School Libraries

New Round Of Layoffs May All But Decimate San Diego School Libraries

The proposed cuts are on top of pink slips that went out in March to more than half of the aides who staff elementary school libraries. The remaining aides had their schedules reduced to as little as two hours a week.

“I just can’t even imagine how that’s going to be cost effective, because there’s just going to be so much lost — lost materials, lost time, lost educational experiences,” said Elaine Sabetti, the library technician at Pershing Middle School in San Carlos. “I don’t know how they can even do it.”

From New Round Of Layoffs May All But Decimate San Diego School Libraries | KPBS

April 27, 2017 by Libraries School Libraries

Ivanka Trump Gets Schooled by Librarians

From the Huffington Post:

When the first daughter tweeted about applauding librarians last week, she was not met with much praise. As we know, her father has slashed library budgets wherever he could (and doesn’t seem to want to read any books).

Ivanka: This #NationalLibraryWeek, we honor our libraries and librarians for opening our eyes to the world of knowledge, learning and reading!

One of hundreds of responses:

“Defunding libraries as proposed in your dad’s budget hurts hardworking Americans,” the nonprofit EveryLibrary tweeted back at Trump, before adding, “Cuts to federal funding for libraries are absolutely unconscionable, cruel, and unnecessary. #saveIMLS #library.”

April 19, 2017 by Librarians Libraries School Libraries

New Checklists to Support Library Patron Privacy

LITA’s Patron Privacy Interest Group has partnered with the ALA IFC’s Privacy Subcommittee to create new checklists to support library patron privacy policies.

The checklists cover:

data exchange between networked devices and services
e-book lending and digital content vendors
library management systems/integrated library systems
library websites, OPACs, and discovery services
public access computers and networks
students in K-12 schools.

From New Checklists to Support Library Patron Privacy – LITA Blog

February 3, 2017 by American Library Association EBooks Librarians Libraries Privacy School Libraries

Hacker cripples Hardin County Schools library system, demands ransom

“If we can’t, we’re going to have to rebuild the system from scratch. We won’t have to go back and re-scan every single book in the system because we have some listed on other files, so we won’t have to start from zero – but we won’t be starting far from zero either,” he said.
In a complication, Edwards said school IT workers were backing up the library server files to an external hard drive when the  attack occurred. This resulted in the back-up also being corrupted.
Regarding thwarting potential future hacking attempts, Edwards said, “We’ve had several conversations about really looking into where any and all of our vulnerabilities are at. This really makes you reevaluate computer security – it’s been an eye-opener.”

 

From Hacker cripples Hardin County Schools library system, demands ransom

January 10, 2017 by Librarians Libraries School Libraries

Overdue library book returned to school 120 years late

On discovering the HCS library stamp inside the book, Mrs Gillett, who lives near Taunton, decided to return it.
“I can’t imagine how the school has managed without it,” she said.
The book would have been of good use to young Boycott as he eventually graduated with first class honours in Natural Science and became a distinguished naturalist and pathologist.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-38240845

December 10, 2016 by Books Librarians Libraries School Libraries Way Overdue

We LOVE Our Librarians

The New York Times has announced the winners of their annual contest. Send these peeps your best.

The 2016 I Love My Librarian Award recipients include three academic librarians, four public librarians and three school librarians. This year’s winners are:

Danielle S. Apfelbaum,
New York Institute of Technology,
Old Westbury, New York

Andrea Bernard,
Tyler Memorial Library,
Charlemont, Massachusetts

Olga Valencia Cardenas,
Stanislaus County Library,
Modesto, California

Elissa Checov,
Gwinnett Tech. College / Gwinnett County Public Library,
Lawrenceville, Georgia

Kathryn Cole,
Northside Elementary School,
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Tabatha “Tabby” Farney,
University of Colorado, Colorado Springs,
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Sherri Ginsberg,
Hillsides Library,
Pasadena, California

Lia Kharis Hillman,
San Francisco Public Library

Jamille Rogers,
Marguerite Vann Elementary School,
Conway, Arkansas

Roosevelt Weeks, Sr.
Houston Public Library

November 30, 2016 by Legal Issues Librarians Libraries School Libraries

WA State Dems push to unblock LGBT material at schools, libraries

Several House Democrats have put forward legislation that would ban schools and libraries from banning Internet access to LGBT material, which is sometimes blocked by filters aimed at keeping out obscene content.

The “Don’t Block LGBTQ Act,” from Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif., is meant to ensure that young LGBT people are able to access material that might help them.

From Dems push to unblock LGBT material at schools, libraries | Washington Examiner

October 5, 2016 by Internet Libraries School Libraries

How Banning Books Marginalizes Children

When librarians and teachers reject works that may be “emotionally inappropriate” for children (a common reason), they’re adhering to the traditional and mostly prevailing view that children’s literature should avoid controversial topics. It’s understandable that adults want to minimize children’s anxiety, and schools are often under intense social and financial pressure to maintain established standards. But it ‘s also important to recognize that this tradition was established in the 19th century to serve the needs of the white, wealthy Protestant producers and consumers who have dominated the field of American children’s literature for much of the past 200 years.

From How Banning Books Marginalizes Children – The Atlantic

October 5, 2016 by Books Libraries School Libraries

Boston looking to turn the page on lack of school libraries

More than half of public schools in Boston do not have libraries, leaving thousands of students — the majority of them in distressed neighborhoods — without a safe place to study and access to resources so they can learn more, according to a new 
district report.

Seventy-three of 126 schools in Boston do not have a library — and even at those that do, most don’t have full-time librarians or enough books, according to the five-year Boston Public Schools library services plan approved by the School Committee this week.

From BPS looking to turn the page on lack of libraries | Boston Herald

September 23, 2016 by Libraries School Libraries

Will school libraries soon be gone?

However, as a result of the lack of funding from No Child Left Behind, several districts have been forced to close libraries or asked teachers to pick up those responsibilities.

“This has hurt the state and schools because school libraries aren’t supported in the state of Michigan,” Lester said. “Currently, only 8 percent of libraries have a full-time certified librarian staffing them.”

The decline first started in 2003 and has steadily been on a downward slant ever since, Lester said.

From Will school libraries soon be gone?

September 20, 2016 by Libraries School Libraries

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