NYLA-SSL Update
A Newsletter from the Section for School Librarians
April 2021
NYLA-SSL
Email: nyla.sslibs@gmail.com
Website: nyla.org/ssl
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/54348998258/
Twitter: @nyla_ssl
From the President
As April showers turn into May flowers, I hope that spring is on your mind and that it gives you some rejuvenation in your personal and professional life. While we don’t have the SSL May Conference to look forward to for gathering new ideas or catching up with old friends while making some new ones, I hope that you’re finding ways to still do both of those things in the midst of everything going on. I know many districts are starting to get students back into schools and I hope that the new transitions are going well for all of you. Please remember that we’re here to support you in any way that we can.
I hope many of you enjoyed our evening with Jennifer LaGarde (a.k.a. Library Girl) and that you’re going to join us as we present the Knickerbocker Award to Bryan Collier on Friday, May 21. These are just two of the benefits from being a SSL Member. You’ll read more below about other ways that your NYLA-SSL membership benefits you.
I have been meeting virtually with several of the library school students and I’m excited to welcome them into our profession and tell them about all the wonderful things that NYLA-SSL does for its members.
Please feel free to reach out to me anytime with any questions or comments.
Dawn Pressimone
dpressimone@waynecsd.org
315-524-1135 (Work)
Institute Date
We need your feedback in the planning of the Leadership Institute. Please respond ASAP
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2NNMGPC
Keep up to date on the Carol A Kearney Educational Leadership Institute Website
Bryan Collier, Winner 2021 Knickerbocker Award for Juvenile Literature
Join us for a NYLA/SSL member event on Friday, May 21, 2021 at 7pm as we welcome and celebrate our 2021 Knickerbocker Award for Juvenile Literature winner, author/illustrator Bryan Collier.
Mr. Collier is a resident of the Hudson Valley whose works include Martin’s Big Words, written by Doreen Rappaport; Rosa, written by Nikki Giovanni; All Because You Matter, written by Tami Charles; Uptown, which he wrote and illustrated; and the soon-to-be-released We Shall Overcome, a modern-day pictorial based on the well-known anthem of the Civil Rights Movement.
He has received numerous awards for his artistry and story creation, including multiple Coretta Scott King awards and Caldecott Honors, and the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award in 2000 for Uptown.
On May 21, Mr. Collier will join us to accept his award and to share a talk with us on a topic we all can relate to: “You Can Never Outgrow a Picture Book”.
We will also welcome American Association of School Librarians President Kathy Carroll to our gathering, and we may have a special appearance by our 2022 Knickerbocker recipient for the big announcement of their win.You won’t want to miss it, so make sure your membership is up to date and watch for your invitation to sign up coming in the next week!
Congratulations to SSL Board Member Heather Turner for receiving the NYLA Outstanding Service to Libraries Award from Senator Sean Ryan, Chairman of Library Committees.
The purpose of the award is to recognize and honor an individual who, or a group that, has made a significant, sustained contribution to the development, promulgation, growth or extension of library/information services to the people of NYS or to residents within a designated service area within the State.
2020 NYLA-Dewey Scholarship Award Recipients
Congratulations to the 2020 NYLA-Dewey Scholarship Award Recipients:
Long Island University: Ruth Hurwitz
Pratt Institute: Elliott Hadwin
Queens College: Jennifer Grunenberg
St. John's University: Allison Payne
Syracuse University: Jaklin Sweis
University at Albany: Amanda Ospina
University at Buffalo: Charice Thompson
St. John Fisher: Jennifer McCorry
The NYLA-Dewey Scholarship is sponsored by the Lake Placid Education Foundation and the New York Library Association. The NYLA-Dewey Scholarship provides financial assistance to enable an interested and deserving student to pursue a Masters Degree in Library Science at an ALA-accredited library school in New York State. The recipients of this award will receive approximately $1,000.00 to cover tuition costs and related expenses. In addition, the winner will receive free attendance at the first NYLA Annual Conference to be held after the awarding of the scholarship.
Please reach out to me (Dawn) and let me know if you or any of your colleagues have won any awards or recognition recently. We’d love to share the news!
News from VP of Conference
In lieu of an in-person conference (for the second year in a row, unfortunately), NYLA/SSL hosted a webinar with nationally-renowned school library superstar, Jennifer LaGarde (a.k.a. Library Girl) on Wednesday, April 21, 2021 from 5:30 - 7:30 PM. Based on the content of her newest book, Developing Digital Detectives: Essential Lessons for Discerning Fact from Fiction in the ‘Fake News’ Era, which she co-wrote with Darren Hudgins, All the News That's Fit to Post: Strategies for Detecting Truth in Non-Traditional News Sources! took the 55 participants through the process of becoming media literacy “digital detectives” by first asking where we get our news and then moving the conversation to today’s learners.
Jennifer introduced the concept of the Four Lenses (Triggers, Access, Forensics, and Motives) and then proceeded to elaborate on each within the context of our own experiences and those of our students. Lateral reading, memes, and deep fakes as they relate to information literacy instruction and the reality of our young people’s day-to-day lives were explained. The remaining 45 registered professionals who were not able to attend the session live, along with all NYLA/SSL members, will have access to the video recording of the webinar through their NYLA account for future reference and enjoyment.
Many folks took the opportunity to renew their membership (or join for the first time!) in order to attend the event for free, but five people from outside the organization paid the $35 non-member fee. A resounding chorus of grateful voices marked the end of our time with Jennifer and the only question remaining is when and how can we bring her back to New York State in person!
Thanks,
Annarose Foley
VP of Conferences
Meet Jill Leinung!
I have been the Legislative Representative for SSL on the NYLA Legislative Committee for 14 years. I have also served as SSL President (2014-15) and as a Councilor at Large on NYLA Council (2016-19). Presently I am serving as a mentor for the Sustainability School Library Initiative and serve on the Youth Advocacy Committee. I was president of my local affiliate, ENYSLMA and serve as their Legislative Chair. I have always liked collaborating with my public libraries and now serve on my local library board (Valatie) and I am now a Trustee for The Mid Hudson Library System. I worked as a school librarian for 27 years in the East Greenbush Central School District and 9 years before that in the Hudson City School District, primarily as an elementary librarian. My greatest joy is my family, particularly my three children and their spouses, and my two grandsons. My 6 year old grandson believes that I have library superpowers as I could tell him what book he had read from his illustrations and could produce the book signed by the author-illustrator. (Balloons over Broadway) I love history, meeting authors, cooking, baking, gardening and reading – all things that I loved sharing with my staff and students. Even though I am now retired, I found have not lost my passion for advocating for all things library and librarians. Read more here
Your Region 2 Rep is Arlene Laverde
NYC-Cooperative Collection Development Program
By: Donna Gray
The Cooperative Collection Development (CCD) program was developed as part of the resource planning of the New York City School Library System's (NYC SLS) plan of service. The program aims to support instruction by promoting collaboration, selection, evaluation, and sharing of library resources. Following New York State Regulation 90.18, the New York State Education Department funds the Cooperative Collection Development program. The CCD collections within our system are open to all system members in public or non-public school settings.
Through this program, the NYC SLS plans to curate a diverse collection of shared resources throughout the system that subject specialists maintain (CCD librarians) and develop robust professional learning opportunities and programming for school communities. Activate the Stacks (ATS) is a new initiative related to the CCD collections. ATS is a professional development program that elicits subject specialists to share their knowledge with the larger field of librarians. In these PD sessions, the subject specialist shares a lesson or program tied to the collection while also highlighting essential resources and texts that amplify the use of the collection in the school. Read more here...
Your Personal “Book Shopper”
By Christina Gavin
Inspired by an article in KQ, I took my library's personal book selections program into the digital realm.
Instead of filling out a paper form and receiving a hand-picked stack of books gift-wrapped and addressed to them, students now complete a Google Form indicating their interests and providing information about what they would like to read (or not), then Jhenelle Robinson & I send them personalized recommendations from Sora along with instructions for getting signed in and an offer to help if needed.
We originally shared the form in early February and so far about 50 students have participated. Our circulation has increased, and we've noticed recommended titles being checked out.
I shared a copy of the form with fellow librarians Rachel Chapman, Arlene Laverde, and Ciro Scardina; they made some tweaks and shared with their school communities and their students have also responded positively.
Based on their positive feedback, I shared the form with NYCSLIST, the NYC School Librarian Information Sharing Tool listserv. Colleagues from around the city replied sharing their modifications and success stories from their libraries.
Bio Poems-Celebrating Poetry Month
By Rose Ellen Neidish It began as a simple assignment to celebrate National Poetry month in April. I hadn’t planned on it morphing into this extraordinary project, especially since it really was our first remote Library Class on Google Classroom. I wanted us to acknowledge poetry with something different. Rather than acrostic poems which many of us have done, haiku, or the traditional rhyming poems, I thought assigning Bio Poems would be the way to go. There were very specific guidelines. That would make it easy to work independently on the poem since we were not in the Library together. As it was early in the coronavirus pandemic, I didn’t want to overwhelm.
A parent helped to turn the 100 submissions into a book and anther parent turned our poetry slam into a video. Wonderful lifetime memories for all the students involved!
I’m Bringing (the love of) Reading Back
As a librarian assigned a senior English class with a flexible curriculum, I really wanted to bring back the love of reading many students had when they were younger but lost due to various competing factors. It is my hope that they continue to read for pleasure after they graduate.
My students read any book of their choice over the course of four weeks. This is in addition to their regular coursework. Each week there is a brief writing assignment or flipgrid response. We then finish with a book review.
To keep it fresh, the final product changes each time. The first was a full-length written review or a book trailer, the second was in poster form, and the attached file is a Tweet with a two-paragraph review. This project also addressed the students' desire to improve their academic writing by being concise. We finish with a virtual gallery walk.
Many have noted that the "forced" reading has actually been relaxing and a welcome break. Others like picking their own books. However, some miss the ability to discuss the book as they do with shared reading in class. A few students have confided that they never read on their own and are grateful for the experience which has been very rewarding to me.
A Plethora of Virtual Library Activities
By Esther Keller
This year, I am on a semi-fixed schedule. It has been hard coordinating class visits, but I finally was able to coordinate and jump on zoom with some of our blended and in person students to booktalk. It was the beginning of April, so I focused on Poetry - choosing a few novels in verse. Students got a demo of SORA and how to reserve books on BPL's website to pick up books in person. I try to connect to all students using digital book displays, inspired by Arlene Laverde. They have been well received by students and faculty.
With my fixed classes, students are creating podcasts! Topics are wide and varied because students have been asked to pursue their personal interests. We had a visitor from BPL's Virginia Marshall who produces their podcasts, Borrowed, to help students create better interview questions and practice interviews. It's a work in progress, but we're excited to see what students will produce!
NYCSLA and EveryLibrary Collaborate!
By Arlene Laverde
This event is just a small piece of the advocacy work that is taking place in New York City to bring much needed attention to the value that a certified school librarian brings to the school. The event was recorded and can be viewed here-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BD3sp2x6qg.
Inspire COVID Recovery Grant: Apply – you just never know!
This article originally appeared in NYSSLS Sharing Times-April 2021
I learned about the Inspire COVID Recovery Grant the way I learn about a lot of things: NYCSLIST ListServ! "APPLY AND GET MORE EBOOKS FOR YOUR LIBRARY" was the header on the ListServ. I looked it over, added the date to my calendar, and promptly forgot all about it until I was reminded through an AASL newsletter email. So, I reached out to my collaboration partner, Mr. Cedermark, and drafted an application that would bring more books into the library and ultimately, into students’ hands.
This was not the first grant win; I had applied for several other grants, such as the Department of Library Services' Reading in Action grant and the Civics for All grant. I was also lucky enough to win the Astor Center/New Visions grant for two years, both 2020 and 2021. I had a "sort of win” with the My State Farm grant; we actually lost the grant, but they loved the project so much they gave us a $500 prize. This unexpected win helped build my "why not apply?" attitude towards grants. Continue reading this article here....
What’s a Drag Queen Story Hour Remote Visit Like?
This article originally appeared in NYSSLS Sharing Times-June 2020
MineCraft Mondays
By Caren Wright-Shilling
This article originally appeared in NYSSLS Sharing Times-March 2021
When school went blended and remote, sometimes simultaneously, I lost my lunch-time open-access library periods. I also teach music two periods a day and co-teach one period of ELA daily. I was faced with a dilemma: how to engage readers with the library in a way that wouldn’t overload me time-wise. The answer: Minecraft Mondays.
The idea was generated with input from my students. I posted a survey in the Library’s Open Access Google Classroom – what activities would you like the library to do this year? Read-alouds came in second (I owe them one), and Game Day came in first place. We bargained about which games to do. We settled on Minecraft for Education twice a month, and other games such as skribbl.io and charades in break-out rooms. Continue reading the article here....
What Can Does NYLA Do for You?
Hopefully as an SSL member, you are aware of the activities of SSL and how those efforts impact your work as a school librarian. But do you know what NYLA itself does for school librarians?
NYLA as Lobbyist
Both myself and Bri McNamee (Director of Government Relations and Advocacy) are registered lobbyists with the Joint Commission on Public Ethics. Why? Because we actively work to lobby elected officials in support of funding and policies that positively impact the library community, including school librarians. We also engage in regulatory advocacy, working to influence policy that are set by the NYS Department of Education. Upcoming bills on digital literacy, the physical requirements for school libraries matter to you and NYLA is your voice in Albany.
Most recently, NYLA has empowered a school library advocacy working group, with representatives from SSL, and the School Library System Association (SLSA) to explore how best to advance the long-term goal of ensure that every student has access to a quality school library program, staffed by a certified school librarian.
When Governor Cuomo proposed eliminating the $6.25/pupil for library materials aid, NYLA was there coordinating an online petition that garnered 2,000 signatures of opposition; helping to defeat the proposal, and ensuring the continuation of library materials aid funding. Read more here....
As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out,
Jeremy Johannesen, CAE
NYLA Executive Director
SSL Membership - We need YOU!
The pandemic has affected everyone in so many ways and SSL is no exception. We are faced with significantly declining membership numbers. One can point to two major reasons for this decline. Firstly, our school library systems have been greatly impacted by budget cuts and that has resulted in many SLSA directors suspending the past practice of paying for a NYLA Organizational Membership for their librarians.
Secondly, many members (and potential members) were negatively affected in a financial way due to circumstances beyond their control. But no matter where we find ourselves today, one thing we know for certain is that we are stronger together and we need each other. Please make every attempt to renew your personal membership for NYLA/SSL. Through robust membership, we can continue our support for you and your programs. Join or Renew your NYLA-SSL Membership at www.nyla.org
SSL Board Opportunities – Help Wanted
We are looking for SSL Members to fill the following positions on the SSL Board for the term listed for each of them. Please contact Dawn Pressimone, SSL President, at dpressimone@waynecsd.org or at 315-524-1135 if you’re interested or have any questions.
Exhibits/Ways and Means Chair – This position deals with purchasing items to sell at our booth during the SSL Conference or other times as needed. They are also in charge of setting up the SSL Booth at our annual conference and getting volunteers to provide coverage there for certain times. We are looking to have someone shadow the current Chair from Nov. 2021 – Nov. 2022 and then take over as Chair for a 2 year term from Nov. 2022 – Nov. 2024.
Website Coordinator – The Website Coordinator is in charge of the online presence of NYLA-SSL. The online presence includes, but is not limited to, Social Media such as Facebook and Twitter and the section website through NYLA.org. The position is under the Vice President of Communications. We are looking for someone to immediately fill the remainder of the current term that ends in Nov. 2022 and stay on beyond that for another 2 year term.
Calling all Library Lovers!
Do you have a friend, colleague, or family member who loves libraries? If so, be sure to let them know that they can also join NYLA as a “Friend” under NYLA’s Personal Membership and they can choose SSL as their main section. A Friend Membership is $30 and they’ll have access to all our programs, newsletters, etc. You can also surprise someone and honor them for their birthday, holiday, or just because and give them the gift of membership.
Remind your retired library colleagues that they can still support NYLA-SSL with a Retired Membership for $30.
Library School Students can join for $15 and Library Assistants or Support Staff can join for $25.
illustratelife. “Vector Abstract.” Vecteezy, https://www.vecteezy.com/vector-art/268246-abstract-background. Accessed 29 Apr. 2021.