Librarians' Corner News - Jan 2025

Happy New Year to our amazing librarians! Thank you for your dedication, passion, and tireless efforts in fostering a love of learning. We're excited to embark on a new year filled with opportunities for growth, learning, and collaboration. We can't wait to see the amazing things you accomplish in 2025!

The Library Media Services Team

Joanna, Miki, and Kiana

Check out this month's featured titles selected by our very own Hawaiʻi librarians!

Go to: https://soraapp.com/ to get started.

Continue to encourage your students to log their reading in Beanstack! Our goal for the 2024-2025 school year is to reach 12 million reading minutes!!! Check out the list of top performing schools for Quarter 2! We had 6,684 readers at 125 schools who logged 2,933,973 minutes of reading!

Check out the list of Sora top circulating schools and titles for Quarter 2! We had 189,907 checkouts between October 14, 2024 and December 20, 2024!

Creating Dynamic Library Data using Looker Studio

Sharing library data with people in our school community can showcase the library’s contribution to academic achievement and student learning. Come and join fellow librarian Tara Nakata (Lahainaluna High) who will show you how to use Google’s Looker Studio to create visual library data that is not only easily accessible but also updates itself!

Date: January 23, 2025

Time: 2:30 p.m.

Register at: https://bit.ly/LMS-POWERHOURS

Refreshing Your Hawaiian Collections

Join us as we explore key considerations for curating authentic and engaging Hawaiian resources. University of Hawaiʻi system librarians Shannon Alueta, UH Maui College; Hauʻolihiwahiwa Moniz, Leeward CC; Eria Dias, Kapiʻolani CC; Cindy Texeira, Windward CC; and Meera Garud, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa will discuss how to select materials that reflect diverse voices and perspectives, ensure sensitive and accurate portrayals of Hawaiian culture, and develop ethical weeding practices. Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and practical guidance for strengthening your Hawaiian collection!

Date: February 6, 2025

Time: 3:00 p.m.

Register at: https://bit.ly/LMS-POWERHOURS

Donʻt miss out on this amazing opportunity to get access to an array of Online Educational Resources (OER)! As a subscribing school, you will get access to the Core Library Resource bundle, which includes LS2, Sora Shared eBook Collection, EBSCO, World Book, Learn360, and Learn360+Classroom Video On Demand.

Click here to view the detailed descriptions and trial information: http://bit.ly/SY2526OER.

Missed the "Library Media News and Updates" Power Hour session? Watch the recording! Hear about the latest news and updates for Library Media Services. You'll explore fresh resources, discuss upcoming initiatives, and projects

To view past Power Hour recordings, please click on this Freshdesk article.

Visual book lists are a powerful way to engage students and promote reading. Check out these fun and creative ideas from Shelley Lau, ʻĀina Haina Elementary School librarian, on how to design displays that will capture your students' imaginations! [Link to resource]

Need an idea for your next book display? Consider using the National Day Calendar and pair books with corresponding national celebrations. These run the gamut from silly to serious, connecting seemingly random books under one fun theme.

Here’s how librarian Tara Nakata from Lahainaluna High prepares her display:

1. Open up the National Day website alongside your catalog.
2. Search the catalog for books related to the days you'd like to highlight.
3. Copy and paste the day and description onto a Google Doc. At the very bottom of the column, include the title of the book and the call number associated with the day.
4. Print out the slips and organize them to easily locate them in the library.
5. Put slips into the book so people can read about the day and make connections to the books on display.
6. Create simple signage to explain.

Here are the documents for her December display.

• National Day December Celebrations
• December National Day book slips
• December National Day book display signage

Tara has found that in preparing for this display, she reacquaints herself with books that she hasn't had a chance to highlight before. She has also found that this makes for easy social media posts because the books are attached to days of the month. Go on and celebrate the day!

Share your favorite library hack, shortcut, or time-saving trick with your fellow librarians! Submit your tip using the link below for a chance to be featured in our next newsletter!

OR...if you would like to learn more about how other librarians do certain things in their libraries, submit your suggestions using the link below and we will do our best to feature tips/tricks that answer your questions!