President’s Message

Happy New Year!

To many, the new year means a new start and we celebrate by making resolutions, a promise to improve ourselves and our personal lives.What about NJASL? What kind of resolutions can NJASL make? First, we can promise to continue to provide the best professional development for our members. Our annual conference provides many workshops, authors and national speakers to meet your various needs. Next year’s conference chair, Pam Gunter, is already working hard on the conference “Inspiration, Motivation, Participation” which will again be held in Long Branch on November 29 –December 1, 2012.Janice Cooper, Karen Brill, Alice Yucht and Sophie Brookover are working to provide us with something new for our learning. The first NJASL/LLNJ “Unconference” will be held on Saturday, March 24, 2012 from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM. The topic will be Handhelds in the School Library which sounds very exciting. Look for information to come.Also forthcoming will be information about our Spring meeting and luncheon. Karen Brill and Janice Cooper, our members at large, are planning an author program for this meeting.Another resolution that NJASL can make for 2012 is to keep you informed regarding legislation involving school libraries. We had contacted you via Constant Contact asking you to call your federal and/or state legislators to sponsor or vote for bills and our voices were heard. On December 23, President Obama signed the Omnibus Appropriations Bill which includes $28.6 million in federal funds for school libraries.Although this bill was successful, our work is not done. ESEA still must be reauthorized and ALA has been lobbying to include school libraries in the reauthorization. If action becomes necessary on the reauthorization of ESEA, we will contact you. On the state level, we all know things can change rather quickly. We will keep you informed on what is happening in Trenton. Please be ready for action. In our role as an advocate for NJ school libraries, we will publicize the NJ library study, “One Common Goal: Student Learning Phase 2.” In this new year, we will work hard to release the study to all stakeholders as well as to implement its recommendations. The information in the study is rich and confirms what we all know. Good school libraries are important for student learning. If you haven’t read it yet, the report is on the NJASL website. www.njasl.orgOne last resolution for 2012 is to be there for our members. If you have any questions, please contact me president@njasl.org or contact any Board member. We will do our best to get information to you as quickly as possible.What resolutions have you made?Fran KingPresident, NJASL

bookmarkNewsletter of the

New Jersey Association of School Librarians

Vol XLI, Number 5 PO Box 610, Trenton, NJ 08607 609-394-8032 http://www.njasl.org

Calendar

2012Jan 6 - Letters About Literature Deadline Entry coupon on the website http://www.lettersaboutliterature.org

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Congratulations Janice Cooper

Recipient of the New Jersey Association of School Librarian’s Follett Outstanding Media Specialist Award! by Bonnie Schulman, school library media specialist at Haworth School

Janice is the School Library Media Specialist at my sons’ High School. I first met Janice a few years ago, when I attended a library orientation for parents at the High School. I remember the evening well. Janice had invited parents to the school’s Library Media Center to show us the resources that our children had access to. I was pleasantly surprised by this outreach by the High School Librarian, and enthusiastically attended. I was overwhelmed by the wonderful on-line resources that the school provides for its students. High School had certainly changed since I was a student. I was also impressed with Janice’s ability to organize and communicate information about these resources to us as parents. Her outreach was greatly appreciated not just as a parent of a new High School student. As a new Library Science student, I was deciding what I might want to do when I graduated.

Fast forward to the present, and I have just finished my last class to fulfill the requirements for a Masters in Library and Information Science. This past September, Janice became a colleague when I was hired to join the local School Library Media Specialists in the Northern Valley at a local K-8 school.

Janice spoke at the NJASL conference when she received her Award. She spoke about the three essential elements to sustain a dynamic library program.

First, Janice spoke about family. She spoke of her husband, who she met in the stacks at 398.2. Love at first folktale? A History and Sociology teacher at the same school, he is well trained to use library resources with his classes, and to collaborate, enhancing student learning. She also spoke of their “most successful joint efforts”, their sons. She described one as being “famous throughout our town for the wattage and frequency of his smiles”. Janice, you could have been describing yourself!

Second, she identified school – she thanked her principal, the assistant principals, all the teacher colleagues for “participating in the library programs and promoting our resources with our students”. Janice, this “reflects” on your outreach and “wattage”.

Lastly, Janice spoke about the professional associations that she participates in and volunteers her time for. It was interesting to hear Janice remember that her “graduate program had not emphasized the role of professional associations”, but that through experience, she has learned to appreciate their value. Just as I learned that High School libraries have changed since I attended so many years ago, I also learned that Library Graduate programs may have changed too since Janice graduated from Columbia University’s School of Library Service in 1981. I have been taught to appreciate the need to stay connected to the profession.

With that in mind, I consider myself very fortunate to have been hired into a work environment with a leader who models and contributes to the development of our profession in so many ways.

Congratulations Janice, and thank you! Picture from NVHS website by permission of Fred Hessler, Principal.

January, 2012. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 3

AASL and ALA – Working for YOUHilda K. Weisburg

AASL Liaison, AA DelegateOne of the reasons some people give me for not becoming an AASL member is that they don’t think it’s

fair that they must also join ALA. (Do those of you in NJEA not belong to NEA?) I suspect they are unaware of how much support AASL gets from the larger organization, so I thought I would use this column to show how both associations serve us all.

ALA Presidential Groups - For several years now, ALA presidents have done much to focus on school libraries and librarians, but Molly Raphael, the current president, has taken this commitment a step further by creating a Special Presidential Task Force on School Libraries. According to the November/December, 2011 issue of American Libraries (the ALA journal), the Special Presidential Task Force has been “created to combat increased reports of threats to school library instructional programs.” According to Raphael, the task force “will lead a campaign to address the urgent need for advocacy for school libraries as well as the impact of deprofessionalization and curtailment of school instructional programs on students and student achievement.” You can be sure I will be reporting to you on the work of this group.

ALA Washington Office - As an NJASL member, you are well aware of the importance of lobbying state representatives. It is equally, and often more, important to lobby our national ones. The ALA Washington Office works for all types of libraries, including school libraries. It spearheaded the drive to get the SKILLS Act passed, and while a number of representatives effectively blocked it from coming to a vote, efforts are still being made to get it passed. Go to the website http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/wo/index.cfm to learn more about what the Washington Office does. For example, those of you dealing with the problems of publishers and Amazon in limiting how libraries can lend e-books will be pleased to know the Washington Office is campaigning hard to ensure that our students (and the public) will be able to borrow these as easily as print books. It also organizes the annual National Library Legislative Day, which will be held on April 23 & 24, 2012. (If you can’t manage to get to Washington D.C. for the event, consider joining it virtually. I will be sending information as the date gets closer.) The Legislative Action Center (click on link on the right hand side) lists all the issues relating to libraries and has an easy “capwiz” allowing you to quickly email your representative with your views using your own words or the talking points provided.

ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) – Anyone who has had a challenge to materials in their library knows how scary it can be. (Dee Venuto, the NJASL Intellectual Freedom Committee chair has personal knowledge of this and was given the AASL Intellectual Freedom Award for her actions.) While NJASL will provide what support it can, the Office for Intellectual Freedom is an amazing resource in that stressful time. Check out the website http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/index.cfm for details on its Initiatives & Projects. You are all familiar with Banned Books Week, but OIF also sponsors the newly instituted Choose Privacy Week. (Does your district have a Privacy Policy?) If you are concerned about Censorship in Schools, see http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/ifissues/censorshipschools.cfm for numerous links, including What You Can Do to Oppose Censorship and Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials.

ALA Online Learning – Webinars and podcasts are listed at http://www.ala.org/ala/onlinelearning, and divided into categories such as Collection Management and Issues & Advocacy. Since many are archived after the event, it pays to check here and plan for the ones that interest you when you can carve a few free hours from your busy schedules. Under School Libraries, you can find the list of AASL offerings which are extremely helpful.

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These resources from ALA help AASL stay strong, and a strong AASL helps state affiliates to be strong – and this strength supports you at the building level. Here are some ways that AASL helps both the state associations and you.

Planning Guide for Empowering Learners – AASL has developed what amounts to a strategic planning guide for your program, co-published with Britannica Digital Learning, that walks you through the process without having to pay for an expensive facilitator. The inexpensive software package ($40 for one year/one site—bulk pricing is available for districts) shows you how to create your committee of stakeholders (those who do and don’t support your program), gives you the agenda for your first meeting, and guides you through developing goals and action steps. Since it’s a database, when you make changes in one place, they are automatically changed throughout. The big feature of the program is the School Library Program Assessment Module, allowing you to assess your program on 16 sets of criteria and produce colorful summary charts and graphs that can be included in reports and shared with colleagues and supervisors. It is meant to be a continuing process, and costs for subsequent years are less than the initial charge. For more information, go to www.ala.org/aasl/planningguide. You can speak with a representative at 1-800-621-3900. To get started, go to www.info.eb/com/assl.

AASL Lesson Plan Database – Are you having difficulty figuring out how to write lesson plans that incorporate the AASL Standards for the 21st-Century Learner or would just like to see what other school librarians are doing? AASL now has an online lesson plan database. It can be searched by learning standards and indicators, content topic, grade-level, resources used, type of lesson or schedule, keyword and much more. Once you register, you can bookmark plans in a portfolio for future use, rate and comment on lesson plans in the community, and print to PDF. You are encouraged to submit lesson plans, which are then vetted by AASL reviewers, using a rubric (http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/guidelinesandstandards/lessonplandatabase/AASL%20Rubric_final.pdf). If your plan is accepted, you can let your principal and other administrators know that you work is now on a national database.

AASL Awards & Grants – Each year, AASL presents awards and grants to recognize excellence in the profession. Among the ones you might want to consider are: Collaborative School Library Award ($2,500), Information Technology Pathfinder Award ($1,500 each to two winners), Innovative Reading Grant ($2,500), and of course the “star” award the National School Library Program of the Year Award ($10,000 each to three recipients). You must be a member to apply for any of these, but think of the media attention if you win – and you can be sure your administrators will all be on hand to greet the press. For more information on the awards, go to www.ala.org/aasl/awards.

Knowledge Quest – I know I push the journal of AASL often, but the November/ December, 2011 issue was particularly relevant with the “Solo Librarian” as its theme. There were articles on “Solo Librarians Working Collaboratively,” “Talk Me Off the Ledge: Surviving Solo Librarianship,” and “Using National Data to Make Decisions as a Solo Librarian.” To find out what you missed if you aren’t an AASL member, go to http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/aaslpubsandjournals/knowledgequest/docs/TOC_NovDec2011.pdf for the complete Table of Contents.

As always, if you want any information about ALA/AASL, including membership and committee appointments, or if you want further information about anything relating to AASL, contact me at 732-566-1995 or e-mail to: hildakw@gmail.com.

AND JOIN AASL NOW SO YOU CAN VOTE FOR BARBARA STRIPLING for ALA

January, 2012. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 5

Alice DinizoNJASL-R Reporter

This might be of interest to you all. Ocean County Freehold Chairman Joseph Vicari recently resigned as head of the Berkeley Township School Board. Why? He felt that school board meetings were getting political, and that politics belongs in government, not in our schools. Well, clone yourself Freeholder Vicari. School Board agendas are supposed to be about helping our children learn, aren’t they? If school board members are going at each other over political differences, who is there for our children? And will these battling school board members be thinking of books and media needs for our school media centers? The answer is a sad one, isn’t it?

This reporter has often emailed Governor Christie about assorted issues, and, as a result, the Governor’s newsletters come to my email address. Governor Christie does say that he is committed to reforming New Jersey’s public schools and wants to hold educators accountable. He wants to evaluate our teachers (and that means our currently employed school librarians) on their teaching practices and student achievement. This evaluation will bring a quality education within reach of every child in our state, regardless of their zip code or their economic circumstances. It will?

Years ago, when this reporter was hired to be an elementary school librarian by an urban school district within our state, I had my eyes opened, big-time! There were children in my school who were homeless, just taken in nightly by good-hearted souls. There were children who lived in “crack houses,” where noise and distractions went on until morning’s wee hours. There were children who relied on school breakfasts and lunches as their daily sustenance. How can a child learn if he or she has been awake all night, if they are homeless or scared or hungry? Survival will be on their minds, not the multiplication tables. Getting through to children who don’t have much going for them is very, very difficult. And to receive these children into the media center for their teacher’s prep puts great demands on the school librarian. But then, we are a highly gifted lot of educators, aren’t we?

Governor Christie should know how school librarians spend long hours working on lessons plans that will reach all of our children, not just those in urban schools. Someone on his staff should watch as librarians ponder what book, what website will work best in teaching a concept.

And when will Governor Christie set up an evaluation program for school administrators who often as not are the first to lay off a school librarian and replace that highly trained professional with a “volunteer”? Did you all know that the unemployment rate of library science majors is at about 15%?

New Jersey Center for the Book, www.njcenterforthebook.org

On March 4, the New Jersey Center for the Book will kick off the celebration of Food for Thought.

“Food for Thought”Food as Science, Food as Culture, Food as Career ---- What’s on Your Plate?

A statewide New Jersey Center for the Book/Library of Congress partnership program with the Monmouth County Library System which will take place on Sunday, March 4th, 2012 at the Monmouth County Library Headquarters in Manalapan from 11:30am – 4:30pm featuring renowned Chef David Burke as the keynote speaker. A roster of the day’s events will be forthcoming in the next few weeks. Check the Center’s website.

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Dashner, James. The Death Cure. Delacorte Press, 2011. 324 pages with an appendix. ISBN 13: 978-0-375-87030-9. This book is for grades 6 and up, or ages 12 and up, depending on reading level.

As long as I am willing and able to stand in front of a group of students and manage a school library collection (or two in my case), I hope always to remember not to apply my standards to my students’ literary choices. As an English teacher, I never liked Dickens, whereas I did like Steinbeck and Orwell, but I still cheerfully taught all of them (although I must admit, in my heart of hearts, that I probably had more enthusiasm for The Grapes of Wrath and 1984 than I did for Great Expectations). As a librarian, I can never let my biases about literature blind me to what my students want. I walk a fine line between what is popular, what is age-appropriate, what is deemed acceptable by community standards, what is in demand, and what is reviewed a certain way or given certain awards, but what I personally like or dislike is irrelevant. Ironically, this is working against me these days, because I love dystopias and always have ever since I was a teenager, so I have to fight the temptation to spend half of my budget on the ever-expanding dystopian titles available these days. I would like to cite The Death Cure by James Dashner as one of the most highly successful and well-crafted young adult dystopias, but, unfortunately, after his amazing start with The Maze Runner, Mr. Dashner has disappointed me with lots of running and fighting, but not lots of substance. My students who have read it disagree with me, but the story felt hackneyed. However, as I stated above, my opinion is irrelevant: I have several copies on the shelf (and on hold), and I am glad I read it, if for no other reason than to learn the answer to the ongoing series question: is WICKED good or bad?

After surviving the various tests, betrayals, and trials of the Scorch, Thomas finds himself in a room of what he assumes to be WICKED’s headquarters. During three weeks of isolation, Thomas has plenty of time to remember all of the reasons he hates WICKED (World In Catastrophe, Killzone Experiment Department) and to plan his eventual escape, but he will need help from Minho, Newt, and whoever else made it this far and was deemed worth saving. Fortunately, Thomas and some of his fellow Gladers are “munies,” immune to the virus called the Flare which is ravaging the earth. When Thomas and some of his friends are finally summoned by Dr. Janson (aka, Rat Man), they are given the choice to get their memories back or to remain in ignorance. Also, Thomas, always the most curious of the group, finally gets the answer to the question that has been bugging him for a while, what is the “killzone?” Rat Man informs him, “The killzone is your brain. It’s where the virus settles and takes hold. The more infected the killzone, the more paranoid and violent the behavior of the infected. WICKED is using your brain and those of a few others to help us fix the problem” (12-13). Minho, Newt, and Thomas must decide if they trust WICKED and the mantra “WICKED is good” that was Teresa’s last communication with Thomas. If they do not want their memories back, and they will not cooperate, will WICKED and Rat Man just walk away from the people in whom they have invested so much time and effort? If they escape, how do they get out, and where do they go? The world is not a safe place, but it is unclear whether it is more dangerous with WICKED or on the outside where the Flare is turning people into flesh-eating zombies. When The Maze Runner series came out shortly after The Hunger Games, I was convinced that James Dashner was the heir-apparent to Suzanne Collins. Sadly, however, Mr. Dashner’s conclusion to the trilogy, The Death Cure, does not have the revelatory, bigger-than-it-seems, allegorical impact of its parents, The Shadow Children and The Hunger Games. This effort is less of a cinematic triumph and more of a movie-of-the-week, satisfying enough if nothing better is on at 2 a.m. However, Mr. Dashner has shown promise, and my students like his work, so I look forward to his next project.

-Bruce DuBoff is the librarian at Pennsauken Intermediate School and Howard M. Phifer Middle School in Pennsauken, NJ. Bruce’s e-mail address is bduboff@pennsauken.net and his web URLS and blog site are as follows: Websites: http://ww2.pennsauken.net/pim and http://ww2.pennsauken.net/pms, Blog: http://phiferbooks.blogspot.com

Bookmark is published monthly, September through June, by The New Jersey Association of School Librarians, PO Box 610, Trenton, NJ 08607. October through May are online editions. Deadlines are always the 15th of the month. Editors: Pat Morris, Bev Siti. Email to <justbev@juno.com> and please put NJASL or Bookmark in the subject line.

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The 2011 AECT International Convention was held in Jacksonville, Florida, on November 8-12. NJASL was represented by myself, as NJASL liaison/State Affiliate, NJASL VP Pam Gunter, and 2011 Villy Gandhi Recipient Lisa Bakanas. Janet Clark was also there as the AECT winner of the First Timers Scavenger Hunt that took place at last year’s conference.

Tuesday was spent at the AECT Board meeting. Highlights of this meeting were:

1. Tech Trends (AECT primary journal) continues to rank high in readership. There is a new cover, and the journal is available electronically. According to the publishers, other publications produced by AECT divisions are being well received.

2. AECT is beginning to review their Affiliate Policy, as there are several types of affiliates – chapters, state, international, regional, and national. All of these need to be defined, reviewed for who affiliates report to and the history of the affiliate with AECT, and looked at for agreements that may have been made. At the end of the meeting, the gavel was passed from Barbara Lockee to Ana Donaldson. The annual Leadership Dinner was held Tuesday evening.

Wednesday was the beginning of the 122 roundtables, Presidential sessions, Panel sessions, and approximately 800 concurrent sessions. Also held this morning were various committee meetings. I attended the School Media & Technology (SMT) Board Meeting, where the main topic of discussion was what the incoming SMT President’s goals were for the Division. Next was the Membership committee meeting, where the membership’s needs have to be reviewed and incorporated into the new website. Finally, as liaison to the AECT Board, I attended the Leadership Committee meeting. This year there are co-chairs – the person who is serving her last year as chair and the person who will succeed her next November. This concept will provide continuity for the committee in 2012 when the chairpersons change.

Some of the sessions on Wednesday that related to SLMS were on collaboration, results of a survey and interviews from 68 SLMS in the East Carolina University area of what professional development opportunities are desired, digital storytelling with older students, and blogging with a

5th grade class. Ellen Wagner, Executive Director of WCET, was inspiring as the keynote speaker when discussing the future of technology design, learning, and education. The Welcome Reception followed, where each Division provided informational updates and news from within their division.

Thursday started with a “Breakfast with Champions,” where the “champions” were past presidents of AECT, Ellen Wagner, Larry Johnson, CEO of the New Media Consortium, and other leaders in the field. Great discussions were held at tables, and some continued over the next two days. Later that morning, I attended one of my favorite sessions, “Digital Comic Making as a Learning Tool,” which used the concept of sequential art in comics (that can be used with free or inexpensive online software) and how it links to the Standards. In the afternoon, ourown Lisa Bakanas participated on the School Media & Technology Panel discussion on collaboration. Collaboration is one of the areas that the Division has been promoting on the K-12 level for the past two years. Lisa’s comments on her participation on the panel and other activities at the conference are at the end of this report. Lisa was informative and relaxed and did NJASL proud! Thursday evening, the NJASL group attended the Affiliate Reception.

Friday morning was the SMT/Teacher Ed Breakfast and General Meeting. The afternoon was more workshops, such as Nancye Blair’s Elementary Media Projects, with enough ideas to last a complete year and then some! At the end of the day was the final AECT General Members Meeting & Awards. The candidates for AECT President-Elect, Otto Benavides and Steven Harmon, were announced, with elections beginning in January. I received the President’s Award for Service to AECT in relation to the SMT Division and for representing NJASL to AECT. NJASL is considered a very visible and well respected state affiliate for AECT.

At the Saturday Board meeting, the convention was declared a success, with over 800 attendees. Division reports were given, with a directive to have their goals for this year relate to the AECT Strategic Plan. Summer Leadership for 2012 will be

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held on July 16 & 17 in Louisville, Kentucky. The 2012 AECT Fall Conference will be October 30 – November 3, also in Louisville. The 2013 AECT Fall Conference will be October 29 – November 2 in Anaheim, California.

During this time, the International Student Media Festival was taking place in the same location. Students attending from all over the world had submitted entries of photographs, PSA, and videos from various grades levels (K-12). Over the three days, the finalists attended workshops geared to various media formats. Attendees of the AECT Conference were invited to participate as observers at these workshops. I observed some sessions and was amazed at what even the youngest child produced. The energy and knowledge shown by these children was not only contagious, but made one feel that we, as educators, are on the right track in what we are doing!

All in all, this was one of the best AECT conferences I have attended in the past 10 years, and I would recommend others to consider attending. If you become the 2012 Villy Gandhi Scholar, you can attend the Louisville Conference. Check the Awards link on the NJASL website for more details.

As usual, if you have any questions about AECT, please contact me.Leslie BlattAECT Liaison from NJASLNJASL Past-President

AECT-SMT Division Past-President

The following is Lisa Bakanas’s impression of the AECT Conference:

During our NJEA Convention break, I had the opportunity to attend the AECT 2011 International Conference as the recipient of NJASL’s 2011 Villy Gandhi Leadership Training Scholarship. The conference was held in Jacksonville, Florida, and was attended by over 800 educators and researchers, primarily in the field of instructional design. The School Media and Technology Division of AECT is a small but dedicated (and friendly) group who are really interested in establishing a dialogue with K-12 practitioners on the use of technology in our media centers and classrooms. For me, the highlight of my conference experience was being part of a panel discussion on collaboration. The panel was led by Dr. Lucy Green of Georgia Southern University. Also included in the panel were Michele Maniaci of Wisconsin and Denise Borck of Georgia, both award winning media specialists in their home states. We shared what collaboration with teachers and students is like in each of our respective schools. The panel members were then asked to be the guest speakers at the School Media and Technology breakfast. It was great to meet and interact with our higher education colleagues who appreciate finding out what is actually happening in our media centers.

I also enjoyed getting to know the other NJASL conference attendees: Leslie Blatt, who mentored and helped me find my way at the conference, Pam Gunter, and Janet Clark. As a relatively new media specialist, it was a great opportunity for professional and, most importantly, leadership development. I would like to thank NJASL for this great opportunity, and I look forward to working with this year’s Board.

Lisa Bakanas

2011 Villy Gandhi Scholar