Welcome Back! I hope your summer was restful and rejuvenating. We are looking forward to an exciting year partnering with you as we continue our work to support 21^st Century student learning in our region.

Several library staff changes have occurred within our region this year: Appleby Elementary, Bishop Ludden Jr./Sr. High, Christian Brothers Academy, Grimshaw Elementary, Split Rock Elementary, and Bolivar Road Elementary. Welcome to all of our new Library Media Specialists!

A SLS goal is to create a greater web presence by posting this Welcome Back letter with links to the enclosures (where available) as well as other communications. Here are some highlights of the upcoming year. We hope that we can help you make this year a great one!

Ø SLS Directory of Library Media Specialists will be updated and available in October for you to print out from the SLS website, http://sls.ocmboces.org. Click on the SLS Directory tab. This will be available provided all new information or corrections on the enclosed DATA SHEETS (Pink) are filled out and returned by September 15, 2009. Please return it if you have made any corrections. The loaning of resources through the school-to-school interlibrary loan component of OURS requires the email information on this sheet. For the good of the whole, please return your changes by due date.

Ø Calendar of Events – This is located on the front page of the SLS web site. Please check it throughout the year for special events and announcements.

Ø OURS Catalog/Mandarin – OURS has been updated with the June 2009 extracts sent from non-Mandarin libraries.

Ø SLS Orientation and Refresher Session – Thursday, September 24, 8:30am – 11:45am at OCM BOCES Rodax 8 Conference Room. Come join us and learn about changes to SLS procedures. All new and returning librarians and support staff are encouraged to attend. Please call 433-2655 or email scamille@ocmboces.org to register.

Ø SLS Fall Conference “Making a World of Difference in 21^st Century Student Learning” will be held on Tuesday, October 27, 2009. Two brochures are enclosed. Meg Ormiston, our keynote speaker, will offer workshops on transforming teaching and learning through the power of digital tools. Please encourage your school staff to join us. Superintendents and principals received a complimentary invitation to attend the keynote. New this year: Please download the registration form as well as additional copies of the brochure from our web site. We encourage you to sign up on one registration form for the LMSs and others from your district, if at all possible.

Ø Gaming & Instructional Technology Tools Added to OURS

Nintendo Wiis, Wii games and peripherals will be available for collaborative instructional use through ILL (Orange). To borrow any Wii material, LMSs must make the request through OURS, as well as complete an Instructional Use form (posted on the website).

Board Games library will be available through ILL for in-school instructional use. Check the Gaming tab on the SLS website for more information.

Justin Ashworth, LMS, is available for advice or assistance with after-school gaming events and can be reached by email at jjashwor@gmail.org.

Other equipment available to borrow through ILL: Flip video cameras for video recording and sharing; and microphone headsets for podcasting and audio listening. Loans are intended for in-school instructional use by librarians, teachers and students.

(OVER)

Ø Online Library Resources (CoSER 572-4XX) – For members participating in this service: there should be no interruption for renewed subscriptions in accessing the databases. Please contact Mary Tiedemann, mtiedemann@ocmboces.org for online database training; for questions regarding pricing and ordering of online databases, contact Lisa Chase. The technology coordinators will receive a list of the databases their district subscribes to. Customized profiles for each building are enclosed (White).

Ø Online Library Resources – Enclosed is a listing (Lime) with descriptions of the databases provided by SLS for 2009-2010 year, including NOVELny, allowing access to a vast collection of informational resources. We encourage you to make use of this valuable service provided to you as a member of SLS. A copy of this flyer has been sent to each superintendent. Please share this with others and feel free to contact Mary Tiedemann to schedule workshops at your site.

Ø Interlibrary Loan Fact Sheet – (Multi color) Enclosed for your convenience. Please post near the appropriate workstation and discard last year’s copy.

Ø Courier Service Information Sheet – (Bright Blue) Please remember when using the courier service to clearly and completely address the envelope and put it in the BOCES delivery bag for pickup. Your school office will direct you to where this bag is located.

Ø SLS Phone/Address Directory (Yellow) – Please note staff changes. Hint: one copy for your phone station and one for your mail table.

Ø CCD – Cooperative Collection Development orders are due no later than December 1, 2009. Call Mary Ann Beattie at (433-2663) with any questions. We are pleased that more districts are participating in this growing service.

Ø Communications Coordinators (Liaison) Meetings – Our first meeting will be Thursday, Sept. 24, 12:45 pm – 3:15 pm at OCM BOCES Rodax 8 Conference Room. Remaining meeting dates are: November 19, 2009; January 12, and March 16, 2010. Administrator of the Year luncheon and Council/Liaison meeting will be May 12, 2010.

Ø E-Knowledge Training Workshops - Continuing this year: Ten electronic resource training dates for LMSs and teachers are scheduled for: Sept. 30, Oct. 6, Nov.19*, Dec.15, 2009; Jan. 12*, Feb. 4, March 16*, April 14, May 14, and June 9, 2010. *These are morning sessions only, from 8:30am-12 before the Communications Coordinators (liaison) meeting for these dates. The other dates will have a morning and afternoon session.

Ø Professional Reading Group – New this year, the PRG is for LMSs to discuss professional reading via a blog. The reading sessions will run for 6 weeks. Participants may join in for any or all of the books. Facilitators will be Mary Tiedemann, SLS, and Kim Loucks, OCMBOCES CI&A. Participation in online discussion on a weekly basis is required. Dates and book titles: Sept. 24 – Nov. 2: Librarians as Learning Specialists, Zmuda & Harada; Nov. 9 – Dec. 22: Redefining Literacy 2.0, Warlick; Jan 14 – Feb. 23: Why Don’t Students Like School?, Willingham; and March 4 – April 8: Nineteen Minutes, Picoult.

Ø AASL Regional Institute - “Reading and the Secondary LMS” has been rescheduled to December 3, 2009 in Oneida, sponsored by a SLSA/LSTA grant and hosted by Madison-Oneida BOCES SLS. OCM SLS members are welcome to attend (see flyer on our web site). Contact Madison-Oneida BOCES SLS at (315) 361-5663 to register.

Ø Advocacy: www.ala.org/aasl/advocacy – The AASL Advocacy Toolkit is a collection of ready-to-use tools to conduct advocacy campaigns – large or small – for school library media programs.

Ø School Library Systems Association (SLSA) – The Advocacy toolkit & brochure developed by SLSA can be found at http://www.slsa-nys.org/index.cfm

Ø School Library Media Section of the New York Library Association (SLMS/NYLA) – Enclosed are a brochure and membership invitation (Beige) letter from SLMS/NYLA. Please consider joining this professional organization for New York State school library media specialists. Also included is a Save the Date card for the SLMS 2010 Conference.

I wish each of you an exciting and enriching year. Please contact me if you would like to request a visit from one of the staff or me.

Cc: Dr. Jessica F. Cohen, OCMBOCES, District Superintendent

Mr. Jeffery Craig, OCMBOCES, Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Support Services

Welcome Back! I hope your summer was restful and rejuvenating. We are looking forward to an exciting year partnering with you as we continue our work to support 21st Century student learning in our region.

Several library staff changes have occurred within our region this year: Appleby Elementary, Bishop Ludden Jr./Sr. High, Christian Brothers Academy, Grimshaw Elementary, Split Rock Elementary, and Bolivar Road Elementary. Welcome to all of our new Library Media Specialists!

I wish each of you an exciting and enriching year. Please contact me if you would like to request a visit from one of the staff or me.

Welcome Back! I hope your summer was restful and rejuvenating. We are looking forward to an exciting year partnering with you as we continue our work to support 21^st Century student learning in our region.