Lisa Lykins's List: Library Related

NCCE

"Best Professional Books of 2011

WHAT SCHOOL LEADERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES AND SOCIAL MEDIA

by Scott McLeod and Chris Lehman

(Jossey-Bass, 2011, 224 P., $27, ISBN: 9781118022245)
The fear factor out there about the dangers of technology and why students should not have access is dispelled in this collection of ideas directed at school administrators. Full of practical ideas not only for the administrator in the school, but for everyone who cares about harnessing the power of Web 2.0 and social media to boost teaching and learning. DL

STEM STUDENT RESEARCH HANDBOOK

by Darci J. Harland

(NSTA, 2011, 218 p., $23.95, ISBN: 9781936137244)
Intertwining the scientific method and 21st Century Skills gives teacher librarians and science teachers the opportunity to build great science, technology, engineering, and mathematics projects using the “notebook” concept in this excellent manual. DL

I SEE WHAT YOU MEAN : VISUAL LITERACY K-8 2ND ED.,

by Steve Moline

(Stenhouse, 2011, 265 p., $25, ISBN: 9781571108401)
We all grew up in an era where it was said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Now, more than ever, in an era of data and more data, visualization of data and information become one of the few ways kids and adults can get their minds around major concepts. Moline takes us through the process of reading, writing and then thinking visually. Teacher librarians are already familiar with mind mapping and program such as Inspiration and Inspire Data so we are beginning to appreciate the use of visualization. Moline pushes us even further, demonstrating how visualization can help all along the path of understanding and presentation of ideas in visual form. It is an essential skill. DL

THE ATLAS OF NEW LIBRARIANSHIP

by R. David Lankes

(MIT Press, 2011, 408 p., $55, ISBN: 9780262015097) Web version at: http://www.newlibrarianship.org/wordpress/ Start with the Web version of this book to reconceptualize the role of all librarians from storage and retrieval roles to knowledge creation. It is a powerful transformation that fits into the central idea of a Learning Commons and will challenge everything you have ever been taught about our field. DL

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY : PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE, 3RD ED.

edited by Gary J. Anglin
(Libraries Unlimited, 2011, 354 p., $55, ISBN: 9781563088063)
In order to grasp the essentials of instructional design and technology, teacher librrians need to reach out to a sister field to build the background knowledge to be able to operate in a Learning commons where information and technology merge to boost and become an essential element in school improvement. This is a challenging read but a dendrite expander that is top notch. DL

PERSONAL LEARNING NETWORKS : USING THE POWER OF CONNECTIONS TO TRANSFORM education

by Will Richardson

(Solution Tree Press, 2011, 150 p., $44.95, ISBN: 9781935543275)
A personal learning network is a method of linking kids and adults to major sources of information on the Internet. It is like choosing your closest friends that you want to listen to because they keep you up to day, you trust what they have to say, and it is your method of keeping current on what is going on. Richardson has created a very very important book here that every teacher librarian should read and implement both in their own lives and in the lives of their students. DL

FREE VOLUNTARY READING

by Stephen Krashen

(Libraries Unlimited, 2011, 91 p., $25, ISBN: 9781598848441)
In this must-read book, Krashen has assembled a collection of his recent journal articles about FVR from a variety of journals teacher librarians would not normally see crossing their desks. It’s purpose is to supplement and extend the second edition of The Power of Reading published few years ago. He covers myths, FVR for English learners or foreign language learners, and more. The tradition of teacher librarians to promote the love of reading in every format, genre, fiction, and even more nonfiction is still alive and well. DL

WHERE GOOD IDEAS COME FROM

by Steven Johnson

(Riverhead, 2011, 21 p., $26.95, ISBN: 978-1594485381)
A fascinating book about creativity and innovation. If you like Sir Ken Robinson on creativity, you will enjoy Johnson’s approach. through many stories tracing good ideas in history, you will build an unforgettible repertoire of ideas that encourage you to stimulate creative thought in the students you encounter. DL

UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN GUIDE TO CREATING HIGH-QUALITY UNITS

by Grant P. Wiggins

(ASCD, 2011, ASCD, , 221 p., $26.95, ISBN: 978-1416611493)
The ideas of backward design created by Wiggins and McTighe are well known across education. In this book, they expand their ideas on lesson design as they cover each step in the creation of a learning experience. This is useful in professional development sessions where clarity and deep understanding of instructional design is needed beyond the basics. If teacher librarians add to these ideas the necessity of collaborative co-teching and adding a Big Think metacognitive reflection at the end of the learning experience, this book will fill in lots of gaps and questions that arise when pushing leanring experiences up the Bloom’s taxonomy. DL

TOO BIG TO KNOW: RETHINKING KNOWLEDGE NOW THAT THE FACTS AREN’T THE FACTS, EXPERTS ARE EVERYWHERE, AND THE SMARTEST PERSON IN THE ROOM IS THE ROOM

by David Weinberger

(Basic Books, 2011, 250 p.,$25.99, ISBN: 978-0465021420)
Thinking about the juggernaut of the Internet running over the top of all of us, Weinberger gives us a new perspective of what expertise looks like in a flat and networked world. His thinking helps us develop perspective in the Learning Commons and in the classroom where we expect each learner to develop and share their expertise as we adults guide, motivate and stimulate understanding, personal expertise and collaborative intelligence. It is not about the “expert’ standing at the head of the class; rather, it focuses on the power of the group of thinkers, builders, and collaborators. An essential read to understand the world in which we all live. DL

ABUNDANCE: THE FUTURE IS BETTER THAN YOU THINK

by Steven Kotler and Peter H. Diamandis

(Free Press, 2011, 400 p., $26.99, ISBN: 978-1451614213)
With billions of people coming on line, the authors pursue the positive idea that by networking, there is simply no problem that cannot be solved. Here is a refreshing positive look at the world of technology that connects almost everything and the potential for the power of collaborative problem solving. There are enough negatives floating around; try a positive view to argue for the collaborative use of technology in schools. DL

YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE: FROM ROMANCE TO REALISM

by Michael Cart

(ALA, 2010, 242 p., $58, ISBN: 0838910459)
This history and contemporary analysis of young adult literature is superb. Cart covers the early years in the first three chapters and then spends the rest of the book discussing the various genres of YA lit from the tame to the cutting edge. This is a book that teacher librarians who are working with YA Lit must read. No one can keep up totally with the outpouring of titles, but Cart does the best job we know about. An essential read. DL

MANGATOPIA: ESSAYS ON MANGA AND ANIME IN THE MODERN WORLD
By Timothy Perper & Martha Cornog, editors.
(Libraries Unlimited, 2011. 275p. $ 50.00, ISBN: 978-1-59158-098-2.)
This is a most interesting compilation of information about manga and anime – 2 very popular styles that are sweeping the country. Stating that this country is seeing an epic effect by these styles, the editors reinforce much of what they claim with interesting essays and statistics from a variety of well known experts in anime and manga. This is well indexed, well substantiated, and well approached. The various essays are thought provoking not only to professionals, but also to parents and students.Don’t miss this one! Highly recommended. BM

COPYRIGHT CATECHISM II: PRACTICAL ANSWERS TO EVERYDAY SCHOOL DILEMMAS.
by Carol Simpson
(Linworth, 2011. 162 p. $40.00. ISBN: 978-1-59884-848-9.)
Anything copyright by Carol Simpson deserves a good look and this publication is no exception. Having answered school library copyright questions for many years, She uses this publication to take the teacher librarian into 2011 legalities about copyright. Well indexed and with an effective table of contents, this publication is meant to augment her 5th edition of Copyright for Schools and covers much of what she said in her column from 2005 to 2011 about copyright questions. A ready reference full of great information. Highly recommended. B

THE NEW LEARNING COMMONS WHERE LEARNERS WIN! REINVENTING SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND COMPUTER LABS , 2ND EDITION
David V. Loertscher, Carol Koechlin and Sandi Zwaan
(Learning Commons Press, 2011. 248 p. $28.00. 978-1-933170-67-0.)
While the 2d edition contains much information from the first edition, it expanps upon it significantly, and it extends the concepts, particularly in the virtual area. While the teacher librarian in the initial comics can be seen as somewhat scary physically, the message certainly isn’t. Rather, it is as a helpful, collaborative plan that helps the teacher librarian facilitate the continuing journey of learning. The ideas in this book are important – they are visionary and go way beyond the idea of the classic school library program. Loertscher and company try to move the school library from being an isolated entity to a much more collaborative and exciting learning place. The book provides many helpful resources on the full range of pertinent topics, from concept and theory to concrete examples of how a learning commons begins to work. Ever the beta situation (and acknowledged as such), the learning commons approach is an excellent way to help teachers teach and t0 help learners learn. You cannot implement a full learning commons quickly or all at once but this book will get you started on the right path. Useful index and glossary. Not to be missed! Highly recommended. BM

THE BEST TEEN WRITING OF 2011

by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers

(CreateSpace, 2011, 320 p., $12.55, ISBN: 1466209941)

Each year student writings are selected for publication in this work. In 2011 there were over 185,000 artworks and manuscripts submitted. Of those this book came to be. A well-juried series of writings, this book offers different categories that will encourage teens to consider certain types of writing. These are strong students dedicated to the craft of writing, and this type of publication speaks loudly for student work. Now if only it were on the web. Highly recommended. BM"

"USA PATRIOT Act - What You Should Know

The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism, hereafter "the Act," was signed into law on 26 October 2001 and reauthorized on 9 March 2006. The information provided here addresses common questions about the Act, including its application to your library and you as a library patron.

Download full-text of Public Law 107-56, the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 [ 400 KB PDF, 132 pages]
Download full-text of Public Law 109-177, the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 [ 302 KB PDF, 87pages]

What kind of information can be requested from my library?

Under the USA PATRIOT Act, information about your library account and usage can be obtained by Federal Agents using a court order. The act prohibits library staff from informing you if such an order or search has been undertaken by means of a gag order. The FBI can retrieve any information about you that the library has. Information from the library may include, but is not limited to, books and other materials you have checked out; searches you have done on library computers, including places you have visited on the Internet; materials you have borrowed through interlibrary loan, when you have signed up to use library meeting rooms, and notes taken by librarians when helping you with a question.

What else is in the Act?

The Act is lengthy and has changed over 15 sections of the US Code. Besides libraries, there have been changes to the laws that govern banking, immigration, communication and business (including bookstores), as well as new penalties for terrorism. The full text of the Act (Public Law 107-56), along with detailed summaries and brief overviews, is available on the Internet at http://cal-webs.org/if_patriot1.html. (Also see .pdf file link above.)

Will the Act expire?

Parts of the original Act, including Section 215 that impacts library privacy, had "sunset" provisions and were set to expire on 31 December 2005. Along with one other section, Section 215 was reauthorized through 31 December 2009 and will expire at that time unless the Congress votes to extend them. The rest of the Act, including Section 505, is permanent and would have to be repealed by Congress.

What are the penalties for defying the USA PATRIOT Act?

A librarian who does not comply with an FBI search warrant issued under the Act may be charged with contempt of court. No specific penalty is spelled out in the Act.

How does the Act affect my library?

The Act, particularly Sections 215 and 505, does a number of things related to libraries. It:

Lowers the legal standard for obtaining a search warrant, from "probable cause" that a crime is being committed, to "reasonable grounds" that the library information is "relevant" to an authorized terrorist or intelligence investigation (Section 215);
Allows the FBI to get a special search warrant from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court whose proceedings are classified and closed to the public (Section 215);
Permits the FBI to use special search warrants to retrieve library usage records of someone who is under investigation of involvement in suspicious activities (Section 215);
Overrides state and local privacy laws in the case of FISA search warrants (Section 215);
Prohibits the library from notifying the patron under suspicion, the press, or anyone else that an investigation is underway [note as part of the reauthorization of the Act, this prohibition may now be challenged in court one year after the warrant's issuance] (Section 215);
Under special circumstances, allows the FBI to take records related to Internet usage without a warrant (Section 505).

What is retained in current Boulder Public Library records and what might be used by the FBI?

If you open an account with the Boulder Public Library by applying for a library card, the following information is retained:

Your name, home address and home telephone number
Your library card number
Demographic information of where you live, (Boulder City, unincorporated Boulder County, Louisville, Lafayette, Longmont, Lyons, etc. for user statistics)
An issue date and expiration date
Total number of checkouts (A number, not titles)
Total number of renewals (A number, not titles)
Total number of claims returned (A number, not titles)
(Optional) You may have provided an email address, a work or business phone, a birthday or a birth year. The library does not require that you provide us with any of this information.
(Optional) If you chose to opt into the "My Reading History" feature on your library account, an ongoing list of the items you have checked out will be saved on the library's server for you to view (even after they have been checked in). If the library is served with a subpoena, Reading History information may need to be surrendered to law enforcement officials.
(Optional) If you chose to use the "Preferred Search" feature on your library account, a list of the search criteria you have chosen will be saved on the library's server for you to use. If the library is served with a subpoena, Preferred Search information may need to be surrendered to law enforcement officials.

The above information is retained, whether or not you have any items checked out.

If you have items checked out:

A record of any items you have checked out is retained so the library can contact you if items are not returned.
Once you return items and they are checked in, a system identification number indicating that these items were the last checked out on your account remains on the item record until it is checked out and returned by the next borrower. This is necessary to make sure any damage to an item can be attributed to the appropriate borrower. Once the next borrower returns the item, your association with that item is removed.
Items checked out to your account that become overdue will remain associated with your record until the late fee is paid. A history of the fines paid is maintained for up to 6 months to provide data for fees that are disputed.
Items checked out to your account that become 5 weeks overdue and not returned to the library are billed to your account. The association between your library account and the billed items will remain until the bill is reconciled.
The library system backup procedures record all transactions on system backup media for 7 days, after which they are deleted.

What is the Boulder Public Library doing to safeguard your privacy?

Each library sets its own privacy policies. At the Boulder Public Library, we feel that the rights of our patrons to privacy and autonomy are of the utmost importance. We use computer systems set up so that after you have renewed or returned books and other materials, we do not keep track of the titles unless you choose to do so on your own with the "My Reading History" feature.

When you use a computer in the Boulder Public Library, we maintain no personal information on your usage. You do not have to have a library card or account to use Boulder Public Library computers. We continue to explore ways to keep only those records required to maintain our collection.

Is a library exempt if the city passes a resolution against the Act?

These resolutions are largely symbolic, though there is at least one town in California that has made it a crime to comply with the Act. In this case, federal law is more powerful than state or local resolutions, so your library would still have to comply.

The state has a privacy law for library records. Does it protect me from the Act?

In the case of FBI search warrants issued under the Act, state privacy laws do not apply. However, state and local privacy laws are still in effect for other investigations that are not being performed under the authority of the Act.

The material presented here includes information on relevant policy procedures of the Boulder Public Library, information provided by the Intellectual Freedom Committee of the Colorado Association of Libraries, and materials from the American Library Association.

Permission to reproduce all or part of this document for informational, non-commercial purposes is granted, with proper acknowledgement of the source. The Boulder Public Library may be reached at www.boulderlibrary.org or 303-441-3100. The Colorado Association of Libraries may be reached at www.cal-webs.org or 303- 463-6400.

Contact: Ask A Librarian
Main Library: 1001 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder, Colorado 80302 Ph: 303-441-3100
Main entrance and extensive FREE parking located at 11th & Arapahoe.

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