It is hard to believe that the challenge is at an end, but I had a great review of our databases and I learned a lot more about the Common Core too.
By far the assignment I struggled with the most was the Gale Virtual Reference Library week. It was difficult to incorporate CC standards into that one.
The surprising and fun thing was coming up with lesson plans. Since I am not a regular classroom teacher, it was fun to let my imagination run wild in coming up with lessons that would use the databases. The great thing about incorporating these is that you are hitting different learning styles. You don't just read a textbook, you can watch a video, or view a photo of something historical.
If I were a classroom teacher, two of the exercises I would definitely use from what I came up with would be the Ebooks on EBSCOhost activity and the genealogy databases activity. I had fun putting the lessons together, so hopefully the students would have fun doing them. What I like about the Common Core Standards is that they encourage a lot of different active involvement in lessons as well as the opportunity for group work and individual work. Being college, career, and life ready means being able to work collaboratively with others, being creative, able to get up in front of the class and give a speech or presentation and the CCS encompass all of these things. It is up to the teacher about how they will craft lessons to incorporate all of the pieces, and the availability of these databases could help them.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
ERC Week #9 History and Genealogy
WHST Grades 11-12 - 2,4,5,7,8
Using all of the resources listed would make for a great individual project for students in grades 11-12. Many students in this age group don't really pay attention to family history. They are more attuned to things teens are experiencing, so an assignment like this would get them talking to family members too.
This exercise challenges them to research and write about family history. Using the ancestral charts available for printing, the assignment will be to track their family back as far as they can, and write a report to present to the class on what they found. The report will include showing the ancestral chart. Interesting tidbits gleaned from the databases or from interviews with individual family members will hopefully be found and shared.
For the Sanborn Maps part of it, rather than have each student research the same city, I would have them pick a different city. There are plenty of cities in Sanborn so that even a large class would have little duplication. I would have them wait to do the Sanborn part until after they have done the family history part. Maybe in the family research part, they found an ancestor that had ties to DeSmet in the 1800's, so they could look at the two entries for DeSmet from 1893 and 1898, and tell the class about what those maps reveal from those years.
Using all of the resources listed would make for a great individual project for students in grades 11-12. Many students in this age group don't really pay attention to family history. They are more attuned to things teens are experiencing, so an assignment like this would get them talking to family members too.
This exercise challenges them to research and write about family history. Using the ancestral charts available for printing, the assignment will be to track their family back as far as they can, and write a report to present to the class on what they found. The report will include showing the ancestral chart. Interesting tidbits gleaned from the databases or from interviews with individual family members will hopefully be found and shared.
For the Sanborn Maps part of it, rather than have each student research the same city, I would have them pick a different city. There are plenty of cities in Sanborn so that even a large class would have little duplication. I would have them wait to do the Sanborn part until after they have done the family history part. Maybe in the family research part, they found an ancestor that had ties to DeSmet in the 1800's, so they could look at the two entries for DeSmet from 1893 and 1898, and tell the class about what those maps reveal from those years.
Friday, March 15, 2013
ERC Week #8 ArchiveGrid and CAMIO
CCSSELA 1,4,6 (pg 48)
CAMIO is great for visual presentations. For this lesson, I will divide my 11th or 12th grade class into groups. Each group will go into CAMIO, click on 'more' at the entry page and look at the Work Types section. Groups will pick two work types sections to review material within those sections, ultimately deciding on one section for their project.
Project: review items in CAMIO, as a group deciding parameters for their project. For example, if the group chooses to review the Costume and Jewelry work type, they must also decide on date ranges, formats, etc. in order to narrow their search, just as they would in ProQuest or other database searches. Group will choose between 10-15 images to incorporate into a presentation for class. They will properly credit the material in their presentation. In reviewing the images, they will also research the museum where the item resides, places and times relevant to the item, plus any other additional information, including that in their presentation. Example, I chose to look at Costume and Jewelry, 1800, then picked the number 2 image "Waistcoat". I would then research other topics attached to that image like floral motifs in the 1800's. This is also a good opportunity for students to use other databases like World Book as they do more research into the images.
Students can choose a variety of methods to present their information: powerpoint, animoto, vimeo, etc. Groups will find out the strengths of each member of the group (writing, producing, presenting) etc.
CAMIO is great for visual presentations. For this lesson, I will divide my 11th or 12th grade class into groups. Each group will go into CAMIO, click on 'more' at the entry page and look at the Work Types section. Groups will pick two work types sections to review material within those sections, ultimately deciding on one section for their project.
Project: review items in CAMIO, as a group deciding parameters for their project. For example, if the group chooses to review the Costume and Jewelry work type, they must also decide on date ranges, formats, etc. in order to narrow their search, just as they would in ProQuest or other database searches. Group will choose between 10-15 images to incorporate into a presentation for class. They will properly credit the material in their presentation. In reviewing the images, they will also research the museum where the item resides, places and times relevant to the item, plus any other additional information, including that in their presentation. Example, I chose to look at Costume and Jewelry, 1800, then picked the number 2 image "Waistcoat". I would then research other topics attached to that image like floral motifs in the 1800's. This is also a good opportunity for students to use other databases like World Book as they do more research into the images.
Students can choose a variety of methods to present their information: powerpoint, animoto, vimeo, etc. Groups will find out the strengths of each member of the group (writing, producing, presenting) etc.
Friday, March 8, 2013
ERC Week #7 - WorldCat and more...
Teachers, librarians, school administrators, and others are scrambling to gather information and resources dealing with the CCSS.
The first result of my search, "Digital teaching platforms: customizing classroom learning for each student" sounded like such a great resource, I immediately plugged the title into Amazon, read more about it, and sent it on to our collection development committee for possible inclusion into our collection at SDSL. The fact that 249 libraries already own this book is also of note. A month ago, there was great emphasis on Digital Learning Day, so this book seems to fit right along with that.
In addition, looking at the rest of the results on the first page, I noted that the SDSL already owns many of these titles. We are actively trying to purchase materials for use within DOE as well as for use by those individuals noted at the beginning of this post.
There are many specific titles that can be found in WorldCat that would be of interest for schools to borrow or purchase. Many books deal with how to teach certain standards, so teachers, librarians, and others can look at the CCSS for math and ELA and order or borrow specific titles that would help develop lessons.
The first result of my search, "Digital teaching platforms: customizing classroom learning for each student" sounded like such a great resource, I immediately plugged the title into Amazon, read more about it, and sent it on to our collection development committee for possible inclusion into our collection at SDSL. The fact that 249 libraries already own this book is also of note. A month ago, there was great emphasis on Digital Learning Day, so this book seems to fit right along with that.
In addition, looking at the rest of the results on the first page, I noted that the SDSL already owns many of these titles. We are actively trying to purchase materials for use within DOE as well as for use by those individuals noted at the beginning of this post.
There are many specific titles that can be found in WorldCat that would be of interest for schools to borrow or purchase. Many books deal with how to teach certain standards, so teachers, librarians, and others can look at the CCSS for math and ELA and order or borrow specific titles that would help develop lessons.
Friday, March 1, 2013
ERC Week #6 - EBooks on EbscoHost
Grade 9-10; CCRL1,2,3 (pg 38)
EBooks on EbscoHost is a great resource that could be used for English Lit classes. I'm not sure if classes still do this, but it used to be we all had to read the same book. Grapes of Wrath, in my case. I enjoyed it, others did not.
Taking into consideration that this database allows one check-out per person might be a good thing for the lesson I have in mind. It makes more work for teacher, student, and possibly school librarian, because a variety of titles will be needed for this assignment, not just 20 copies of the same title. Here is my lesson:
Teacher reviews what Cliff Notes titles are available in EbscoHost and compiles a list. Each student chooses three books from the list given by the teacher. There may be some overlap in choices, and that is okay. Before making a final choice on which title to read for the class, they are assigned to log in to the database and find Cliff Notes on the titles in which they are interested. If someone has a title checked out, they can just wait until it is available, or even work collaboratively with the student who has it checked out to review the title. Once they have reviewed all three Cliff Notes titles, they are assigned to write a summary of what the book is about, the theme etc (CCRL 1,2). They will also include their choice of which book they want to read in full and why the Cliff Notes helped them reach that decision.
CCRL 3 - Throughout the course of reading the full text of the book they have chosen, students will choose three characters and keep a diary addressing how those characters develop, interact with others etc. The final assignment at the end will not actually be a book report, but a character analysis.
Friday, February 22, 2013
ERC Week #6 - EBooks on EbscoHost
Grade 9-10; CCRL1,2,3 (pg 38)
EBooks on EbscoHost is a great resource that could be used for English Lit classes. I'm not sure if classes still do this, but it used to be we all had to read the same book. Grapes of Wrath, in my case. I enjoyed it, others did not.
Taking into consideration that this database allows one check-out per person might be a good thing for the lesson I have in mind. It makes more work for teacher, student, and possibly school librarian, because a variety of titles will be needed for this assignment, not just 20 copies of the same title. Here is my lesson:
Teacher reviews what Cliff Notes titles are available in EbscoHost and compiles a list. Each student chooses three books from the list given by the teacher. There may be some overlap in choices, and that is okay. Before making a final choice on which title to read for the class, they are assigned to log in to the database and find Cliff Notes on the titles in which they are interested. If someone has a title checked out, they can just wait until it is available, or even work collaboratively with the student who has it checked out to review the title. Once they have reviewed all three Cliff Notes titles, they are assigned to write a summary of what the book is about, the theme etc (CCRL 1,2). They will also include their choice of which book they want to read in full and why the Cliff Notes helped them reach that decision.
CCRL 3 - Throughout the course of reading the full text of the book they have chosen, students will choose three characters and keep a diary addressing how those characters develop, interact with others etc. The final assignment at the end will not actually be a book report, but a character analysis.
Friday, February 15, 2013
ERC Week 4 ProQuest
CC.11-12.R.L.1 and SD.9.R.2.1
Assignment: Use ProQuest to find two full text, scholarly articles on a topic of your choice. Outline each article, noting similarities and differences in the information presented. Note what your level of understanding is of the topic after reading and outlining the article. Did the article help you to understand your chosen topic better, or do you feel more confused by what you learned?
This exercise is going to allow students to discover if they really understand the text of the journal articles they find in ProQuest. If, after reading and outlining, they find that their comprehension of the text is somewhat foggy, then that may be a clue to them to possibly change the topic they are researching. Analyzing and comprehending text are the focus of the above listed standards, and I think this exercise would cover that.
I'm not sure what else to go into on this one. I am purposely keeping this exercise specific to one standard. It is important for 11th and 12th graders to not only read material, but fully understand what they are reading in order to embark upon research projects that they will do for high school classes as well as college.
Assignment: Use ProQuest to find two full text, scholarly articles on a topic of your choice. Outline each article, noting similarities and differences in the information presented. Note what your level of understanding is of the topic after reading and outlining the article. Did the article help you to understand your chosen topic better, or do you feel more confused by what you learned?
This exercise is going to allow students to discover if they really understand the text of the journal articles they find in ProQuest. If, after reading and outlining, they find that their comprehension of the text is somewhat foggy, then that may be a clue to them to possibly change the topic they are researching. Analyzing and comprehending text are the focus of the above listed standards, and I think this exercise would cover that.
I'm not sure what else to go into on this one. I am purposely keeping this exercise specific to one standard. It is important for 11th and 12th graders to not only read material, but fully understand what they are reading in order to embark upon research projects that they will do for high school classes as well as college.
Friday, February 8, 2013
ERC Week 3
A rhyming title to start the post! I can already tell this lesson will be doubly beneficial, because not only will I tackle the Common Core part of it, but I am doing presentations at Capital University Center next week and SIRS Issues Researcher is one of the databases I cover, so this will be a good review.
I saw the Common Core Correlations tab at the top right away when I got into SIRS Issues Researcher. How great is that! Gun control is always a hot issue to be debated, even more so with recent happenings. I think I will use this in my presentations at CUC next week, and relate it to SD by highlighting the School Sentinel Bill (HB 1087) that is currently making its' way through the SD Legislature.
I am looking at the College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading, Writing and Speaking and Listening. This lesson is going to be for a 11th grade class. They will use this database to gather information for their projects on gun control. They will be able to look at articles, websites, etc from the database and determine the relevancy of the information to how they are presenting their argument (pro vs. con). For a listening exercise, I'm going to have them listen to the committee and floor debates on HB1087. Prior to listening, their group will have chosen whether they are a proponent of the legislation or an opponent, and then they will listen closely to those sides. They will then write their argument and as a group present it to the class, citing general information gleaned from the database and more specific arguments from committee and floor debate.
Who knows, I may even make them present it as if they were legislators on the House or Senate floor. I think this would be a fun one! Who wants to sign on?
I saw the Common Core Correlations tab at the top right away when I got into SIRS Issues Researcher. How great is that! Gun control is always a hot issue to be debated, even more so with recent happenings. I think I will use this in my presentations at CUC next week, and relate it to SD by highlighting the School Sentinel Bill (HB 1087) that is currently making its' way through the SD Legislature.
I am looking at the College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading, Writing and Speaking and Listening. This lesson is going to be for a 11th grade class. They will use this database to gather information for their projects on gun control. They will be able to look at articles, websites, etc from the database and determine the relevancy of the information to how they are presenting their argument (pro vs. con). For a listening exercise, I'm going to have them listen to the committee and floor debates on HB1087. Prior to listening, their group will have chosen whether they are a proponent of the legislation or an opponent, and then they will listen closely to those sides. They will then write their argument and as a group present it to the class, citing general information gleaned from the database and more specific arguments from committee and floor debate.
Who knows, I may even make them present it as if they were legislators on the House or Senate floor. I think this would be a fun one! Who wants to sign on?
Friday, February 1, 2013
ERC Week 2
I logged in to do a practice test. Even though a person may not actually be practicing for a purpose, these are great (especially math) to give your brain some exercise because we all know that is important. My one "aargh" moment was that part 2 of my exercise wanted me to browse the e-books from the homepage. I went up to the top and moused over the words LearningExpressLibrary figuring that would be my ticket home, and nothing. Further playing revealed that I had to mouse over the "rary" in LearningExpressLibrary, then I could click and go home. Seems a little odd. Anyway, moving on...
For the exercise, since the elementary section does not have a large selection of ebooks at this time, I went for the middle school area, which has a ton of great resources. I am going to look at Multiple Literacies, Standard 2: The student will read, view, listen, speak and write to investigate, explore, create and communicate for academic and personal growth.
I am going to use the following: Reading, Grammar, and Writing in 15 minutes a day. I'm not going to have students read these cover to cover. Instead, I would pick out sections from each that might complement each other. I like the practice exercises in each book and the reading selections seem like a good fit for the age group. I think the three of these could be used at the beginning of a unit so students can get practice on parts of speech, proper grammar, and the "how to" of essay writing. Looking at 2.5.4 and 2.5.5, I could find some SD reading materials (online, physical, and digital historical items) to incorporate into the essay writing part of the assignment.
For the exercise, since the elementary section does not have a large selection of ebooks at this time, I went for the middle school area, which has a ton of great resources. I am going to look at Multiple Literacies, Standard 2: The student will read, view, listen, speak and write to investigate, explore, create and communicate for academic and personal growth.
I am going to use the following: Reading, Grammar, and Writing in 15 minutes a day. I'm not going to have students read these cover to cover. Instead, I would pick out sections from each that might complement each other. I like the practice exercises in each book and the reading selections seem like a good fit for the age group. I think the three of these could be used at the beginning of a unit so students can get practice on parts of speech, proper grammar, and the "how to" of essay writing. Looking at 2.5.4 and 2.5.5, I could find some SD reading materials (online, physical, and digital historical items) to incorporate into the essay writing part of the assignment.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Electronic Resources Challenge Week 1
It has been so long since I blogged, the look of blogger changed and I had to figure out what to click to start composing a post.
Even though I am mostly doing the Common Core Connections, I still looked at the exercises in the Advanced version. Because I have a 4th grader, I decided to look through the "Science Projects" section in World Book Kids thinking that everyone seems to do volcanoes, but there must be something different.
I got some great ideas, especially those under the 'science you can use' section. I wouldn't mind trying the popcorn one or the battery one. However, I have a very "green" spouse, so I can just see him freaking out about wasting batteries in the name of science.
Since I am trying to really learn as much as I can about the Common Core, I am focusing on that part of the challenge. Already I am being forced (which is why I signed up) to look at the standards and pages of the SDSL site and DOE site which will help me to understand and find resources about CC.
The standard I chose is Reading Standards for Informational Text Grade K-5. Or, more specifically, SD 4.R, 4.W, and 4 LVS. For Grade 4 students, they should now be reading and trying to understand text as well as be able to explain what the story or article is about to another person (student, parent, etc). If they don't know the meaning of something, they should know how to look up the word (WB makes this easy). Since my son has just begun to study South Dakota, I would use the South Dakota section of WB. As I read through the standards, hoping I understand them correctly as I am not a classroom teacher, I envision a project where students in a 4th grade class team up, and choose a certain aspect of SD to study using the information in WB. Since WB links to other sources (magazine articles, books to read, websites, etc) this offers students the opportunity to read and compare. The final project (helping develop their skills in working with other students) will be to use WB Timeline and create their own timeline of their SD topic, using words, visuals, etc and present and explain that to the class.
Even though I am mostly doing the Common Core Connections, I still looked at the exercises in the Advanced version. Because I have a 4th grader, I decided to look through the "Science Projects" section in World Book Kids thinking that everyone seems to do volcanoes, but there must be something different.
I got some great ideas, especially those under the 'science you can use' section. I wouldn't mind trying the popcorn one or the battery one. However, I have a very "green" spouse, so I can just see him freaking out about wasting batteries in the name of science.
Since I am trying to really learn as much as I can about the Common Core, I am focusing on that part of the challenge. Already I am being forced (which is why I signed up) to look at the standards and pages of the SDSL site and DOE site which will help me to understand and find resources about CC.
The standard I chose is Reading Standards for Informational Text Grade K-5. Or, more specifically, SD 4.R, 4.W, and 4 LVS. For Grade 4 students, they should now be reading and trying to understand text as well as be able to explain what the story or article is about to another person (student, parent, etc). If they don't know the meaning of something, they should know how to look up the word (WB makes this easy). Since my son has just begun to study South Dakota, I would use the South Dakota section of WB. As I read through the standards, hoping I understand them correctly as I am not a classroom teacher, I envision a project where students in a 4th grade class team up, and choose a certain aspect of SD to study using the information in WB. Since WB links to other sources (magazine articles, books to read, websites, etc) this offers students the opportunity to read and compare. The final project (helping develop their skills in working with other students) will be to use WB Timeline and create their own timeline of their SD topic, using words, visuals, etc and present and explain that to the class.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Some SD history titles
I enjoy a good mystery, but I spend most of my reading time with a good non-fiction book. Most of those non-fiction books migrate toward history. World War II history is a favorite subject, but being from South Dakota, I really enjoy any SD history book I can pick up.
I am currently reading two such books, Six by Marc Rasmussen and The long, hard winter of 1880-81 by Dan L. White.
Six is the story of the Claremont Honkers six man football team. They reached national fame between 1947-1953 under coach Bill Welsh by recording a record of 61 consecutive wins. This is not just the story of the sports team, however. It is also the story of Bill Welsh and the family tragedy that landed them in tiny Claremont, SD. It is also the story of small town SD and the importance of sports in bringing communities together. Sadly, the Claremont school closed in 1970 and all that remains is a stone arch where the school once stood. 2010 census figures list Claremont with a population of 127. But in the heyday of six man SD football in the 40's and 50's, this was the place to be.
The 2010-2011 winter was a tough, long winter for a lot of people in SD, but reading The long, hard winter of 1880-81 made last winter seem like a breeze. Winter 1880 started with an early blizzard on October 15 in Dakota Territory and other states throughout the region, and over the course of the next seven months, settlers endured blizzard after blizzard in their sod homes and shanties. The railroads closed due to the deep, deep snow and supplies dwindled. When the winter finally ended, floods the likes of nothing we saw last summer inundated areas along the Missouri. The book highlights the floods that occurred in the Vermillion and Yankton areas of the state, and had me shaking my head with disbelief at the chaos and destruction that ensued.
Both of these books are less than 200 pages and are a great look into South Dakota's past.
I am currently reading two such books, Six by Marc Rasmussen and The long, hard winter of 1880-81 by Dan L. White.
Six is the story of the Claremont Honkers six man football team. They reached national fame between 1947-1953 under coach Bill Welsh by recording a record of 61 consecutive wins. This is not just the story of the sports team, however. It is also the story of Bill Welsh and the family tragedy that landed them in tiny Claremont, SD. It is also the story of small town SD and the importance of sports in bringing communities together. Sadly, the Claremont school closed in 1970 and all that remains is a stone arch where the school once stood. 2010 census figures list Claremont with a population of 127. But in the heyday of six man SD football in the 40's and 50's, this was the place to be.
The 2010-2011 winter was a tough, long winter for a lot of people in SD, but reading The long, hard winter of 1880-81 made last winter seem like a breeze. Winter 1880 started with an early blizzard on October 15 in Dakota Territory and other states throughout the region, and over the course of the next seven months, settlers endured blizzard after blizzard in their sod homes and shanties. The railroads closed due to the deep, deep snow and supplies dwindled. When the winter finally ended, floods the likes of nothing we saw last summer inundated areas along the Missouri. The book highlights the floods that occurred in the Vermillion and Yankton areas of the state, and had me shaking my head with disbelief at the chaos and destruction that ensued.
Both of these books are less than 200 pages and are a great look into South Dakota's past.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
2012 Legislative Session is here
I used to blog a lot more than I currently do, so I thought I might try to make more of an effort this year.
The 2012 Legislative Session began yesterday and I always enjoy the heightened activity when the lawmakers are in town. This year won't be as painful with budget cuts as it was in 2011, and state employees may actually get that raise this year.
The 2012 Legislative Session began yesterday and I always enjoy the heightened activity when the lawmakers are in town. This year won't be as painful with budget cuts as it was in 2011, and state employees may actually get that raise this year.
After many years trying, the SD State Library finally has a bill up for consideration. SB 5 seeks to update SD statutes to include digital publications in an effective
state publications library distribution program. Our current law dates back to 1974 and there is no mention of digital publications. The current law also requires state government agencies to send 13 copies of any agency publication meant for public distribution to the state library. We are hoping to reduce the number of copies needed, which will reduce the burden on state agencies as well as result in cost savings. You can follow the bill at http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2012/index.aspx Just search for SB 5.
The SD Library Association Legislative Reception takes place tomorrow evening from 5-7 pm at Rawlins Municipal Library here in Pierre. I hope to see many librarians and legislators there.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Mysterious book sculptures in support of libraries
Very creative!
http://community.thisiscentralstation.com/_Mysterious-paper-sculptures/blog/4991767/126249.html
http://community.thisiscentralstation.com/_Mysterious-paper-sculptures/blog/4991767/126249.html
Friday, August 26, 2011
Cat in the library?
HaHaHa...
http://icanhascheezburger.com/2011/08/26/funny-pictures-happycat-library-sign/
http://icanhascheezburger.com/2011/08/26/funny-pictures-happycat-library-sign/
Friday, August 19, 2011
Come into the water...
This is the title of the latest book I've started. Having spent 17 years in the Rapid City and Black Hills areas, one commemorates the Rapid City flood each year in June. I remember my Dad traveling to Rapid City to help with cleanup that summer (1972). He worked for the SD Department of Transportation, and although I was only four at the time, I still recall the graveness of the situation.
Come into the water: a survivor's story by Merlyn Janet Magner was just released this year. Although I've read plenty of newspaper accounts and articles chronicling the flood, this is the first book I've read. I'm about 1/3 of the way through and can hardly bring myself to put it down. I've just passed the section where Magner (19 at the time) and her brother (21) had to crawl out a kitchen window of their house as the water rose very quickly. She gets caught up in the current, but luckily manages to crawl onto a roof downstream and spends the night there shivering in the pouring rain.
Unfortunately, Magner loses both parents and one older brother in the flood. Their house, which was located in a canyon, was completely washed away. Years later after much soul searching and dealing with the pain of that night, Magner shares her story.
Come into the water: a survivor's story by Merlyn Janet Magner was just released this year. Although I've read plenty of newspaper accounts and articles chronicling the flood, this is the first book I've read. I'm about 1/3 of the way through and can hardly bring myself to put it down. I've just passed the section where Magner (19 at the time) and her brother (21) had to crawl out a kitchen window of their house as the water rose very quickly. She gets caught up in the current, but luckily manages to crawl onto a roof downstream and spends the night there shivering in the pouring rain.
Unfortunately, Magner loses both parents and one older brother in the flood. Their house, which was located in a canyon, was completely washed away. Years later after much soul searching and dealing with the pain of that night, Magner shares her story.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
MPLA Conference
I just returned from a fabulous MPLA/MLA conference in Billings, MT. I've been an MPLA member for something like 14 years, and this was (unfortunately) the first time I have attended a conference. I've always wanted to attend one, but things always kept getting in the way.
Well, I will plan to make this a yearly outing for sure. Attending a conference where there are many librarians from other states is so wonderful. Since I do a lot with state government publications, I was able to visit with librarians from Montana about their digital state documents project. In addition, training is part of what I do and it was great to hear about how the ND State Library is handling librarian training in their state. I came home brimming with new ideas, renewed enthusiasm, and business cards from new contacts.
That is why conferences are so beneficial!
Well, I will plan to make this a yearly outing for sure. Attending a conference where there are many librarians from other states is so wonderful. Since I do a lot with state government publications, I was able to visit with librarians from Montana about their digital state documents project. In addition, training is part of what I do and it was great to hear about how the ND State Library is handling librarian training in their state. I came home brimming with new ideas, renewed enthusiasm, and business cards from new contacts.
That is why conferences are so beneficial!
Monday, March 28, 2011
South Dakota Library Week
South Dakota Library week is coming! SD Library Week runs in conjunction with National Library Week April 10-16. Special events in SD this year include a tour of the state by First Lady Linda Daugaard, a former school librarian herself.
First Lady Linda Daugaard announced her "It begins with a book" campaign to promote libraries and literacy across South Dakota. Check out the events at
http://library.sd.gov/PROG/sdlibraryweek/, download materials to promote events, and see the First Families' favorite children's books.
First Lady Linda Daugaard announced her "It begins with a book" campaign to promote libraries and literacy across South Dakota. Check out the events at
http://library.sd.gov/PROG/sdlibraryweek/, download materials to promote events, and see the First Families' favorite children's books.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Storm Chasin'
I love storm chasing books, movies, and TV shows. My favorite movie is Twister. Growing up in South Dakota, I've had ample opportunity to view tornadoes and plenty of severe weather. So it should come as no surprise that one of the books I am currently reading is Into the storm by Reed Timmer of Discovery Channel's Storm Chasers. Timmer was actually in South Dakota last summer chasing storms. There is a story and photo in a late May edition of the Rapid City Journal as he made his way through town in his souped up storm chasing vehicle Dominator. He may have even been through Pierre. He was in SD in 2003 on "Tornado Tuesday" and witnessed the F4 tornado that wiped Manchester off the map.
Here is what I really wanted to share from Timmer's book, though. Discussing the days before storm chasers had mobile Internet access and laptops, he states, "And before we all had laptops? We'd hit public libraries. The libraries-no matter how modest-always had Internet access, and within a few years of becoming a storm chaser my wallet bulged with library cards from some of America's tiniest towns."
Yet another great testimony for America's libraries! And if you enjoy books about severe weather and chasing it down, read Timmer's book.
Into the Storm: Violent Tornadoes, Killer Hurricanes, and Death-defying Adventures in Extreme Weather by Reed Timmer c2010.
Here is what I really wanted to share from Timmer's book, though. Discussing the days before storm chasers had mobile Internet access and laptops, he states, "And before we all had laptops? We'd hit public libraries. The libraries-no matter how modest-always had Internet access, and within a few years of becoming a storm chaser my wallet bulged with library cards from some of America's tiniest towns."
Yet another great testimony for America's libraries! And if you enjoy books about severe weather and chasing it down, read Timmer's book.
Into the Storm: Violent Tornadoes, Killer Hurricanes, and Death-defying Adventures in Extreme Weather by Reed Timmer c2010.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
2011 Legislative Session
I always enjoy it when legislative session rolls around in SD. Being in Pierre makes one much more cognizant of the legislative processes that go on over at the Capitol. And working in the state government documents area also makes one realize just how much work goes on across the street in the filing of bills, committee hearings, etc.
As I work at my computer, I try to listen to the committee hearings in the mornings as they discuss the various bills. I've become more educated of the legislative process as I listen to committee hearings in the mornings, and full House or Senate sessions in the afternoon. I didn't understand until a couple of years ago that sending a bill to the 41st day effectively kills it for the current session. Often the same bill will come back the next year. Some of the opponent and proponent testimony of bills can get very emotional, and it takes a lot for a person to stand up for or against proposed legislation.
I do wonder sometimes if legislators realize how much work goes into the filing of bills. A bill was recently introduced, and even the legislator who introduced it admits that it is a stunt and he won't support it. Behind the scenes, hundreds of copies of this bill are produced and distributed, using staff resources as well as lots of paper. Oh well, it is getting plenty of national attention.
I chuckle on the days the House and Senate meet prior to heading home for the weekend, and always hope that high school government classes have not traveled far to see the legislature in action that day. What usually happens is that the group is called to order, announcements are made, and bills on the agenda are referred to the next meeting day. Then they adjourn and everyone heads home early for the weekend. It might take 20 minutes. :-)
At any rate, it is a great time to learn about the process. It is easy to read any document on how a bill becomes a law, but to actually listen to or view the process in action is much more meaningful.
As I work at my computer, I try to listen to the committee hearings in the mornings as they discuss the various bills. I've become more educated of the legislative process as I listen to committee hearings in the mornings, and full House or Senate sessions in the afternoon. I didn't understand until a couple of years ago that sending a bill to the 41st day effectively kills it for the current session. Often the same bill will come back the next year. Some of the opponent and proponent testimony of bills can get very emotional, and it takes a lot for a person to stand up for or against proposed legislation.
I do wonder sometimes if legislators realize how much work goes into the filing of bills. A bill was recently introduced, and even the legislator who introduced it admits that it is a stunt and he won't support it. Behind the scenes, hundreds of copies of this bill are produced and distributed, using staff resources as well as lots of paper. Oh well, it is getting plenty of national attention.
I chuckle on the days the House and Senate meet prior to heading home for the weekend, and always hope that high school government classes have not traveled far to see the legislature in action that day. What usually happens is that the group is called to order, announcements are made, and bills on the agenda are referred to the next meeting day. Then they adjourn and everyone heads home early for the weekend. It might take 20 minutes. :-)
At any rate, it is a great time to learn about the process. It is easy to read any document on how a bill becomes a law, but to actually listen to or view the process in action is much more meaningful.
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