Rutgers Association of School Librarians (RASL)

February Meeting Minutes - School Websites

2010-03-08T00:05:00.002-05:00

February RASL Meeting Minutes

Speaker - - Lisa Manganello (South Brunswick High School)

Official school page

Everything filtered through webmaster
Consider limits
Static presence, not meant to be updated daily.
Staff/Procedures
Databases (school has tremendous funding, great selection)

Make wiki for library (for free!)

Lisa’s is on wikispaces
Class projects
Senior health project
Include project hand-outs, supplements, requirements
Collaborating teachers can also contribute
Databases, video streaming
“Book Looks” - book recommendations archived on wiki pages

Peer picks gets students writing. There is a contest every marking period - - if students write a review they are added to a drawing for a Barnes and Noble gift card.

Resources for new teachers, hand-outs, powerpoints

Learn everything about district technology programs and come up with your own resources - - will let others know you have something to contribute.
Technology directors/coordinators tend to be very possessive of technology

Speaker-- Kim Zito (Crossroads North Middle School)

District site: student resources, databases, educational games
pbworks > free wiki > wikiwhileyouwork

Mission statement
Current things going on (author visit, etc)
Voice threads
Attention-getting web 2.0 tools
Has meebo (helps students after school and from home)
Animoto > very easy video production (animoto,com)
Include path-finders (paper ones get tossed . . . online can be re-used)

Must have a web presence > home/school connection and 24 hour access

Communicates energy, excitement, tech saviness
Easy to get overwhelmed, just start somewhere
Watch grammar and punctuation
How much time do you want to commit?
How do you want to use it?
Look at Resources for School Libraries website (gives website design ideas) - http://www.sldirectory.com/

Joyce Valenza - WEBQUEST
Pay attention to student privacy issues (especially with videos and online publication of student work)
Check school policies

Personal learning networks

Develop co-hort of like-minded professionals
Tweeting - way to learn in 140 characters or less
Teacher-library ning started by Joyce Valenza

Ross Todd commended that we need to find creative ways around brick walls. We are all subject to procedures, policies, and restrictions.
Ask permission to include link to wiki on the district website.
Include information about cyber safety on website/wiki.

October Meeting Minutes

2009-10-26T20:51:00.000-04:00

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend the October RASL meeting and special thanks to our speakers! Their stories and discussion points were both informative and insightful.

Couldn't make the meeting? We encourage you to review the meeting minutes, which might address some of your questions or concerns.

Our next meeting will be November 11th at 5:30pm. Representatives from NJASL, AASL, and NJLA will present on professional organizations. Mark your calendars =)

NJASL Conference – East Brunswick, NJ – Nov. 13th and 14th
Cost for students is $65 for both days and $60 for one day.
http://www.njasl.org/news_conferences_fall.shtml.

Introductions
-Erin Hummel, SLMS at John Adams Elementary School, New Brunswick
-Sarah Neiderman, SLMS at New Brunswick Middle School
-Jess Emili, SLMS at Matawan-Aberdeen Middle School
-Camille Thompson, YA Librarian at New Brunswick Public Library
-Carol Gordon, RASL advisor, RU Associate Professor, and Director of Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries

Sarah Neiderman (Middle School Media Center)

General
-Has a homeroom where she acts as an advisor and advocate for a group of students
-Assists teachers and students with projects in all subject areas (multi-disciplinary; ex- biographies of mathematicians)
-Responsible for book selection and Reader’s Advisory
-Important to have a standardized research process throughout grade levels
-Must attend committee meetings (ex- community service, book fairs)

Teacher-related
-Check e-mail often to stay in communication with other teachers, which is necessary for scheduling and collaborating on lesson plans
-Collaborates with technology teacher to team teach (ex- how to use search engines)
-Involvement in school is essential for meeting other teachers, collaborating with them on instructional planning, and using them as resources

Student-related
-All students have a yearly Language Arts research paper to complete
-Students are permitted to “drop in” to exchange books or work on school assignments during lunch
-Students can go through an application process to become library volunteers. They typically help with displays, shelving, setting up for book fairs, etc.

Erin Hummel (Elementary School Media Center)

-Students having library time serves as teachers’ prep time
-Biggest issue: time management
-Student schedules are fixed not flexible (usually come into the library once a week for 40 minutes)
-6 classes/week
-Usually teaches a 10 minute lesson, allowing for 10 minutes of student practice/application, and 10-15 minutes for students to pick out books (sometimes need longer)
-You must be flexible, especially as a new staff member
-Can expect to spend at least a ½ hour after school cleaning up the library (little time to do this throughout the day)
-Rents out media equipment to teachers
-Many after school meetings will be held in the media center

Jess Emili (Middle School Media Center)

-After initial interview, Jess was called in to do a demo lesson and book talk
-First week of school created a brochure communicating how the library can be useful to staff (placed it in everyone’s mailboxes)
-It can be challenging to promote the library (people’s misconceptions and previous disappointments)
-Important to be able to train teachers in Web 2.0 (it can be very useful to them). Jess had to give a presentation on Web 2.0 to the staff at the beginning of the year
-Main responsibilities: instruction, promoting literacy, promoting recreational reading
-School has block scheduling (72 minutes a day of LA and math)
-Block scheduling allows for more flexible scheduling with more time to collaborate with other teachers.
-Students complete an interdisciplinary research paper each year (ex- interrelating Social Studies and Language Arts)
-Be aware of internet filters
-Know the technology director (essential to promoting 21st century learning)
-During the first year, give yourself time to get things done. Pick a few major projects, you cannot do everything your first year.

Dr. Gordon (Middle School, High School, and International School Libraries)

-Discouraged with unmotivated co-librarians and assistants who were not passionate or student-focused
-Appreciated being in schools where as a librarian she felt empowered to make decisions and had the freedom to try new approaches to student learning
-Enjoyed librarianship because she could provide students with emotional support and creative pedagogy
-Important to bring the community into the school. Worked with students to reach out to community artists, dancers, painters, etc to have an Arts Festival
-In Germany created an integrated library and technology program (integrated information skills and technology skills)
-Primary goal should be to reach out to teachers because they are the gateway to all the students
-Created a website on summer reading… included “staff picks,” “student picks,” YA books, and adult books
-Used research to show the value of students having the freedom to choose what they read (students enjoy reading more, associate reading with pleasure and personal interest rather than just school assignments)

Camille (Public Library, Youth Services)

-A day in a public library is not as structured as when working in a school; more recreational than school
-Has to work the reference desk and the children’s desk
-Many teens coming into the library don’t have adequate computer skills
-Many ESL students
-Plans, advertises, and runs programs (the programs cannot cost money)
-Incorporate books into programs
-Teen Advisory Board
-Selection and maintenance of YA collection
-Reach out to community and schools (book talks, summer reading)
-Must work some evenings and weekends
-Challenging to work with a small budget (collection, programming, etc)
-Has more freedom with collection than school librarians often do
-There is research that supports gaming for teens
-Biggest time of year: summer reading programs

Final Advice during Q&A
-Help teachers to not be intimidated by technology
-Some schools mandate that teachers need to teach a technology unit
-It can be challenging if your media center does not have great technology
-Although school librarians are required to have a mentor their first year, this mentor is likely to be a classroom teacher (can be challenging)
-**KEEP IN MIND** NJASL can assign mentors to school librarians, but you must sign up in advance
-Can often get help from other librarians in the district
-Spend entire budget in the beginning of the year, otherwise administration may take some money back if they think you don’t need it all.
-Keep track of instruction, circulation stats, and technology special events
-Value of internships and practical experience; even if you want to work in a school library, you can still gain useful experience in a public library
-Erin offered for library students to shadow her

Below are the speakers’ e-mail addresses. They are willing to accept questions.
Jess Emili
jemili@marsd.k12.nj.us

Erin Hummel
ehummel@mail.nbtschools.org

Camille Thompson
thompson@lmxac.org

Sarah Neiderman
sarah_neiderman@nbts.k12.nj.us

Minutes for Sept. 9, 2009 - - New Student Orientation

2009-09-10T14:14:00.003-04:00

Thank you to everyone who was able to make the first RASL meeting of the 2009-2010 year! We hope that you found our discussion pertinent and helpful.

Couldn't make the meeting? No problem! We encourage you to review the meeting minutes, which might address some of your questions or concerns.

Our next meeting will be October 21st at 5:30pm. Mark your calendars =)

1. Introductions

-Faculty Advisors and 514 Professors- Carol Gordon, Ross Todd

-Professor and School Media Field Experience Advisor - Mary Jane McNally

-Ross Todd explained that the SCIS School Media Specialist Program is determined by the State Department of Education, which makes graduates of the program eligible for automatic state certification for librarianship.

2. Education Courses for Uncertified Teachers

-Students who have not yet received their teaching certification and want to be a school media specialist will need to take 3 education courses (9 credits) in addition to the school media program requirements.

-The 3 courses are determined by the specifications of the Department of Education. They are the following:

Theory and Foundations of Education for the School Library Media Specialist (17:611:520)

Curriculum Design/Integration and Teaching Methodologies for the School Library Media Specialist (17:611:521)

Student Learning Development and Behavior Management for the School Library Media Specialist (17:611:522)

-These courses can be taken at any time during the program, either integrated with the other MLIS courses, during the summer, or during the first year as a school media specialist.

-If students choose the last option (taking the courses during the first year as a school media specialist) they might be lucky enough that their employer will fund these 9 credits. However, this is not always the case and it is highly recommended that these courses are taken prior to working in a school library. As all three advisors emphasized at the meeting: it is crucial that classroom management, lesson and unit planning, and implementing guided inquiry are understood and practiced BEFORE working in a school.

-Many students have suggested taking Curriculum Design before 514 and Theory and Foundation before 521.

-A student at the meeting suggested substitute teaching to gain teaching experience.

-A reminder for students who want to take the education courses over the summer: These courses will be more condensed and intense. Keep this in mind if you are considering taking multiple summer classes or working.

3. Field Experience

-Field Experience (592) is completed in a school library and required for certification.

-It is taken during your final semester of the program in conjunction with 575. This ensures that you will bring the greatest skill-set possible to the experience.

-Contact Professor McNally (mmcnally@rci.rutgers.edu) the semester before you will do your field experience. She will then send you an application, on which you can state your geographic and grade-level preference. However, there are no guarantees. Professor McNally asks that you trust her. Convenience may not always be the best choice. She knows many librarians in many different areas and is well-qualified to make the best match for you.

-This is a formal arrangement. You cannot make a match on your own. Rutgers and the assigned school’s Board of Education must approve of your placement.

-For some schools, you may need to be finger-printed, background checked, TB tested, etc.

-Professor McNally also reminded us that when we are in our placements we must consider that librarians are often doing their best and coping with circumstances beyond their control. This may not always match what we have learned in our text books.

-Students in 592 will need to devote 150 hours during the semester at their field placement site. The average student does 10 hours/week for 15 weeks, but this schedule is not required.

-Registering
Section 2 is for on-campus school media
Section 85 or 90 (depending on the semester) is for online students. Online students will still have to report to a field experience site.

4. Online Students

-Professor Todd asked us to consider that half of SCIS online students are specializing in School Media. How can we bring them into RASL?

-Some suggestions- - Webcasts and the RASL website

5. Advising

-Take advantage! Contact Carol Gordon (cgordon1@rutgers.edu) or Ross Todd (rtodd@rutgers.edu) to schedule an advising appointment.

-If your advisor knows who you are, they can write you a recommendation letter in the future.

-You don’t want to risk getting to the end of your program and realize you forgot to take a colloquium or have not completed a pre-requisite for one of your final courses.

-You only get one elective on the School Media track. Your advisor can help recommend which one might be best for you and your career goals.

6. NJASL Conference and Professional Organizations

-NJASL Conference November 13th and 14th - East Brunswick

-Dr. Gordon explained the importance of joining professional organizations to help shape our profession, network, serve on committees and task forces, and learn from other librarians.

-As students you can join ALA and NJLA at one discounted price.

-AASL – American Association of School Librarians grants members a free subscription to Knowledge Quest magazine, which focuses on school library media programs and services.

7. Next Meeting

Wednesday, October 21st at 5:30pm in the SCIS lounge

-Current School Librarians will be there to discuss their jobs
-Pizza and soda will be served

Hope to see you there!! =)

Catching Up

2009-04-17T09:17:00.004-04:00

Dear RASL,

Below you will find the meeting minutes for the March 31st meeting. Sorry for the delay. April meeting minutes have already been posted (see below this post).

RASL Meeting Minutes: March 31, 2009

1. Scheduling Questions and Concerns
-This part of the agenda was N/A since everyone in attendance will be graduating next month. Please see your adviser if you need assistance in scheduling classes or to be sure that you are on track to graduate.

2. Review of the Celebrating Teaching and Learning Conference by Dr. Gordon
-this conference is held annually in Manhattan and sponsored by PBS
-There were approx.8,000 attendees this year and Dr. Gordon recommends going next year!
-Panels, workshops, sessions
-Kenneth Robinson, a British professor based in Los Angeles spoke about the importance of creativity
-Dr. Robinson believes that education often prevents creativity
-He talked about visiting the school that Paul McCartney and George Harrison attended, where they were told that they weren't musically talented
-Discussed the question: "What are they doing wrong in schools so that creativity isn't being fostered?"
-spoke about Las Vegas as a "place of imagination": Americans take it for grated/see it as tacky
-education has taken on a manufacturing model: quality-control approach, thanks in part to standards-based education
-calls for a more organic model: combine emotions and intellect into education
-focus on divergent thinking
-by 13-15 years of age, only 10% of students in a study that the professor spoke about demonstrated divergent thinking
-we live in a culture where making mistakes is seen as "bad"
-school libraries are a place where we can encourage kids to embrace divergent thinking, explore their passions, and realize that mistakes lead to learning
-Go to youtube and type in "Ken Robinson" to see more about his creativity lectures

Other speakers:

-Erik Schmidt, CEO of Google also spoke (interviewed by Charlie Rose)
-1 day per week employees can work on whatever they want--creativity is an integral part of Google's work culture
-provide child care, casual working environment, encouragement to produce NOT pressure to produce

Joel Kline and Pedro Nagoaes "Closing the Achievement Gap"
-discussion about inequality in education
-idea of schools and society taking on issue of "what is education?"
-1 view: social problems are conditions of the environment that can prohibit/promote education
-other view: we have to cure poverty before improving education
"we have to teach children the way that they learn": focus on authentic assessment

Lucille Dewey: What Is 21st century education?
-concentrate on student outcomes
-use studies that investigate what works
-partner with states and look at states as warehouses for what works and what doesn't
-school reform is needed

Resources for Media Literacy:
-National Association for Media Literacy
-Journal of Media Literacy in Education
-Frankwbaker.com
-book: "Reading the Media" by Renee Hobbs

3. Revisions to the NJ Core Curriculum Standards by Dr. Todd
-SLMS are part of a working system: we need support systems to help us; these include: standards and assessments, curriculum and instruction, professional development, learning environments
-expectation that students will develop various skills
-The library is not specifically mentioned in the Framework for 21st Century Learning: it's our role to define our relationship to the vision
-framework provides us a vocabulary to define who we are and what our role in the school is

4. Elections will be held at our next meeting (date: TBA) so stay tuned!

In the meantime, if you're looking for jobs, check out:
BCCLS Want Ads
http://www.bccls.org/buckles/jobs.shtml

NJLA Job Hotline
http://www.njla.org/jobs.html

April meeting minutes

2009-04-14T17:02:00.003-04:00

Dear RASL-blog readers,

First off, apologies for not posting the March (or um, February) meeting minutes yet. This post is coming to you live from our April Anime meeting. Stay tuned for previous meeting minutes- (I promise)!

Special guests: Jill Ratzan and Chris Centofanti

What is a manga?
Manga is a form of comics from Japan; 7 1/2 by 5 inches in size.
-characters generally have large eyes, crazy hair
-Pokemon originally based on a manga
-reads backwards (right to left)..reflects traditional Japanese writing
-on the page itself, written right to left, top to down
-often written in vertical style; columns are longer than they are wide
-manga is a FORMAT of book, not a genre in itself (there are lots of different genres represented in manga and graphic novels)

Genres of manga:
-Shonen: action/adventure manga; often "like a Jackie Chan film" (action but silliness to it too)
-Shonen Jump; Naruto
-Shojo: "high school musical" version of manga; appeals to girls; romance is big part of the genre; outlandish scenarios; Chinese zodiac and animal spirits come into play
-Shojo Pink; Little Butterfly; Marmalade Boy
-Yowie! manga:
-Seinan manga: artwork is very realistic; similar to well-drawn Western comics today
-Josie manga: realistic, appeals to girls; "like a Julia Roberts movie"
-re-tellings: ex. manga Hamlet; many different brands are turning Shakespeare's work into manga to appeal to teens; Star Wars manga
-Great way to get those who might not be into manga into it!
-Western original stories: written in manga style but not based on Japanese legends

Why do teens like manga?
-it's new; it's different
-parents don't understand it! (how to read it, etc.)--sense of pride in "getting it"
-doesn't take as much concentration and time as a novel--sense of accomplishment in finishing 1 or 2 per day is obtainable goal
-can connect to the stories
-visual appeal

Library considerations:
-fall apart very easily
-some publishers offer better versions (more expensive; often available at conferences)
-easy to steal because they're small
-many, many volumes in a series: buy first few in the series and see if they circulate or try to have some sort of inter-library loan agreement with other libraries
-Volume one is often the one that's never in the library (buy extra copies of first one, maybe)
-nudity

Content:
-often violent; lots of blood
-content often varies from volume to volume
-frequent nudity: female toplessness isn't a big deal in Japan
-characters look very young: nudity/sex might be controversial but Japanese standard of beauty sees youth as the ideal

What to Collect:
Tokyo Pop rating system: offers a ratings system and tells you WHY a book is rated that way (ie. nudity but not violent)

How manga supports curriculum:
-shows cultural diversity
-shows life in Japan; way house is set up, packing lunch, etc.: reading manga can teach you about Japanese culture
-inaccessible text is made accessible (ie. Hamlet)
-inspire an interest in medieval Japan, etc.; could be paired with "serious" non-fiction
-they're fun to read!!

Anime:
-video version of manga
-we also viewed scenes from the anime movie: "My Neighbor Totoro" directed by Hayao Miyazaki

For more information: email Jill Ratzan at jratzan@scils.rutgers.edu; or Chris Centofanti at ccento@eden.rutgers.edu

Check out Scott McCloud's book "Understanding Comics" for more information!
Other books to check out include: Stephen Krashen's "The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research" (2004).

**handout will be posted on the website!

Love,
(your very frazzled) RASL secretary

March meeting ... tomorrow!

2009-03-30T19:55:00.003-04:00

Join us tomorrow evening, Tuesday March 31st at 5pm in the lounge for the March RASL meeting.

This should be a great meeting!
We are lucky to have Dr. Carol Gordon and Dr. Ross Todd coming to speak about the NJ revisions to the Core Curriculum Content Standards and the Celebrating Teaching and Learning conference they recently attended.

We also plan to discuss any scheduling questions for the upcoming Fall semester and of course there will be pizza. :)

February RASL meeting

2009-02-23T20:16:00.003-05:00

Meet us in the SCILS faculty lounge tomorrow,
February 24th at 5:00 PM

You've heard all about Web 2.0,
but how is it going to help you in your LMC
or your youth services department?

Come on out for some free pizza, discussion
and demonstrations of Web 2.0 in the library.

last week's meeting (1/29)

2009-02-04T15:45:00.006-05:00

RASL kicked off the semester with its first meeting last Thursday (1/29). Here's what went on:

-Job Postings
From NJLA Job Hotline site (Just Google "NJLA Job Hotline" as the link doesn't always work):
CHILDREN'S LIBRARIAN- FULL TIME; MONROE TOWNSHIP LIBRARY
CHILDREN'S LIBRARIAN- PART TIME; MATAWAN ABERDEEN PUBLIC LIBRARY
ADULT SERVICES LIBRARIAN/LIBRARY INTERN: PART TIME; PISCATAWAY PUBLIC LIBRARY
TEEN LIBRARIAN/LIBRARY INTERN: EAST BRUNSWICK PUBLIC LIBRARY

Kristi also works at New Brunswick Free Public Library and mentioned that there is a YA INTERN position available; email Kristi Revicki at krevicks@gmail.com for more info.

-Scheduling
In-depth meeting will happen in early April, so stay tuned!
BUT if it's your first semester, you should definitely meet with an adviser ASAP! We recommend Carol Gordon if you are doing the school library track.

-Networking
-Shadowing librarians: veteran RASL members highly recommend contacting a local SLMS (school library media specialist) to get some experience BEFORE you do field experience (in your last semester). This is a great way to get exposure to different age groups! Our webmaster, Renee, recommended contacting the Central Jersey Regional Library Consortium to do so.

-NJASL and NJLA: join them! Student discounts are available while you're earning your MLIS which will save you A LOT of money.

-Conferences: the annual NJASL conference was held at the East Brunswick Hilton in November, but stay tuned to the RASL blog for info on registering for next year's conference. NJLA should be coming up in April or May as well!
-Those who have been to conferences say it's an invaluable experience, where you'll experience vendors, get programming ideas, and hear lectures on current research!

RASL will be holding a Web 2.0 panel this semester. Check your email to find out when our March meeting will be held.

Have a great semester!!!!
love,
RASL

1st meeting of the semester!

2009-01-28T23:19:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody!

Come on out for some pizza and discussion of your youth services experience
at SCILS! Don't let the name of our organization deceive you, we cater our
meetings to both school librarians and public librarians in youth services.
Get the inside scoop on job offerings and tips and tricks while networking
with your peers!

The meeting is on Thursday, January 29th at 5:30 PM. We look forward to
seeing you there!

November 6th meeting minutes

2008-11-11T18:52:00.004-05:00

In case you missed our November meeting, here's what happened:

I. Welcome!
-Recap of collaboration panel (check out the collaboration post on the blog)
-Recap of Children's and Youth Services Forum
-Recap of Showcasing Information Literacies: New Dimensions 2008

II. Job Postings:
-Metuchen: Middle School Position (http://www.metuchenschools.org/metuchen/)
-Bloomfield Public Library: children's librarian (http://www.bccls.org/buckles/jobs.shtml)
-Clifton Public Library: Children's librarian (http://www.bccls.org/buckles/jobs.shtml)
-Tenafly Public Schools- Elementary (www.tenafly.k12.nj.us)
-Upper Freehold Regional- K-8 (www.ufrsd.net)

III. NJASL Conference
-Thursday, Nov. 13-Sat. Nov 15: early registration for this year's conference has passed.
-Hilton, East Brunswick
-On-site registration is $95 for students (all three days) or $90 for one day
-Review of Programs: Lots of great programs; check out the schedule here: http://www.njasl.org/Conferences.htm

Alicia, Kristie, and Jess will all be attending, so contact RASL if you are looking for some company at the conference!!!

IV. Spring Registration: began on Sunday November 9
-If you haven't done so already, meet with an adviser! Even if you already know what courses you are taking, this is a good idea because of the structure of the SLM program...make sure you're on track so that you can graduate on time! Carol Gordon will be happy to meet with you to discuss course registration. Her office is in SCILS room 332 and her email is cgordon1@rci.rutgers.edu
-We passed out our handy scheduling planning sheets.

V. Next meeting: Thursday, December 4 at 5pm
-Election of new co-president
-Holiday celebration/celebration of graduates

Education Sequence for School Library Certification

2008-11-04T17:37:00.003-05:00

If you DO NOT have a degree in education, you will probably need to complete 3 courses in an education sequence for school library certification. These classes are all offered online, and generally 2 of of the 3 courses are offered per semester (summer, fall, spring).

To qualify for Associate School Library Media Specialist or School Library Media Specialist, in addition to your library studies courses you must meet one of the following requirements:
(1) Hold a standard New Jersey or out-of-State instructional certificate. A military science endorsement will not satisfy this requirement; or
(2) Complete a State-approved college teacher preparation program with or without student teaching; or
(3) Complete a coherent college program at a regionally accredited college or university that includes a minimum of nine semester-hour credits in educational theory, curriculum design and integration, teaching methodology, student/learning development, and behavior management.

Here is a listing of these courses:
Theory and Foundations of Education for the School Library Media Specialist
17:611:520 (3 credits)
An introduction to the historical foundations and major theories and philosophies in education. The focus is on the role of the school library media specialist as a teacher in the media center and the professional community of the school. Students will explore and apply learning and child development theories; develop strategies for communication with students, parents, faculty and staff, administration, and other professionals; and explore legal issues connected to the role of library media specialist. A major component of the class will be to support each student in developing a personal philosophy of education. Prerequisites: permission to enroll in this course will be granted to students who are seeking certification as a school library media specialist or associate school library media specialist, as evidenced by current or previous enrollment in appropriate coursework; experience using email and basic World Wide Web searching techniques, your own reliable Internet account, and the hardware and software required for an online course.
Planned to be offered in fall and summer.

Curriculum Design/Integration and Teaching Methodologies for the School Library Media Specialist
17:611:521 (3 credits)
This course is an introduction to teaching strategies and learning models used in the classroom and library media center. Students will focus on new trends in educational research and identify current trends in instruction. Emphasis will be placed on the planning and construction of lesson plans and units of study based on principles of curriculum design for the instruction and integration of New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards and Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning. Prerequisites: permission to enroll in this course will be granted to students who are seeking certification as a school library media specialist or associate school library media specialist, as evidenced by current or previous enrollment in appropriate coursework; experience using email and basic World Wide Web searching techniques, your own reliable Internet account, and the hardware and software required for an online course.
May require observations to be completed in a school setting. Planned to be offered in spring and summer.

Student Learning Development and Behavior Management for the School Library Media Specialist
17:611:522 (3 credits)
An introduction to the characteristics and learning styles of learners, techniques for classroom management, and rules and expectations in the school library and classroom. Prerequisites: permission to enroll in this course will be granted to students who are seeking certification as a school library media specialist or associate school library media specialist, as evidenced by current or previous enrollment in appropriate coursework; experience using email and basic World Wide Web searching techniques, your own reliable Internet account, and the hardware and software required for an online course.
May require observations to be completed in a school setting. Planned to be offered in fall and spring.

In order to register for these classes, you need to contact the office of Professional Development. They will then email you an application to complete and mail into their office. When they receive it, they will email you a special permission number to register for the course.

The PDS website's FAQ page is located here: http://tinyurl.com/64tbuj

If you have any questions, you can contact Melanie Andrich at: mandrich@rutgers.edu

Collaboration Panel, Thursday 10/16

2008-10-11T16:56:00.001-04:00

The Rutgers Association of School Librarians (RASL) Presents a Collaboration Panel!

You hear a lot about collaboration in your classes, but what does it take to make it happen?

Join us for a panel discussion on the challenges & benefits and strategies for successful collaboration.

Participants on the panel include school and public librarians and teachers who work with students of all ages.

Bring your questions on how to make collaboration and quality communication a reality, or just come to listen.

Thursday, October 16th
SCILS Student Lounge
Refreshments at 6pm, Panel at 6:30pm

Hope to see you there!

Live blogging from the NJASL board meeting

2008-10-04T10:28:00.006-04:00

Below are highlights from the meeting that may be of interest to RASL members.

10:30 AM

Meeting called to order.
Budget revisions discussed.
NJ Center for the Book Wednesday, October 22, 2008 -- conference (see link)
Enthusiastic Reader competition beginning. More details to follow.

10:45 AM

NJEA collaboration panel discussed.
Rolling Research library grant discussed. Issues: de-professionalizing school libraries and against current regulations
Mentoring guidelines discussed.

11:00 AM

Conference attendance and reimbursement now reflected in budget. Available online for NJASL members.
RASL collaboration panel discussed.
Website redesign slated to be launched by the conference.
NJASL conference -- infolink on Saturday; Jane Austin program; other preliminary programs.
NJKI -- currently in a two of a three year contract; continuing until 2010. Databases available to every library member (public AND school).

11:15 AM

Youth Services Forum October 15th -- student registration only $12.50!
Performer's Showcase
Scholastic grant
ALSC contest
Novelist online training available.
Scholastic grant mentioned. More information to follow.
JR Trader -- librarian discount

11:30 AM

Not everything for the conference is available through on-site registration (meals and the like).
With new high school graduation requirements, we will ensure that students are ready for college or the job market.

11:45 AM

Bill discussed re: professional development and coursework reimbursement for current school librarians.
CISSL -- NJASL/CISSL research: Transforming school libraries in New Jersey

12:00 PM

Norma Blake scholarship
Professional development -- format needs to be changed.
Next year's conference is two days -- Friday and Saturday (November 13-14)

12:30 PM

Board member to speak to RASL in November about the conference.
Meeting adjourned.

9/11/08 meeting minutes

2008-09-11T19:12:00.004-04:00

Greetings RASL members,
Welcome to our new RASL friends and thanks for attending (even if you only came for the pizza..). In case you couldn't make it this week, here's how we kicked off the semester:

I. Welcome to SCILS/RASL and Introductions all around

II. Informal discussion regarding scheduling and the "myth" of graduating in 3 semesters
-We have an official discussion regarding scheduling in November before registration for spring classes, so stay tuned!

III. schedule of events for the semester
-Wed. October 15: Youth Services Forum @Monmouth County Library, 9-3; $12.50 students; visit www.njla.org for more info
-Wed. October 22: Showcasing Information Literacies: New Dimensions 2008 @ Newark Public Library; 9-3:45; $55; visit www.njcenterforthebook.org
-Thurs. November 13-Sat. Nov. 15: NJASL Fall conference; Hilton East Brunswick; $60-95 for students; www.njasl.org

IV. RASL plans for the semester
-Collaboration panel to be held sometime in October; the focus will be both on collaborating with teachers in a school setting, as well as from a public library perspective. Collaboration is vital to the role of SLMS (and really, ALL librarians), so make sure to attend! (date TBA)
- Possible shadowing TBA...option to be placed in either a school or public library
- NJASL: possible guest speaker from the organization or from an MLIS student who has attended in the past to give tips on what to expect at conferences

V. Organizations
-introduction to some of the important organizations to be aware of
-ALA: American Library Association
-AASL: American Association of School Librarians; part of the ALA; focuses on policy; information literacy standards for the 21st century learner; Information Power; Guided Inquiry
-CISSL: Center for International Study of School Librarians; began at Rutgers: Carol Gordon, Ross Todd, Carol Kuhlthau
-only international organization of school librarians
- if you're interested in teaching/being a librarian abroad, check it out!
-offers scholarships
-NJASL: NJ Assoc. of School Librarians
-fall conference; job postings; scholarships and awards
-voluntary mentoring program for first year SLMS
-will be unveiling a new website in the near future
-current debate: a K-8 school in Millford, NJ was awarded a $10,000 grant for "rolling libraries" containing subject-specific reference books. These have been maintained by teachers and students, who have also done all of the cataloging of materials. NJASL is working to uphold the reputation of school librarians and demonstrate that students/teachers are not qualified to maintain and should not be in charge of cataloging library materials. NJASL has led the push for only certified school librarians from accredited universities to serve as school librarians.

VI. Carol Gordon dropped by
-Professor Gordon teaches MLIS courses, oversees the school library media program, and is a founder of CISSL
-she encouraged students to stop by for advising (Room 332 in SCILS); she also suggested that if you are "on the fence" regarding pursuing school library media, to stick with the school library track because it will be easier to switch careers later than to return to school to get your certification later.

VII. If you are interested in reviewing children's books (some with an economics spin) contact Yana Rogers at yrogers@rci.rutgers.edu for information. This is not a paying job, but you will be allowed to keep the books that you review.

Members in attendance:
Alicia Blowers
Kristi Revicki
Jess Emili
Steph Mikitish
Robert Thompson
Rachel Bavolar
Dawn Hoesterey
Ariel Franklin
Helen Prichett
Rosemary Sherry
Adriane Gash

First meeting of the fall semester!

2008-09-04T23:40:00.004-04:00

RASL invites all MLIS students (school library and public library alike!) to our first meeting of the semester:

Date: Thursday, September 11
Time: 5pm
Location: SCILS Student Lounge
Topics: Welcome & Intro., Semester Events
Other: We'll have food, so don't worry about grabbing dinner between classes - it's on us! Also, don't worry if you can't be there for the start of the meeting, latecomers are always welcome!

Hope to see you there!

Tuesday, May 6 meeting minutes

2008-05-07T19:09:00.003-04:00

In case you couldn't make it to the final meeting of the semester, here's what happened:

a recap of NJLA

Job Opportunities:

Clearview Regional High School (www.njasl.org/JobOpenings)
Caravel Academy Middle School (SCILS job board)
Holland Township School, K-8 (njhire.com)
Villa Victoria, 9-12 (njhire.com)
Cranford High School FT SLMS (Cranford BOE)
Ewing Elementary Schools FT SLMS (SCILS job board)

Discussion for next year:

panels, guest speakers, best practices sharing, shadowing current SLMS, field trips

Carol Gordon led a discussion regarding collaboration between teachers and SLMSs; points included:
-teachers often don't see librarians as "real teachers"
-teachers often don't know about all of the technology/resources available: use this to your advantage to encourage collaboration with them!
-collaboration between SLMSs and teachers should happen EVERY DAY! teachers are the lifeline to the student population
-Erin proposed putting together a pamplet of FAQs regarding collaboration for graduating MLIS school media students (maybe next semester?)
-someone else brought up the idea of collaborating with the graduate school of education
-International Association of school librarians in August (Berkeley, CA): Professor Gordon has attended in the past; she says international libraries view school libraries as an important source of information/reading materials for the entire school community (including parents); international school libraries focus on multilingual/cultural materials more than US schools; more advanced collaboration between libraries and teachers in international schools

Upcoming:

May 20th: SCILS Awards Ceremony; 1:30-3:30, Voorhees Hall 105
May 20th: SCILS Convocation; 5 pm, College Avenue Gym: THIS IS THE ONE TO GO TO!
May 21st: University Commencement; 1:30 pm, Voorhees Mall
NJASL Fall Conference: November 13-15, Hilton East Brunswick- Anyone interested in doing a poster presentation?

Congratulations to our graduates!!
See you next semester!!

Last minute announcement (Sorry!): Meeting tomorrow 5/6/08

2008-05-05T21:37:00.002-04:00

It's our final meeting of the year! Tuesday May 6, 2008 at 5 pm in the SCILS lounge.

On the agenda this week: Celebrating our graduates, electing new officers, and planning for next semester.

Pizza will be served. Hope to see you there!

Out of State?

2008-04-29T09:54:00.002-04:00

For those of you planning on working in schools out of New Jersey, you might want to look at this site. 50 States has information about everything students would want to know about the US, but it also has from the Departments of Education and Certification (or equivalent licenser) for each state. It might not have the exact requirements, but it at least has the right people to contact to find out what the requirements are for your desired state.

RASL meeting minutes- April 16th

2008-04-22T14:56:00.004-04:00

In case you missed it, here's what happened at last week's RASL meeting:

Recap of "NJ Children's and Young Adult Author Day" at Woodbridge Public Library: see the NJLA website for details on the authors

Check out the Internet School Library Media Center: http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/index.html
-ISLMC has pathfinders for specific subject areas (eg. Egyptology)
-the page is being shut down, so check it out while it's still there! Also, check archive.org for closed pages

Scholarship Reminder: Al Staley Scholarship
-$750
-3 available: one for a media specialist without certification, one for a current MLIS student, one for a potential MLIS student

Job Opportunities:
-Cranford High School: FT SLMS (listed on Cranford BOE)
-Ewing Elementary School: FT SLMS (listed on Rutgers job board)
-Jefferson High school: FT SLMS (Rutgers job board)

Discussion: School Library Media Month
-creative ideas:
-bookmarks with authors by genre
-scavenger hunt
-read-alouds (high schoolers to former elementary schools)
-reader recommendations (teachers write up blurbs about their favorite books from when they were teens, with photo)
-student book club (high schools): once a month students; student-run
-encourage students to donate books to school library/start a "take a book give a book" swap
-to find out what other schools have been doing, see these websites:
-http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/libslmday.htm
-http://schoollibrarymedia.pbwiki.com/FrontPage
-http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslissues/aasladvocacy/schoollibrary.cfm

Discussion: Students with disabilities

-http://dsp.berkeley.edu/TeachStudentsWithDisab.html (college website, but applicable to school libraries)
-Collection: Books on CD/Playaways partnered with hard copy book; large print books
-Facilities: physical arrangement (aisles, shelving, seating areas); computer stations to accommodate wheel chairs, headphones, screen magnifiers
-"The High/Low Handbook"- high interest books for students at lower reading levels

Upcoming:

NJLA Conference: April 30-May 1 in Long Branch; early registration is closed
NJASL Spring Meeting: Saturday, May 3 at the Hilton East Brunswick; $35
NJASL Fall Conference: November 13-15 at the Hilton East Brunswick

Final meeting of the semester: tentatively scheduled for May 1st, but will probably change due to NJLA conference: check the RASL website/blog/LISSA listserv for updates!

Help Save RIF Funding

2008-04-15T23:53:00.001-04:00

From the RIF website:

"Reading Is Fundamental was eliminated from the President's proposed FY2009 budget. Congress can save it.

Contact your congressional representatives and urge them to support RIF's $26 million funding appropriation.

Last year, 4.6 million at-risk children were able to choose and keep 16 million free books through RIF programs. Without this funding, these programs will cease."

Take action.

Great Depression Lesson Plans

2008-04-14T23:33:00.003-04:00

One of the great resources you can find on the AASL School Media Month site Renee posted earlier is a pdf of wonderful lesson plans involving the Great Depression. You can find the link straight to the pdf below:

Great Depression Lesson Ideas

National Library Week: Reference Desk

2008-04-14T14:10:00.002-04:00

Check out ALA's NLW promo videos on YouTube. Enjoy!

[For some reason, the videos are posted under several user names. Use this link for the username AmLibraryAssociation to see them all (I think). ]

It's National Library Week AND School Library Media Month

2008-04-14T13:37:00.002-04:00

AASL has ideas and information for promoting School Library Media Month on their website here. (For some reason, the @ your library home page links to older materials for school libraries - still good, but just be aware that some of it appears to be from past campaigns.)

Here is the information on National Library Week. Be sure to check out the YouTube videos--post them on your blog, MySpace, Facebook, and send them to your friends.

Fall registration info

2008-04-03T16:44:00.002-04:00

Fall registration begins April 6, 2008 at 10pm! The schedule of classes is available here.

New! Alicia has put together these fabulous tools to help you plan your course of study:

SLMS Course of Studies Planner (pdf)
Coursework for SLMS Certification - On Campus (pdf)
Coursework for SLMS Certification - Online (pdf)

For more info on planning your course of study, check out the Classes page on our RASL website.

Meeting minutes from 3/26/08

2008-03-31T10:01:00.003-04:00

Opening Announcements
1. Discussed scholarships available for MLIS students:
- Carol Gordon brought up a scholarship not on the agenda: CISSL scholarship includes working about 5 hours per week as a research assistant for her or another professor in the department- email her if interested in applying (cgordon@scils.rutgers.edu)
-Al Saley Memorial Scholarships- 3 for $750; apply by May 1
(http://www.emanj.org/Awards.htm)
-Phi Beta Mu: check website (www.beta-phi-mu.org/scholarships.html)
-Executive Women of New Jersey (http://www.ewnj.org/scholarships.htm)

2. Fun Events
-NJ Children's/YA Author Panel: register online (http://www.njstatelib.org/News/news_item.php?item_id=932)
-NJLA conference: April 29-May 1; early registration ends on April
4 (then the price goes up!)
-April is School Media Month: check out the ALA website
(www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslissues/aasladvocacy/schoollibrary.cfm)

3. Elections
- Jessica Emili was elected secretary
- Treasurer position is still open

4. Scheduling and advising
-RASL Advisor Carol Gordon offered the following advice: Plan backwards! plan your last semester first so that you have less trouble distributing course work; save your elective for summer session- you will have more options because additional classes are offered through the WISE consortium; suggested electives for the school media concentration are collection development and social networking
-2 professional development courses are offered in the summer- these are online courses: 575 "Management of School Library Programs" and
592 "Field Work" are CO-requisites- plan on taking them together!
-575 is only offered in the spring- there's a possibility of getting into the online class in the fall, but don't count on it as online students have first priority in scheduling
-List of required School media courses was made available at the meeting, as well as a list of when courses are offered
(fall/spring/summer) [This will be posted on the website.]

Elections

2008-03-25T22:15:00.001-04:00

Anyone interested in becoming treasurer or secretary for RASL should make sure to attend tomorrow's meeting, because we are going to have elections for both officer positions. I look forward to seeing you there!

RASL meeting this week!

2008-03-25T20:09:00.002-04:00

Wow! It's that time again already. :-) We're meeting before the colloquium, this Wednesday at 5 pm in the SCILS lounge.

On the agenda this week: Registering for Fall 2008 and Planning Your Course of Studies. Also, Carol Gordon will be speaking with us, and we'll be sharing info re: scholarships and upcoming events.

Pizza will be served. Hope to see you there!

Lesson Plans

2008-03-05T11:17:00.003-05:00

I apologize for making you wait so long. Without further ado...

Library Sparks
This link takes you to the magazine's homepage. Here, you can subscribe or try out a free issue. There are also web resources with some lesson ideas and plenty of worksheets. You can also browse all the previous web resources. They also have indexes for previous issues, but I have been unable to find a way to order back issues. I would suggest contacting them if that is something that interests you, or applying for an ILL.

Read Write Think
This site is not a library site, but was found to be very helpful by library media specialists. Each lesson plan is very comprehensive and includes a variety of supplemental resources.

Hanover County Public Schools
There are a bunch of lessons for Kindergarten through eighth grade with occasional worksheets littered throughout. One helpful aspect about these is the inclusion of national standards (it also indicates standards for the state of Virginia).

School Library Media Activities Monthly
Not only can you get a subscription, but you can access select articles online. There is also the Activities Almanac with brief lesson ideas for specific days of the month. Into the Curriculum is a great place to build a bridge between the library and the classroom with standards driven lesson plans.

Library Media Connection
I highly recommend the print version of this source for both lesson plans and professional development. The website is lacking, but does have some things of note on their New Hot Stuff page.

RASL meeting this week!

2008-02-20T11:16:00.002-05:00

Join us on Thursday, February 21st at 5pm in the SCILS lounge. We'll be doing a craft and sharing lesson plans and program ideas for school and public libraries.

If you have a tried and true lesson or activity that you would be willing to share, please e-mail Alicia at ablowers at eden.rutgers.edu. Attach your plan and any associated documents to the e-mail. Be sure to indicate the age level (we need everything from babies to teens!). We'll compile all submissions and distribute the packet at our meeting.

Hope to see you there!

Ever want to live in Utah?

2008-02-12T21:43:00.001-05:00

Well here is your chance. Apparently the state is facing a major shortage for school librarians. They are looking to increase ranks in droves over the next three years. Check this article out if you are interested!

Discount Subscription for Students

2008-02-11T10:59:00.000-05:00

I picked up a copy of School Library Media Activities Monthly at ALA Midwinter. It is published by Libraries Unlimited. The February issue has some interesting articles on information literacy and collaboration, and lesson plans that key into different subject areas. Could be a useful resource for your field experience and when starting out as a SLMS.

Check out some sample articles on their website. The regular subscription rate is $55 per year, but they offer a discount student subscription at $30 here.

At last... the RASL meeting update!

2008-02-08T18:47:00.000-05:00

I enjoyed the first RASL meeting of the semester (my first ever!). I’m in the online program, so it was great to get to campus and meet everyone. Here’s a quick recap of the agenda and what we covered.

Origins of RASL - Check out the RASL website for a brief history of our organization.

NJ Department of Education requirements for School Library Certifications - The most up-to-date information can be found here on the SCILS website.

Plan of Study for SMLS and timing of classes - Did you know that the School Library Medial Specialist track allows only one elective? Did you know that some required courses are offered only in the fall semester or only in the spring semester? Several of our members have run into trouble with the timing of their classes, and strongly recommend faculty advising sessions as you map out your plan of study. We are working to include the timing of classes on the RASL website. In the meantime, the SCILS website lists required courses here.

SLMS jobs - Members talked about various websites that post job openings for school library media specialists. We have a list of job links on the RASL website that we are looking to update. If you know of a job website, please post it as a comment here, or email Renee.

NJASL and other library organizations - "Network, network, network!" was the advice from several of our members. Get involved in RASL and NJASL, NJLA and ALA. Student volunteers can often attend conferences for free or at reduced rates. Links to these and other professional organizations are on the RASL website. Be sure to look for discount student memberships when you join!

Forum: What do you want from RASL? - Everyone had lots of great ideas. Check out Kristie's post below, and please feel free to send your suggestions to us as comments on this blog, or via email.

Next meeting: Thursday, February 21, 5 pm SCILS lounge. Hope to see you then!

Listservs

2008-02-07T17:16:00.000-05:00

Here is a link of a bunch of children's literature related listservs you can join, if you fancy.

Children's Museum News

2008-02-06T22:42:00.001-05:00

One of the topics brought up at the forum was the idea of children's librarianship merging with museums. I found an article about the Long Island Children's Museum and their upcoming programs for 2008. At least one of the programs is funded by a grant given to the museum by the Institute of Museum & Library Services. I also recommend going through the LICM's homepage (link above), aside from looking at the news article.

Just for Fun: Dance your fines away!

2008-02-05T10:30:00.000-05:00

Okay, I know I still owe you guys a post about the last RASL meeting. It's coming...right after my Learning Theory, Media & Curriculum paper, and my Reference Sources/Services and Materials for Children assignments. (Sorry!)

In the meantime, here's a fun item from LIS News: Wadleigh Memorial Library in Milford, NH let patrons donate food or dance their library fines away on DDR.

Forum Results

2008-01-30T22:02:00.000-05:00

Sorry to post twice in the same night, but I wanted to get this information on the web in case I misplaced the sheet, forever loosing the data gathered at the meeting!! For those of you who were unable to attend the meeting, we surveyed the group to see what people wish they could get from RASL. Below is a bulleted list with the suggestions that people contributed. Didn't go to tonight's meeting? Don't worry, you can still be heard! If you think of something else, just post it here and we shall find it!

The list

More social events
Opportunities to network with professionals in the field
Children's education coupled with museums and artistic environments

A trip to the Zimmerli
Liberty Science Center

Field trips and tours of school libraries
Information on services for children with disabilities
Program Ideas

Techniques for controlling large groups of children
Storytelling techniques and festival information
Arts and crafts for libraries
Bridge-building between public and school libraries

AASL Survey

2008-01-30T21:37:00.000-05:00

I know that the majority of the people that attended tonight's meeting have not yet begun their field study, but for those members that have, or know a school librarian, please send them this link! It came from the NJASL list serve and connects you to a survey entitled School Libraries Count! It's a longitudinal study conducted to show the numerous ways that school libraries improve children's education and daily lives. Even if you don't know a school librarian, you can still go to the site and check out last year's results!

You're invited!

2008-01-29T10:36:00.000-05:00

All MLIS students are invited to attend our first meeting of the semester. The first colloquium of the semester, featuring Librarian of the Year Norma Blake (NJ's state librarian), will begin at 7 pm, so we encourage you to come to the meeting and stay to hear Norma speak.

Here are the details:

Date:Wednesday, January 30th
Time: 5pm
Place: SCILS Lounge
Topics: Forum on what you'd like to get out of RASL, Scholarship/Award Opportunities for MLIS students
Other: Dinner (baked ziti) will be served.

Hope to see you there!

Just for fun: books that make you dumb?!

2008-01-28T10:43:00.000-05:00

Virgil Griffith, Caltech student and creator of Wikiscanner, has released a new web report, "Booksthatmakeyoudumb." He correlated the average SAT/ACT scores of more than 1300 US colleges and universities with the 10 most popular books listed on their Facebook pages. Fun to look at and see where your favorites lie.

Several books scored way higher than I would have expected. (Reminds me of the "WTF?" group on Shelfari.) Enjoy! [Found at lisnews and librarian.net, and cross-posted on my blog]

Something Fun

2008-01-21T12:05:00.000-05:00

In case you find yourself in front of a computer, bored and procrastinating--yet still wanting to be productive, here are some games for you to test out! Carnegie Mellon University is in the final stages of two library-centered computer games aimed to help students with their researching skills. This looks a great way for kids to become engaged during a library overview (Not to mention, it's quite fun for librarians too!).

Games found on Fuse 8's blog.

Mark your calendars!

2008-01-16T13:19:00.000-05:00

Come out and see what RASL is all about, network, get involved, meet your new officers, or just come for the refreshments! ;-) Here is our Spring schedule of meetings. Hope to see you soon!

Wednesday, 1/30/08, 5:00 PM
Thursday, 2/21/08, 5:00 PM
Wednesday, 3/26/08, 5:00 PM
Wednesday, 4/16/08, 5:00 PM
Thursday, 5/1/08, 5:00 PM

Meetings are held in the 2nd floor SCILS lounge, unless otherwise noted. Check back here or on our website for programs, meeting notes and changes.

Updates

2007-10-03T10:34:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone!

Ahh yes, it's been awhile - can I blame it on the hectic-ness of the school year getting into full swing? Hope everyone's classes are going well so far! Please remember, if you have any questions or anything we can help with, feel free to email us!

Anyways, we're working on getting things together for the Oct. meeting. We're hoping to make the focus of this meeting "Professional Development & Certification", and answer some of the questions you all (and us too) had about getting certified, the PD courses, and field work. We're trying to see if Ross Todd, Carol Gordon (our 2 faculty advisers) and someone from Prof. Dev. can stop by to give a little chat. This is all tentative, so as we get confirmation, we'll let you know!

We're looking for a new secretary for RASL as well - the secretary is primarily responsible for recording meeting details - if you are interested or have questions on the position, PLEASE email us! It's a great way to boost your resume!

Also, as discussed, here is a link for the NJASL (New Jersey Association of School Librarians) conference for 2007 - it's Nov 14-16 - they are looking for volunteers, so if you're interested at helping out, please see the following link: http://njasl.org/Conferences.htm

This is a GREAT opportunity to meet a lot of the movers and shakers in NJASL, make some great contacts, and find out some vital information, so take advantage of it if you can!

That's all for now - we'll keep you posted about the meeting details as they unfold to us!

Chrissy George
Co-Pres

RASL

2007-09-18T11:14:00.002-04:00

What do YOU want to see RASL do for you this year? Ideas? Let us know!!

Misc

2007-09-18T11:14:00.001-04:00

Does your question/comment not fit into any of the other categories? Throw it here!

Policies and Procedures

2007-09-18T11:13:00.000-04:00

Am I NOT allowed to take something? Do I need to get permission for classes? Ask your rules and regulations questions here!

RU "Stuff"

2007-09-18T11:12:00.000-04:00

Where do i get my ID? How does parking work? Ask your questions about Rutgers related services (not SCILS specific) here!

Certification

2007-09-18T11:11:00.000-04:00

So, what REALLY is the deal with this NJ certification? Ask your questions here!

Programs of Study

2007-09-18T11:10:00.000-04:00

Have a question about what classes to take? What order to take them in? Ask it here!

First Meeting a Success!

2007-09-18T10:52:00.000-04:00

A Thank you!
Hi everyone!

Thanks to all of you who came out to the meeting yesterday afternoon - we met a lot of new faces, saw some old ones, and had a great conversation (and some tasty fondue and pasta)!!

Some Points
- I know starting at SCILS IS overwhelming, no matter how old or young you are. Rest assured that EVERYONE is nervous - so it's ok!

- For those students who are looking to go into public libraries/childrens and youth services, it may have seemed like all we disussed yesterday about classes revolved around ed media. That's mostly because the ed media program of study is so exact and structured because of ceritfication in NJ. This structure is fairly new and, I think even the powers that be in Trenton don't exactly "get it" - hence the confusion and the discussion always leadng back to certification.

Do not despair, public librarians - we will have many more conversations about topics that are children's and youth service oriented across the board!

Pep Talk #1
It was GREAT to hear so many people speak up and give their opinions! There were lots of questions about classes, plans of study, certifications, etc. I hope we tried to ease some of your fears and stresses about the program. Trust me, it's all completely normal - I went home after the orientation and cried!

BUT the GOOD NEWS is that will go away! Starting a grad school program in ANY subject is stressful and takes some getting used to - so PLEASE don't let that get the best of you!! You CAN do this, you CAN get your studies done - just keep repeating that!

Q & A!
Soooo, the pep talk now being out of the way, I had mentioned what a help posting your questions and comments and answers that were brought up in the meeting (and whatever came up AFTER the meeting in your heads) will be helpful to us, you guys, and any students who couldn't make it to the meeting.

Here's the deal. I've broken up the categories of what kinds of questions we were asked into separate blog posts. Comment with your question or remark to the appropriate category. If we don't know the answer, we'll find someone who does. After a week or so, I'll post ALL the questions and answers in its own post - this way you'll have an "unofficial guide to the Ed Media/SCILS program at RU" to refer to, and we can use it for future SCILS students as well!

Feel free to post thoughts too, that aren't exactly questions - those are a help as well!

Sooooo, start thinking about those questions - post 'em to the right topics - and next week, I'll compile them all with the answers and post them! PLEASE sign your name though!

Still In a State of Confusion? Pep Talk #2!
I just want to mention that being confused is normal. I came from an undergraduate background that was very structured and told you, each semester, exactly what to take. Rutgers doesn't always tell you everything about everything - a lot of times, unfortunately, you have to find answers out yourselves - about programs of study, about ids or loans or whatever. Fellow students and professors are THE BEST resource for finding out information that isn't laid out in black and white (and red) on the website.

What we hope to do with the next few posts is answer your questions and comments about the programs and general "stuff" at Rutgers so you feel a little more secure. I know it's tough - my undergraduate program at The College of New Jersey was much more straight forward. And it's a double edged sword with education media - there are rigid guidelines to follow but at the same time, HOW to follow those guidelines is not always straightforward. That's where RASL comes in - we can talk to other professors, administrators, and even members of NJASL (the New Jersey Association of School Librarians) to find answers for you and for ourselves.

So I guess what I am trying to get at is - DON'T WORRY!

Thanks again for coming out yesterday - keep checking this blog back for more information, and get to posting your questions!

Thanks!!
Chrissy George, Co-Pres

First Meeting of the Year (and other meetings)!!

2007-09-10T12:11:00.000-04:00

Hey guys!

Make sure you stop by to RASL's first meeting of the year!

Monday, September 17, 2007 at 5 PM in the SCILS lounge on the 2nd floor - we're going to meet the officers and our faculty advisor, Carol Gordon, and our new members! Come to the meeting with an appetite and some ideas for what YOU want to see RASL do - we'd like to discuss some events for the upcoming year, and hear from you guys too!!

And, as always, food and refreshments will be provided - this meeting, we're going to have a FONDUE POT with warm cheddar fondue and dipping items - YUM!

So come by early, late, stay for the entire meeting or leave early - it's up to you! We're very informal, so don't stress about not being able to make it for the whole time!

The meeting schedule for the rest of the year is as follows - all meetings will be held in the 2nd floor SCILS lounge, unless otherwise noted:

Monday 9/17/07, 5:00 PM: Semester Meet & Greet

Tuesday 10/16/07, 5:30 PM

Monday 11/12/07, 5:00 PM

No December Meeting
Holiday Party in Dec./Jan. to be announced

Wednesday, 1/30/08, 5:00 PM

Thursday, 2/21/08, 5:00 PM
Wednesday, 3/26/08, 5:00 PM

Wednesday, 4/16/08, 5:00 PM

Thursday, 5/1/08, 5:00 PM: Year End Get Together

We have plans for other events throughout the year, also!

Thanks for stopping by!
Chrissy George
Co-Pres

Welcome!!

2007-09-10T10:50:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone, and WELCOME to RASL's blogspot page!!!

This blog is being used by the Rutgers Association of School Librarians (RASL) to update students and members of events and issues in the young adult and children's library world - school or public. We'll post information about our meetings, current events that might affect you, stuff in the news and industry, etc.

Note that we've been having some problems with our Rutgers website, so be assured that this site will carry the most current information.

The library and information science field is constantly changing with new issues and technology. and blogs are becoming mainstream and a great way to stay informed. We here in RASL are proud to explore this new vehicle for discussion. While we only have meetings once a month, the blog will be constantly monitored and updated - so please know that you HAVE support throughout your program at Rutgers, online or on campus, and on the job after graduation.

While the officers of RASL are the only ones with the password to the site, we've enabled it so that ANYONE can leave comments - with or without a Blogspot account (which is free, btw, if you'd like to join). We just ask that you please leave your full name at the end of each comment if you sign in anonymously so that we know who is posting.

Have a topic that you'd like some feedback on? Email to us, and we'll post it as an entry - this way you can receive advice, comments, and info from your fellow students!

And, please - don't be shy! We're ALL here to help and support each other!

We're also pleased to have a way to meet and talk with the online students. The Rutgers online program has students from all reaches of the world - some as far as China - and a commute to New Brunswick every month for an in person meeting isn't always easy! So we'd like to give a special welcome to the online students who are reading this - know that while you may not be on campus, the support of a student organization is still at your fingertips!

With all that being said, I'd like to remind you all of basic netiquette - http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html - please visit them at the link above before posting. While this is not a website supported by Rutgers, we all still need to abide by the basic rules of respect and manners.

So grab a cup of coffee, take a seat, and start reading and scrolling! Every opinion and thought is a valid one, and we're all friends here - so don't be shy or nervous to post! We're all here to support each other throughout this journey and after graduation!

Thanks for reading,
Chrissy George
Co-Pres of RASL
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RASL Officers:
April Bocchino, Co-President: aprilbo@eden.rutgers.edu
Chrissy George, Co-President: cgeorge2@eden.rutgers.edu
Emily Weiss, Secretary
Darren Heiber, Membership & Marketing