May 5-6, 2014, is National Library Legislative Day. Celebrating its 40th year, this day centers around the national need to fund the Library Services and Technology Act and "continue funding that provides school libraries with vital materials," according to the American Library Association. The ALA also sponsors Virtual Library Legislative Day, which takes place on May 6, 2014.

Sign the Declaration for the Right to Libraries and support your local library!

Raise awareness and sign the Declaration for the Right to Libraries. According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, "54% of Americans used a public library in the past year; 72% live in a 'library household.'" Affirm your right to libraries of all kinds!

KASL is pleased to announce the recipients of several awards and scholarships.

• Dr. Mirah Dow and George Blume are winners of the 2014 Vision Award due to their contributions to Kansas school library media centers. Their dedication to libraries, participation in conferences, and continued professional development demonstrate their commitment.
  
• Robin Schrack is the recipient of the 2014 AASL Fall Forum Grant due to contributions to school libraries. Her dedication, service, involvement in workshops, and role in library services portray the model librarian.
  
• The Ruth Garver Gagliardo Scholarship for summer school is awarded to Tracey McGann, who is beginning the master's program in Library and Information Science with a concentration in school library media at Emporia State University.
• The President's Distinguished Library Media Specialist Award is presented to Barb Bahm, who is a member of the KSDE Text Complexity Team, has presented at a variety of workshops and conferences including the Summer Institute for School Librarians.
• Mrs. Sandy Almos is this year's Distinguished Service Award recipient. As principal at Edith Scheuerman Elementary School in Garden City, she has been supportive of the library program from day one.

Congratulations to these dedicated professionals!

KLFA consists of 34 organizations partnering to keep learning first by leading, transforming, and empowering for success. Their goal is to unite the education community to improve our outstanding public education system, pre-K through higher education, to empower each Kansan to succeed in the diverse, interdependent world of the 21st century.

The KLFA Advocacy video raises awareness about Kansas schools.

Enjoy the Protect Kansas Schools - Game on for Kansas video.

The Learning First Alliance promotes the "Whole Child."

Twitter #klfa13

Show your appreciation for educators May 6, National Teacher Appreciation Day! The National Education Association has some great ideas for celebrating the day and tips for supporting education in America.

Since 1977, the month of May has been dedicated to recognizing Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians. To celebrate, the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center has partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to create a digital exhibit called Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation. The Smithsonian also provides lesson plans and multimedia centered around many cultures.

DiversityinYA.com provides brilliant booklists focused around Southeast Asian Americans, Asians as Main Characters, Asian-inspired fantasies by Asian writers, and many more.

Reading is Fundamental (RIF) is a non-profit organization which targets childhood illiteracy. Nearly two-thirds of low-income families in the U.S. do not own books. RIF and their volunteers donate new books to those in deepest need in hopes of sparking a love of reading. RIF also provides great activity calendars in English and Spanish!

Governor Brownback signed a proclamation March 23, 2014, declaring April as School Media Month! If you haven't visited the library to browse through our collection of research tools, magazines, or to use our computer banks, now is the perfect time!

Libraries have a strong impact on our communities. Show your support for your library by sharing how you use the library! You can also sign the Declaration for the Right to Libraries!

Shine a spotlight on verse this month with Poets.org. The website provides 30 way to celebrate with poetry, including listening to poems read by the author, which can help clarify the author's tone, and playing Exquisite Corpse, a game where each person contributes a word to a poem, without knowing what others have written.

Money Management International is providing tools to improve financial literacy, including a 30-step path to financial wellness and free worksheets, eBooks, and webinars. You can also test your financial knowledge by taking the FDIC Financial Aptitude Test, playing web-based games, or learning the 20 things teens need to know to be financially savvy provided by MoneySmartWeek.Org

Do you have Grandpa's old military uniform in the attic? Or maybe Grandma's old photo album? Research preservation tips during National Preservation Week! While you're at it, you can learn about the issues facing archivists and their collections, including budget problems and environmental risks.

Get inspired this Earth Day to go green with YALSA's "Change Your World or Live to Regret It" book list, or browse throughTeens Turning Green for lesson plans dedicated to topics like fair trade, wellness, and gardening. Greening Your Libraryalso has great ideas for educational activities and DIY tips. The Library of Congress also provides excellent references and resources to motivate your students, too!

The BBC has a wonderfully simple biography of the famous writer including interviews of famous actors and their reactions to playing Hamlet. Curious about the myths and rumors surrounding his writings? The BBC hosts The Shakespeare Paper Trail, which follows early writings and contemporary documents to shed more light on his life. Finally, Shakespeare's Globe offers fantastic educational resources including information on the man himself, his audiences, and his plays.

Celebrate strong women past and present by visiting the National Women's History Project homepage. They offer great resources; you can even test your women's history I.Q.! You can also browse the great collections at http://womenshistorymonth.gov/.

The purpose of Teen Tech Week is to ensure that teens are competent and ethical users of digital media, especially the nonprint resources offered through libraries, such as e-books, e-readers, databases, audiobooks, and social media. This years theme is "DIY @ Your Library!" Browse through craft ideas and get your creative juices going!

In honor of all his wonderful stories, celebrate Theodor Seuss Geisel's birthday, March 2nd, by learning more about the man behind The Cat in the Hat and The Lorax! The Dr. Seuss National Memorial in Springfield, Massachusetts has a short biography and History.com shares nine little known facts about the great writer! Enjoy the colorful display!

"You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read with a child." - Dr. Seuss

The National Education Association is building a nation of readers through its signature program, NEA’s Read across America. This year-round program focuses on motivating children and teens to read through events, partnerships, and reading resources.

Did you know the patron saint was a Briton, who was kidnapped and enslaved in Ireland? Expand your knowledge about the holiday and Irish culture! The History Channel has videos and infographics. Browse the library display complete with fiction inspired by the Emerald Isle!

If you have not recently visited the Harry Potter Alliance, you may be interested in some of the amazing resources and features. Bringing books and readers together overcoming obstacles without violence, bullying, or prejudice is just one of the purposes. By transforming ordinary people into heroes, our world can be a better place.

The Vlog Brothers provide a refreshing approach tackling historical topics and current issues. Their videos and tutorials support the curriculum in a nerdy, comical fashion.

PBS LearningMedia is a free service that draws from critically acclaimed PBS programs such as NOVA, Frontline, American Experience, and PBS KIDS programs like Sid The Science Kid, as well as content from organizations including The National Archives Smithsonian, NPR, and NASA. The free service offers teachers access to more than 30,000 videos, images and articles to enrich classroom instruction.

Tech for Teachers offers an extensive list of websites that are considered high quality, reliable, and valuable and presents them in a way that even "non-techy" teachers can utilize them. Some of the links include the National History Education Clearinghouse, Wolfram Demonstrations Project along with Wolfram Alpha, which aids with mathematical calculations.

Encourage reading as a fun activity through a "Readbox" display. Reading can be just as accessible and entertaining as watching a movie; select a book!

The 2014 Winter Olympic Games officially begin February 7 and continue until February 23. Create an Olympic display highlighting the history of the Olympics and many of the competitive sports which comprise this historic event. Browse catalogs and databases for information on Sochi, Russia, skiing, hockey, and much more!

Visit these official websites and stay current on the medal count!

Sochi 2014

Team USA

Olympic.org

In honor of the great accomplishments of Martin Luther King, Jr., January 20 is named as a National Day of Service. He once commented, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: "What are you doing for others?" Everyone is encouraged to volunteer on this day and everyday!

Celebrate the birthday of Kansas January 29, 1861! Proudly display the state with a sunflowers, biographies, and fiction straight from the prairie. Some great educational resources in honor of our state are available @

Kansas Historical Society

Kansas State Library

Kansas Memory

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