypical traits of librarians were dashed or reinforced for you, as a result of your work on this book? MJ: I timed it. If I didn’t mention the stereotype, it took librarians, on average, ten to fifteen minutes to mention it. The stereotypes are ridiculous, but I love the way librarians turn them on their heads, mock them, or

vamp it up. One thing that surprised me was how truly funny so many librarians are. The Library Society of the World’s “cod of ethics.” I love that! DS: You now have a unique insider’s perspective of our profession. What would you advise someone who is considering entering the field of librarianship? MJ: The librarians who seem to be happiest have staked out some personal turf on the web and in life. They have an interest in and use all their skills to learn everything they can; and then they hang up their shingle and serve anybody who wants to know something about that subject. Having a specialty gives you an identity. DS: Okay, here’s your bonus question: If you were to become a librarian, what kind would you want to be and why? MJ: I’d love to be one of those great librarians who turns children on to books, then throws Wii parties in the stacks. One of the librarian obituaries that moved me and made me want to learn more about this profession was for Agnes Swift, a community librarian who taught the children in her Maine town how to sail and at 50th reunions, still remembered what books they loved to read. Imagine that! Visit http://marilynjohnson.net/ to read the first chapter of “This Book is Overdue!” and to learn more about the author.

Page 5 of 6

I enjoy Web 2.0 as much as the next librarian. I tweet. I have a Facebook page and wikis. I blog when the spirit hits me. I keep my eye on the middle and upper school programs.

I also see 120 preschoolers a week, and 225 lower school students in a seven-day cycle.

The following are some of the conversations that have taken place more recently in or about our Pre/Lower School library:

Following a lesson with kindergarteners about fiction and non-fiction books, I was asked, “Kathy, do you have any non-fiction books about unicorns? I really want to

Unicorns, Dolphins, & Tuffets, Oh My! Overheard in the PS/LS Library by Kathy Hartzler

HVLA encourages the exploration of its divisional listervs and meetings to broaden your knowledge and practices as a library professional. LOWER SCHOOL

Division Leaders: Lois Strell

Nightingale Bamford [email protected]

Laurie Norman Convent of the Sacred Heart [email protected]

To post to listserv: [email protected]

LS Announcements: The first LS Meeting will

take place on Tues, Dec 1 @ Trinity School (139 W. 91st Street) to discuss:

HVLA Divisional Groups Connect with LS, MS, and US Division Leaders & Members

Kathy enjoys sitting on her tuffet and reading books to

children every day.

know about where they lived. “

When we asked second graders to examine a stack of books about sea creatures and answer the following essential—no less—question, “What would the world be missing if your animal did not exist?”, we got these replies: • “People would drown

because dolphins wouldn’t be there to save them.”

• “We wouldn’t get blubber fries from whales.”

• “We wouldn’t have manatees’ cuteness.”

A kindergarten teacher who was in the middle of explaining what a “tuffet”

was to her class as they read Mother Goose, had one child wildly wave her hand. “I know what a tuffet is. Kathy has four of them in the library!” I don’t know about tuffets, but I do have four little greet furry stools from Ikea.

The point is it is a very exciting time to be librarians/media-specialists/finders/seekers. We have incredible technology and the opportunity to increase our knowledge of the digital world daily. But, I wouldn’t trade my tuffets or those questions about unicorns for all the apps in the world.

Kathy Hartzler is the Director of Library Services at Brooklyn Friends School.

How has Web 2.0 changed your LS Library program? All are welcome to attend! Refreshments begin at 3:15pm, discussion begins at 4:00pm.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Division Leader: Bethany Martin

The Dwight School [email protected]

To post to listserv: [email protected]

MS Announcements: Have a great idea for a

middle school division outing? Any hot topics you think the division should discuss? If so, please contact Bethany Martin with details!

UPPER SCHOOL

Division Leader: Elizabeth Fernandez

Convent of the Sacred Heart (Greenwich) [email protected]

To post to listserv: [email protected]

US Announcements: Please send your topics

or ideas for discussion/meetings to Elizabeth Fernandez.

To be added to the lower, middle or upper school divisional email lists, please contact the current Membership Coordinator under “Board Member Contact Information” on the hvla.org website.

IMPORTANT! The cutoff date for membership renewal/registration is Monday, November 30th. Registering for HVLA is now easier than ever! Fill out our registration/renewal form online (under “Member Registration” on hvla.org) and send your check to the Membership Coordinator. Any membership questions can be directed to, Membership Director Christina Kover ([email protected]).

HVLA is taking a field trip to the NYU Bobst Library on Friday, December 11 at 4:30pm. Space is limited, so please

HVLA Notes: Upcoming Events & Announcements

Formed in 1959, HVLA brings together librarians primarily from independent K-12 schools in the New York City, Long Island, Westchester and nearby New Jersey and Connecticut communities. With a minimum of formality and a maximum of benefit, members meet three times a year to discuss and consider a wide range of topics, including evaluation of books and reading programs, technology and libraries, information literacy, and professional development. An active listserv keeps us connected between meetings. In addition, divisional groups exist for lower, middle, and upper school librarians to discuss curricular and collection-related interests.

About the Hudson Valley Library Association…

HVLA Board Members

Angela Carstensen President Amy Chow Vice-President Maria Falgoust Vice-President Rebecca Duvall Recording Secretary Rhonda Rigrodsky Treasurer Christina Kover Membership Director Angela Ungaro Communications Coordinator

We’re on the Web! Visit us at:

www.hvla.org

BROOKLYN FRIENDS SCHOOL 375 Pearl Street

attn: Angela Ungaro Brooklyn, NY 11201

YOUR SCHOOL LIBRARY STREET ADDRESS CITY, STATE 00000

Twitter? Watch this video to get you started (http://vimeo.com/7475583). If you have questions or want help, contact Communications Coordinator, Angela Ungaro ([email protected]).

Call for Submissions: We’re always looking for contributions to the HVLA newsletters. Have something you'd like to share? Contact Communications Coordinator, Angela Ungaro ([email protected]) if you are interested or have questions.

contact Angela Carstensen ([email protected]) to sign up for the tour.

Please join the Lower School division of HVLA for their first meeting at the Trinity School on Tuesday, December 1st to discuss the impact of Web 2.0 on LS library programs. Refreshments will be served at 3:15pm and discussion will begin at 4:00pm.

HVLA is now on Twitter! Are you already on Twitter? Follow us (search HVLA_Librarians) so that we can follow you and increase our PLN (Personal Learning Network). Interested in learning more about