Media matters, Vol. 8, Issue 7 (Feb. 2010)

Media Matters
A newsletter for people who care about Library Media Programs
Volume 8 Volume 7

February 2010

The Future of Libraries
Lawrence Hardy
Katie Zimmerman`s seventh-grade science class nearly fills the darkened computer room at the Williamsburg Middle School library. A low buzz passes through the air as the students sit at terminals and search among three online encyclopedias and dozens of databases offered at this school on a quiet, wooded hilltop in Arlington, Va.
They`re working on their science fair projects, so we have a multitude of topics going on, Zimmerman explains.
Eclectic might be another word to describe the topics students have chosen. They range from the sports-related (How high will a basketball bounce on difference surfaces?), to the cerebral, twovariable take on plant growth (What combinations of water and water-absorbing minerals will produce the tallest plant?), to the truly inspired (Which mashed potato recipe will produce the thickest dish?).
I`m a big mashed potato fan, says the young researcher, who came up with the idea after she was home sick and restricted to a diet of spuds. She`s looking up all kinds of unusual mashed potato recipes on the databases and free Web. The white chocolate sounds good, she says. But I`m not sure about the raspberry.
In one corner, a self-described avid reader who consumes books for two hours most weekdays (and longer on weekends), is on the website of the Lexile Reading Framework, an algorithm for assessing student literacy. Like any seventh-grader, he wants to compare Lexile reading levels with the average length of words for those levels to see what patterns he can find.
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Check out more information at:
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/ teentechweek/ttw10/home10.cfm

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Inside this issue

GAIT`s Gift

Clarkdale

2

HBTY, HBTY, 3 HBDG, HBTY

Cyber Security 4

Katherine

7

Paterson

Michelle Easley 8

Helping

13

students

Ebooks

14

My favorite book 16

SAT Online

20

State Media

20

Festival

Calendar

21

The COMO Conference ignited a lively discussion between GAIT Board members about ways in which GAIT could make a positive impact in the media profession during the holidays. It was decided that the two Cobb County Schools that were most affected by the September floods would receive a monetary contribution to help offset the costs of an influx of students, teachers, and a Media Specialist, all of whom were leaving Clarkdale Elementary and moving to two other schools. Clarkdale suffered very serious flood damage and had to send their students and teachers to Austell Intermediate and Compton Elementary Schools.
Thus, GAIT, led by Ms. Giselle Escobar, contributed $800.00 to each of these two school Media Centers to help accommodate the larger student and teacher populations. The Media Specialists at these schools will use the monies to purchase print materials, and to support the instructional technologies of their Media Center. GAIT is appreciative of Principals, Mr. Clint Terza, and Ms. Liz Murphy, for supporting and appreciating the efforts of their Media Specialists year in and year out. GAIT was thrilled to be able to make the holidays even more bright for these students and schools. 2009 has proven to be a successful one for GAIT as they continue to grow, work hard, and continue to give of themselves.
Lastly, GAIT is looking forward to the 2010 leadership that will be provided by new President, Dr. Melissa Underwood. If you are not a member of GAIT yet, they invite you to join their ranks. Visit their website at www.gait-inc.org . GAIT memberships are only $15.00 a year and help support the Media Profession.

Education is not about
filling a pail, it's about
lighting a fire. W.B. Yeats

Austell Intermediate: Giselle Escobar, GAIT; Principal Clint Terza; and Media Specialists Michelle Jorgensen and Cynthia Coker

Compton Elementary: Media Specialist Peggy Milam-Creighton Giselle Escobar, GAIT; and Principal Liz Murphy

Let your heart feel the affliction and distress of everyone. ~ George Washington

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Happy Birthday GALILEO!
Lauren Fancher
Believe it or not, GALILEO will turn 15 on September 21, 2010. Way back in 1995, long before Google, GALILEO helped bring the University System of Georgia libraries, students, faculty, and staff the ability to search indexes and retrieve full-text materials on this new thing called the World Wide Web using something called ASCII text. For many of these users, GALILEO was their first introduction to the Internet, much less graphical interfaces, as well as the benefits this technology had for learning and research. In fact, GALILEO helped put public computers into the University System libraries and provided fax machines for interlibrary loan articles, at time when some campuses had a single fax machine in the President`s office. Institutions that had only a few journals suddenly had access to hundreds of journals. GALILEO`s delivery over PeachNet helped people understand the benefits of robust networks for transmitting data, providing the impetus and legislative support for bringing both internet access and GALILEO to public libraries and schools. Even in this era of ubiquitous information that has followed its early innovation, GALILEO still provides the core resource for the libraries and media centers of Georgia, fulfilling its mission to be One Statewide Library by bringing quality, authoritative, and secure digital materials of all kinds to the citizens of Georgia, including encyclopedias, books, thousands of periodicals, and unique materials of historical and cultural significance. Over one billion user experiences attest to the success of GALILEO.
The spirit of innovation and collaboration that has been part of GALILEO since the beginning continues, as today GALILEO has multiple interfaces that serve different audiences and communities of interest, special tools for federated searching and linking to ejournals across all resources, a toolbar for easy use in common browsers, online training for library staff, and video tutorials for users. The future promises to continue apace, as new discovery tools and tools to assist the integration of library resources into online learning environments enhance the GALILEO environment.
As a teenager, GALILEO will continue to need the support, encouragement, and thoughtful guidance of the GALILEO community; the birthday is a great opportunity to share and express the value that GALILEO provides to the state of Georgia.
GALILEO Life Contest: Use your creativity to show support for and use of GALILEO by making a video, poster, powerpoint, or a library fan. Contribute entries by May 14th. Prizes will be awarded for the 5 age groups in each of the three media (poster, video, and powerpoint) categories and the 3 library types (public, academic, and K12) in the fan category. See details about the contest guidelines and submission instructions here: http://www.usg.edu/galileo/about/ birthday/
GALILEO Scrapbook: Collect your stories, quotes, and pictures and share with GALILEO to post in an online scrapbook of community and sharing. Details will be available soon.
GOLD/GALILEO User Group Conference: Our annual gathering will include special events and activities to recognize GALILEO`s birthday and contributions to libraries in Georgia and your participation in the contest and scrapbook activities. Details will be available later in 2010.
Virtual Birthday Celebration, September 21, 2010: A special online event to share and recognize the 15th birthday and the GALILEO community.
The celebration starts today -- watch for regular news and information in the coming months, and in the meantime, remember: you are part of GALILEO, so this is your 15th birthday too!

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Listed below are the "Top Ten Cyber Security Tips" from GaDOE to get everyone jumpstarted for the new year. Please review the information and incorporate these ideas and practices into your daily activities for work and at home. Feel free to share with family and friends to help spread the word.

Top 10 Tips
1. Back-Up Important Files
Back-up your important files on a weekly basis at a minimum. Dont risk losing your important documents, images or files!
Backup strategies for:
Work: All documents and files stored on network shares should be backed up on a daily basis. To be sure your documents are safely backed up, store them on network drives you are connected to. Documents stored on the local disk drive will be lost if the disk system experiences a fatal crash. Disk failure rates for laptops are typically higher than that of desktop PCs, so moving files from local storage is vital for those using a laptop as your primary computing device. Avoid losing your important work by utilizing network file server storage.
Home: Most home computers are integral parts of our lives today and used for banking, running a home business, entertainment, security systems, etc. Ensure the safety of your files by regularly backing them up to a secondary storage device.
Many options are available for back-up including:
Adding an additional internal storage disk to your system.
Using an external/portable disk solution such as USB, Firewire, etc.
Depending on your backup needs, even smaller USB storage devices, a.k.a. "thumb drives", can be part of an effective backup plan.
Remember to secure any portable storage device with important data by locking it up when not in use.
Consider using a fireproof safe or storing your backups in a safe deposit box for extremely important information that simply can't be lost.
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Volume 8 Volume 7

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2. Think Before You Click
Always think before you click on links or images in an email, instant message, a pop-up, or on web sites. Be cautious when you receive an attachment from unknown sources. Even if you know and trust the sender of the email, instant message, web site, or a friend's social networking page, it is still prudent to use caution when navigating pages and clicking on links or images.

3. Use Hard to Guess Passwords
Developing good password practices will help keep your personal information and identity more secure. Passwords should have at least eight characters and include uppercase and lower-case letters, numerals and symbols. The more characters used for a password, the harder it will be to crack and compromise. Consider a 15 character password for the ultimate security...a password 15 or more characters can't be cracked! Not yet anyway...

4. Avoid Phishing Scams
Phishing is a form of identity theft in which the intent is to steal your personal data, such as credit card numbers, passwords, account data, or other information. Do not reply to emails that ask you to "verify your information" or to "confirm your user-id and password." This includes the phishing email you may receive stating that the request for information is coming from the "email administrator". Don't fall for it.
5. Shop Safely Online
When shopping online always know with whom you're dealing. When submitting your purchase information, look for the "lock" icon on the browser's status bar to be sure your information is secure during transmission. Always remember to pay by credit card and keep a paper trail.

6. Protect Your Identity
When visiting web sites, it's important to know what information is being collected, by whom and how it will be used. Web sites track visitors as they navigate through cyberspace, therefore, data may be collectedabout you as a result of many of your online activities. Please keep in mind most legitimate web sites include a privacy statement. The privacy statement is usually located at the bottom of the home page and details the type of personally identifiable information the site collects about its visitors, how the information is used - including with whom it may be shared - and how users can control the information that is gathered.
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7. Dispose of Information Properly
Before discarding your computer or portable storage devices, you need to be sure that the data contained on the device has been sanitized or "wiped." Read/writable media (including your hard drive) should be "wiped" using Department of Defense (DOD) compliant software.
8. Protect Your Children Online
Discuss and set guidelines and rules for computer use with your child. Post these rules by the computer as a reminder. Familiarize yourself with your child's online activities and maintain a dialogue with your child about what applications they are using. Consider using parental control tools that are provided by some Internet Service Providers and available for purchase as separate software packages.
9. Protect Your Portable Devices
It is important to make sure you secure your portable devices to protect both the device and the information contained on the device. Always establish a password on all devices. If your device has Bluetooth functionality and its not used, check to be sure this setting is disabled. Some devices have Bluetooth-enabled by default. If the Bluetooth functionality is used, be sure to change the default password for connecting to a Bluetooth enabled device. Encrypt data and data transmissions whenever possible.
10. Secure Your Wireless Network
Wireless networks are not as secure as the traditional "wired" networks, but you can minimize the risk on your wireless network by enabling encryption, changing the default password, changing the Service Set Identifier (SSID) name (which is the name of your network) as well as turning off SSID broadcasting and using the MAC filtering feature, which allows you to designate and restrict which computers can connect to your wireless network.
Reprinted courtesy of GaDOE Information Technology.

I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it. ~ Pablo Picasso

Volume 8 Volume 7

Read For Your Life!"
January 5th, 2010 by Jennifer Gavin

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Today Katherine Paterson, the author of Bridge to Terabithia, Jacob Have I Loved, The Day of the Pelican and more than 30 other children`s books, was named National Ambassador for Young People`s Literature by Librarian of Congress James H. Billington.
She summarized her platform for the reading-promotion post in four words: Read for your life. Paterson, who has won both the Newbery Medal and the National Book Award two times each along with numerous other national and international awards, said books had altered her life on more than one occasion and have an unsurpassed power to bring delight and wisdom to readers.
She takes over the two-year gig from the hilarious Jon Scieszka, who warned her at a ceremony at the Library that the big medal that goes with the title is best not worn through airport security, where it sets off metal detectors and raises questions, even packed in the luggage. Scieszka, the first National Ambassador, shared with the audience a recording of a special fanfare for kettle drum, trumpet, trombone and xylophone that was created for him by students in California. Scieszka was thanked by the Librarian and those assembled for his two years of zany, madcap service.
Paterson`s charge as Scieszka`s was will be to appear at many venues around the nation over the next two years, including the 10th annual National Book Festival sponsored by the Library of Congress, to be held in September. She will share the joys of books and literacy, especially for youngsters.
Paterson said she began writing with the goal of writing a book that will do for a child what The Secret Garden did for me when she was a somewhat lonely girl. I remember how comforted I was by The Secret Garden.
A large crowd of schoolchildren attended Tuesday`s ceremony in the Library`s Thomas Jefferson Building, asking such questions as: What`s your favorite book? (When she was their age, it was The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings.) What`s your favorite among your own books? (She couldn`t pick one. Like her kids, she found much to love in each.) What inspired Bridge to Terabithia? (A childhood friendship of her son`s.) What inspired Jacob Have I Loved? (Hearing an adult friend complain that the friend`s mother had always loved her brother more.)
The post is cosponsored by the Library of Congress` Center for the Book, the Children`s Book Council (CBC) and its foundation, known as Every Child a Reader. The post is financially supported by Penguin Young Readers Group, Scholastic Inc., HarperCollins Children`s Books, Random House Children`s Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, MacMillan Publishers, Holiday House, Charlesbridge, National Geographic Children`s Books, Candlewick Press and Marshall Cavendish Publishers.
This article was taken from the Library of Congress blog. http://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2010/01/read-foryour-life/

Nothing is easy to the unwilling. ~ Nikki Giovanni

The best morals kids get from any book is just the capacity to empathize with other people, to care about the characters and their feelings. So you dont have to write a preachy book to do that. You just have to make it a fun book with characters they care about, and they will become better people as a result. ~ Louis Sachar

Program Encourages Girls to Set Goals
Gracie Bonds Staples Reprinted with permission from the Atlanta Journal Constitution December 26, 2009
In the quiet of the Renaissance Middle School library, a half-dozen girls talk about a half-dozen ways Michelle Easley has affected their lives.
Imani Dennis said she was something of a loner who never would`ve had the courage to run for vice president of the student body.
LaShawn Simmons couldn`t have imagined being proud of being called a nerd.
At one time or another, they say, they`ve all profited from Easley`s advice and the people and programs the 42-year-old educator has introduced them to since they joined Ladies of Achievement.
The program is an offshoot of Gifted Elegant Magnificent Motivated Sisters, a mentoring program Easley started more than 10 years ago when she traded her corporate job for a classroom at the old C.D. Hubert Elementary School in Atlanta.
Hubert Elementary was hosting a career fair that day when one little girl, responding to a speaker`s query about what she wanted to be when she grew up, said nothing.
The girl explained that her mother slept all day and only got up to go to the mailbox to look for her check. I want to be like her, the girl said.
In that moment, Easley said, she knew she had to do something to equip girls to make positive, healthy life choices.
I was blessed to have a mother to do that for me, she said. I wanted to empower them to reach their goals.
Today, the single mother of two meets with girls -- about 100 of them -- first and third Tuesday mornings to talk about and plot their futures.
Easley brings in speakers to the Fairburn school to talk to them about career options and finding their passion. She takes them on field trips and exposes them to volunteer opportunities in the community. For the past two years, for instance, the group has collected food for Hosea Feed the Hungry.
When needed, she takes time from her day to just listen to them.
It`s not part of her official duties at Renaissance. She gets no extra pay for working with the girls.
Easley runs a similar program -- Divinely Inspired Victorious Angelic Sisters -- at Providence Missionary Baptist Church, where she is a member.
Everywhere I`ve gone, I`ve seen the need to save our girls, Easley said.
Although the name changes to suit the environment, the goal has remained the same: empowering girls to write the ending to their own stories.

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Continued from Page 1
All right, maybe not like any seventh-grader. But he has a compatriot in librarian Adela Eannarino, who`s found a Publishers Weekly article about Lexile ratings on the Gale Group list of databases. Does he want her to send it to him? No, thanks, he says politely. He`s deep into Lexile`s own site, but could use it for background.
Do you want me to e-mail it to your home? Eannarino asks. Yes, thanks.
At the center or on the cutting board
This exchange wouldn`t have happened 20, or even 10, years ago. But, since the turn of the century, the amount of online information has grown exponentially, as have the number and variety of applications. Students have more information at their disposal than ever before, but that doesn`t mean they are any better at evaluating it than their card-catalogue-bound predecessors.
In fact, researchers say, students` seemingly innate facility with new technology belies a widespread naivet regarding the abundance of information they`re retrieving -- its accuracy, reliability, usefulness, and impartiality. Young people need guides and teachers, as much in this so-called Information Age as in any other. And that`s why many educators and advocates say that high-quality school libraries -- staffed with certified librarians -- are essential to the academic mission of successful schools.
School librarians are needed more than ever now to deal with the changes in the instructional environment, says Ann M. Martin, head of Library Information Services for Virginia`s Henrico County Public Schools and past president of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL).
School libraries largely have avoided big budget cuts during the current recession, though notable exceptions can be found in economically troubled states such as California, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. But with the economy continuing to sputter and many state and local governments anticipating deficits next year, school libraries and librarians could become a target for cuts.
Our fortunes go the way of the fortunes of public education funding, says Julie Walker, AASL`s executive director.
But, while teachers have direct custodial care of students, Walker says, other professionals who support the academic mission of the school -- counselors, nurses, social workers, and librarians -- are more vulnerable.
Joyce Kasman Valenza, a school librarian for Springfield Township High School outside Philadelphia and a blogger for School Library Journal, agrees, putting this issue in the form of a challenge to her colleagues.
As schools are making tough budget choices, if the librarians aren`t at the center of the school culture, they`re on the cutting board, she says.
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Strong research skills
Part of the problem is a general misunderstanding about what today`s librarians do, or even what they should be called, a point not lost on AASL leaders. With information bombarding us 24/7, the thinking goes, who needs librarians? We`ve connected the schools to the Internet -- what more is there to do?
Schools and school districts poured a lot of money into technology of all types without always doing the necessary faculty training, says Margie J. Klink Thomas, assistant professor of library science at Louisiana State University, who has written on the use of library resources for noncollege-bound students. So I think some administrators may feel that, yes, there`s a whole world of information out there. We`ll just Google it.
People who know how to do research on the Web can see the folly in that statement, but unfortunately, many young people -- and adults -- cannot. Google searches can be useful, school librarians say, and everyone uses them. Wikipedia has its place. But these shortcuts often aren`t the best way to navigate the multifaceted Internet. For that, students and teachers need more expertise from those who, in most schools, are the first to embrace emerging technologies: school librarians.
After helping students do research, Henrico County`s Martin often asks them to tell her the easiest thing about their project, the hardest, and what they would do to change it. Once, when she asked students to describe the easiest thing, one replied: There was so much information.
And what was the hardest?
There was so much information, another answered.
You can just Google it, and you can be hip-deep in it or armpit-deep in it, Walker says. But that doesn`t mean you have the information that meets your needs.
Or the ability to evaluate it. According to The Google Generation, a report by the British Library and the technology nonprofit JISC, The information literacy of young people has not improved with the widening access to technology; in fact, their apparent facility with computers disguises some worrying problems.
Adults with strong research skills who came of age before the Internet explosion generally have pretty good radar for assessing the relevance and reliably of a website, whether it`s from business, government, a private foundation, or an academic institution. The same can`t be said for young people, who, according to the report, have unsophisticated mental maps of what the Internet is and often [fail] to appreciate that it is a collection of networked resources from different providers.
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Volume 8 Volume 7
Achievement link
Dozens of studies from 19 states and one Canadian province point to the link between highquality school library programs and student achievement. For example, a 2005 Illinois study found higher levels of library staffing, more flexible library access, better technology, larger collections, and higher library funding were associated with significant improvement in reading and writing test scores at all grade levels: elementary, middle, and high school.
Similar results were found the same year in Wisconsin, where researchers found that students in schools with full-time certified library media specialists and full-time library aides scored higher on the Wisconsin Knowledge Concepts Examination.
A key link exists between dynamic school library programs and the development of 21st century skills such as critical thinking and problem solving. The AASL`s 2007 publication, Standards for the 21st Century Learner, cites several Common Beliefs that are related to the kinds of skills developed through school libraries. Among these beliefs:
Reading is a window to the world.
Inquiry provides a framework for learning.
Technology skills are crucial for future employment needs.
The definition of information literacy has become more complex as resources and technologies have changed.
Martin refers to multiple literacies that include fluency with print as well as graphics, audio, and video.
If you look at a picture, you have to be able to read it,` she says. What is it teaching you? What is the information being conveyed?
And these skills aren`t just for college-bound students. Thomas, the LSU professor, recalls her work as a school librarian in Fairbanks, Alaska, many years ago and how the industrial arts teacher came to her and asked, somewhat tentatively: Mrs. Thomas, can my students come in here?
I was appalled to think that I had communicated that vo-tech students aren`t welcome, Thomas says.
She recalls assisting a vo-tech class that researched the history of roof trusses, and helping a student who wanted a career in underwater welding.
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It is a kingly act to assist the fallen ~ Mother Teresa

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Continued from preceding page
Mix the batter; make a mess`
Librarians must help make school a place where students do more than learn rudimentary, low-level skills that they can demonstrate on a test, writes Valenza, the Springfield Township librarian, and Doug Johnson, director of media and technology for Minnesota`s Mankato Public Schools, in the October issue of School Library Journal. But to do so requires a shift in the traditional conception of library.
Libraries need to change from places just to get stuff to places to make stuff, do stuff, and share stuff. Our libraries should not be grocery stores. We need to use those groceries, to open the boxes, pour the milk, mix the batter, make a mess.
In her job at Springfield Township High, Valenza follows that recipe. When she told students she was working on a keynote address for the K12 Online Conference, which would be viewed and heard throughout the country and around the world, students were excited and wanted to help. So she involved them in the multimedia presentation, collaborating with the school`s film and theater departments.
My keynote is now a totally collaborative process, she told ASBJ.
Valenza and her students have experimented with video, flip cameras, and digital storytelling, and they have created what they call PowerPoint Reform Tools.
We have banned backgrounds, slide demonstrations, and clip art, she says.
In the article she wrote with Johnson, Things that Keep Us Up at Night, the two talk about what they fear for their profession: budget cuts, a restricted view of learning and exploration, the failure to embrace social media like Twitter or PLNs (personal learning networks).
Paradoxically, these challenges and opportunities make it both an unsettling and exciting time to be a school librarian, Valenza says.
I am concerned that people won`t recognize the opportunities, she says. I think this is the best time, in the history of time, to be a librarian.
Lawrence Hardy (lhardy@nsba.org) is a senior editor of American School Board Journal.

Reprinted with permission from American School Board Journal, January 2010.Copyright 2010 National School Boards Association. All rights reserved.

Helping students become sophisticated users of information
With its ultra-high ceilings, abundant natural light, and low shelves with books attractively displayed to encourage browsing, the library at T. C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va., has the feel of some kind of school library/ high-end bookstore hybrid.
And that, of course, is by design. "You know the old adage: ,,You cant judge a book by its cover?" says librarian Gerard Joria. "Well, yes, you can!" Publishers spend a lot of time creating enticing covers, he says; so instead of cramming the books side-by-side in towering metal shelves, why not put them out where they will be admired, leafed-through, and maybe taken home? Joria and his fellow librarians must be doing something right because, according to Jorias statistics, more than 10,400 items -- the vast majority of them books -- were checked out during the 2008-09 school year by the schools approximately 2,300 students, a 40 percent increase over the year before. "This year," Joria says, "Im already on pace to break that record. So, whether were talking old adage ("You cant judge a book by its cover") or new one ("Nobody reads books anymore"), Joria has a single response: "Not true." The imposing library in this modern, environmentally sensitive building also embraces the digital resources of today, with subscriptions to 21 online databases. During the last school year, database usage more than doubled, Joria says. T.C. Williams serves a diverse student body, with diverse needs. Nearly half of its students receive free or reduced-price lunches; about half are African-American, with the remainder roughly evenly divided between Anglos and Latinos. To address the digital gap and prepare students for 21st century learning, the 10th- through 12th-grade school has a one-to-one laptop program. Students can access any of the librarys databases from their homes or classrooms. Conventional wisdom says, "Everythings on the Web. What do you need libraries for?" Joria says. "Well, not everything is on the Web. Not everything on the Web is free, and not everything on the Web is accurate." "Our job remains to help students find and use information," he adds. "That doesnt change." What can the specialized databases do? Consider a typical search on a social science issue. On Google, it could produce 60 million responses, some from sponsored sites, advertisers, and other non-neutral sources. The SIRS Researcher database will find only a "couple of hundred" that are relevant, Joria says. Or say students want to research something that personally interests them -- for example, tattoos and body piercing. "If you go to [the Teen Health and Wellness database], youre getting a whole different set of information than if you went to Google for tattoos and body piercing," Joria says. Ultimately, the librarians goal is to help students become sophisticated -- and skeptical -- users of information, people who understand why the Google search produces different results than the one from Teen Health and can then evaluate the information based on where its coming from. But learning to do this takes more than having the Web at your fingertips; it takes instruction, guidance, and the kind of teaching that certified librarians provide. The proof of the librarys relevance in a school where every student has personal Internet access is in the library usage figures Joria cited above. "If they were finding what they want on their own," he notes, "they wouldnt be coming to us."
Reprinted with permission from American School Board Journal, January 2010.
Copyright 2010 National School Boards Association. All rights reserved.

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Can e-books and print peacefully coexist?

Thomas Parkman Cushing`s will was quite specific. He wanted two seminaries of learning built in his hometown of Ashburnham, Mass., one for girls and one for boys. He had lofty, pedagogical requirements (students are to think rightly and systematically upon the objects and principles which are to influence and govern them during their subsequent lives) as well as more mundane, material ones:

The building for the school for males [will] have a tower, a clock, and a bell weighing no less than two thousand pounds.

The schools also should have ample grounds for exercise and recreation, the 1850 will proclaimed, and a suitable library.

Now, more than a century and a half later, the prestigious New England boarding school still teaches students to think rightly and systematically (today, we might call that critical thinking and problem solving). It retains its lush lawns and playing fields, its clock tower with the monumentally hefty bell. But whether Cushing Academy has a suitable library -- well, that`s a matter of some debate.

Last summer, Cushing began getting rid of most of its 20,000 library books because students simply weren`t reading them. Instead, it started focusing almost entirely on digital resources, including its multiple library databases and 65 Amazon Kindle e-books.

When USA Today wrote about the school`s decision last fall, a firestorm erupted, with at least one blogger likening it to book-burning.

In response to criticism, Cushing`s headmaster, James Tracy, wrote an open letter explaining the decision and posted it on the school`s website .

Our view of the matter is that we love books so much that we want our students to have dramatically increased access to millions of volumes rather than just 20,000, he wrote. He said he would be delighted to see a Cushing student sitting under a tree reading Chaucer, whether she or he holds a paperback or a Kindle to do so.

Several newspaper editorial boards and the American Association of School Libraries were more measured in their criticism, but still expressed dismay.

Every librarian we know is in the vanguard of technology use at his or her school and a passionate

reader and user of printed books, wrote AASL President Cassandra Barnett and representatives of two

other school library groups in School Library Journal. To suggest that the two are mutually exclusive is

regressive and reveals a lack of knowledge both of the way digital information is created, sold and used,

and of the value of appropriate printed materials to many users.

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When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Indeed, an increasing number of school libraries have embraced sophisticated library automation systems, which streamline and expand search functions, and enhance interactivity and social networking capabilities. For example, the systems enable students to post their own book reviews and recommend books and other media to the rest of the school, making the library a more dynamic, participatory place.
AASL has recognized e-learning as well. Last year, the association`s 2009 Innovative Reading Grant was awarded to a Kindle-based Louisiana program called Reading 2.0: Attracting Middle School Readers in the 21st Century.
Gerard Joria, a librarian for T. C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va., says school libraries will probably have fewer printed books in the future and more digital materials. But he wants to see where the technology is going before jumping into the e-book phenomenon. Besides, he added, e-books are simply too expensive for most schools to purchase right now.
However, in an analysis for Online last year, technology consultant Jean Bedord predicted that significant improvements in such products as the Kindle and Sony Reader, as well as a flood of recent publicity, suggest that the e-book`s time is coming -- at least for the general public, if not yet for school libraries.
So what`s different this time around? wrote Bedord. Oprah Winfrey`s endorsement of the Amazon Kindle is a clear indication e-books have hit mainstream America.
Reprinted with permission from American School Board Journal, January 2010.Copyright 2010
National School Boards Association. All rights reserved.

Frederick Douglass taught that literacy is the path from slavery to freedom. There are many kinds of slavery and many kinds of freedom. But reading is still the path. ~
Carl Sagan

In the January issue of Media Matters you were asked to share your favorite book read in 2009. A follow-up email was

sent via the GaDOE Library Media List Service. Some of you shared an adult book, some shared a children`s book,

some didn`t share their school name...but there were no wrong answers.. I just wanted to know what you read and

enjoyed. So here is your reading list for 2010.

So far in 2010 my favorite is Drive by Daniel Pink.

Alice Murphy Union Grove Middle Amy Bradley Glynn Academy Amy Golemme Collins Hill HS Anita Johnson Eastside High Ann Welch TJ Elder Middle Beth Shoemaker Dublin City Betsy Razza Druid Hill HS Calvin Bryan Troup County Cara Harpin McClure Middle Carla Gregory Smitha Middle Cathy Harrison Annette Winn Elementary Cathy P. Miller Cathy Weaver Georgetown Elementary Cheryl Carter Pickens County Christi Harp Henry County
Christina Badowski New Mountain Hill
Christine Bunn Bibb County Christine Tigue Stone Mountain HS Cindy Evans Chattooga HS Cissy Burley Colquitt County Claudia Montague Bainbridge HS Connie Hanes Fairmount Elementary Dale Folkins Chattahoochee HS Dale Lyles Newnan Crossing Elementary Debra Bailey Muscogee County

Hiroshima Dreams by Kelly Easton.
Same kind of different as me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater.
When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin
Bats at the Library written and illustrated by Brian Lies.
Southern Nights by Danielle Steele
The Guernsey literacy and potato peel society by Mary Ann Shaffer John Henry by Stephen Krensky
The Last Olympian
The hunger games by Suzanne Collins
Football Genius by Tim Green.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
The book thief by Markus Zusak
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Enemy Pie by Munson
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan.
Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz.
Riven by Jerry Jenkins
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Sunrise over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stephenson
Cold Rock River: A Novel by J. L. Miles

Volume 8 Volume 7

Page 17

Diane Tyner Gladden Middle
Diane Williamson Abbotts Hill ES Elaine J. Norton J. G. Dyer Elementary
Frank Bullard Brantley Co. HS Gail Dorsey Byron Middle Geraldine S. Welch Northside Elementary Ginni Edwards Madison County Gwen Bailey Cleveland Road Elementary H. Frances Coleman Northside HS
Holly Gougeon Brooks County Middle Jan Carter Columbus HS Jane Roberts Hillgrove HS Janet Brook Campbell Cross Creek Elementary Jasmine McMillan J.T. Reddick Elementary Jeff Pullium Jennifer Burke Centennial Place Elementary Jermiah A. Jones Peek's Chapel Elementary Jo Beth James Royston Elementary Julia Lundstrem Banneker HS Juliana Anglada Five Forks Middle Julie Davis Heard Elementary Julie Hatcher Mill Creek HS Karen Hickey Flowery Branch Elementary Karen White Taylor Road Middle

The Very Ordered Existence of Merilee Marvelous by Suzanne Crowley
Squirrel and John Muir by Emily Arnold McCully Abe Lincoln crosses a creek : a tall, thin tale (introducing his forgotten frontier friend) by Deborah Hopkinson ; pictures by John Hendrix
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Stones into Schools by Greg Mortensen
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins!!
A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
Obsidian Prey by Jayne Castle-
Princesses: the six daughters of George III by Flora Fraser The True Gift: A Christmas Story by Patricia Maclachlan.
So B. It by Sarah Weeks.
Sarah's key by Tatiana de Rosnay
So. B. It by Sarah Weeks
Trial by James Patterson
Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall, Denver Moore, Lynn Vincent Graceling by Kristin Cashore
The Guernsey literacy and potato peel society by Mary Ann Shafer Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt
After by Amy Efaw
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trent Lee Stewart Trouble by Gary Schmidt

Kathi Vanderbilt Allatoona HS Kathleen Disney Druid Hills HS Kay DeFore Bruce Elementary Kelli Ragle Ware County Kelly Paynter Sprayberry HS Kitty Cobb Atlanta City Laura Losch South Hall Middle Laura Miller West Jackson Middle Leha Long Park Street Elem. Leslie Wantland Henry County Linda Burnette Gilmer Middle Linda Wahlig Fulton County Linda Williams Berrien County Lisa Smith Northgate HS Lora Taft Pine Ridge Elementary
Lynn Bradley Sandy Springs Charter Middle Lynn Dye Keheley Elementary Maria Thorne Baldwin County Marsha Rauscher Paulding Mary Kay Donovan Mill Creek HS Melanie Howard Fourth District Elementary Michelle Howard Summit Hill Elementary Misti Sikes Hubbard Elementary Natalie Kennedy Valdosta High Neely Hudson Green County Nichole Shabass-Tolbert Crossroads Second Chance-South Nick Hopper Fitzgerald HS Pattie Morton Chapel Hill Elementary

The hunger games by Suzanne Collins East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Max's Words by Kate Banks Twilight by Stephanie Meyers The help by Kathryn Stockett Sounder by William Armstrong The hunger games by Suzanne Collins The ask and the answer by Patrick Ness Dog Breath by Dav Pilkey The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Summer of the Monkeys by Gary Paulsen The help by Stockett A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hosseini The hunger games by Suzanne Collins
Three cups of tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
The lion and the mouse The Help by Stockett The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan Once I ate a pie by Patricia MacLaughlan Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. Leepike Ridge by N.D. Wilson The Lion and the Mouse Scat by Carl Hiaasen. The Help by Kathryn Stockett The dust of 100 dogs by A.S. King The tempest tales by Walter Mosley NIV Read the Bible in 90 days Crazy Love by Francis Chan

Paula Shuff Greenbrier Elementary Paulette Moon Atha Road Elementary l Peggy Thompson Apalachee High Rena Ravnan Westside High Renae McNeely Emanuel County Robbie Reasoner (formerly of GaDOE and now at the Maryland Department of Education) Ruth Fleet Cherokee County Ruth Molares Liberty Middle Sabrina Thompson Hilsman Middle Sarah Barfield Shirley Hills Elementary Sharon Tinnan HJMS Paulding County Sheila Enyeart Milton HS
Shirley Marbut Lyerly School Stacey Moura Lilburn Middle Stephanie Godfrey Chapel Hill Middle Sue Killcreas Valley Point Middle Sylvia B. Gaillard Mill Creek Middle/River Ridge HS Tess MacMillan Johns Creek HS Tommy Johns Tracy Lawson Jonesboro HS Tracy Schroeder Floyd County Valli Robinson Alexander HS Vicki Lovin Morgan County

Page 19
The Help by Stockett
Swindle by Gordon Korman
The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks Liar by Justine Larbalestier.
The notice by Andy Andrews
Chesapeake by James Michener
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins South of Broad Pat Conroy
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull Lily Dale: Awakening by Wendy Staub
Three Cups of Tea: one man's mission to fight terrorism and build nations---one school at a time, by Greg Mortenson Ancients by Goleman
Greetings From Nowhere by Barbara O'Connor Uprising - Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Help by Stockett Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Max's Words by Kate Banks The Year of Living Biblically by A. J. Jacobs
14 cows for America by Carmen Deedy
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Media Matters
Georgia Department of Education
1770 Twin Towers East 205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive Atlanta, Georgia 30334 Phone: 404-657-9800 Fax: 404-656-5744 E-mail: jserrite@doe.k12.ga.us
We will lead the nation in improving student achievement.

Page 20
Want your students to love you?
Do your high school students know about this wonderful resource? You can be the one to tell them!
Register your students in grades 9 through 12 in this program. If you need assistance, contact Georgia McSwain at:
gmcswain@doe.k12.ga.us
INCREASE YOUR SCHOOL`S SAT SCORES!!!!!

State Media Festival Friday, April 30 2010 Clayton County Professional Learning Center 1087 Battlecreek Rd Jonesboro, GA 30236
Registration database and contact information must be submitted to Joni Jones with Rockdale County Schools by email by April 9, 2010 jonibjones@rockdale.k12.ga.us (770) 860-4213
Projects must arrive at Clayton State University Library on or before April 16, 2010 at the latest to be considered.
Clayton State University Library ATTN: Dr. Gordon Baker 2000 Clayton State Blvd. Morrow, GA 30260

Don't forget the Children's Literature Conference in Athens March 19-20.
Kennesaw Conference on Literature for Children and Young Adults at Kennesaw State will be held March 30 and 31.
Two great conferences. Two wonderful opportunities to learn.

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. ~ Albert Einstein

Su nday

February 2010

Georgia Department of Education

Mond ay

Tuesday

1

2

Langston Hughes James Dickey ~ born ~ 1902-1967 1923-1997

Wed nesday

Thu rsday

3

4

Sidney Lanier Birthday of born ~ 1842-1881 Charles Lindbergh ~ 1902-1974

Fr iday

Satu rd ay

5

6

Hank Aaron's Babe Ruth's birthday! 1934- birthday ~ 1895-1948

7

8

Birthday of

Founding of the

Charles Dickens Boy Scouts ~

~ 1812-1870

1910

9

10 11 12 13

Birthday ofAlice Walker ~ 1944-

1st singing telegram~ 1933

Thomas Edison's birthday ~ 1847-1931

BBiirrtthhddaayyooff

Who is Chuck

AAbebrLaihnacmoln~ Li- Yeager? ncol n ~

1809-1865

14
Valent ine's Day

15 16

Birthday of

Mardi Gras

Gali leo Galil ei~

1564-1642

17
Birthday of ChaimPotok ~ 1929-2002

18
9th planet discovered ~ 1930 Is i t still a planet ?

19
Birthday ofAmy Tan ~ 1952-

20
John Gl enn orbits the earth~ 1962

21
W.H. Auden's birthday ~ 1907-1973

22
Birthday of George Washi ngt on~ 1732-1799

23
W.E.B. DuBois born~ 1868-1963

24
P res id en t Johnson impeached~ 1868

25 26

Who is Joseph World Trade

Rainey from

Center (NYC)

South Carol ina? bombed~ 1993

27
Birthday of Longfel low~ 1807-1882

28
Who is Linus Paulding?

Jan ua ry
S M TW T F S
12 3456789 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

March S M TW T F S
123456 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

WeWceacnaneeaassiillyy forrggiivveeaachcihldilwdhwo'hs oaf'sraaidfroafidthoefdtahrke; tdhaerrke;althtreagreedayl otfraligfeedisywohfenlifmeenisawrehen men are
afraid of thaefrlaigihdt.o~f tPhleatloight. ~ Plato