I’m posting from the barn. No, there are no farm animals, no piles of hay, and the dominant smell in the air (thank goodness) is fresh-baked cranberry scones. The Barn is actually a lovely inn near Valley Falls, KS and we’re gathered here for our annual NEKLS School Librarian’s Workshop. Technology is not the focus of this day and in fact, I don’t need to fire up the projector and laptop until after lunch. The buzz in the air as people visit before the day begins is, as it almost always is when librarians gather, all about books. I am humbled by the massive number of titles on the book lists this group’s members seem to have plowed through this summer. One of the things I enjoy most about my job is the opportunity I have to be in the presence of people so dedicated to literacy and reading. One of the things I strive to do in my job is to seek ways to make technology something that is not entirely separate from that.
Michael Cart was the morning speaker, presenting on “Literacy Leadership.” I found out during a chat over coffee that his city is famous for its architecture (I.M. Pei designed the public library there!). He’s a writer and an expert on young adult literature. Several things that he said during his presentation resonated as places where technology can be a valuable mechanism for reaching goals.
- Michael talked about the need for literacy leaders to have success stories about individuals, which they can present to administrators and decision-makers. Data and numbers are necessary, but stories can incite the passion and understanding that will lead to support. Technology can be used to capture and to disseminate those stories.
- Michael talked about reluctant readers and ways to reach them. I wonder what % of reluctant readers are enthusiastic technology users. (See notes on Terry Hime’s presentation a bit later in this post for a great example of being innovative about using technology as a bridge to reading and literacy).
It is an unfortunate fact that in many communities, the school librarians and the public librarians operate in isolation from one another. In her role as School Liaison at Johnson County Library, Erin Downey Howerton seeks to connect the two groups. Her energetic book talk was tech-free, but I was sending Amazon links to my middle school teacher sister repeatedly. If we were able to take the pulse of the room throughout the day, then I’m guessing we would have discovered the fastest, most excited heart beats at this point in the agenda. Book lovers are we.
The afternoon’s later sessions did focus on technology. Christie Brandau (arguably one of the most tech-friendly state librarians around) and Patti Butcher from the State Library of Kansas introduced several statewide technology initiatives of interest to school librarians. Cheers were heard from the crowd when Christie announced that the Kansas Library Card is going away. Soon, IP recognition will make the card unnecessary. Other topics included:
- Statewide databases
- WebJunction (your online resource for continuing education)
- New State Library of Kansas website (we got a sneak peek) – It features a federated search of all resources. Watch for it in December 2007!
- Audio Books, Music, and More
- Kansas Library Catalog
- Patron-initiated ILL
- Homework Kansas
- Live support for these tools provided by Eric Gustafson. Librarians and patrons can reach Eric by calling 800/432-3919, or 785/296-8152. Eric can be reached by e-mail at: egustafson@kslib.info
The day ended with two breakout sessions. Diana Weaver spoke on ILL and Terry Hime and I talked about wikis in the school environment. Terry’s successful book discussion wiki is an excellent example of the potential connection between literacy/reading and technology.
(Or at least there is a free option… if you want more storage space, then there’s a fee – $24.95/year).