April 2024
Contents:
The school library is a hub for information, inquiry, and collaboration where students can learn, explore, and create. Oklahoma school libraries launch students into a world of new knowledge by providing access to exciting books, online resources, and emerging technologies. In the twenty-first century, the information age has transformed from dial-up Internet and floppy disks to WiFi and tablets. In a world with a surplus of information, students need guidance on how to navigate the physical and digital texts they encounter. Library media specialists play a crucial role in the education and development of Oklahoma students to access, evaluate, communicate, and even create information. Certified school librarians are an essential part of a school’s faculty, partnering with educators to connect learners with resources. They empower students to be critical thinkers, enthusiastic readers, and ethical users of information.
School Library Month is the celebration of school librarians and school libraries. Every April school librarians are encouraged to host activities to help their school and local community celebrate the essential role that strong school libraries play in transforming learning. If you would like to share how you are celebrating, feel free to email me.
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The Oklahoma Department of Libraries is providing an EBSCO-hosted webinar about the new EBSCOhost user interface. They will cover improvements in accessibility, full text viewing, sharing and citation tools, and the new My Dashboard. Bring your questions and we’ll explore together!
Please join us on one of the following dates:
April 2, 2024 11:00 AM Central Time
April 4, 2024 02:00 PM Central Time
Additionally, here is an article from EBSCO Connect about the new EBSCOhost UI.
At the February 22, 2024, State Board of Education meeting, the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Information Literacy were unanimously approved. They have now moved to the legislature for approval.
The draft that the board approved included an additional standard that was created based on public comment:
Standard 1: Read & Grow * Consume a variety of texts and resources, and plan for future reading.
Each of the four grade bands has objectives regarding this standard.
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 The library of the month is Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa Public Schools. On average, they have between 3,000-5,000 students visit the library per month. On a slow day, they get about 150 students studying, hanging out, & reading. The school librarian is Willow Hoxie. She provided the following helpful information about the programing the library.
 "In terms of an effective library program, a big component towards making something successful is really listening to the feedback students give you. About twice a month, Booker T does a special schedule called Activity Period where we set aside a class period for teachers to host fun activities; some people show movies, others will host crafting, and we just had a very successful Smash Bros tournament. The library hosts Maker Space activities during this time, so 60 students can come in and use our 3Doodlers, button makers, Cricut machines, and more. Though the Maker Space is generally available upon request, most students don't have the availability in their class schedules to come down and play with these resources, so Activity Period can be very popular here."
 "As a part of Activity Period, I will always offer a craft, usually seasonal, for students to do as well. We started off doing simple origami, but the students didn't really like that, they found the instructions difficult to follow and weren't enjoying themselves. They really like making things to bring home so instead of origami, we've moved onto other crafts. We've made suncatchers, bookmarks, ornaments, and paper pumpkins. If I hadn't been listening to my students, I would still probably be trying to teach them the difference between a flat fold and a mountain fold."
 "I'm really proud of how much our students have been engaging with our Historical Collection and other exhibits that we host in the library. Due to Booker T's place in Tulsa's history, we have a large Historical Collection with artifacts dating back to the 1930s and yearbooks dating back to the 60s. When I started in this role, one of the first things I did was a large clean-up and organization of the collection, I have a background in museum librarianship, so I was uniquely qualified to do this. I reorganized the public space in the library and made it much for inviting for students to explore, I now have students in there daily, exploring the yearbooks and learning more about our great school's history. Along with reorganizing the public space, I also moved some of our more fragile items to the back offices where they are in a temperature-controlled environment and will soon be scanned into a digital repository available for everyone to access."
 "We recently renovated the old sound room in the library to become a recording studio for students to use. Along with podcast equipment, we also have recording mics for music and interfaces for students to plug instruments into. Even though this is a new space, students have already expressed excitement about recording podcasts and other audio, and my library aides, seniors who assist me in the library for credit, are starting a podcast promoting the library and our services."
 "In terms of encouragement for Oklahoma librarians, I would say the kids are all right. The engagement I see with kids in the library is so gratifying, they're learning that the library isn't just a space, but it's also a place. It's where they can learn, be entertained, and grow. I don't only promote my library to my kids, but the public library as well. They know that if they need help, if they need information, if they need someone to talk to, they can find it in a library, here or elsewhere."
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Thank you, Willow, for all that you do to create a place for student learning, collaboration, and creation at the Booker T. Washington library.
Note: All students have signed forms from their parents/guardians for photo release.
As a reminder, nominations are closed for library of the month. They will re-open in August 2024.
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