Smart Librarians

March 27, 2014

SPRING BREAK ISSUE!

Every Other Thursday, you’ll get this short, fun, relevant newsletter.  It will contain a quote or smile about the library and those who love it, an idea you can use to promote your library or reading in general, a Common Core implementation idea and a shameless plug for the programs I offer.  Enjoy! 

If you are new to EOT or have missed any previous issues, you can read them all at www.smartlibrarians.com. And please tell your friends about it!

In this issue:

Library Quotes

Promote Reading – Raise test scores

Common Core – Professional Journals

Shameless Plug  

Library Quote/Smile

“What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die.”

Anne Lamott, author

“A book, too, can be a star, a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe.”

Madeleine L’Engle, author

"When you absolutely positively have to know, ask a librarian."

American Library Association (ALA)

Promote (From the “Themes/Events” Section of 45 Ideas in 45 Minutes)

According to anecdotal research, the top five things that principals want are:

1. Increased test scores

2. Improved test scores

3. Better test scores

4. Test scores that are superior to the last ones

5. Enhanced test scores

REAL research has shown that getting kids to read for at least 20 minutes every day can and will increase test scores in all subject areas. Give your principals what they want by instituting programs that get kids reading every day! Find ways to incentivize reading and you can help your students achieve more! Show the research to your administrators and share your vision for encouraging every child to read every night.

Common Core Help

(This tip is for GA media specialists only. There may be a statewide database in Alabama or Florida that does some of the same things. If so, I’d LOVE to hear from you!)

I attended a media specialist training session in January and Karen Minton (not the WSB meteorologist, but the GALILEO expert) shared some of the hidden treasures you can find in Georgia’s statewide education database, GALILEO. GALILEO stands for GeorgiA LIbrary LEarning Online, an initiative of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. GALILEO is an online library portal to authoritative, subscription-only information that isn’t available through free search engines or Web directories. Participating institutions may access over 100 databases indexing thousands of periodicals and scholarly journals. Over 10,000 journal titles are provided in full-text. Other resources include encyclopedias, business directories, and government publications.

Get your professional journals online and save on paper subscriptions! Log in to Galileo and go to http://www.galileo.usg.edu/high-school/. On the red bar, click Magazines A-Z. Search for the journal you want and there it is! You can read full texts of articles, search by subjects or topics, go to back issues and more! You can even access electronic copies of periodicals like ZooBooks and get them on your tablet or e-reader.

And remember to check out www.CurriculumDivas.org for lots of resources for your school!

Shameless Plug

It’s not too early to be thinking about rewarding your readers for their great work this year or doing something to encourage summer reading. There are several shows at www.tommyjohnspresents.com/programs.htm that will help you celebrate the end of the year! Give me a call or email me and let’s book something for your students. As a matter of fact, if you call before April 10 (when the next EOT comes out) and mention EOT, I’ll take 10% off the price of any booking!

Let me know how I can help! See you in two weeks!

Encouraging kids to read, I am
Tommy Johns
Educational Entertainment Specialist

PS – Don’t forget to share this newsletter and blog with your colleagues!

www.TommyJohnsPresents.com 
tommy@tommyjohnspresents.com
Call (770) 640-6509 or Toll Free at (866) 490-READ
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