Alabama Library Media Update
May 2020
A Quick Note
In the newsletter below, you will find information regarding
#MondayMotivation ALSDE posts - Inclusion of Library Media Specialists
Cancellation & Postponements of Summer Professional Learning & Conferences
Resources for Library Media Specialists & Educators Supporting Remote Learning (Includes safe handling of library/instructional materials & free online resources)
Dear Alabama School Librarians,
Thank you for all you do! I applaud all you are continuing to do in light of this unprecedented situation. Your roles may have shifted, including the way in which we serve our students and teachers, but hearing from many of you it seems your role has been very important to our teachers and students shifting to remote learning.
Thank you to our school librarians during the month of April! The celebrations of National School Library month and National Library Week may have looked differently, but I loved seeing the appreciation posts for all our school librarians across the state in addition to seeing the positive partnerships many of the school libraries are forging with the public libraries to encourage a continuity of services and resources to our students and families.
Do not hesitate to reach out to my by email, cdillard@alsde.edu, telephone (334) 694-4773, or Twitter @Mrs_Dilly.
Submit a college post of your district colleagues or your school librarian BFFs. It can include a message, motivational quote about reading, or it can also be a post of what you are reading currently. This will be a great way for school librarians to be promoted as well as the role we are playing in support the students and teachers.
You can submit your photo colleges to me by email at cdillard@alsde.edu. These will be accepted at any time and then I will forward them on for consideration for the #MondayMotivation posts
Example #MondayMotivation photo from Dothan City Schools
Library Media Specialists’ Vital Role in the Education of Students
The library media specialist maintains an updated school library/media center website to facilitate digital access to materials and resources (e.g., eBooks, print resources in a digital format, audiobooks, databases, journals).
- The library media specialist collaborates with teachers to plan, design, and facilitate instruction to meet the needs of all learners.
Collaboration can take place during scheduled office hours or planning times for different grade levels.
Delivery of collaborative instruction can take place with a blended model depending on the design of the instruction established, but the library media specialist can deliver part of the instruction in collaboration with the teacher.
- The library media specialist curates resources for teachers based on communicated needs in a variety of ways (e.g., newsletter, email digest, maintaining a website or digital classroom for teachers to locate resources based on grade or content area).
- The priority of the curated resources should be to support curriculum and instruction, but can also be focused on providing enrichment and extension of the curriculum and instruction.
- The library media specialist maintains access to digital resources, including books, to promote the love of reading to all students. This may include building a partnership with the local public library to extend access to digital materials for teachers, students, and parents.
- The library media specialist can facilitate the reading of materials aloud to students through a variety of ways and in accordance with copyright and fair-use of educational materials.
- The library media specialist develops office hours to provide support for students, teachers, and parents navigating the new instructional delivery model.
- The library media specialist can continue professional development and learning through attending virtual workshops, reading research, and communicating with other library media specialists in the district, state, or nation.
(This information can be accessed at Academic & Technical Guidance for Emergency End-of-Year Closures Manual APPENDIX A & B and #ALLibraries Online Resources for Library Media Specialists & Educators Promoting At-Home Learning and was provided to Superintendents and LEA Central Office Personnel in late March/early April.)
ASLA Member Corner
- Officer Nominations (Self Nominations Welcomed!)
- Virtual Professional Learning Opportunities
- Postponement of Summer Conference information
Each of you are encouraged to become an ASLA member, if you are not already.
ASLA encourages you to get involved within the organization at the leadership level. We need librarians who are willing to step up and lead the organization to provide a vision for the future of school libraries.
ASLA Pre-Conference & Annual Summer Conference - POSTPONED
ASLA - Alabama School Library Association PreConference (June 15) and Summer Conference (June 16) is POSTPONED
Due to the uncertainty of the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic, ASLA has decided to postpone our annual summer conference. We are aiming to reschedule our conference for Fall 2020 and want to keep our contracts with our scheduled Keynote Speakers. As we figure out more details, we will let you know. We will be refunding people who have already registered for Summer Conference. You will receive follow-up information regarding your refunds.
We are hoping to provide some virtual Professional Development opportunities this summer to give you the opportunity for flex times and more learning. We will announce these sessions as they get planned, so stay tuned.
Sincerely,
Laura Massey, ASLA President-Elect & 2020 Conference Chair
CANCELLED SUMMER CONFERENCES
MEGA Conference, July 13-17, 2020 is CANCELLED
Regional Inservice Center Professional Learning Opportunities
Regional Inservice Centers (RICs): With several universities extending their closures
for face-to-face summer classes, ALSDE has canceled all summer face-to-face, in-person professional development at ALL RICs. RICS have been encouraged to
provide virtual training opportunities if they have the capacity, both ALSDE-hosted
(Examples: ARI & AMSTI) and LEA-hosted virtual training sessions. The health,
safety, and well-being of all summer training attendees remains our highest priority.
(Alabama State Department of Education, Academic and Technical Guide for Emergency
Announcements of virtual professional learning opportunities through Regional Inservice Centers for Library Media will be made by the Inservice Centers and notification will be made.
The resource guide provides:
- Online and Streaming Reading of Books
- Digital Access of Books (Audio, eBook, and Read Alouds)
- Educator's Guide to Reading Online and Streaming (Covering copyright, publisher's allowances and pertinent information)
- Safe Handling of Library & Instructional Materials
Safe Handling of Library & Instructional Materials
Sanitizing Collections in a Pandemic
The safety of staff, students, and families are the priority, the possibility of lending library materials may be the option a school system elects as part of their Academic Continuity Plan. There should be guidance as to the safe handling and disinfecting of circulated materials.
The Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) recommends:
A 72-hour quarantine of circulating collection items as the safest and most effective way to disinfect them after handling by staff and patrons.
Recent studies show that COVID-19 persists on cardboard surfaces for 24 hours and on plastic surfaces for up to 72 hours.
The use of liquid disinfectants is harmful to library and archives materials and is not recommended.
Resources on disinfecting books, practicing good hygiene and keeping workspaces clean and disinfected:
American Libraries has published an article, How to Sanitize Collections in a Pandemic (March 27, 2020), which provides advice from several conservators on the proper way to disinfect circulating materials.
The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) hosted a Facebook live video on March 23 - now archived and available for asynchronous viewing on their website - entitled Covid-19 Basics: Disinfecting Cultural Resources.
The ALSC Blog offers Best Practices for Cleaning Play and Learn Spaces in libraries - with advice that could be applied to all frequently-touched surfaces during an outbreak of influenza or other viruses.
Sources:
- Northeast Document Conservation Center. 2020. “Handling Library Materials and Collections During a Pandemic.” Accessed March 31, 2020.
- New England Journal of Medicine. 2020. “Aerosol and Surface Stability of SARS-CoV-2 as Compared with SARS-CoV-1.” Accessed March 31, 2020.
- American Library Association. 2020. “Pandemic Preparedness Resources for Librarians.” Accessed March 31, 2020.
First Fridays Professional Learning
LIVE: Morning Session - May 1, 2020 at 9:30 - 11:00 AM
Topic: Alabama Virtual Library: Additional Resources
Presenter: Cristin Dillard
Description: The Alabama Virtual Library (AVL) is an excellent collection of resources that provides Alabama students, teachers, and residents with quality information. Learn more about additional AVL resources that have become available from vendors to promote to students, teachers, and families to help extend and enrich remote learning.
JOIN THE WEBEX SESSION: https://alsde.webex.com/alsde/j.php?MTID=mdc147d0e41a5d7dde3611dd65d033730
JOIN BY PHONE:
1-650-479-3208 Call-in number (US/Canada)
Access code: 923 117 684
LIVE: Afternoon Session - May 1, 2020 at 1:00 - 2:30 PM
Topic: Remote Learning & the Role of the Library Media Specialist / Question & Answer Opportunity
Presenter: Cristin Dillard
Description: This session will provide information from ALSDE highlighting the important role of the library media specialist in remote learning as school buildings are closed. This will also provide library media specialists with a question and answer time to provide requested information.
JOIN THE WEBEX SESSION: https://alsde.webex.com/alsde/j.php?MTID=m9377f3b1eb609f5e05a64f32d0971776
JOIN BY PHONE:
1-650-479-3208 Call-in number (US/Canada)
Access code: 922 508 177
Camellia Awards Voting - EXTENDED DEADLINE & MODIFICATION
This new deadline is due to school closures impacted by COVID-19. Also, this new deadline is tentative and could be changed if any new information becomes available about the reopening of schools.
If you need some ideas on how to get the books to the students - as far as online storytimes for the younger grades, I can work with you on this in addition for the upper grades books. We can brainstorm. Contact cdillard@alsde.edu for more information.
ADVOCACY • LEADERSHIP • COLLABORATION
LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY: Reach out to your local legislators to promote school libraries and emphasize the impact the library program has for ALL students. Write, call, email, Tweet - whatever it takes to get the ear of your legislators:
- Increase library enhancement funds - Currently the HB187 has Library Enhancement Funds at $200.00/teacher unit (page 24)
- Strengthen the librarians role in fostering literacy within a school
- Instructional partnerships between librarians and classroom teachers to benefit all students
It is very important to be vocal about how our roles as library media specialists are important before remote learning, during remote learning, and will continue to be after we return to the new normal. Do not hesitate to be vocal about the opportunities you have to connect students, teachers, and families with materials in the current situation as well.
Legislators should be reconvening on April 28 after a recess due to COVID-19 closures, we can remain hopeful even with a set back.
Camellia Children's Choice Book Awards - Readers for the Selection Committee Needed
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BEING A READER ON THE SELECTION COMMITTEE FOR THE CAMELLIA AWARDS:
https://forms.gle/h7RFgK1XQse9c9Lo8
K-12 Librarians and Educators in both public, private, and charter schools
Public children's and/or teens librarians
Camellia Awards Website: http://bit.ly/camelliabooks
Submit any shout outs, events, photos, etc to cdillard@alsde.edu to be featured in the next newsletter shout outs. I will share shout outs and spotlights in the upcoming newsletters.
Cristin M. Dillard, Education Specialist for Library Media
Also, don't forget to send in shout outs and publicity to be included. Alabama School Libraries are amazing with many great events, instruction, and projects going on. I would love to share that with others.
Email: cdillard@aslde.edu
Website: http://bit.ly/ALMO1
Phone: 334.694.4768
Twitter: @Mrs_Dilly