The Library Connection

Volume 25 Number 2  February 2005

Click here for the Winter 2005 Bookmobile Schedule

Tales and Tails at Grafton Library

The U.S.S. Liberty Memorial Library in Grafton has partnered with the Ozaukee Humane Society in pairing young readers with canine companions once a week at the library.  Children in the first through fifth grade can register for the program and come in once a week to read aloud to dogs that were tested to certify their fitness for the program. The program ended on February 28, with each child receiving a certificate, a T-shirt, and a book.

The local project is part of a national movement known by a variety of names in 42 states and two Canadian provinces.  Psychological studies have shown that children may have problems reading aloud because of increases in blood pressure stemming from a fear of being judged.  Since the dogs do not judge, the child feels more comfortable and less fearful.

Children's Librarians Corner

The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, and The Ugly Duckling: Do kids know the “basics” anymore?   

Jennie Stoltz
F.L. Weyenberg Library of Mequon-Thiensville

During a recent Storytime, I was reading a book called “In Wibbly’s Garden” by Mick Inkpen.  The main character, Wibbly, finds a magic bean and, as magic beans tend to do, it began to grow into a huge beanstalk.  Of course there was also a giant and a hen who laid a golden egg.  We ALL know the story, right?  But, when I finished reading and asked the kids if they knew about Jack and the Giant it was as though I was asking them if they knew about the current political situation in Afghanistan. They had no idea what I was talking about.

The kids’ reaction only confirmed something that I have been aware of for some time. Most kids today are not familiar with the classic fairy tales that we all grew up with, unless of course there is a Disney movie version. So why is this happening and does it even matter?

I believe the primary culprit is the ever-increasing movement towards technology.  The oral tradition of passing along stories is becoming lost to current generations.  When I was a little girl my grandparents came over for dinner once a week. At bedtime my Grandpa would either tell me stories or read me a book  - Mother Goose was my favorite.  Either way, there were no pictures for me to look at. When he read aloud he held the book on his lap and I would use my imagination. This isn’t the way bedtime stories are usually told anymore and, unfortunately, this trend may be irreversible. Children today are more likely to be plunked down in front of a computer or video than to have a book read to them; and children who have become accustomed to the visual stimulation found in computers and television may never be as interested in non-visual storytelling. 

Another reason could be the excessive practice of shielding children from anything deemed unpleasant.  Perhaps this is politically incorrect for me to say but I believe that some people (parents, teachers, etc.) are overly sensitive to “inappropriate” content in books. I don’t believe that a wolf that is trying to eat three little pigs is causing the problem with violence in our society. These fairy tales have been around for decades, if not centuries and yet it seems to me that the violence that exists today is dramatically more rampant than it was even 20 or 30 years ago, “when I was a kid.”

The last reason could simply be that there are so many wonderful new books and stories coming out each year that publishers are hesitant to do “yet another” version of a classic.  But this is a misconception and quite unfortunate.  As I discard my classics and go to see what new versions are available I’m finding the selection is quite meager, and I consider that an ominous development.  I certainly hope popular authors like Jerry Pinkney and James Marshall will continue to do new adaptations of classic fairy tales, freshening the classics for current and future generations.

So as I asked before, is it even relevant that children are no longer familiar with these old tales?  I believe so.  I think that these stories are a valuable component of our children’s education and they are also a way for children to connect to the past and connect to other cultures as well.  These stories show children about a world outside of their own backyard and also teach valuable lessons in the process.  I’m afraid that I may be just as guilty as anyone else by not incorporating classics into my Storytimes but I intend to change that in the future.  I may not be able to stop this trend from happening but at least I can say I didn’t contribute to the loss of something so wonderful as classic fairy tales.

Balloon Dogs

The ESLS children's librarians had a great meeting at the ESLS office on February 25.  Everyone brought lots of ideas to share about "Dragons, Dreams, and Daring Deeds."  Susie Draeger-Anderson from Port Washington demonstrated the art of balloon tying.  The room was filled with an assortment of dogs, crowns, and swords in all the colors of the rainbow.  To learn how to make a balloon dog, go to http://www.qualatex.com/pages/balloon_dog.php and have fun!

Library Media Centers in Cedarburg Support Teaching and Learning

Vonna Pitel, IMC Director, District Coordinator
(vpitel@cedarburg.k12.wi.us) 262-376-6211

Journals in the fields of education and library science are spreading the mission of school libraries/IMCs as integral to supporting student achievement. Our mission is to teach students to become effective users of ideas and information and to support the curriculum. Teacher-certified Instructional Media Center Directors have a full teaching load with over 20 classes per week. Lessons are planned in coordination with units of instruction and include lessons in technology, organization and use of the IMC, and encouraging a love of literature and books. At the elementary level, students visit the IMC one or more times a week for lessons, to check out books, and to use other library materials. Students at Webster Transitional School and Cedarburg High School receive instruction in information skills and technologies when specific assignments for a unit require research. 

What are some of the lessons taught by the school librarian/IMCDirector?  Wendy Horsens at Westlawn Elementary teaches her 5th graders the IMC Online Catalog in the computer lab, and students explore the collections through learning the Dewey Decimal System. Mary Karpowicz at Parkview Elementary works with students in groups in 4th and 5th  grade to research Greek Mythology. After research and note taking, the students create a slide show presentation using Hyperstudio Software in the computer lab.  IMC Director Mary Lou Puritz helps students learn about libraries and the services they provide. Students discuss Braille because some libraries provide this reader service.  Pat Baumont from the Badger Association for the Blind spoke to her classes, bringing her guide dog and various aides she uses to function throughout the day.

Classes at Webster Transitional School are taught skills by Mary Stoiber.  Before 7th grade social studies classes begin a research project, she covers how internet resources are evaluated through deciphering authoritative from inaccurate web sites.  Mary discusses web addresses to show students how they can determine where the information is posted and whether it is a school district, commercial site, government information, or other source. Students are given a set of criteria to evaluate a web site and then have an opportunity to explore good web sites and those that are not reliable. This is an important skill as students increase their use of the Internet for class assignments.

Advanced Composition Classes at Cedarburg High School receive instruction from me on books, online databases, and periodicals that cover pro/con sides on many current issues. Students select an issue and a point of view to support their research using several resources from the IMC.  I provide an example of an issue and how it is researched.  Each student receives a pathfinder listing the types of materials available on pro/con issues.

This spring the Library/IMC Directors will be meeting with the Director of Instruction Eric Dimmitt to update the district library media curriculum. Skills from the state Information and Technology Standards Matrix will be taught by the IMC Directors in collaboration with classroom teachers. This new K-12 curriculum will support the mission of the school district to prepare students for lifelong learning. Our ultimate goal is to support student achievement in the Cedarburg School District.

Microfiche Available

The Cedarburg School District has the following microfiche that they are willing to give to a good home.  They are in gray metal drawers that are available also.  Contact Vonna Pitel 262-376-6211 or vpitel@cedarburg.k12.wi.us if you are interested.

Bingo Cards

http://teachers.teach-nology.com/web_tools/materials/bingo/

This web site has a generator for making bingo cards.  You can create a card with 9 words or terms or a larger one with 25.  You can add a free space and after the card is completed, you can shuffle the words around to make each card different.   I also discovered that you can copy the card into a word processing program and manipulate the borders on the table and format the print.

Another source for picture bingo cards (with some options for vocabulary words):  http://www.dltk-cards.com/bingo/

Arbor Day

Arbor Day is a day set aside for schools, civic clubs, and other organizations, as well as individuals, to reflect on the importance of trees in our state and across our nation.  To get a free Arbor Day Guide book, click:  www.arborday.org/Shopping/Merchandise/MerchDetail.cfm?id=55

The Library Media & PR website has other suggestions for observing Arbor Day, which in most states (including Wisconsin) is typically observed on the last Friday in April.

Rural Libraries

The California State Library's Rural Initiative has opened an online archive of materials and resources to help California's rural  libraries serve their users more efficiently.   By providing examples of commonly needed documents, materials and programs in all aspects of library operations, the Clearinghouse benefits rural libraries by eliminating the need to "reinvent the wheel" for every new policy, practice, procedure or project needed locally. 

Although intended primarily to benefit rural public libraries in California, the Clearinghouse is open to all libraries, anywhere in the country.   There is no charge to access or use Clearinghouse resources. 

Visit the Clearinghouse at: www.resourceroundup.net

Initial sections of the Clearinghouse include Training; Policies, Procedures & Manuals; and Model Projects and Best Practices.    Additional sections and section topics will be added over time. 

The Rural Initiative and the Rural Library Resources Clearinghouse are supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum of Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian. Collection of materials and resources for some sections of the Clearinghouse is provided pro bono by California public librarians.

Traveling Library Bookcases

Larry Nix, who recently retired as Director of Public Library Development at DLTCL, is working on locating traveling library bookcases/boxes in Wisconsin.  These artifacts are symbolic of an important era in Wisconsin library history.  His web page at http://my.execpc.com/~nixlt/traveling.htm shows some of the bookcases currently on display at the Dunn County Historical Society Museum in Menomonie.  Go to http://my.execpc.com/~nixlt/travelingus.htm for information on traveling libraries in other states.

Dogs of Wisconsin Libraries

Kirsten Houtman of WiLS is planning a "Dogs of Wisconsin Libraries" CONTENTdm digital project.  She would like to have a website with pictures and information about dogs owned by library employees throughout Wisconsin.  She would like anyone who is interested in participating to fill out a survey about each dog who is part of your family.

She would also like a photograph of your dog(s) in either black and white or color to include in the website.  Contact Kirsten at khoutman@wils.wisc.edu for more information.

Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2004

from the American Library Association

NetLingo Spoken Here

Do you know what an ethernet is?  How about an extranet?  How does an internet differ from an intranet?  What do those letters following the . (period or dot) in a file name denote?   For definitions and descriptions of thousands of words used in the online world of business, technology, and communication go to:  www.netlingo.com/  

One page has a list of 266 Smileys and Emoticons (a sequence of typed characters that creates a rough picture of something).  You could have saved a lot of money by sending an email rose @>--;-- to a special person on February 14.  You can subscribe to a monthly e-newsletter containing new terms and newsworthy items.

So if you are :-S (confused) or :-/ (frustrated) or having a ~~\8-O (bad hair day), let NetLingo help you become :-)) (really happy).

We The People Bookshelf on Freedom Grants

from the ALA Public Programs Office

The American Library Association (ALA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) are accepting applications for the We The People Bookshelf on Freedom grants.  Part of the NEH’s We the People initiative, the annual grant project will award sets of 15 classic books for young readers to 1,000 libraries across the country.  Libraries interested in receiving the collection are required to develop and host a program to introduce the collection and its theme of freedom to students and/or patrons.

Guidelines and applications are available at www.ala.org/wethepeople .  The applications deadline was extended until March 15th, 2005.  All public and school (K-12) librarians are eligible to apply.

Snowflakes

Don't put away those shovels and snow blowers yet.  This is Wisconsin!  You can cut your own snowflakes online here:  http://snowflakes.lookandfeel.com/