New York City School Librarians' Association

Members: Apply for NYCSLA Fellowship and Administrator Awards

ms88library — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:03:58 +0000

This year, NYCSLA is proud to offer two awards for members and their schools: the NYCSLA Fellowship award for members and the NYCSLA Administrator Award for principals. The application deadline is Friday, April 27, 2012.

NYCSLA Fellowship Award

This $300 Fellowship Award is awarded to a NYCSLA member to attend a national, state or regional conference. NYCSLA fellows are chosen on the basis of three criteria: (1) involvement and leadership in the field of school libraries, including professional accomplishments, (2) quality of your virtual library presence, and (3) willingness to share your conference experience with colleagues. NYCSLA board members are ineligible.

Apply online!

NYCSLA Administrator Award

The Award recognizes an administrator who has been responsible for the improvement of the School Library Media Program in a New York City school during the past two to five years. The winner receives a plaque and online recognition in the form of a press release and blog post acknowledging his/her support of the School Library Media Program. You must be a NYCSLA member to apply. NYCSLA board members are not eligible to apply.

Apply online!

All current NYCSLA members are eligible, so apply today! (Not sure if your membership is current? Email nycsla.librarians@gmail.com to check or come to our meeting on March 22 at Sunset Park High School to sign up.)

Meeting March 22 on Collecting Student Work

ms88library — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:14:09 +0000

Join us at at our next meeting Wednesday, March 22: “Preparing the 40%: Collecting Student Work to Show Learning.” This meeting will be held at Sunset Park High School Library (153 35th Street, Rm. 216, Brooklyn) from 4:30 to 6:30. Sunset Park High School is at the corner of 35th St. and 4th Ave. and the 36th St. D/N/R stop is less than a block away.

If you are planning to attend, please RSVP to nycsla.librarians@gmail.com as soon as possible so that your name can be added to the sign-in list at the main desk in advance.

Barb Stripling for President… of ALA!

ms88library — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:18:59 +0000

Our very own Barb Stripling, former NYC director of School Library Services, is running for ALA President. We all know that she was a tireless advocate for us in NYC public schools and would continue that work on a national stage. School librarians are historically under-represented in ALA elections, so let’s turn out in force to support one of our own!

Polls will open at 9 a.m. CDT on March 19, 2012 for the American Library Association’s annual election. When the polls open, the ALA will notify voters by e-mail, providing them with their unique passcodes and information about how to vote online. The polls close on Friday, April 27 at 11:59 p.m. CDT. On May 4, the Election Committee will meet at the ALA offices to certify the election. Election results will be released following that meeting.

More information about the election and both candidates can be found through ALA.

NYCSLA Holiday Gathering Dec. 8

Dreadful Penny — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:41:30 +0000

Join NYCSLA for a holiday celebration at City Tavern on Thursday, December 8th from 6-8. NYCSLA will provide appetizers. We think it will be a wonderful way to relax and get together to celebrate the holidays. You may also join NYCSLA for the year at the gathering!

NYCSLA at Fall Library Conference

ms88library — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:39:05 +0000

Going to the Office of School Library Services fall conference on Election Day? Stop by the NYCSLA table to renew your membership or join us for the first time and find out about our upcoming meetings and new award opportunities for members.

Lastly, hang out NYCSLA and your fellow librarians to unwind after the fall conference… or maybe keep the excitement and energy going? Relax with your colleagues for an informal happy hour at Moe’s Bar & Lounge, around the corner from Brooklyn Tech at 80 Lafayette Ave. (at S. Portland) in Fort Greene. Join us around 3:30 immediately following the conference.

Save the Date! Fall 2011 Meetings

ms88library — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:35:03 +0000

I am so thrilled to invite all of you to the New York City School Librarians’ Association first meeting of the 2011-2012 school year! Please join us on October 5th from 4:30-6:30 at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Educational Campus Library. There will be time set aside to join NYCSLA, network with colleagues, and to enjoy some refreshments. Around 5pm, we will spend some time discussing library advocacy and the current state of libraries in our schools. The remainder of the evening will be spent in small groups, focusing on grant writing. NYCSLA Board members (past and present!) will share their tips and winning applications for the Library REACH grant, the Laura Bush grant, Reso A grants and more.

With library budgets diminishing, grant funding and fundraising has become more and more necessary in maintaining a functioning library media center. Applying for and receiving grants for your school is also a way to show initiative and make yourself an indispensable part of your school community. Please RSVP to nycsla.librarians@gmail.com so we can provide enough snacks for everyone.

Make sure you also visit us at our table at the Office of Library Services fall conference at Brooklyn Technical High School on Tuesday, November 8, and join us for a post-conference happy hour nearby!

P.S. Join now by visiting http://nycsla.org/membership (you can mail your dues or bring them on Oct. 5th!).
P.P.S. You can get to the MLK Campus by taking the N, R,Q, train to 57th and 7th, the A, C, B, D to 59th-Columbus Circle or the 1 to 66th St.

Cheers,
Teresa Tartaglione
NYCSLA President

Join NYCSLA at our end-of-the-year party!

ms88library — Tue, 10 May 2011 10:42:33 +0000

Join us for our end-of the-year party!

The details:

Wednesday, June 1, 2011
5-7 p.m.
Radegast Hall & Beer Garden
113 N 3rd Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Board games! Replay the highlights of your year with fellow librarians! A roving accordion player! We will announce new 2011-2013 board members and vote on changes to our by-laws.

Members will receive one complimentary drink if they r.s.v.p. to nycsla.librarians at gmail.com by Wednesday, May 25.

NYCSLA Fellowship and Administrator Award Applications Due Friday!

ms88library — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:53:33 +0000

NYCSLA Fellowship Award

Apply online!

NYCSLA Administrator Award

Apply online!

All NYCSLA members are eligible, so apply today!

March 9 Meeting Recap & Resources

ms88library — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:45:01 +0000

Jesse Karp got everyone thinking visually at NYCSLA’s March meeting, which focused on using graphic novels in the library. Karp stated that, now that the resistance to graphic novels has somewhat leveled off and they do get shelf space in libraries, it is time to focus on doing some research to measure their ability to teach comprehension and raise students’ reading levels.

Participants had the opportunity to do some hands-on activities featuring literacy skills that graphic novels teach so well: interpretation, context, perspective and collaboration. In his upcoming ALA Editions book, Graphic Novels in your School Library (October 2011), Karp promises even more activities and a list of best titles.

In one of these activities, for example, Karp asked NYCSLA members to draw three interpretations of “sad” told in two panels each. NYCSLA President Sara Paulson said, “Everything I knew about the art form came flying out of my head and in spite of my rather poor drawing skills, I used perspective and the trope, ‘Three hours later..’ to get my ideas across. We all enjoyed it.”

NYCSLA also welcomed three new board members for 2011-13: Teresa Tartaglione as our new President, Kathleen Tarbell, and Jen Abounader. All members are welcome to come to our April 7th board meeting when the executive board will be editing our decades-old by-laws. Email nycsla.librarians@gmail.com for details. Thanks to everyone who came and made it a special evening!

March Book Club: Hereville by Barry Deutsch

ms88library — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:27:41 +0000

Better late than never: please join NYCSLA’s book club with our March pick for the 2010-11 school year: Hereville by Barry Deutsch. The NYCSLA book club is dedicated to reading engaging new literature for children and young adults. Hereville is a graphic novel nominated for the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction & Fantasy, part of the Nebula Awards. Here’s a little bit of info about the book:

Spunky, strong-willed, eleven-year-old Mirka Hirschberg isn’t interested in knitting lessons from her step-mother, or how-to-find-a-husband advice from her sister, or you-better-not warnings from her brother. There’s only one thing she does want: to fight dragons! Granted, no dragons have been breathing fire around Hereville, the Orthodox Jewish community where Mirka lives, but that doesn’t stop the plucky girl from honing her skills…. A delightful mix of fantasy, adventure, cultural traditions, and preteen commotion, Hereville will captivate children and grown-ups alike with its exciting visuals and entertaining new heroine.

Please add your comments about March’s pick here! Also, we need your recommendations for future book club selections. Please fill out this simple form to let us know the best new books you’ve read this year, especially titles you have a hunch will show up on Newbery, Printz, or other major award shortlists… it’s early, but never too early to start guessing!