ALA Book of Library Grant Money, 9th ed.

Maxwell, Nancy Kalikow, ed. The ALA Book of Library Grant Money, 9th ed. Chicago: ALA, 2014. ISBN 978-0-8389-1211-9

This all-in-one resource for researching library and school grants is back in a new edition, and more useful than ever, offering refreshed content and even more guidance on locating grant funding sources. Using this guide, librarians, fundraisers, and researchers will find quick, convenient access to information on the most likely funding sources for libraries, including private foundations, corporate foundations, corporate direct givers, government agencies, and library and nonprofit organizations. Edited by Nancy Kalikow Maxwell, a grant writer with 35 years of experience, this edition includes more than 200 new entries, as well as

•    A detailed introduction explaining the concept of "grant readiness" and walking readers through the steps of preparing their institution for a grant project, including strategic planning, conducting a needs assessment, and identifying potential partners
•    Guidance on the most effective ways to use the directory, with an explanation of inclusion criteria and data elements
•    Multiple indexes for finding the right information fast
•    A new section covering grant-related organizations and sources, to aid readers looking for grant writers or grant development assistance
The challenge of "finding the money" will be made easier with this guide's clear and comprehensive information.

Makerspaces: Top Trailblazing Projects, A LITA Guide

Bagley, Caitlin, LITA. Makerspaces: Top Trailblazing Projects, A LITA Guide. Chicago: ALA, 2014. 027 Bagle.  ISBN 978-1-55570-990-7

Spaces that have been designed to allow users to create, build, and learn new projects and technologies, makerspaces employ a variety of tools such as 3-D printers, AutoCAD design software, and even open-source hardware like Arduino Kits. Developing a community around shared use of space and equipment, a tenet of the makerspace movement, fits squarely into libraries mission. Bagley examines nine makerspaces in public, academic, and school libraries, describing their design and technical decisions in depth and showing how each is doing something unique and different, under a wide range of budgets and project offerings. Enabling readers to quickly gather information about these trailblazing projects, Bagley’s guide:

• Defines the makerspace, and describes why it fits perfectly into the library's role as community center;
• Answers common questions about implementing a makerspace project, detailing how libraries are addressing issues such as registration, usage policy, noise, software programs in digital workspaces, adapting spaces, funding, and promotion;
• Illustrates approaches libraries are taking to staffing makerspaces, from Anchorage Public Library’s Maker in Residence and Mesa Public Library's THINKspot coordinator, to the library school students involved with University of Michigan and University of Illinois makerspace projects;
• Covers the demographics of makerspace users, from children and teens to hobbyists and job seekers, offering guidance for targeting, marketing, and programming.
• A sourcebook of ideas that readers can apply at their own institutions, this resource also demonstrates how makerspaces can be gathering places for people to learn how to create and build together as a community.

Including Families of Children with Special Needs (books)

Scott Banks, C. (2014). Including Families of Children with Special Needs: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians. Chicago, IL: Neal-Schuman.

More than 6.5 million children in the US receive special education services; in any given community, approximately one child out of every six will get speech therapy, go to counseling, attend classes exclusively with other children with disabilities, or receive some other service that allows him or her to learn. This new revised edition is a step-by-step guide to serving children and youth with disabilities as well as the family members, caregivers, and other people involved in their lives. The authors show how staff can enable full use of the library’s resources by integrating the methods of educators, medical and psychological therapists, social workers, librarians, parents, and other caregivers. Widening the scope to address the needs of teens as well as preschool and school-age children, this edition also discusses the needs of Spanish-speaking children with disabilities and their families, looking at cultural competency as well as Spanish-language resources. Enhanced with checklists, stories based on real experiences, descriptions of model programs and resources, and an overview of appropriate internet sites and services, this how-to gives thorough consideration to

• Partnering and collaborating with parents and other professionals
• Developing special collections and resources
• Assessing competencies and skills
• Principles underlying family-centered services and resource-based practices
• The interrelationship of early intervention, special education, and library service

This manual will prove valuable not only to children’s services librarians, outreach librarians, and library administrators, but also early intervention and family support professionals, early childhood and special educators, childcare workers, daycare and after school program providers, and policymakers.

(book description)

After-School Clubs for Kids (book)

Shaia, L.M. (2014). After-School Clubs for Kids: Thematic Programming to Encourage Reading. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions. 978-0-8389-1202-7

Learning that takes place "after hours" in a club setting is often an undersupported component of children's education. After-school clubs built around books encourage independent, recreational reading, which in turn has a positive impact on the rest of a child's day. In this book, Shaia offers a year's worth of ready-to-implement program ideas for librarians and educators. Her month-by-month calendar of themed clubs is conveniently divided by grade level (K-2, grades 3-4, grades 5-6) to allow club leaders and organizers to closely align activities and book selections to the ages of the club's participants. This handy book

• Offers programming on such themes as science, math, animals, mysteries, art, fairy tales, and more, all of which can be adapted for either a half-hour or forty-five-minute time slot   
• Details age-specific bibliographies and suggestions for read-alouds, music, and craft or game activities, with different ideas for each week in a month
• Presents information on publicizing the activity, community outreach, display ideas, set-up, supplies, management, and evaluation

With its inviting approach to book-based programming, Shaia's start-to-finish guide helps promote reading as a fun, engaging activity for kids.

Chapter 1: Math

Chapter 2: Fairy Tales

Chapter 3: Science

Chapter 4: Humor

Chapter 5: Art

Chapter 6: Mysteries

Chapter 7: Out at Sea

Chapter 8: Adventures

Chapter 9: School

Chapter 10: Chillers

Chapter 11: Boys Only

Chapter 12: Girls Only

(book description and table of contents)

Rx for the Common Core

Ratzer, Mary B., and Paige Jaeger. Rx for the Common Core: Toolkit for Implementing Inquiry Learning. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2014. ISBN: 978-1-61069-545-9

Publisher's Description
...Providing clear explanations of inquiry-based learning in the light of the Common Core, this book is a practical and graphical guide that will serve as a much-needed primer for librarians and educators.

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are putting educators under pressure to examine what works and what doesn't. Even with the best efforts, integrating new strategies into daily practice in the classroom or library can be frustrating. This book will help. Providing a professional development toolkit that trains school librarians and teachers and enables them to train others, it presents a sequence of scaffolded essential questions that results in a customized blueprint for effective teaching. The book assembles background building blocks for inquiry and the Common Core, illustrates and connects key concepts on how to introduce inquiry-based learning, and provides effective tools for igniting the Common Core through inquiry-based learning methods. Developed from the crucible of six years of professional development to real-world audiences with deep experience in teaching and school librarianship, this book makes implementing inquiry learning and embracing the Common Core easier for classroom teachers and school librarians who understand the value of these teaching methods but are unsure of the best way to implement them.

Features
• Presents essential questions and key concepts as the framework for efficient, effective change
• Provides readers with an understanding of the basics of inquiry learning and preparation to use methods and tools to implement inquiry learning
• Explains the rationale for the need to redesign instruction in the context of 21st century education
• Examines the Common Core and its relationship to inquiry learning
• Prepares readers to use a toolkit for implementation of the skills called for in the CCSS, such as synthesis and evaluation, and in order to train others in the implementation of inquiry-based learning and the CCSS

Sample Topics
Assessment
Backwards Design
Common Core State Standards
Defining Inquiry
Engaging Learners
Generation Y
Rigor and Relevance
Self Assessment
Synthesis