Competency 8: Internet

For my final competency, I used Yahoo! to locate a reliable resource for a school librarian.

I chose The Internet Public Library http://www.ipl.org/div/pf/entry/48526 because of several reasons.

First of all, this pathfinder is sponsored by The School of Information at Michigan University, The School at Drexel College of Information and Technology, and Florida State University College of Information. I consider these academic sources very reliable.

Next, it was current. It had copyright up through this year, 2008.

And finally, through browsing some of the links, I found some very reliable sources. For example, it had a direct link to ERIC: Educational Resources Information Center and the US Department of Education.

Here are a few paths from this site I think will be very helpful for me, too.

This is an area called Kidspace. I liked the interface and found it very easy to navigate.

This site is called Ready References with quick access to dictionaries, encyclopeidas and almanacs.

And finally, this seemed like a FANTASTIC listserve for me to sign up for.

Competency 7: Multimedia

Using Dogpile, I found the best resource that shows having qualified librarians in school media centers increase standardized testing scores.

This is the site: http://librarypublishing.scholastic.com/content/stores/LibraryStore/pages/images/slw_06.pdf
This is a research paper conducted by the US National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. Their initial study was based in Illinois.

The Illinois Study: Powerful Libraries Make Powerful Learners
Selected Research from the Most Recent Study (LANCE, RODNEY, AND HAMILTON-PENNELL, 2005)
SUMMARY: In Fall 2003, 657 Illinois schools representing all grade levels, enrollment ranges, and regions participated in a voluntary survey of their school libraries. The survey
gathered data on hours of operation, staff and their activities, the library’s collection and educational technology, total library expenditures, and several types of library usage. The evidence produced by this survey indicates that Illinois school libraries contribute measurably to the academic achievement of students, as reflected by their test scores at all grade levels. Furthermore, evidence indicates that such links between high-quality school library programs cannot be explained away by community socio-economic factors or key school conditions,
such as per pupil spending and teacher-pupil ratio. Indeed, sometimes, taking these variables into account revealed an even greater impact by school libraries and library media specialists than was previously masked by those other variables. The charts on the following pages illustrate the most significant findings from the Illinois study. They capture, indisputably, the correlation of higher test scores at all grade levels in schools:
1. where access to school libraries is flexibly scheduled

2. where school libraries are staffed more fully
3. where larger collections are available
4. where educational technology is more widely available to augment the local collection and extend access to online resources into the classroom
5. where school libraries are better funded
6. where students use school libraries, both individually and as groups, to learn and practice the information literacy skills they 7. will need to excel on tests and as lifelong learners.

And here is the data.

Competency 6: Building Block Search, WorldCat

Using WorldCat, I used the following terms for a building block search:

school libraries and library instruction and academic achievement

I found these sources in the first 10 hits!

Competency 6: Project Muse, Specific Facet

In this search, I used project muse to search using the specific facet method first. My first term was School Librarian, then changed it to Elementary school librarian, and finally changed it to (Elementary School Librarian) not University.

Out of 130 hits, I found quite a few great resources!

Competency 6: Citation Pearl Growing/Snowballing, LibLit

In this search on LibLit, I used the term Library Instruction.



I found these possible matches, but I wanted to continue to 'grow' my terms.

From this I got: curricular alignment, cybertorials, and literacy.

And this is what the next search found...

...NO RESULTS!!!

I think it was because the terms were too broad. I re-read the first few pages of initial hits and refined my terms: library instruction, curriculum, literacy

Success! Out of 125 matches, I think these will be the most useful to me.

Competency 6: Browsing, Dialog

For my first search, I used Dialog to find out any articles related to Elementary School Librarians.
Here was my first search strategy...

As you can see, I wasn't finding the right terminology. I continued building my search sets and used 'librarians'. I found this promising article.

And these...












After reading them, I found the correct indexing terms. I decided to start completely over. Look at how much I've found now!

Here is finally what I found!

Competency 5: Tagging

Below is a list of tags from Librarything.com associated with the tag CHILDRENS BOOKS

2004(2,434) 2005(2,434) 2006(2,434) 2007(2,434) adventure(2,434) american(2,434) animals(2,434) Art(2,434) biography(2,434) bookmooch(2,434) books in german(2,434) borrowed(2,434) chapter book(2,434) Christmas(2,434) Classic(2,434) classics(2,434) Doctor Who(2,434) fairy tales(2,434) fantasy(2,434) fiction(2,434) first shelf(2,434) hardcover(2,434) hardy boys(2,434) Harry Potter(2,434) historical fiction(2,434) history(2,434) homeschool(2,434) humor(2,434) illustrated(2,434) junior(2,434) Literature(2,434) macondo(2,434) magic(2,434) mystery(2,434) Non-Fiction(2,434) other(2,434) Oz(2,434) paperbackswap(2,434) picture book(2,434) poetry(2,434) primary(2,434) read(2,434) science(2,434) Science Fiction(2,434) series(2,434) tv tie-in(2,434) young adult(2,434)

Librarything is a wonderful resource for me to find reviews, books for different subjects, and to join several groups.

picture was found on google at aralista.multiply.com/journal/item/17

Compentency 4: RSS Feed

For my fourth competency, I chose to add the ALA's School Librarian Association's RSS feed to the bottom of my page.
I really like the up-to-date features that quickly help me keep track of current events.

Podcast Competency 3

Today, we got to find a podcast that fits our niche in librarian services. Using http://www.podcasts.net/ I found Teaching 'N Technology with host Cindy. http://www.podcast.net/show/39400 I picked this because this is a technology teacher's podcast about the development of the school's media center. After listening to the series Kick It Up a Notch! Move Your Media and Technology Program Into the Fast Lane as summarized from a workshop this technology teacher attended, it will be crucial to me when I spearhead my first media center this fall. It talks about the leadership role, the vision needed to keep the media center on track, and practical steps to creating a safe learning environment in the media center. I think this particular 'jewel' will come in very handy for my future libriarian career!

This podcast is one of a series of three. I think all will be very useful to me.

Competency 2: Finding a Fellow Blogger

Using http://www.blogsearchengine.com/, I found the following blog about another elementary librarian at: www.blogcatalog.com/user/elizbetho . Here are a few reasons why I picked this...

"I am a New York City Public School Librarian. I write this blog to talk about what it is like to work in an elementary school. I talk about fun reading events that take place at my school and I review children's books."

Out of all my assignments, this competency has been my favorite!

Purpose of This Blog

This blog has been specifically created as an assignment of LS5813 in the Library and Information Science Graduate course of Texas Women's University.


After my graduate studies, I want to become an Elementary School librarian. My district has several low-economic based schools, and I hope to use my skills and talents to make FUNdamental learning fun.

Here is to my quest of earning the honored title...librarian!