School Library System
Week of September 9 - 13, 2019
OverDrive Checkouts - Summer 2019
OverDrive Google Authentication
At this time, we are encouraging schools to move to Google Authentication with OverDrive in order to have a more secure way of handling student information. Please read below for information on the process for moving to Google Authentication:
As long as your IT people are on board with making the necessary connections, it is as easy as them speaking with OverDrive to make the connections needed. It is a simple process, but your IT person must be willing to work with us and OverDrive to make the connections. They are welcome to contact Kerrie or Amanda with any questions they may have, but you can also give them the following technical information that came directly from the developer and legal team at OverDrive:
- The app does not have full access to any school’s domain as an admin
- The reason other vendors may not need read-only admin access is because they may not offer features such as content access levels and branch reporting like we do. The only information we read for these features is OU location and domain membership.
- We also do not store any information that we receive. We do not need the password for the admin read-only account, if you would rather send screenshots of your OU structure when setting up Google with us. If you did provide us with the password in the past, you can change that password on your end, so we no longer have access to sign into the admin account. This would not interrupt the connection, at all. Without the password, we have absolutely no view of your system.
- We're using the OAUTH standard and if we were to be hacked, the hacker would get no useful data. Even our backend logs only hold enough information for the past four days of students logging into OverDrive and then that information is purged from the system.
- Our developers spent weeks of research during development of this authentication connection, and this specific Google API is the only way for us to retrieve information such as a user's OU. Access to this API requires a security certificate and service account, which are handled by our G Suite app, and a read-only administrative account within the domain whom we impersonate. Without these components in place, we cannot retrieve that information, and therefore cannot offer content access levels or branch reporting for users on that domain.
Please let us know if you have any questions or if your district would be interested in pursuing this method of log in for your students and teachers.
Sora Versus OverDrive
At our General Membership Meeting October 22, 2019, Lauren Bogatay-Tubbs will present to the group about Sora. It is highly recommended everyone attend so that you can begin to show students and teachers how to use this wonderful free resource. We will also begin the roll out of the revised IFC that day, but that's a bit of information for another day.
If you have any questions please email Amanda or Kerrie.
News You Can Use...
Reimagined Information Fluency Continuum
Our October 22nd General Membership meeting will feature two regional librarians helping to roll out the new IFC. It is strongly recommended that all librarians in the region plan on attending this day long workshop. All librarians will receive a paper copy of the new IFC at the general membership meeting. We ask that you please bring your green binder (remove the old IFC first) to that meeting in order to practice sustainability by recycling the binders.
In addition, mark your calendars for the SLS Regional PD Day on December 4, 2019. Barbara Stripling will help librarians delve deeper into the IFC during this day long workshop at WSWHE BOCES. See the professional learning catalog for more information and to register.
A Note from the Three Apples Committee...
The Three Apples Committee hopes that everyone has had a smooth start to the school year. We had a bit of a late start but are happy to announce that the nomination forms for the Three Apples Award are up and running on the website. https://www.nyla.org/max/4DCGI/cms/review.html?Action=CMS_Document&DocID=1339&MenuKey=3apples
There are two different ways to nominate books. Students can go directly to the Google Form for the grade and either select or write in their nomination OR librarians can use paper ballots with classes then tally the votes and enter them on the Librarian Google Form.
Be on the look out for activities to promote the nominations.
Sincerely,
The Three Apples Committee
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.
Census 2020 Resources Now Available
The sites included on this web page include complete count information; resources from the U.S. Census Bureau, ALA, and NYLA; a LibGuide created by the New York Library Complete Count Statewide Committee; resources for non-English-speaking populations; resources for hard to count disabled community; promotional materials; webinars; resources for educators and partners; and information on newsletters and e-mail lists.
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:
Smart Start Grant Program
High School to College Transition Special Interest Group
Professional Learning Opportunities
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.
FIRST MEETING: October 16th
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 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