Media Center Minute

Dear Minuteman Community,

I hope all is well for you and your families during these strange and challenging times. It is hard to believe that it has been over a month since we were last all together at Minuteman.

As we continue to support remote learning, we remind and encourage you and your students to utilize the supports and resources of the Minuteman Library Media Center. Our website homepage has been redesigned to promote the 24/7 availability of our online resources. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any requests, information needs, citations support, collaboration ideas, and questions.

Sincerely,

Kara Gleason, Library Media Specialist

The homepage of the new library media center website highlights a variety of ways that students can reach us during the school closure, including by email, Remind, and Microsoft Teams.

The Virtual Help Desk / Ask a Librarian feature links to a form where students (and educators) can pose a question to the library staff. Modeled after the Virtual School Librarian program of the Massachusetts School Library Association, this tool helps students to access information resources and professional guidance from Minuteman's certified library media specialist.

During this time of school and library closings, there are many digital reading options for students and educators. Check out our web-page on E-Books and Audiobooks and our April flyer for information about e-book and audiobook resources. Access to eBooks helps the library media center with its goal of expanding our digital materials collection based on instructor and student needs and interests.

Resource guides on our website include Virtual Field Trips, Streaming Video Resources, and Digital Citizenship. You will also notice resource guides created to help support class projects and instructional units. Please reach out if you’d like to partner with us to make a resource guide for one of your upcoming topics or projects. Look for more guides coming soon!

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Patriots' Day in Lexington this spring will be virtual! See the Virtual Patriots' Day website for a full schedule. Events begin Saturday April 18th and run through April 24th.

I'm kicking off the historic commemoration on Saturday with the living history virtual event, "A Revolution of Her Own," about Massachusetts' official state heroine, Deborah Sampson. I hope to "see" you there!

In addition to Patriots' Day, the month of April brings many things to mark, commemorate, and celebrate.

• Celebrate School Library Month and National Library Week (April 19-25) with the ilovelibraries initiative of the American Library Association, visit your public or school library online, or take a virtual tour of libraries around the world

• Find 30 Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month at Home or Online at the Academy of American Poets website

• Learn about Earth Day (April 22) and take the virtual Earth Day Challenge at the Earth Day Network

• Participate in Citizen Science Month at the SciStarter Citizen Science website with themed days and online events

Email: kgleason@minuteman.org
Website: https://www.minuteman.org/domain/68
Location: 758 Marrett Road Lexington, MA 02421
Phone: 781-861-6500 (2004)