I just succeeded in downloading an ebook from ListenAlaska but it wasn’t without a few glitches. I do feel it will be easier and faster next time and I’m very glad to know about this digital service of which the Juneau Public Libraries are a member.
My problem came when I tried to download the book and it asked me to install “Adobe Digital Editions”, which I did, but after doing so, the screen directed me to sign in with my userid and password. This totally confused me because I’ve never heard of being a member of Adobe. It looked like I had to provide login info or I couldn’t continue, however, there was no way to sign up to become a member of Adobe, so it seemed I was stuck.
The screen also said I had two choices: 1) click here and I could download the book to up to 6 devices at any time, 2) click here and I would never be able to download to anything but the current device. I didn’t want to limit myself but realized if I clicked number 2, I would not have to sign in and I could get on with the business of downloading the book, so I did.
I explored some of the options for layout of the digital book on the page and started reading. Immediately I was reminded of much I don’t like to read off of a computer screen if it is text of any significant length. I come home every day from work with eye strain from time on the computer. I’m someone who prints probably more than she should simply because it’s so much easier on my eyes to read off a piece of paper. I’m wondering if “E-ink” would feel better. People tell me they love their Nooks because of how easy they are on the eyes.
I was struck by the article this week that cited studies showing student comprehension is higher when using an ebook versus traditional print. This is noteworthy and tells me I need to incorporate more ebooks in my library. I have been building up a good supply of PlayAways (audio books) over the past four years and ever since have barely been able to keep them on the shelves. The kids love these devices and ask if they can come to the library at recess to read (I always have them check out a print copy along with the electronic copy so they can follow along). The last few years I’ve purchased as many Battle books that I could in PlayAway form; these are always very hot items.
There are so many possibilities for using ebooks and audio books in k-12 libraries. I would love to have a big database of either that are mulitiple copies and are leveled so teachers can use them for literacy groups. They could access them on the spot from the classroom by use of our COW (mobile) computer cart. I’d also love to have 8-10 Nooks or Kindles available for checkout by staff and then see how they use them. We got 20 ipads for our school this year and I find the learning comes from watching staff come up with ways to incorporate the ipads into their teaching. Everybody discovers something different.
This whole area of ebooks/ebook readers/audio books feels huge to me. I don’t know how to really get started with them in my library. I’m confused by the many copyright rules, as are most librarians these days, and feel a lot of “wrinkles” in the system need to be ironed out before I can figure out what to do. I’m wondering if I could start small with say, 4 Nooks, and then work with IT on how to best implement them with staff. Sometimes the best way to learn is just to jump in and see what develops. I’m eager to read the blogs of classmates who have already put ebooks into practice to see what decisions have been made about implementation.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Follett Destiny Library Management System
I am in my eighth year of work as a Teacher Librarian at an elementary school. For the past five or so years the Juneau School District has used the Follett Library System “Destiny Resource Management Solution” program, which is web-based. Though there have been many issues with the interface between Destiny and the “Power School” student ID system, Destiny is a system with which, I believe , all of the (ten) district librarians have been happy. Here’s why.
The big plus with this system is its customer service. It is easy to reach a human who is knowledgeable, professional, and friendly. The three hour time difference between Juneau and Illinois can be challenging but time differences with the lower 48 are something every Alaskan gets used to negotiating.
The very first page of the training manual on the back side of the cover lists three ways to reach support: a website with “how to” articles (available 24/7), phone, email. The fact that help options are displayed “front and center” (and that I have had many chances over the years to evaluate Follett’s help service) tells me this company is serious about customer support.
The Destiny system offers options for managing one’s collection and patrons that are too numerous to list, so suffice it to say cataloging, ordering, managing patron accounts, setting system preferences, setting policies, using a multitude of search choices, and using statistics generated by use, are thorough, well organized, and detailed. Some subscription services that stand out and are offered through Destiny are: State Standards, WebPath Express, Alliance A/V, TitlePeek, One Search, Accelerated Reader and Reader Counts! Reading programs, and Follett Falcon.
State Standards is a service the JSD does not currently use, perhaps because it is an online subscription service, and until this assignment, I was unaware it was an option. With the increased emphasis on standardized testing (certainly becoming front and center in our district), this is something that warrants pursuing. This service helps educators in implementing their state standards for their curriculum. Users are able to do a search for the standard they are addressing, and the related websites and library materials. I’m excited to have found this and plan on discussing it at our next elementary librarian meeting. As our school district is facing a huge budget deficit for next year, I’ll first contact my rep to learn the cost of adding this feature to our Destiny program.
WebPath Express, another subscription service, allows students instant access to thousands of grade-appropriate, relevant Internet sites directly from Destiny. I know one elementary librarian is using this service currently and I believe the subscription price is high. Still, this sounds like an excellent research tool. Just yesterday I inadvertently pulled up a site for my 4th graders that talked about someone on a drunken rampage (oops).
Another subscription service, Alliance A/V gives catalogers instant access to quality MARC 21 (not sure exactly what the “21” references to) records (over 500,000), for AV materials and non-print directly from Destiny. I’m unclear about what this actually does so will be asking some questions.
TitlePeek is a service we do have, though I’m unsure about the cost (will be asking). TitlePeek gives more bibliographic information to patrons and assists the SLMS with the assessment of readability and interest levels, curriculum support, and collection development. It also provides a cover image with each item. I noticed long ago that elementary students are more interested when an image is provided (we have a mix of with and without, not sure why). It would be interesting to take some data on which books are checked out more frequently; those with cover image provided when patron is searching, or those without.
One Search appears not to be something that it is necessary to subscribe to, but it does need to be set up within one’s Destiny system. One Search allows students to search the catalog, as well as free and paid-subscription databases from one interface, with the results provided on a single list. One Search gives access to the best information in the least amount of time.
Accelerated Reader and Reading Counts! match reading program quizzes with books in one”s collection, so students can match books with their reading level. We do not use this service in the JSD.
Follett Falcon PDA is a small hand-held computer that allows the user to perform real-time transactions. Cataloging, inventory, and circulation activities can all be done with Follett Falcon PDA. My guess is this service has been updated since my present manual, published in ’05, was written.
The Job Manager under the Back Office tab allows the administrator to download MARC records and to do other things such as run a collection analysis. I do this once per year and use the plethora of information to inform many aspects of my librarianship. Some helpful information pieces this analysis provides are: number of holdings, number of records, average age of the collection, and the number of books per student. It also analysis each 100s division, providing the average age of that section, number of items, and percent of the total collection. This information is beautifully laid out in the form of a graph and a pie chart, making it very easy to determine what makes up the bulk of the collection and which section is lacking. The report also breaks down each section into tens, thereby further detailing where the library is top heavy or deficient. Another section, “Balanced Dewey Comparisons: FLR” compares the percentages for each section with what a balanced library offers, making it easy to see deficiencies and to set goals when ordering new materials. A fun (and helpful) piece of data is a list of how many books were in the library at the start of each of the last 11 decades. There were two books in the Gastineau Library in the 1900s, and 22,267 on April 5, 2011 when I last did an analysis. Age sensitivity is also analyzed, letting me know what is out of date for such categories as systems Data/Computer Programs, Political Science, Astronomy and Allied Sciences, Medical Sciences, and maps/atlases. This information helps me to watch these categories that go out of date quickly, and to act accordingly. I find this very challenging.
We at JSD are currently waiting for “The Shelf”, an ebook Follett item that allows us to purchase and share ebooks (and is free!). We are hopeful that our IT department will install (next week, our spring break) the new version of Destiny that allows the books to be shared by all and to be integrated into the OPAC search so ebooks pop up when doing searches. We have had a lot of trouble getting this going given some rules from Follett, such as only one librarian in the district being allowed to do ebook ordering, and the fact that the password is automatically changed without our knowledge if a certain amount of time has elapsed since use. This always then requires a flurry of emails that take time and add frustration. We’re hopeful that this new version of Destiny will allow the shelf to run smoothly and that we can get past the ordering constraints. I think our trouble reflects the current ambiguity nationwide with how to handle ebooks in our collections. We are looking at other providers in case the update doesn’t give us what we need. Our rep has been more than congenial about this process, yet it has been fraught with frustration for we librarians. We want there to be a cost-saving component, e.g. any district patron (elementary shelf separate from High School shelf) able to access and use materials from The Shelf. We’d also like to partner with the public libraries on ebooks to save us all money, but that is fairly far down the pike, most likely.
There is certainly a lot more to be said for the Follett Destiny system, but for the purpose of this assignment, I think I’ve provided plenty to contemplate.
The big plus with this system is its customer service. It is easy to reach a human who is knowledgeable, professional, and friendly. The three hour time difference between Juneau and Illinois can be challenging but time differences with the lower 48 are something every Alaskan gets used to negotiating.
The very first page of the training manual on the back side of the cover lists three ways to reach support: a website with “how to” articles (available 24/7), phone, email. The fact that help options are displayed “front and center” (and that I have had many chances over the years to evaluate Follett’s help service) tells me this company is serious about customer support.
The Destiny system offers options for managing one’s collection and patrons that are too numerous to list, so suffice it to say cataloging, ordering, managing patron accounts, setting system preferences, setting policies, using a multitude of search choices, and using statistics generated by use, are thorough, well organized, and detailed. Some subscription services that stand out and are offered through Destiny are: State Standards, WebPath Express, Alliance A/V, TitlePeek, One Search, Accelerated Reader and Reader Counts! Reading programs, and Follett Falcon.
State Standards is a service the JSD does not currently use, perhaps because it is an online subscription service, and until this assignment, I was unaware it was an option. With the increased emphasis on standardized testing (certainly becoming front and center in our district), this is something that warrants pursuing. This service helps educators in implementing their state standards for their curriculum. Users are able to do a search for the standard they are addressing, and the related websites and library materials. I’m excited to have found this and plan on discussing it at our next elementary librarian meeting. As our school district is facing a huge budget deficit for next year, I’ll first contact my rep to learn the cost of adding this feature to our Destiny program.
WebPath Express, another subscription service, allows students instant access to thousands of grade-appropriate, relevant Internet sites directly from Destiny. I know one elementary librarian is using this service currently and I believe the subscription price is high. Still, this sounds like an excellent research tool. Just yesterday I inadvertently pulled up a site for my 4th graders that talked about someone on a drunken rampage (oops).
Another subscription service, Alliance A/V gives catalogers instant access to quality MARC 21 (not sure exactly what the “21” references to) records (over 500,000), for AV materials and non-print directly from Destiny. I’m unclear about what this actually does so will be asking some questions.
TitlePeek is a service we do have, though I’m unsure about the cost (will be asking). TitlePeek gives more bibliographic information to patrons and assists the SLMS with the assessment of readability and interest levels, curriculum support, and collection development. It also provides a cover image with each item. I noticed long ago that elementary students are more interested when an image is provided (we have a mix of with and without, not sure why). It would be interesting to take some data on which books are checked out more frequently; those with cover image provided when patron is searching, or those without.
One Search appears not to be something that it is necessary to subscribe to, but it does need to be set up within one’s Destiny system. One Search allows students to search the catalog, as well as free and paid-subscription databases from one interface, with the results provided on a single list. One Search gives access to the best information in the least amount of time.
Accelerated Reader and Reading Counts! match reading program quizzes with books in one”s collection, so students can match books with their reading level. We do not use this service in the JSD.
Follett Falcon PDA is a small hand-held computer that allows the user to perform real-time transactions. Cataloging, inventory, and circulation activities can all be done with Follett Falcon PDA. My guess is this service has been updated since my present manual, published in ’05, was written.
The Job Manager under the Back Office tab allows the administrator to download MARC records and to do other things such as run a collection analysis. I do this once per year and use the plethora of information to inform many aspects of my librarianship. Some helpful information pieces this analysis provides are: number of holdings, number of records, average age of the collection, and the number of books per student. It also analysis each 100s division, providing the average age of that section, number of items, and percent of the total collection. This information is beautifully laid out in the form of a graph and a pie chart, making it very easy to determine what makes up the bulk of the collection and which section is lacking. The report also breaks down each section into tens, thereby further detailing where the library is top heavy or deficient. Another section, “Balanced Dewey Comparisons: FLR” compares the percentages for each section with what a balanced library offers, making it easy to see deficiencies and to set goals when ordering new materials. A fun (and helpful) piece of data is a list of how many books were in the library at the start of each of the last 11 decades. There were two books in the Gastineau Library in the 1900s, and 22,267 on April 5, 2011 when I last did an analysis. Age sensitivity is also analyzed, letting me know what is out of date for such categories as systems Data/Computer Programs, Political Science, Astronomy and Allied Sciences, Medical Sciences, and maps/atlases. This information helps me to watch these categories that go out of date quickly, and to act accordingly. I find this very challenging.
We at JSD are currently waiting for “The Shelf”, an ebook Follett item that allows us to purchase and share ebooks (and is free!). We are hopeful that our IT department will install (next week, our spring break) the new version of Destiny that allows the books to be shared by all and to be integrated into the OPAC search so ebooks pop up when doing searches. We have had a lot of trouble getting this going given some rules from Follett, such as only one librarian in the district being allowed to do ebook ordering, and the fact that the password is automatically changed without our knowledge if a certain amount of time has elapsed since use. This always then requires a flurry of emails that take time and add frustration. We’re hopeful that this new version of Destiny will allow the shelf to run smoothly and that we can get past the ordering constraints. I think our trouble reflects the current ambiguity nationwide with how to handle ebooks in our collections. We are looking at other providers in case the update doesn’t give us what we need. Our rep has been more than congenial about this process, yet it has been fraught with frustration for we librarians. We want there to be a cost-saving component, e.g. any district patron (elementary shelf separate from High School shelf) able to access and use materials from The Shelf. We’d also like to partner with the public libraries on ebooks to save us all money, but that is fairly far down the pike, most likely.
There is certainly a lot more to be said for the Follett Destiny system, but for the purpose of this assignment, I think I’ve provided plenty to contemplate.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Library Website Creation
I feel equal parts of excitement and being overwhelmed when I think of making my library website. I’d love to be given the gift of two solid days with no distractions just to work on a site!
I’ve looked around at a lot of sites and made notes on what I’d like to have on my site, but it is unrealistic, in terms of quantity, so boiling it down to five of the most critical things to have on the site is a helpful assignment.
I have a lot of links on my Follett/OPAC page that address much of what was discussed in the assignment article (so helpful to read and to have!). There are some holes, but basically, if I could turn that page into an appealing, fun site with graphics and moving parts, I’d have a good start on a website.
Five Essential Sections for the Gastineau Elementary Library Website
1) General Info – including library hours (and librarian availability and class schedule), photos and short bios on myself and the Library Assistant, mission statement, policies (including behavior) and procedures, contact info, link to the Gastineau School webpage, library map and virtual tour, circulation procedures, OPAC
2) Student Section – links to the Juneau Public Libraries and State Library, Novelist, Destiny Quest, research info (e.g. Big Six, Easy bib, research tutorials), Scholastic Book Fairs, website evaluation, Battle of the Books website, Dewey tutorials, TumbleBooks, favorite author sites, etc.
3) Reference Section – e.g. Alaska Digital Pipeline, Khan Academy, Wikipedia, Dictionary.com, World Book Online, Infoplease Almanac, Atlas.com, Nat. Geo. For Kids, PebbleGo Science and Biographies, etc. I also will include guides for doing searches/research. Some links are to free resources, some are subscription-based.
4) Teacher Section – curriculum links (Kathy Schrock’s “Guide for Educators” site lookss good) with relevant resources for standards and benchmarks included in lesson plans, technology tools, Alaska EED site, an area where suggestions can be made and lessons shared
5) Reading Excitement Section – book of the week highlighted, new books in the library, new technology uses in reading, word of the week, author of the week, links to particularly good reading sites, book reviews, student reading successes, etc.
This feels like just a start and it is already too much! I really liked the Broadwater Elementary Library site in the Helena School District – so user friendly for kids. I tend to like something that doesn’t look overwhelming or too busy, but I don’t know how to get everything in, since there is so much to include, and keep it simple at the same time. Organization is key. I think breaking down each of the five sections above into an outline form is best.
I’ve looked around at a lot of sites and made notes on what I’d like to have on my site, but it is unrealistic, in terms of quantity, so boiling it down to five of the most critical things to have on the site is a helpful assignment.
I have a lot of links on my Follett/OPAC page that address much of what was discussed in the assignment article (so helpful to read and to have!). There are some holes, but basically, if I could turn that page into an appealing, fun site with graphics and moving parts, I’d have a good start on a website.
Five Essential Sections for the Gastineau Elementary Library Website
1) General Info – including library hours (and librarian availability and class schedule), photos and short bios on myself and the Library Assistant, mission statement, policies (including behavior) and procedures, contact info, link to the Gastineau School webpage, library map and virtual tour, circulation procedures, OPAC
2) Student Section – links to the Juneau Public Libraries and State Library, Novelist, Destiny Quest, research info (e.g. Big Six, Easy bib, research tutorials), Scholastic Book Fairs, website evaluation, Battle of the Books website, Dewey tutorials, TumbleBooks, favorite author sites, etc.
3) Reference Section – e.g. Alaska Digital Pipeline, Khan Academy, Wikipedia, Dictionary.com, World Book Online, Infoplease Almanac, Atlas.com, Nat. Geo. For Kids, PebbleGo Science and Biographies, etc. I also will include guides for doing searches/research. Some links are to free resources, some are subscription-based.
4) Teacher Section – curriculum links (Kathy Schrock’s “Guide for Educators” site lookss good) with relevant resources for standards and benchmarks included in lesson plans, technology tools, Alaska EED site, an area where suggestions can be made and lessons shared
5) Reading Excitement Section – book of the week highlighted, new books in the library, new technology uses in reading, word of the week, author of the week, links to particularly good reading sites, book reviews, student reading successes, etc.
This feels like just a start and it is already too much! I really liked the Broadwater Elementary Library site in the Helena School District – so user friendly for kids. I tend to like something that doesn’t look overwhelming or too busy, but I don’t know how to get everything in, since there is so much to include, and keep it simple at the same time. Organization is key. I think breaking down each of the five sections above into an outline form is best.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
School Nurses
In an effort to balance the Juneau School District budget, which has a projected six million dollar shortfall for the 2012/2013 school year, the administration is proposing getting rid of all but one or two nursing positions, and replacing them with health assistants. Staff is concerned about the safety of medically fragile students, should this change come to pass.
Friday, February 17, 2012
RSS
First, yes, I definitely see the value of aggregating information sources; RSS clearly is a marvelous tool for this. Second, I have to say when I read the author's exaltations about being able to track "about 80 feeds of info daily, from bloggers, newspapers, search engines, and more", (bottom page 72 in our text), my eyebrows raised. Then, after reading the next sentence, "I have read or skimmed literally tens of thousands of posts", I let out a gasp. I know there is an avalanche of information at our doorsteps and that Information Literacy skills need to include the ability to sift through this information and to scan; I just don't know that this is an entirely good thing.
One could say we have no choice since it's a fact now that information is everywhere and in multiple forms, so it not always being a good thing is a moot point. However, I do think we have a little bit of a choice, and that we need to exercise that choice so that we keep our lives balanced. There's such a lure to sit around and check information all day that we forget to go outside, move around, spend time with nature and each other, and to breathe fresh air. I spend so much time at my computer both at work and at home; I notice I'm inside a lot more than I used to be, and I'm not sure how much better my life is as a result, if any.
I'm glad there are ways to aggregate one's information and I see the enormous potential in RSS in education and personal lives. I just don't know how much time I have in my life to add it to my plate. I'm going to try it out with something that interests me a lot (backpacking or ocean kayaking, for instance) and get a better idea of how it works by starting small but I don't have a lot of hope that it will go much past that. To really take full advantage of RSS, I would need to read the chapter at least one more time (esp. the last five pages), try the sites that the author recommends (many!), and practice a lot making tags, etc. I don't know where that time would come from.
I'd like to hear ideas for using RSS in elementary schools - not sure how that would work with students but probably 5th graders could do it (e.g. web logs). It might work for this grade level doing research and collecting sources, though I think teachers would have to do a lot of vetting of sources to make sure it was all appropriate, and that takes time. The author's example of creating a RSS feed that brings any news about avian flu to a student's aggregator immediately upon publication is quite amazing. Seems like at the elem level RSS might be most helpful for gathering feeds that discuss elementary education topics to inform one's teaching.
I can't believe that News.Google.com has 4,500 news sources to choose from! Incredible! I also thought it incredible that there are "leaders in indexing Weblog content", e.g. Technorati.com. The fact that it can follow the way people tag their posts is almost too invasive or something, though I can sure see how helpful it is in finding the content the user wants. I really do wonder how people even think up these abilities, let alone design the code to make it happen. What a world we now live in.
One could say we have no choice since it's a fact now that information is everywhere and in multiple forms, so it not always being a good thing is a moot point. However, I do think we have a little bit of a choice, and that we need to exercise that choice so that we keep our lives balanced. There's such a lure to sit around and check information all day that we forget to go outside, move around, spend time with nature and each other, and to breathe fresh air. I spend so much time at my computer both at work and at home; I notice I'm inside a lot more than I used to be, and I'm not sure how much better my life is as a result, if any.
I'm glad there are ways to aggregate one's information and I see the enormous potential in RSS in education and personal lives. I just don't know how much time I have in my life to add it to my plate. I'm going to try it out with something that interests me a lot (backpacking or ocean kayaking, for instance) and get a better idea of how it works by starting small but I don't have a lot of hope that it will go much past that. To really take full advantage of RSS, I would need to read the chapter at least one more time (esp. the last five pages), try the sites that the author recommends (many!), and practice a lot making tags, etc. I don't know where that time would come from.
I'd like to hear ideas for using RSS in elementary schools - not sure how that would work with students but probably 5th graders could do it (e.g. web logs). It might work for this grade level doing research and collecting sources, though I think teachers would have to do a lot of vetting of sources to make sure it was all appropriate, and that takes time. The author's example of creating a RSS feed that brings any news about avian flu to a student's aggregator immediately upon publication is quite amazing. Seems like at the elem level RSS might be most helpful for gathering feeds that discuss elementary education topics to inform one's teaching.
I can't believe that News.Google.com has 4,500 news sources to choose from! Incredible! I also thought it incredible that there are "leaders in indexing Weblog content", e.g. Technorati.com. The fact that it can follow the way people tag their posts is almost too invasive or something, though I can sure see how helpful it is in finding the content the user wants. I really do wonder how people even think up these abilities, let alone design the code to make it happen. What a world we now live in.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Academic Freedom at Risk!
Juneau teachers showed up en mass last night at the school district board meeting to testify against the district's proposal to cut out of the teaching contract the paragraph that addresses academic freedom. It is believed that the administration's intention is to strip teachers of their freedoms in an effort to promote the use of scripted , "canned", programs. We teachers feel a deep lack of respect for our professional capabilities and esteem. We are not interested in education without personal connection, and we feel removing the freedom given us to teach with our individual styles and preferences in play is not what is best for kids. Why educate us to be teachers when a robot could do the canned programs we are being told are coming our way? Teachers are appalled by the intent to strike intellectual freedom from our contract, currently under negotiation.
Please visit the following link and scroll to "Article 12" to see the proposed changes to academic freedom in the teaching contract. Note as well that instruction is to be "data driven and results oriented". In other words, standardized test will rule.
http://yourjea.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/jsd-initial-bargaining-proposal.pdf
Please visit the following link and scroll to "Article 12" to see the proposed changes to academic freedom in the teaching contract. Note as well that instruction is to be "data driven and results oriented". In other words, standardized test will rule.
http://yourjea.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/jsd-initial-bargaining-proposal.pdf
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