School Library System
September 6, 2019
A note from Kerrie and Amanda
Welcome Back!
You can also reach our area school librarians through the SLS listserv email: sls@listserv.questar.org. Feel free to send your questions to the group to get feedback.
The SLS sends out a weekly newsletter each Friday with news, professional development, program ideas, articles, and fun projects. Please share anything with others in your school that might be useful! We are always looking to add pictures and videos pertaining to what you are doing in your library too so please send them to Kerrie or Amanda so we can add them to the newsletter. Pictures and videos should not include student faces for privacy reasons. All archived newsletters can be found through this link: http://libguides.questar.org/SLS/news.
Please review the "19-20 Documents" section on the Questar III School Library System LibGuides. Here, you will find documents that will be used throughout the year such as directories, ILL and courier information.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Kerrie Burch, School Library System Director, Arts in Education & Odyssey of the Mind Director
kerrie.burch@questar.org, 518-479-6976
Amanda Karian, School Library System Specialist
amanda.karian@questar.org, 518-479-6978
We look forward to a great year!
Welcome to our SLS!
Please join us in welcoming the new librarians joining our region this year. We look forward to working with you.
Jolanta Feliciano, Troy Middle School, 6-8
Laura Roberts, Germantown Central School, K-12
Elizabeth Jamison, Literacy Teacher, Rensselaer Park Elementary and Turnpike Elementary, K-5
Please see the events below for an opportunity to welcome them at the beginning of October. We hope everyone will join us.
Resources You Can Use!
New York Library Association Membership
The SLS is providing membership to the New York Library Association, Section of School Librarians, and ENYSLMA to Communication Coordinators, Council Members, and new librarians this year. If you would like to continue your membership and are not part of one of the groups above, please send a check for $45 made out to Questar III with School Library System - Dues in the memo line to our Questar Central Office by October 10th. We encourage you to take advantage of networking and learning opportunities this membership can offer. If you have any questions about your membership, please contact us.
Database Access 2019-2020
We will no longer be sending Word documents with log in information because you can now log in to the LRM to see the information for your school at any time. Please use the log in for your school that was given to you when we placed database orders. If you do not have that information, please contact your Communication Coordinator as they should have everyone's log in information for your district.
Please check your access at school and at home well before using the databases with students and/or faculty. If something is not functioning, please contact Amanda for assistance.
A reminder from our vendors:
Free Resources Through the SLS
Power Knowledge Science Suite from Rosen is our newest purchase and will be most beneficial to students in grades K-8. Please join us for a webinar on October 24th to learn more about this databse and the Rosen Spotlight titles, including our newest collection on Social and Emotional Learning.
Please find the access information to these new resources on your database access sheet.
Don't forget, through the SLS, you also have access to:
Newsbank - Access World News and America’s Historical Newspapers
NoodleTools, a citation and research assistance tool
Additional Rosen Interactive eBooks
TeachingBooks, learn all about your favorite authors and books (check out their new look!)
OverDrive, eBook and audiobook library
NOVELNY Resources through the NYS Library
Britannica and Gale NOVELNY databases are available on your school's Gale support portal at https://galesupport.com/novelny (click on the “Direct Database URLs” link). Use your school code found in the LRM to locate your URLs. **BE SURE GALE LINKS START WITH HTTPS**
Database Fact Sheet: http://novelnewyork.org/factsheets/noveldb.pdf
Meeting Dates
Council and Communication Coordinator Meeting Dates
Communication Coordinator Meetings
Librarians are welcome to attend all meetings.
October 22, 2019 - General Membership Meeting, ALL librarians are encouraged to attend
December 4, 2019 - Regional PD - The Reimagined ESIFC with Barbara Stripling
March 25, 2020 - Joint meeting with Council
Council Meetings
March 25, 2020 - Joint meeting with Communication Coordinators
May 19, 2020
Please click the links to enroll.
Upcoming Events
19-20 Professional Learning Catalog
Mentor/New Librarian Welcome Event
October 2, 2019
4:00 pm- 5:30 pm
Questar III Central Office
Join us in welcoming our new librarians to the Questar III region! All librarians are welcome and encouraged to attend! Learning for the afternoon will include looking at the SLS resources available to all librarians in the region. Snacks will be provided.
Sign Up: https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?D=15197&I=3177007
Book Buzz with Britt Buckenroth - Fall 2019
It's so hard to keep up with all the new books being published! This book club will give you the opportunity to expand your repertoire of NEW books, whether you are a school librarian or a teacher, as participants share the new books they have read. Participants will select and read NEW books (published in the last two years), from any genre, K-12 and write a book review. A review form will be provided. For each meeting, participants are expected to read either 1-2 chapter books, or 3-4 picture books and complete a review form for each book. ***PLEASE COME TO THE FIRST MEETING WITH COMPLETED BOOK REVIEWS AND READY TO DISCUSS YOUR FIRST SET OF CHOSEN BOOKS.*** The in-person one hour meetings will be held at Questar III Conference Center. Participants will earn a total of six credit hours for attending the three meetings and completing the required book reviews. This opportunity is open to school librarians and teachers at all grade levels.
Sign Up: https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?D=15197&I=3197242
Gale NOVELNY Webinars
Gale has scheduled the following webinars for NOVELNY databases. Please see date, time and registration information below. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Gale OneFile and Power Search
September 9, 1:00 - 1:30 pm
The Gale OneFile product family provides what 21st-century researchers expect: instant access to complete, up-to-date content. These resources put the world’s leading journals, magazines, newspapers and more at your users’ fingertips, with easy-to-use features and unique search tools enabling discovery. In this session, we'll cover popular resources like Gale General OneFile, Gale Academic OneFile, Gale OneFile: News and recent enhancements to all, including our cross-search platform, Gale PowerSearch.
Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/958187401234498827
Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints
October 2, 1:00- 1:30 pm
Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints is the premier online resource covering today's hottest social issues, from capital punishment to immigration to marijuana. In this webinar, we'll explore this rich resource for debaters that includes pro/con viewpoints, reference articles, interactive maps, infographics, and more. Recent enhancements will be highlighted as well!
Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5602509123797598219
Gale In Context: Middle School
October 3, 1:00 - 1:30 pm
Gale In Context: Middle School is a research tool created to support developing middle school aged learners as they build critical thinking and research skills. Cross-curricular content combined with organizational tools such as Highlights and Notes, and a simple user interface helps learners feel confident as they explore. In this webinar we will review the tools and features available, as well as the simple design and workflow. Recent enhancements will be highlighted as well!
Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6283068338506406923
Provided by the New York State Library, NOVELNY is a Statewide Internet Library connecting New Yorkers to 21st century information. NOVELNY is supported
Questar III School Library System
Arts in Education Director
Odyssey of the Mind Regional Director
Amanda Karian, School Library System Specialist
Website: http://libguides.questar.org/SLS
Location: 10 Empire State Boulevard, Castleton-on-Hudson, NY, United States
Phone: 518-479-6976
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QIIISLS/
Twitter: @QIIISLS