This year, the CPS Department of Libraries has updated SOAR to make it easier than ever for primary students to use the library catalog to find books of interest. It has been redesigned with a new, kid-friendly interface that allows picture-based browsing. Students can search by category, book series, or using the search bar. Easy-to-read screens show what titles the library owns, whether they are available, and where to find them. For example, if you clicked on the Magic Tree House series picture, you would see scrollable results like this: Students will have a chance to use this tool in the library throughout the year to help them be more self-sufficient in choosing and finding books.
Great news! Clinton has been selected to receive a grant award from the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries. We will receive $5,000 to expand, update, and diversify our library book collection. Clinton is one of nine Chicago schools and 219 nationwide to receive this grant in 2014. This funding will allow me to add materials in areas of need throughout the collection, with a focus on picture books, early readers, fiction, and informational text. More info to come once books are added in the fall!
What do sharks, Abraham Lincoln, dinosaurs, origami, the Chicago Bears, and ninjas have in common? They're all subjects covered by at least one of the books in this picture! It was a great week here in the library, when this entire cart-full of books arrived courtesy of the ISLMA Read for Information grant. Earlier this school year, Clinton was selected as one of only 20 schools in Illinois to receive $1,500 to purchase non-fiction books. Informational text, or books and other reading materials that help us learn new information, is an important part of literacy. Now we have 130 new, high-interest titles across all reading levels to help improve our reading skills and our knowledge on lots of interesting topics. I've already started using some of them with my classes, and others have begun to circulate to eager readers. I hope you're as excited about them as I am! Welcome to the 2013-2014 school year! While many things will stay the same in the library this year, there are a few changes worth noting. First, I want students to be as comfortable as possible when they come in to the library - I get my best reading done curled up in a nice comfy seat where I can relax, so I wanted to create a place for students to do just that. Our new reading nook is a section of the library perfect for independent reading after students have checked out a new book. All they need to do is grab a cushion, settle in, and start reading. Here's a peek at the nook: just add readers! The second big change to the library media center this year is in the computer lab (pictured above, on the right). Our 18 desktop computers have found new homes in classrooms, making way for a cart of 30 MacBooks. This updated technology will allow students to have the individual, hands-on access they need to improve their digital literacy and research skills. I'll work directly with teachers to use this technology to support and enhance what students are already learning. I can't wait to see some of the projects students produce this year!
Thanks to all the students, parents, and teachers who came out to this year's book fair, we got hundreds of new books into the hands of our students! I loved the excitement I saw when I visited the multipurpose room, and it was wonderful to meet several of the families that stopped by after school. I also did my share of shopping, getting about 80 new books for the school library using Scholastic credit - some of the new titles are pictured on the left and should hit the shelves for the last few weeks of school. I want to give a big thank you to all the parents who coordinated the book fair - it's so important to our school and our library, so we truly appreciate all their hard work. Thanks also to the student volunteers who helped with set up and clean up. Their efforts made it possible for us to raise enough money that we can buy some exciting new books for next year to put in the library, support the school's art program, and more. Enjoy your books! Clinton will be holding its annual Scholastic book fair next week from Monday, May 13, through Wednesday, May 15. Buying books will not only help students expand their brains through reading, it also will help the school! Part of the proceeds from the book fair go toward buying new books for the school library and to support classroom learning. All week, students in the library have been watching book trailers to get an advance look at some of the books that will be available. Based on reactions, I can tell what some of the popular books are going to be, and I'll try to snag some of them for the library. Happy reading! |
AuthorHello, I'm Ms. Mernick, the library media teacher at Clinton. I look forward to using this site to share information and updates with my students, their families, other teachers, and our community members. Contact me with questions at [email protected]. Archives
September 2014
Categories
All
|