Tuesday, September 9, 2008

3 new school library titles

-Bradburn, Frances B. Output Measures for School Library Media Programs. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 1999.

Book Description from Amazon.com:Numbers can provide concrete proof to demonstrate that a problem exists as well as evidence that steps are being taken to find solutions. Bradburn, chief consultant for library media programs for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, provides a much-needed format for taking data traditionally collected by library media specialists and showing how it can be used to talk about existing programs - or to document the need for a program change.
She addresses the use of statistics to justify the need for resources or to provide input for programs, ways to collect the data with limited time and staff, and the use of that data by systems or individual schools to argue for increased funding. Detailed information, clearly illustrated by examples and charts, is supplied on which data will best support a given need, collecting the data so they are reliable and useful, and interpreting and using them most effectively. "Hotspots" warn the reader of potential pitfalls in the use of these statistics. The major output measures are: media center use, materials use, materials availability, teaching availability, and staff development opportunities. Fully developed case studies illuminate the strategic use of output measures by the school library media specialist.



Bridges, Karl. Great American Novels You've (Probably) Never Read. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2007.
Product Description from Amazon.comBridges has compiled a list of 100 American novels published between 1797 and 1997 and worthy of the title "great." Although the idea is to bring light to the obscure, these titles are physically accessible to readers--either in print, or represented in library collections and available through library loan. For each title, he provides a brief quotation from the book, a plot summary and review, a biographical sketch of the author, a list of the author's other publications, and resources to consult. Intended as a ready reference, this guide will be of particular interest to readers' advisors, as well as faculty and students of American literature.



Garner, Carolyn. Teaching Library Media Skills in Grades K-6; A How-To-Do-It Manual and CD-ROM. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2004.
Book DescriptionHere’s a comprehensive new guide and CD-ROM with the tools busy school library media specialists need to teach elementary children to successfully navigate today’s libraries. This valuable grade-by-grade manual provides ready-to-teach lessons for introducing and reinforcing 12 essential learning objectives with practical, fun and challenging activities. The topics range from learning library manners and proper care of books (for K-2 learners) to computer use and locating information from CD’s and the Internet (for upper-elementary grades). Whether you need a good lesson for teaching call numbers, the Dewey Decimal System, what the title page of a book contains, thesaurus and dictionary use, or using online catalogs and search engines—it’s all here. Garner’s ready-to-go lessons have all been field-tested with kids and can be used either as-is from the book or easily adapted and customized from Word files located on the CD-ROM.