Archive for January, 2008
I actually stumbled on this yesterday while working on a pathfinder (and sent an email of pure excitement to my fellow district media specialists!), but in case you haven’t heard this exciting news, the Library of Congress is now on Flickr! Check out all the tags on the Library of Congress Flickr account!
What is the project about? Why would the Library of Congress create a Flickr account? You can read the full scoop here, but here is what you need to know in a nutshell straight from the Library of Congress on Flickr Project Page; you can also learn more by visiting the Library of Congress on Flickr FAQ Page. The purpose of creating a LOC Flickr page includes these aims:
- To share photographs from the Library’s collections with people who enjoy images but might not visit the Library’s own Web site.
- To gain a better understanding of how social tagging and community input could benefit both the Library and users of the collections.
- To gain experience participating in Web communities that are interested in the kinds of materials in the Library’s collections.
Here are two “must read” posts detailing the project and the public’s response to this new project from the Library of Congress Blog:
What does all this mean for us as educators and librarians? I personally feel this is going to make the rich photo collection so much more accessible to our students and the American public in general. Talk about an easier mode of searching! Wow! This new tool is a fabulous way to tap into these amazing primary sources. To me, this is another example of the power of Web 2.0 tools to ignite learning and get our students excited about history.
As always, Joyce Valenza has her thoughts and musings on this exciting development, too—you can read more in her post, “Let’s Tag: Library of Congress Shares on Flickr“.
What do you think about the Library of Congress @ Flicker? Share your thoughts!
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Well, I did not have time to do my quizlet today—we have been covered up with classes—but I just got the ultimate affirmation from a student in the 7th period class that is researching the Jazz Age today! After she set up her own del.icio.us account and started bookmarking resources, I heard a student exclaim, “This is the new MySpace!”
You know you have made an impression with a tool if they compare it to MySpace! 
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Today Ruth and I introduced our 11th Jazz Age Research Pathfinder to Ms. Pickart’s 11th Honors American Literature/Composition classes. Of course, we always want to create effective pathfinders for all our students, but I felt the impetus to do with this group.
Why? Of all the students at CRHS, our juniors are the ones I feel we have impacted the least. We mainly saw them in English classes last year, and that was it. We have seen them even less this year as juniors when the trend should be the opposite as they should be doing more research and more rigorous coursework. Let’s also not forget they are now less than two years from being college freshmen! I was so troubled by the lack of progress I saw with information literacy skills during 2006-07 that I even raised this concern about this group in my end of the year report last May.
However, this post is not about that challenge. Instead, I wanted to briefly blog about how students reacted to our introduction to our Creekview HS Library del.icio.us account and how we integrated it into our pathfinder. Because the honors juniors seemed to be so resistant to our research databases as sophomores and because we have not seen them using them this academic year, I wanted to be sure to try and bookmark some “goodies” from our GALE databases into our del.icio.us pathfinder for this project as did Ruth. Sometimes if you can lead the horse to water, he will indeed drink! I found with that our del.icio.us bookmarks to JSTOR and GALE articles (those are the only databases I can do direct article links for right now) seemed to be a great entry point for our honors sophomores in December, so I thought it would prudent to try this approach with our honors juniors.
While many students tuned out the mini-lessons on the pathfinder in the 5th period class, one student actually wanted to create a del.icio.us account from that class, so I showed him how, and then I showed him how to add our “network” to his so that he could get to our del.icio.us account more easily. He seemed really excited about having his own account and tapping into it; I also showed him how he could do infomarks with the GALE articles at his request! Yeah!
The 7th period class seemed more receptive to the mini-lesson, and many of them seemed very impressed by what del.icio.us can do. They asked some good questions about this service, and I noticed many of them right away to our del.icio.us links, including the ones to specific searches and articles we had bookmarked in our account. Yes! I decided to add two additional links to our pathfinder this afternoon: one is to the “about” page from del.icio.us, and the other links to the “getting started and creating your account” page.
IfI have any time tomorrow, I will try to create a little quizlet or survey (Quibblo?) they can do quickly to get feedback on how helpful del.icio.us was to them. Stay tuned!
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We are pleased to announce the debut of our Unquiet Library Pageflakes pagecast! What is Pageflakes, you may ask? It is a cool Web 2.0 tool that allows users to create personalized online desktops similar to that of iGoogle. Users can easily add widgets related to education, photos, social bookmarking sites, news, podcasts, fun games, and even comic strips! Our pagecast is designed to give you another avenue for accessing our library resources as well as provide a little fun for you where you can play online games, listen to our podcasts (coming February 1!), and view RSS feeds to some of our most popular library resources.
Please add our pagecast, http://www.pageflakes.com/theunquietlibrary/, to your favorites! We will also be linking our pagecast from our blog and regular media center website the week of January 21, so check back next week!
You can even create your very own pageflake account at http://student.pageflakes.com/. If you need assistance utilizing our pagecast or setting up your own student pageflake account, see Mrs. Hamilton or Mrs. Fleet! You can learn more about Pageflakes in this PC Magazine review from December 7, 2007.
In the meantime, get it together @ The Unquiet Library Pagecast!
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I stumbled across this fun and oh so librarian 2.0 tool this afternoon! Go to http://www.blyberg.net/card-generator/ and fill in the fields to crank up your very own catalog card! Yes! If you don’t like the way it looks, just hit F5 to refresh, and you will see slight changes in the fonts, tint, and handwriting style. When you are happy with the results, right click on the image and save to your computer.
You have the option of making a “traditional” print card, an audio card, or even a video card!
How cool is this?
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The Georgia Library Media Association has announced its legislative priorities in its 2008 GLMA Legislative Position Statement. The priorities include:
Restoration of Funding
GLMA supports restoration of specifically dedicated funding to $19.54 per FTE for library media center books and materials in Georgia’s public schools. We ask the legislature to honor the promise made in 2002 that cuts to library media center funding be temporary and to completely restore school library funding.Expenditure Controls
Reestablishment of the expenditure controls for all media center allotments at the school level according to FTE would ensure students have the materials they need.
Continuation of QBE Funding Formula for Support Staff
Restoration by the State Board of Education of the QBE funded and defined classified library media center support staff position (library clerk or library paraprofessional) under Required Personnel in all base-size schools is essential for every media center.
GALILEO
The GALILEO project should be enhanced in the State FY2008 budget for K-12 GALILEO Databases.
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Friday, February 1, 2008, is National Wear Red Day—a day when Americans nationwide will take women’s health to heart by wearing red to show their support for women’s heart disease awareness. The Heart Truth is: “Heart Disease Doesn’t Care What You Wear—It’s the #1 Killer of Women.” The statistics are alarming:
- Heart disease is the #1 killer of women.
- One in 4 women dies of heart disease; 1 in 30 dies of breast cancer.
The good news is that both men and women can lower their risk of heart disease by as much as 82 percent by leading a healthy lifestyle. Join the national awareness movement by wearing red on February 1, and encourage your family, friends, and coworkers to do the same. Anyone can participate by showing off a favorite red dress, shirt, or tie, or Red Dress Pin.
The Heart Truth is a national awareness campaign for women about heart disease sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and other partner organizations. The campaign launched the Red Dress as the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness in 2002 to deliver an urgent wakeup call to American women.
For tools and materials to help you learn about heart health and National Wear Red Day, visit www.hearttruth.gov. We’d also like for you to visit http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth/press/nhlbi_04_campaign.pdf to learn more about The Heart Truth Campaign.
Here are some other great resources:
Wear red on Friday, February 1, 2008 to help celebrate this important day! Ruth and I will be helping our female staff celebrate this day by having heart healthy snacks and treats available for you in the media center. We will also be putting some little treats and goodies in your mailboxes the week of January 28, 2008—February 1, 2008.
Let’s get heart healthy@ The Unquiet Library!
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If you are looking for teaching tools to use with your students, try going to the Google Librarian Tools pages! Here you will find great handouts and posters you can use in your media center. These handy handouts/posters have helpful and strategic tips for using Google effectively.
We know everyone uses Google….embrace it!
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ALA is providing a free live Webcast of its announcement of the top books, video, and audiobooks for children and young adults on January 14 at 7:45 a.m. EST.Online visitors can view the live Webcast the morning of the announcements by visiting www.unikron.com/clients/ala-webcast-2008. The link is not yet live, but librarians and others interested in following the action online should bookmark and use the URL—instead of the ALA home page—on January 14.
The number of available connections for the Webcast will be limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Get connected early!
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On Thursday, January 10, the Library of Congress announced exciting news: it will be partnering with Microsoft to create interactive exhibits and to allow online visitors to take “virtual tours” of exhibits of the user’s choice! Imagine looking at the Gutenberg Bible or a draft of the Declaration of Independence from the comfort of your own home! The service is designed to enhance experiences for people who visit the LOC in person as well as via the world wide web. For more information, surf over to this story at PC World; I am also providing the original press relase from the Library of Congress that was posted this past Thursday:
The Library of Congress and Microsoft Corp. have signed a cooperative agreement that will change the way Library visitors experience history. The joint technology initiative will electronically deliver the Library’s immense collection of historical artifacts to patrons visiting its Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington, D.C., and will allow unparalleled and immersive interactive experiences that will bring the institution’s vast historical collections and exhibits to life–on-site and online–through the upcoming myloc.gov Web site.
Through Microsoft’s investment of funding, software, technological expertise, training and support services, the Library will deliver a new experience to its visitors through interactive kiosks within the Jefferson Building as well as through rich Internet applications delivered through a robust Web infrastructure.
“Microsoft is helping to put a vast array of the Library’s unparalleled educational resources literally at the fingertips of students and lifelong learners alike, both on-site at the Library of Congress and virtually, through the Web,” said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. “The Library of Congress and the causes of inspiration and creativity will benefit immensely from this act of generosity and expertise.”
“Technology can play such a meaningful role in facilitating the learning and discovery process for people of all ages,” said Curt Kolcun of Microsoft Federal. “This partnership between the Library and Microsoft will help citizens explore the Library’s–and our nation’s–historical treasures in unprecedented ways.”
New interactive galleries will bring to life the world’s largest collection of knowledge, culture and creativity, with virtual hands-on interaction with such items as the rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, the Gutenberg Bible, the 1507 Waldseemüller World Map that first used the word “America,” and original volumes from Thomas Jefferson’s personal library. Key to these experiences will be interactive presentation software for kiosks using Microsoft technologies that will offer incredible fidelity between the on-site and online experiences.
A new “Passport to Knowledge,” with a unique barcode linked to an online account, will allow visitors to “bookmark” areas of interest that can later be accessed and explored in-depth at the upcoming myloc.gov Web site. “Knowledge Quest,” a game-based learning activity, will send visitors on-site and online searching for clues in the art and artifacts of the Library. Teachers will also have access to new educational resources.
The new experience for visitors, both on-site and online, will be powered by Microsoft Web and content-management software.
The agreement is part of a larger effort to transform the public spaces of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building into an experience that combines unique artifacts with cutting-edge technology and invites visitors to explore the collections in engaging new ways. The Library’s new exhibition “Exploring the Early Americas,” which opened Dec. 13, offers a sampling of the new experience. More exhibits and enhancements, including personalized Web sites at myloc.gov, are scheduled to debut later in 2008.
“This spring, when we open the bronze doors of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, we will unleash new ways to tap into the knowledge housed here,” said Library of Congress Chief Operating Officer Jo Ann Jenkins. “Through this new experience, a wealth of information will be accessible as never before.”
Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress, the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution, seeks to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its vast collections of books, manuscripts, films, and art objects from all over the globe. The Library’s award-winning Web site is at www.loc.gov.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
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