Announcing the First Annual Book Swap

Mrs. Lamon's class and I are working together to organize an all-school book swap.  The idea is simple:  bring in up to three of your no-longer-needed books (appropriate for grades 4 through 6) and trade them in.  You will receive a coupon for each book.  On April 12, you bring your coupons to the LMC, look through the books that have been brought in, and choose new-to-you titles to take home.  It's a great way to recycle those older books and get something new to read at the same time.  No cash required, but students will need a signed permission slip before they can be issued any coupons.  If you have any questions, contact me at the LMC or your classroom teacher.

The Future of Libraries

Currently, I am working with my 5th graders to create podcasts that advertise a book they have read and liked.  As I struggle through this process with each successive class, I can't help but think back to the coursework I took to become a school library media specialist and wonder at how much the job has changed since then.  I mean, podcasting didn't even exist!  Now, it seems almost second nature for my students to go to technology first when producing something.  The last time I tried to get them to create a poster by hand, it was a disaster, but introduce them to Glogster, and I get interesting results.  The ability to use technology is replacing the ability to create by hand in many of my students.

Will it be the same for books, I wonder?  I introduced Playaways (which are basically audiobooks on MP3 players) this year, and they have been in continuous use.  While I cannot deny their popularity, I wonder if students are getting from them what they can get from text.  Do they listen once and move on?  Are they actively involved or passively accepting the story?  What happens when they don't understand something?  Do they use the same strategies we teach them to use with the written word?  Maybe, hearing the words actually leads to better understanding, since the reader can add all the inflections and emotions, but is that making them better readers or just better listeners?

So, what is the compromise between text and technology?  Is it readers like the Kindle or the Nook?  I have to admit, I am intrigued by those machines and by the idea that I could carry hundreds of books in my pocket. If that is the direction we head, what should the library of the future look like?  I imagine there will still be some  actual books, but we wouldn't need as much shelving.  More machines, maybe?  More space for students to work independently and in groups?

I see the library as becoming the center of all exploration, so it would need to include all types of technology, be they paper, machine, or something yet to be imagined.  It would need to be a flexible space, where shelves and tables can be moved to create large and small group areas.  Whatever it looks like, it needs to be a place of activity, where students are constantly interacting with others in their quest for understanding and entertainment.  If a library is not a center of active learning, if it remains a place where students are expected to be silent and work alone or where their access to and use of technology is limited and controlled, its place as part of the future is in question.

Swing On In -- It's Spring!

Many thanks to all the students and parents who made our recent book fair a huge success!  We made over $2000.00 for our LMC and trade book collections!  The teachers and I will be busily looking through the Scholastic catalog to find just the right titles to help us teach reading and inspire students to read more.

Now that the book fair is over and I am done counting money and keeping accounts, I needed to indulge the creative side of my nature.  Luckily for me, we are having a spring door decorating contest in our building! I got inspired with the theme "Swing On In" and hung vines with animals swinging in them.  Since it is spring, I had to add tissue paper flowers, a sun, and some butterflies.  I think it is a real winner, but we will see what the judges decide.

Next on our schedule for the year is an all-school book swap.  This is a first for us, so we will learn as we go.  A memo should go our next week to all the students explaining the process.  Students can bring up to three used books in good condition.  On the swap day, they can pick up three new-to-them books.  Donations are due Wednesday, April 7.  The book swap will occur on Monday, April 12.

The Book Fair is Here!

The spring book fair is set up and ready to go.  We will be open during the lunch recess every day next week (March 8-12) and during conferences on Tuesday and Thursday evening.  Teachers will have a chance for a sneak peek and to create a wish list on Monday after school.  Proceeds from the fair will go towards reading promotions, LMC materials, and class sets of books to be used for instruction.  Anyone who can spare some time on Tuesday or Thursday from 2:30 to 7:00 to help should contact the school and ask for Ms. Koll.  Please stop by and check us out.