A School Media Evangelist

It's not just evangelicals who have the power of conversion! I've just come from Dr. Ross Todd's presentation "School Libraries Work!" and I want to change the world--my world, at least! He was "naughty" and he was chastising, but he set a fire alight under the assembled school librarians he was talking to.

The main import of his message was--don't complain about the principals, don't work inside the box, don't see yourself and your library as the center of the universe. We are not about teaching our kids to find information--we are about teaching our kids to create new knowledge and deep understanding. Make your school library "a cesspool of intellectual discussion!"

President Goff?

Dateline 2007: The Kentucky Library Association welcomes President Goff as the youngest President the association has ever had. The "Prez" as the members now call him, is no stranger to setting new standards. As the first graduate of the new Western Kentucky University 30 second MSLS program the "Prez" nearly stumbled on the "Not" portion of his Orals but to the amazement of his Professors he acheived the first perfect 3 out of a possible 3 score! "While I found 'And' and 'Or' kind of self explanatory, I struggled with the utillity of 'Not'" the "Prez" was heard to remark. Kim Goff and John T. (Tom) Underwood, mother and "uncle" of the "Prez" (and the heart and soul of the Kentucky Library Association), were so delighted they nearly burst as they swelled with pride!

Librarians Are Talented!!!!!

"Out of the Stacks and Onto the Stage II" at the Howl at the Moon was an unqualified success. It is amazing that all these selfless individuals have sacrificed what could only be described as lucrative careers, living in the lap of luxury in Branson, MO (or some other entertainment Mecca), to do what they love to do best, shush people! Well if you missed this year, don't make the same mistake twice, and make plans now to stay up a little late, act like a fool, and hang out with some of wildest liberrians in the good ol US of A! I told you Michael and Peter, you guys should have hung around for another day! Guten tag ya'll!

Librarians Are Talented (cont.)

Maybe not patently original, but pretty darn talented none the less. The Unidentified Librarian (patent pending) is like Rodney Dangerfield--he don't get no respect... ta, ta, ta, boom. And he knows about the 30 second Liberry Scientist degree; and, or, not... No, really folks this guy was FUNNY. I am not for sure, but there are theories going around that it might have been Matt O!

Librarians Are Talented (cont.)

And pretty darn funny too! Julie Grannis shared a few of her own personal liberry experiences answering the often asked question "why do people work in libraries for so little money?" To gather material for a real career--stand up comedienne!

Librarians Are Talented! (cont.)

Shadowdancer, Jack Montgomery and Graham Hudspeth, perform traditional Celtic and original music ending the evening with lots of toe tapping, clapping and such. These boys are GOOD!

Librarians Are Talented? (cont.)

Bet you don't know what's going on here--heck, I bet they don't know what's going on here. I was there and I know I don't! Anyway it was something called McNet (McNut?) Book End Drill Team and it was kind of sexy and I know I was entertained and they did play good music as they pranced around the bar!

Librarians Are Talented (cont.)

At the talent show the old trick shoecam struck catching two unwary revelers and two unconfirmed UFOs?!?!

Tale of Teen Tuesdays

Louisville Free Public Library's Bon Air branch, has been doing interesting activities with their teenagers, as I found out at their program, Tale of Teen Tuesdays. A sudden change of demographics from, as I understood it, a predominantly white, older neighborhood, to one where African American families had moved in, forced a white female staff, to learn new tricks.

Geneva Huttenlocher, Marilyn Leathers, Beth Dantler and Angel Justice shared how they involved the community--and the city--in varied programs, from cooking to basketball to making Christmas ornaments, taking the kids to movies and museums. In the process, they learned some surprising things about the kids, but I suspect, although they did not articulate it in so many words, much of it boiled down to the simple fact that they were giving the kids a chance to feel at home in a non-threatening community situation, where the kids had a chance to be themselves, without the pressure that they have in so many other areas of their lives, from school to sports, and, yes, even in relation to their peers and in many cases also at home, to perform to certain expected standards. There are rules, of course, and behavior expectations, but not the explicit or implicit expectation that they, in a sense, have to pass a test to stay in the group and participate, and teenagers need that kind of belonging, too: where they can be themselves and relax.

Neat Ideas in Communities

Leslie Burger, president of the American Library Association, presented at the opening session, "Your Library on Steroids: How Public Libraries are Transforming Communites." Some of my conference blog colleagues will, I hope, add their thoughts. One of the ideas that I came away with was the collaboration with and involvement of the community in your library--and it does not have to be public libraries, either.

She related the story about the Robin Hood Foundation and its L!brary Initiative in New York City, a "unique collaborative project to re-imagine and rebuild public elementary school libraries." Volunteer architects were involved, some of whom designed sets for Broadway plays. All right, so maybe you don't have Broadway theaters in your neighborhood, but you do have parents with talent. Get to know your parents--just as important, have them get to know you and show them how your library and your school really does benefit your child. Find out some of the neat things your parents can do and get them involved in some kind of improvement project--even if it's only donating a couch or even a bath for a reading corner!

Lucky!

A lucky librarian wins a prize!

Library Media Blogs

Shameless advertising:

If you are at the conference, and plan to still be here on Friday afternoon at 1:30, I invite you to come hear my presentation on blogs in school library media. It's called Blogs: Changing the New Century? It's in the Thoroughbred room on the 2nd floor of the Marriott.

KLA/KSMA 2006 Conference Blog

Hi! My name is Johan Koren, associate professor at Murray State University, and Coordinator of the Library Media program. This post was created as part of a preconference workshop at the Kentucky Library Association/Kentucky School Media Association Fall Conference in Louisville September 2006. Although I have two other blogs, I am very much a Johan-come-lately to this whole area of blogging. Michael Stephens is realy helping to open up this new world !

My aim will be post as often as I can throughout the conference from the point of view of a school library media person.

Welcome to the 2006 KLA/KSMA Joint Conference

This is the first time KLA has blogged the annual conference. Please stay tuned for reviews of the conference presentations, and most importantly the Talent Show.

Introduction

Good morning!

I'd like to introduce myself to you. I work for the Kentucky Dept. for Libraries and Archives. I am the Regional Consultant in the Northern KY Region. I have been in this position for just over a year, acting as the consultant to the public libraries in ten counties. The job is fun and exciting! Driving over 1,000 miles a month, I get to meet and work with the public library staff and trustees and provide information and assistance that they need to better serve their communities.

This is my first attempt at blogging and I hope that I can provide some interesting and helpful information on the sessions that I attend here at the KLA 2006 Conference! Since I'm new at this, please feel free to offer suggestions and advice in your comments to make my posts more valuable!

Welcome to my perspective of this year's KLA Conference!