January 2024
Contents:
The Oklahoma Academic Standards for Information Literacy are up for review and revision. The Oklahoma Academic Standards for Information Literacy were last reviewed and revised in 2007 and are being revised in 2023-2024. The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) asks that all interested stakeholders provide feedback on the standards and suggests the following process:
1. Gather a team of stakeholders and set aside approximately thirty minutes to complete a review of the standards. Examine a particular grade band or all grade bands.
2. Download the Draft Oklahoma Academic Standards for Information Literacy published on December 6, 2023 for public comment.
3. Submit feedback by January 17, 2024 on this Google form.
All feedback received during the Public Comment period will be reviewed by the OSDE for consideration in the revision process.
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With the advent of a new year, journals such as the ones below have released their favorite books from 2023. Depending on the journal, categories may include a single title or multiple titles.
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Booklist
- youth nonfiction, youth graphic novel, middle grade fiction, picture book, young adult fiction, youth audio
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Bulletin of the Center of Children's Books
- fiction, nonfiction, picture books, graphic novels
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Horn Book Magazine
- picture books, fiction, folklore, poetry, nonfiction
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Kirkus Reviews
- picture books, middle grade, young adult
- Use the middle drop-down menu to toggle to Middle Grade or Picture Books.
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Publishers Weekly
- picture books, middle grade, young adult
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School Library Journal
- picture books, transitional books, middle grade, young adult, nonfiction elementary, nonfiction middle to high school, poetry, graphic novels, manga
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The library of the month is from Merritt Public Schools in Beckham County. Tawn Rundle, Merritt's assistant superintendent submitted this nomination: "It serves our PK-12 students in one location. Our librarian, Sarah Partain, has made it an inviting place for all, had students vote on a mascot name, is open during the summer for a reading program - and has made the library a place the 'big kids' want to hang out in when they have time."
Here is what Sarah Partain had to say about the Merritt Public Schools' library and its programming:
"We are a small school just south of I-40 in Western Oklahoma. Our library, 'The Oil Well,' serves all of Merritt Public Schools, which total approximately 850 students in grades PK-12. This is my 8th year as Library Media Specialist and it has taken a vision and a lot of support from Administration to get our library where we are today."
 "We started with an open door policy. Our doors stay open during school hours. If a student needs to come visit, they don't have to wait until a scheduled time. Many students visit multiple times a day. Since we share the same library space with all grade levels, we have worked hard to make the space inviting for all ages. We ditched the tables and chairs for a more flexible seating option and added couches and chairs for reading relaxation."
 "We have incorporated STEM activities, puzzles, and logic/strategy games into everyday library life. We also adopted a library mascot this year, Derrick the Llama, which the students voted on to name."
 "We have moved books and shelves and more books to find the best flow for the library since we serve so many different levels. We have a section or two for just about everyone. Our PK-K students have a whole section of books to themselves. On the elementary side, most of our books are grouped by series to make it easier for them to find but we also group our level 1 and 2 readers by color for ease of access. We have a section that mostly interests the middle grades and our high school side, grouped by author, rounds out the library."
 "I have made it my goal for the past 8 years to get the students in the door. From the open door policy, to the STEM activities, to the literature, we have done our best to make sure all students are welcome and invited in to share in the activities. For the past two years we have had a character hunt in the library right before winter break. Each day the character is hiding in the library (snowman last year, llama this year). Once the student finds it, they are entered into a drawing to take the character home. Just this month we started Golden Tickets. Golden tickets are placed in random books. If found, the student returns the ticket for a prize. The addition of our mascot, Derrick, has brought a sense of fun and excitement to the library as well."
 Thank you, Sarah, for making the Merritt Public Schools library a welcoming place for all students in your PK-12 location!
As a reminder, nominations are closed for library of the month. They will re-open in August 2024.
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