Discounted School Library Databases

Did you know the Colorado State Library offers discounted databases for K-12 schools? Well, we do! Currently, it’s discounted Ebsco databases, but our contract with Ebsco expires next year, and we are looking at next steps for other packages and/or how to sustain this discount option for Colorado Libraries. Please take 5 minutes to read below and respond so that we can get the school library perspective for next year! 

Thanks and let me know if any questions—-Becky Russell, School Library Senior Consultant, russell_b@cde.state.co.us

****** Please excuse cross-postings ******

The AIRS Committee (Acquisition of Information Resources Statewide) seeks input from library staff across the state to learn about their preferences for the future of a statewide database package. Currently, the AIRS Committee has contracts with OCLC and EBSCO to provide selected databases covering general, business, and K-12 information at a special rate for Colorado’s citizens, including:
– Academic Search Premier
– Business Source Premier
– Encyclopedia of Animals
– Funk & Wagnall’s New Encyclopedia
– MAS Ultra – School Edition
– MasterFILE Premier
– Middle Search Plus
– Newspaper Source
– Primary Search
– Regional Business News
– TOPICsearch
– NEW – Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (FULL TEXT!)
More detailed information about the package can be found on the AIRS website.

The contracts with OCLC and EBSCO will expire next year, and we plan to seek proposals. We ask that everyone who is interested in electronic resources respond to the survey, whether your library currently subscribes to AIRS or not. Your input is vital to this process. The survey will take no more than 3-5 minutes to complete.

Survey link

Sincerely, AIRS Committee

Summer Reading Lists

School’s out (or almost–and at the very least, summer is upon us!)…many of you are gearing up for book orders by planning your summer reading.

For me, I’ve been taking advantage of DailyLit and reading The Little Big Things: 163 Ways to Pursue Excellence by Tom Peters in which he says
“19. “Failure”—Celebrate It!”

As we’re all–including school libraries, CASL and CAL–trying to make do with very little funding, I find this message heartening and a reminder that we’re all striving to do the best we can with what we have! And I (Heidi posting, this time!) must brag on DailyLit a bit–they email you snippets of books at a time and many are free. It’s just the right amount of info for me during a busy day, and the format works for me since I’m by the computer much of the day.

So, do share—what’s on YOUR summer reading list??

A MUST FOR YOUR PROFESSIONAL COLLECTION!

Posted by Susan Gilbert on behalf of JoAnn Perry, AASL representative

A MUST FOR YOUR PROFESSIONAL COLLECTION!

Empowering Learners Guidelines for School Library Media Programs

 ALA price $39.00                     Colorado’s price $30.00

http://www.alastore.ala.org/detail.aspx?ID=2682 (see what it looks like here)

21^st Century Learner Standards

 ALA Price $14.95 per pkg of 12      Colorado’s price $12.00 per bundle or $1.00 each

http://www.alastore.ala.org/detail.aspx?ID=2352 (see what it looks like here)

Save some $$$ and make your check out to JoAnn Perry. Please list  the quantity on the memo line.

Mail your check to:

JoAnn Perry

1140 West 6^th Street

Loveland, CO  80537

Once the check has been received, the book(s) will be mailed to your library via state courier.

Any questions please contact JoAnn:  jperry11@cherrycreekschools.org

Cell:  303-552-8832

 Thank you and Empower your Learners!

A Weeding Challenge

I just moved into a library that has not been weeded in several years, so needs some serious attention.  I have found numerous books published in the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. My biggest surprise so far was a book written in German, with a copyright date of 1900.

Can anyone out there beat that date? I am sending out a weeding challenge to all of you. How many people can beat a 1900 copyright date in their collection?

Happy Weeding!

Susan Gilbert, CASL President

Friday afternoon story time

In need of a little story time? Here’s a link to the Booklist Audiobook blog featuring two videos of Neil Gaiman reading aloud. In the first video, he reads a new story titled, “Blueberry Girl” and in the the second video, he reads for about 4 minutes from the beginning of “The Graveyard Book.”

Neil Gaiman’s books rarely need a push to get checked out, but if you have a tough customer, share the video with the student and I’ll bet he/she will be hooked.

Happy listening!

Jen Cotton