Episode 2 of the School Library Scoop with Scottie is all about the SDSL Databases.

This is a new platform for short tutorials on school library services, technology tips and trends, and so much more. If you have suggestions or requests for future topics, please email me at scottie.bruch@state.sd.us.

The 2021 SDLA Conference is coming up next week, September 29-30. This year's conference will once again be hosted virtually on ZOOM, and there are so many wonderful sessions to attend! Check out these sessions hosted by SDSL staff:

Meet SDSL's New Library Technology Coordinator

Thursday 9/30, Breakout Session 1, 10-10:50 MT/11-11:50 CT

Cheyenne Chontos, SDSL Library Technology Coordinator

Summer Food Service Program: How Libraries can help their Communities by Operating this Program

Thursday 9/30, Breakout Session 2, 11-11:50 MT/12-12:50 CT

Laura Kelly, SDSL Children and Youth Services Coordinator, and Brigitta Bly

Easing into Coding with Girls Who Code Club

Thursday 9/30, Breakout Session 2, 11-11:50 MT/12-12:50 CT

Laura Kelly, SDSL Children and Youth Services Coordinator, Kathleen Slocum, Continuing Education Coordinator, and Valerie Tomici

Poster Session: Staying Connected and Relevant in a Digital World

Thursday 9/30, Poster Session, 12-12:50 MT/1-1:50 CT

Scottie Bruch, SDSL School Library Technology Coordinator

SDSL Databases Round Table Discussion

Thursday 9/30, Breakout Session 4, 2-2:50 MT/3-3:50 CT

I recently discovered an awesome little extension for Google Chrome called Mote. It lets you easily add voice comments and audio content to documents, assignments, emails, slides, and forms. My brain immediately went into overdrive thinking of all the possibilities of this little tool!

Below is an example of a quick slide I put together using the Mote tool. For the Spanish audio, I typed up my transcript, popped it into Google Translate (which has many language options), and then let Mote record it.

It would be so fun (and beneficial to your students!) to use this tool for: Virtual Book Talks, Library Maps, Library Resource Listings, Orientations and Other Lessons, Virtual Displays, and so much more!

"Banned Books Week (September 26-October 2, 2021) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. It brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.

This year's theme is 'Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us.' Sharing stories important to us means sharing a part of ourselves. Books reach across boundaries and build connections between readers. Censorship, on the other hand, creates barriers.

The books featured during Banned Books Week have all been targeted for removal or restriction in libraries and schools. By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship."

-- https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/banned