Schroeder Library Media Center
May/June 2019 Newsletter
June is Pride Month
George
Leah on the Offbeat
Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World
From the publisher: When a tornado rips through town, twelve-year-old Ivy Aberdeen's house is destroyed and her family of five is displaced. Ivy feels invisible and ignored in the aftermath of the storm--and what's worse, her notebook filled with secret drawings of girls holding hands has gone missing.
Mysteriously, Ivy's drawings begin to reappear in her locker with notes from someone telling her to open up about her identity. Will Ivy find the strength and courage to follow her true feelings?
Introducing Booklink
Would you like summer curriculum support?
As you reflect on your year and plan your summer work days, keep me in mind. Summer hours are a perfect time for me to purchase and curate resources, develop research guides and lessons, and align web development to student and staff needs. If you have a new project or unit in mind for next year, or something that you'd like to tweak, stop by for a chat or invite me to your PLC.
WXXI/PBS Programming Spotlights Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
April by the Numbers
6888: Total number of student library users
431: Average number of student library users per day
1601: Number of database searches
129: Number of books checked out
2: Number of classes using library resources
Exam Anxiety
Mindful Mondays, exam edition
Gentle yoga
Collaborative sticker murals and puzzles
Mindful bookmark and poster coloring
Stretching, breathing, and mindfulness prompts at stations throughout the library
Stress balls and putty
Therapy dog visits
Of course I am always on hand to help with credit recovery for papers and projects, because sometimes the best way to reduce stress is to make some headway on the work load!
Book Returns and Summer Reading
As you bid your classes adieu for the summer, please consider extolling the benefits of summer free reading. One of the major reasons that schools are reluctant to implement summer reading requirements is that these come with accountability that undermines the benefits of choice reading. That doesn't mean that summer reading isn't important. While 2 months of reading skills are typically lost over the summer, 2-3 hours of reading per week is enough to prevent learning loss (Oxford Learning). Low socio-economic status puts students at greater risk for summer learning loss: "More than half of the achievement gap between lower- and higher-income youth can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities" (Oxford Learning). Yet, studies have found that the power of free voluntary reading is so great, that it can even offset the socioeconomic disadvantages that impact learners (Krashen).
Our summer library hours are listed below. We are also collaborating with the Webster Public Library to get library cards for students who don't have them, or have lost theirs. Send students down to Schroeder Library to fill out a short application and we will take care of the rest.
Works Cited
Krashen, Steven. “The Power of Reading.” YouTube, uploaded by The University of Georgia College of Education, 5 April 2012. www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSW7gmvDLag
Oxford Learning. “Summer Learning Loss Statistics Infographic.” 15 April 2015. www.smore.com/pg83j.
Choose Privacy Week
In recognition of the American Library Association’s Privacy Week the first week in May, Schroeder Library highlighted ways that students and teachers can protect their digital privacy.
Check your privacy settings
Be choosy about the apps which you allow to access your camera, webcam, and/or microphone. Consider covering your camera when it is not in use. Amazon sells microphone blockers and camera covers. Disable location services to further protect your privacy. Each time you update an app, you need to recheck your privacy settings. Keep this in mind for social media especially.
Choose two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication refers to a second form of identity verification in addition to your password. This might be image or code verification, or a biometric identification like a fingerprint. Another way to ensure that your privacy is protected is by choosing strong passwords. If you worry that these are too difficult to remember, use a password manager.
Withhold identifying information
Choose usernames that protect your identity. Don’t readily give out your home address, phone number, birth date, or e-mail. For shopping, create a “burner” e-mail address. Retain your personal e-mail address for medical and banking transactions.
Browse privately
Sign out of Google and clear your search history if you don’t want your browser to retain information about your searching. Your I.P. address, geography, and cookies still communicate information about you, but it is more limited. Certainly you shouldn’t access sites that would put your job or relationships at risk, but there are times when you may explore health concerns, ideologies, or lifestyle choices that you don’t want to share.
Turn off ACR on your television
Your Smart TV collects data about your viewing and gaming preferences for advertising purposes through Automated Content Recognition (ACR). Online instructions for disabling ACR for your television model are readily available online.
Works Cited
Collins, Jeri. "Google Sees Everything You Do: Here's How to Stop That."
Lifewire, Dotdash, 9 Dec. 2018, www.lifewire.com/
stop-google-from-tracking-your-searches-4123866.
St. John, Allen. "5 Easy Ways to Protect Your Digital Privacy in 2019."
Consumer Reports, 11 Feb. 2019, www.consumerreports.org/privacy/
ways-to-protect-digital-privacy/.
Upcoming Dates of Interest
Tuesday, May 21: Staff Breakfast (faculty lounge) hosted by library, counseling/mental health, and music departments
Tuesday, May 21: Library Club 2:30- 3:15 P.M.
Thursday, May 23: Library closed 7 A.M. -12:30 P.M. for summa cum laude breakfast
Friday, May 31: Due date for student books
June: Pride Month
Monday, June 3: Mindful Mondays (Library Conference Room) 2:30- 3 P.M.
Friday, June 17: Due date for faculty books
Monday, June 20: Gentle yoga for students and staff, 2:30- 3 P.M.
Tuesday, June 18- Tuesday, June 25: Library closed for exams