• Due to a 200% increase in the cost of magazines through Sora, we will not be renewing magazines for the 24-25 school year.
• The Battle of the Books Information Night was held October 7th at 6:00 pm. A recording and slide deck was sent to coaches after the event.
• Please be sure to register for the General Membership meeting to be held at the WSWHE BOCES Conference Center on November 19th. Register no later than November 5th so we can have an accurate count for lunch. We will be rolling out our new Union Catalog and the new ILL process, networking, learning about AI, and using Inquiry in the PBL process.
  All librarians are strongly encouraged to attend.

I have a new idea that Malta Avenue started to do this year in our library:

Our library aide, Jae, and I are always thinking of new ways to engage the students in our building with choosing books to read for enjoyment. This year, we are implementing "5th Grade Book Buddies."

We ask fifth graders to complete a form if they would like to be considered as a book buddy. Questions include: What do you like most about reading books? and then we ask them to list books or series they would recommend.

We then pull those books and place them on a bookshelf with their name, picture, and the answer to the question "What do you like most about reading books?" Our goal is to pull three students at a time.

We have our first three students chosen and displayed already. Jae and I also added books that she and I are reading to the bottom shelf under a tag "What Are Your Teachers Reading?"

We have students in younger classes noticing the fifth grade pictures and saying "I know XX!" We also have fellow fifth graders interested in participating after seeing the displays. We are hoping this increases engagement and the love of reading throughout the building. Peer recommendations work!

The TLC LibGuide is up and running: https://slslibguides.wswheboces.org/TLC

If you need a password to access it, just email libraryservices@wswheboces.org (or use the search box in your Gmail to search "TLC LibGuide" for a Listserv email that has the password). The homepage of that guide now has a help button, which takes you to our help ticket form.

We've had a folks reach out about various resources...here's a few that have popped up frequently, and alternatives that are available.

• Rosen's Digital Literacy--Since this resource was getting too old to be relevant, we suggest trying Project Look Sharp, as well as ClickView (available to MultiMedia members).
• Sora Magazines--sad that magazines are not being renewed? (We are sad, too.) Many of these magazines can be found in NewsBank. (We provide 3 NewsBank modules for everyone: Access World News, America's Historical Newspapers, and Research Rocket.) We commonly get asked about Atlantic and Time for Kids, both of which are available in NewsBank. NewsBank is also great for newspapers, including The Post-Star and the Times Union.
• Career Cruising--The old platform is no longer available. Xello (their newer platform) is an option to purchase, or you can utilize the government's freely available Bureau of Labor Statistics, which has a lot of tools available that had similar components in Career Cruising.

Librarians and library services play a significant role in the literacy development of young people. Through their expertise and the use of library resources, librarians positively influence the implementation and success of evidence-based literacy instruction as defined by NYSED's Literacy Briefs and current research about literacy and libraries. In this workshop, participants will examine research findings and instructional resources, collaborate with peers, and develop plans for supporting and enhancing students' literacy and social development. Research findings show that wide reading can foster the development of positive social behaviors and attitudes, including empathy. Wide reading remains one of the most accessible ways for young people to build background knowledge about topics of personal interest and academic study. In this session, Donalyn Miller will share research findings, instructional moves, resources, and programming ideas for promoting wide reading. Session includes work session time to explore resources and collaborate with peers.

Date: October 22, 2024

Time: 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

Location: Ballard Road Conference Center

Register: https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?D=18589&I=4822158

Agenda includes the following topics: TLC Union Catalog Training, Artificial Intelligence, and infusing Inquiry into the PBL process. One of at least four meetings for SLS Communication Coordinators as mandated by NY State Education Law 90.18. Communication coordinators are updated on topics relevant to the profession such as changes in curriculum, technology, and the Information Fluency Continuum. Professional Development is provided on current issues. Information is disseminated to district librarians after each meeting. All school librarians are welcome.

ALL school librarians are strongly encouraged to attend our general membership meeting, especially considering we are rolling out our new union catalog.

Date: November 19, 2024

Time: 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

Location: Ballard Road Conference Center

Register BY November 5th: https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?D=18589&I=4855326

SHARE WITH SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS:

On the eve of the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution and the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we are excited to offer a workshop for teachers looking for new ways to engage with their students while teaching about the Revolutionary War and the extraordinary impact it had on the local inhabitants and armies in the area that would become Saratoga County. Presenters in this workshop will share information about what the local area was like during the time of the war. They will also share primary sources relating to both the Patriot and Loyalist sides of the conflict. Meet historians and educators from local historic sites and museums that offer local resources and programs for the classroom. And finally, learn about new initiatives being developed as part of the 250th Anniversary of the Battles of Saratoga coming up in 2027. Time will be given for educators to brainstorm and develop lesson plans using resources presented at the workshop. Also, all resources will be available through ConsidertheSourceNY.org for continued use in the classroom.
Lunch will be provided and is sponsored by Saratoga250.

Date: November 21, 2024

Time: 8:30 am - 3:00 pm

Location: Ballard Road Conference Center

Register by November 7, 2024: https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?D=18589&I=4885539

Kerrie Burch, School Library System Director

Karin Howansky, School Library Media Specialist

Laurie Doyle, Information Processing Specialist

Deb Massa, Information Processing Specialist