SCHOOL LIBRARY SYSTEM COUNCIL MEETING
Meeting Date: March 4, 2009 Minutes Taken By: Ann Voorhees
Members Present:
Mary Nellenback, Auburn
Sue Cutri, Cato-Meridian
Loretta Johnson, Jordan-Elbridge
Kelly Cullen, Port Byron
Rachel Lewis, Skaneateles
Dawn Sedorus, Southern Cayuga
Lori Belair, Union Springs
Maureen Southorn, Weedsport
Mary-Carol Lindbloom, SCRLC
Ann Voorhees, SLS
1. SED/DLD Updates: The NYS regulations now state that School Library System Liaison representatives will be officially renamed “Communication Coordinators”. The School Library System By-Laws need to be amended to reflect this change.
2. SCOOLS Catalog: The SCOOLS catalog will be loaded onto a newer, more powerful server. The response time will be a little quicker than before. The developers are working to add a multiple request feature to the ILL module. This is one feature many LMS have asked about.
Those districts using OPALS-NA will now be able to update their additions/deletions in the SCOOLS catalog from their own library catalogs. This will result in a more accurate, up-to-date Union catalog.
3. OPALS-NA: We will have a half-day OPALS-NA training for veterans before our next Council meeting. A full day training for the Auburn elementary schools, which will switch to OPALS in September, will take place on May 12, 2009.
4. Database/CCD CoSER: The 2009-2010 database requests will reflect the changes in the NOVELNY database offerings. The SLS Database CoSER base will only include the New Book Of Popular Science (the other Grolier products will be included in NOVELNY). We will continue with Proquest Direct, which continues to complement the new state offerings. Remember that the new NOVELNY database subscriptions begin on April 1, 2009.
5. Future SLS Workshops: Kathleen O’Dean will present a full day workshop on middle school and young adult literature on March 26, 2009. This workshop is sponsored by the CO and TST BOCES SLSs and will be held at Wells College. All LMS, and teachers are welcome to attend.
Michele Gorman (Graphic Novels) will present at the SLS annual meeting in September 2009. Pam Berger will present a workshop utilizing the newly released AASL publication “Standards For The 21st –Century Learner In Action”.
A copy of this publication has been purchased for all LMS by the School Library System, and was distributed at this meeting. Please send other workshop suggestions to Ann Voorhees.
6. NYS Summer Reading Program: The theme of the 2009 NYS Summer Reading Program is; Be Creative @ Your Library (Children), and Express Yourself @ Your Library (Young Adults).
You may access http://www.summerreadingnys.org/ for further information. The SLS has purchased and distributed Summer Reading posters to the SLS Communication Coordinators.
7. NYS Library Legislative Initiatives: The governor cut funds to libraries. The School Library System could loose 29% of funds in this proposed budget. The library book aid will remain the same at $6.25. If you wish to contact your legislators concerning restoring the library aid, you will find advocacy advice and ideas on the NYLA site http://www.nyla.org/ and the School Library System’s Association site http://www.slsa-nys.org/
8. Cayuga Reads: “Pay It Forward” by Catherine Ryan Hyde has been chosen as the 2009 Cayuga Reads title. Program information will follow.
Dates to Remember:
March 2009
3/26 Kathleen O’Dean (http://www.kathleenodean.com/) - Wells College 9:00am-3:00pm
April 2009
School Library Month
4/12 – 4/18 National Library Week
4/30-5/2 SLMS Conference Saratoga Springs
MAY 2009
5/11-5/17 Children’s Book Week
5/13 SLS Workshop 8:30-11:30 – OPALS-NA training (Veterans)
5/13 SLS Council 12:30-3:00
AUGUST 2009
8/3-8/4 SLMS Leadership Retreat – Cornell University – Registration information was distributed at the Council meeting.
DISTRICT REPORTS:
AUBURN: Mary Nellenback reported that there is currently no LMS at Owasco elementary. Cathy Leader is the teaching assistant in charge of that library.
CATO-MERIDIAN: Sue Cutri is hosting a virtual intern from SU. The intern will aid in the development of a new library web site.
JORDAN-ELBRIDGE: Loretta Johnson is hosting her first “Battle of the Books” program. The students will have a display at the middle school Culture fair, which highlights the research process.
PORT BYRON: Kelly Cullen has been busy weeding her collection and developing a new library web site. Kelly has participated in the NovaNet training.
The district might combine the middle school and high school libraries.
SKANEATELES: Rachel Lewis has received a library card registered in her library name from the Onondaga Public Library System. Students may use the library card to access the public library databases. The high school Pride Committee is working on literacy projects with the students of Meacham Elementary School in Syracuse. Each high school homeroom is donating a book to the school. Rachel’s students use a wiki to post book reviews. State Street Elementary students are creating book reviews in MP3 format.
SOUTHERN CAYUGA: Dawn Sedorus is hosting a series of book contests “Name the Title”. A clue is read during morning announcements – teachers and students may guess the title of the book. The students love beating the faculty. In the next round, a title will be given and everyone must guess which movie was based on the title. The K-4 students worked on Arctic and Antarctica projects in which they sent postcards to a station in Antarctica to be postmarked and returned to the students. The students studied penguins and polar bears, adopted a polar bear at the Seneca zoo, and viewed them through the zoos web cams.
UNION SPRINGS: Lori Belair explained that the library-reading theme this year centered on horse stories. The culminating event will feature a bucking bronco ride, and a pony ride or carousel. Please let Lori know of anyone offering pony rides or would rent a carousel.
WEEDSPORT: Weedsport Elementary School and the Weedsport Free Library will host Matthew McElligott this spring. For 2010, Johanna Hurwitz will be the guest author.
SCRLC: Mary-Carol Lindbloom explained that the SCRLC would be hosting a Library Summer Camp for SLMS during July and August. Please send any workshop suggestions to Ann Voorhees. The SCRLC digitizing project “Tools Of history” can be accessed at www.toolsofhistory.org. This site contains many New York State primary documents – a great research tool. Further information is available at
Meeting adjourned at 3:00 pm
Respectfully submitted, Ann Voorhees, School Library System Director
