A day in the life Life in the WHS Library Media Center Carolyn Foote Westlake High School Library Eanes ISD, Austin, Texas

A day in the life I have been trying to work on my presentation for TCEA Librarian of the Year for the last two days, but this is what I’ve done instead…

I have been trying to work on my presentation for TCEA Librarian of the Year for the last two days, but this is what I’ve done instead…

Edited a digital video for a teacher’s upcoming workshop

Helped a teacher use the wiki he just created

Answered emails regarding upcoming workshops

The story becomes All of which leads me to believe that the story of a librarian’s day IS the presentation.

All of which leads me to believe that the story of a librarian’s day IS the presentation.

The changing roles The role of a librarian has obviously changed. The question becomes how does one embrace that change?

The role of a librarian has obviously changed.

The question becomes how does one embrace that change?

Change In his book The Tipping Point , Malcolm Gladwell describes the role of connectors and mavens. Connectors help connect people together, and “link us up with the world.” Mavens have knowledge, but “what makes them different is not so much what they know but how they pass it along.” (p. 67)

In his book The Tipping Point , Malcolm Gladwell describes the role of connectors and mavens.

Connectors help connect people together, and “link us up with the world.”

Mavens have knowledge, but “what makes them different is not so much what they know but how they pass it along.” (p. 67)

Library roles This typifies to me what a librarian should be.

This typifies to me what a librarian should be.

The changing world Librarians are of course many things—facility managers, teachers, organizers, equipment trouble-shooters, curriculum support staff, etc. But their primary role is to connect people with ideas.

Librarians are of course many things—facility managers, teachers, organizers, equipment trouble-shooters, curriculum support staff, etc.

But their primary role is to connect people with ideas.

And the librarian is the connector Ways we connect with teachers and students The library website Linked from whschaps.com, the library website which the librarian maintains has links to research sites and database sites. It also has teacher pathfinders to help students through a project, helpful background links for teachers, citation information for students, and book recommendation sites. Weekly workshops Project Technology(based on Project Runway) workshops were begun this year in collaboration with the technology teacher to improve training. We meet weekly for twenty minutes, and share one technology tip with teachers each week.

Ways we connect with teachers and students

The library website

Linked from whschaps.com, the library website which the librarian maintains has links to research sites and database sites.

It also has teacher pathfinders to help students through a project, helpful background links for teachers, citation information for students, and book recommendation sites.

Weekly workshops

Project Technology(based on Project Runway) workshops were begun this year in collaboration with the technology teacher to improve training. We meet weekly for twenty minutes, and share one technology tip with teachers each week.

Ways we connect Newsletters Email newsletters featuring new books and technology are shared with teachers several times annually. The library book blog Located on the library website, the book blog was the school’s first blog last year and allowed teachers and students to share book ideas as well as model use of a blog for the faculty. The technology tips blog Not So Distant Future is the title of our technology in libraries blog. www.futura.edublogs.org It was inspired by my wanting to share all the new Web 2.0 technologies with staff in a time effective way. I was able to blog “live” from the Internet Librarian conference in October, again, a way to model a use of blogs for the campus.

Newsletters

Email newsletters featuring new books and technology are shared with teachers several times annually.

The library book blog

Located on the library website, the book blog was the school’s first blog last year and allowed teachers and students to share book ideas as well as model use of a blog for the faculty.

The technology tips blog

Not So Distant Future is the title of our technology in libraries blog. www.futura.edublogs.org It was inspired by my wanting to share all the new Web 2.0 technologies with staff in a time effective way. I was able to blog “live” from the Internet Librarian conference in October, again, a way to model a use of blogs for the campus.

Ways we connect Campus vision committee Our new principal created a campus vision committee in the Fall of 2006 to plan for the graduate of 2019. As a member of the committee, I created a series of blogs for each subcommittee to use in sharing ideas. www.vision.edublogs.org and www.trends.edublogs.org Summer Workshops As part of our district’s summer workshop series, I presented a session that included using Wikis with students. Our elementary librarians learned to create wikis and several of them now have wikis for Bluebonnet books. Other teachers began using blogs or wikis for other classroom projects after this workshop.

Campus vision committee

Our new principal created a campus vision committee in the Fall of 2006 to plan for the graduate of 2019. As a member of the committee, I created a series of blogs for each subcommittee to use in sharing ideas. www.vision.edublogs.org and www.trends.edublogs.org

Summer Workshops

As part of our district’s summer workshop series, I presented a session that included using Wikis with students. Our elementary librarians learned to create wikis and several of them now have wikis for Bluebonnet books.

Other teachers began using blogs or wikis for other classroom projects after this workshop.

Empowering learners My role is to empower learners—whether they be adult learners or student learners—to use the new web 2.0 technologies to create meaning.

My role is to empower learners—whether they be adult learners or student learners—to use the new web 2.0 technologies to create meaning.

Empowering learners As David Warlick put it on his blog 2CentsWorth: “ When students are given access to information and asked to use it as a raw material, and the technology to work the information, they become information artisans — they become empowered learners.” http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/2006/10/30/empowering-learners/#comments

As David Warlick put it on his blog 2CentsWorth:

“ When students are given access to information and asked to use it as a raw material, and the technology to work the information, they become information artisans — they become empowered learners.”

http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/2006/10/30/empowering-learners/#comments

Technology infused library Technology infuses every part of our library.

Technology infuses every part of our library.

Web 2.0 challenges But the new features of Web 2.0 will change our profession even more, in many positive ways. It will make connecting with ideas even easier, as students and teachers can collaborate online in new and varied ways. But they will need support from technology teachers and librarians to learn to use these tools.

But the new features of Web 2.0 will change our profession even more, in many positive ways.

It will make connecting with ideas even easier, as students and teachers can collaborate online in new and varied ways.

But they will need support from technology teachers and librarians to learn to use these tools.

Designing spaces for the “new library” Our library is about to undergo a major renovation. We are using the spirit of Web 2.0 and the ability of students to personalize their spaces to guide us in the renovation. Some of the features included will be: Wireless networking Mobile computers Bookstore Signage Student café area On-the-fly computer use areas Multi-media presentation rooms

Our library is about to undergo a major renovation. We are using the spirit of Web 2.0 and the ability of students to personalize their spaces to guide us in the renovation.

Some of the features included will be:

Wireless networking

Mobile computers

Bookstore Signage

Student café area

On-the-fly computer use areas

Multi-media presentation rooms

So maybe the job title should be The Web 2.0 librarian

The Web 2.0 librarian