February is time to show your love for libraries and School Librarians!

Updates from the MAME President By Mrs. Cynthia Zervos The past month has been very busy! As the MAME President and President-Elect, Cat Kerns and I had the privilege to represent Michigan school librarians at the Affiliate Assembly meetings at ALA Midwinter Meeting and Exhibit. Affiliate Assembly is made up of state and regional organizations that are currently affiliated with AASL. The Affiliate Assembly is broken down into regions. Michigan, along with Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin, is a part of Region 3 in the Affiliate Assembly. Last summer Kathy Lester was elected Regional Director and I was selected as Regional Representative for Region 3. At Affiliate Assembly we discussed possible Concerns and Commendations to share with the AASL Board of Directors. This year, MAME submitted two concerns and supported a third concern. The first concern was submitted on behalf of MAME and the Missouri Association for School Librarians (MASL). In this concern, we request that the AASL Board of Directors take action to address the omission of school libraries/school librarians from ASCD’s Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Initiative. The second concern was submitted on behalf of MAME, Association of Indiana School Library Educators (AISLE), Association of Illinois School Library Educators (AISLE), Missouri Association of School Librarians (MASL), and Ohio Educational Library Media Association (OELMA) and requests that the AASL Board of Directors takes action to address the need for affordable leadership training in relation to advocacy for school librarians. MAME supported the concern submitted by MASL that requests that the AASL Board of Directors takes action to address the omission of school libraries/school librarians from packaged curriculum in various content areas including English/Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, and Health. I will be sure to keep you updated about the status of these concerns as they move through the process. The MAME Advocacy Committee has been very active!   On February 15th, Kathy Lester, Lisa Brakel and I met with Josh Neyhart, Policy Advisor from the Executive Office of Governor Whitmer. In this meeting, we discussed how school libraries staffed with library media specialists (certified school librarians) can help the governor with her goals of: improving childhood literacy helping more students to be ready to attain a post-secondary education, and supporting teachers.  We, also, brainstormed possible funding ideas for effective school library programs and school librarians in every school. We left the meeting feeling positive and hopeful. On February 23rd, the MAME Advocacy Committee hosted the first meeting for the Michigan Coalition for School Libraries. We were joined by several educational, political and professional leaders in supporting equitable access to effective school librarians staffed by certified school librarians.

Being an active member of MAME has been such a positive experience for me. I encourage you to get involved! Attend our upcoming General Board Meetings:  March 2, 2019 12:30pm DoubleTree by Hilton Bay City and Riverfront 1 Wenonah Park Place Bay City, MI 48708 May 4, 2019 9:30am MAME Headquarters 1407 Rensen St. Lansing, MI 48910 September 14, 2019 9:30am MAME Headquarters 1407 Rensen St. Lansing, MI 48910 December 7, 2019 9:30am MAME Headquarters 1407 Rensen St. Lansing, MI 48910 Please consider serving on the General Board of Directors. We have a few open chair positions: Author Liaison Marketing Chair Summer Institute Chair I look forward to working with you!

Black History Month Observed at Lakeview High School By Dr. Margaret Lincoln Observance of Black History Month at Lakeview High School in Battle Creek was launched by student run Channel 101 preparing an informative and meaningful  program  devoted to Diversity. Students also made excellent use of  print  and  online  Library resources.

Spin by Lamar Giles book review by Bethany Bratney

When a local DJ on the verge of stardom, Paris Secord (aka DJ Parsec), is killed, no one is more crushed than her former best friend, Kya, and her superfan, Fatima “Fuse” Fallon. Unfortunately, Kya and Fuse have never liked each other, so mourning the loss together is out of the question. When the police trail turns cold, and Paris’ obsessed fan-base, Parsec Nation, starts demanding justice, Kya and Fuse feel forced to step in. As the two people closest to her, and the ones who found her body, they have as good of a chance as anyone to hunt down Parsec’s killer. But they will have to work closely to solve the crime, as they each have secrets about their relationships with Paris that threaten their credibility. Straight talk for librarians - You will earn thousands of cool points for reading and recommending this book to kids. This book is full of music lingo and pop culture references that are so much hipper than I am. (Do kids still say hip? Point proven.) Students will love Fuse’s digital hype strategies, the loyal Beyhive-like fandom of the Parsec Nation, and the way the dark web intersects with the story, taking the fandom from devoted to deadly. The mystery is on point, providing several strong red herrings before the true killer is revealed. Will they still see it coming? Maybe, but not starting from page 2. The real genius of this book, and of Giles himself, is the way he weaves in some serious conversations about social justice and the evolution of friendship beneath an exciting page-turner. Every primary character is a person of color who is being their authentic selves, struggling with the negative effects of race and class privilege, while also solving a crime. Quality genre fiction with wide representation? Yes!   *Note - I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book released on January 29.

‌ A Storyteller Makes History Come Alive at LHS: By Dr. Margaret Lincoln Students at Lakeview High School were recently privileged to attend a performance by  Judy Sima , an acclaimed storyteller and second generation Holocaust survivor. The project, organized by Lakeview District Librarian Dr. Margaret Lincoln and funded by a Lakeview Schools Education Foundation grant, was timed to coincide with observance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27 - a date set aside by the United Nations for official commemoration of victims of the Nazi regime and for promoting Holocaust education worldwide. Ms. Sima’s presentation blended a talk on “Escape to Freedom - Germany 1941” (the story of Ms. Sima’s own mother, a Holocaust survivor) with an interactive writing workshop. Ms. Sima thoroughly engaged students and provided support for a curriculum unit focusing on implicit bias, dehumanization, and social injustice through the reading of  Night  by Elie Wiesel. Students expressed their gratitude to Judy Sima through cards and letters, commenting that her family's firsthand experience kept the realities of the Holocaust atrocities authentic for her audience. Students further wrote to Ms. Sima: "Your ability to take us back in time through your storytelling was much more impactful than any of the films and novels that we have completed in class. It is important not to forget what happened and to acknowledge the lifelong effect it has had on our world. Your visit was a memorable experience because many students face discrimination and this has inspired us all to do better.”

Fresh, new classroom learning activities at MiTechKids by Sue Schwartz & Beth Milligan MiTechKids is teeming with new content and fresh ideas to provide some New Year inspo! “We had a great flurry of activity in the weeks before winter break,” said Melissa White, Project Manager for MiTechKids. “We now have 232 completed task cards available on the MiTechKids website .” MiTechKids provides resources for integrating technology into activities in the classroom, preparing students for real-world success. The MiTechKids site was formerly known as 21Things4kids.net and last summer, it received an easier-to-remember new name. MiTechKids provides short activity lessons (20-30 minutes) created for teachers that provide ideas and resources for integrating free technology resources into the classroom curriculum. Task Cards contain: Learning Objectives Vocabulary Pre-planning suggestions Accommodations Steps Assessment Options Standards Device or Browser specific recommendations Content area suggestions Four fresh ideas from MiTechKids… If you are a SeeSaw user, there are 18 task cards for every grade level! These task cards also meet many different standards and curriculum areas. Simply do a search for “SeeSaw” via the Awesome Table to quickly find them. Did you or your students receive an Ozobot over the holidays? There are new cards for first grade and third grade. Check them out! Do your students need guidance while doing research? Knowledge Constructor is the MITECS standard for students to critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others. Just do a search for “Knowledge Constructor” and your students’ grade level. You’ll find a variety of task cards with research activities to help students learn how to use a variety of Michigan eLibrary databases and other safe searching sites. Are you looking for a 10-15 minute science activity? Check out the task card for Mystery Doug! Mystery Doug is a FREE weekly video series where students ask questions. The videos are short, approximately five minutes long. Mystery Doug inspires students to ask questions and investigate. Some videos provide activity extensions. Students are also encouraged to submit questions. MiTechKids was developed by a team of Michigan-based education technology and media specialists from ISDs and local school districts to provide important technology learning and lessons for K-5 students. The resources are organized by grade level and support the Michigan Integrated Technology Competencies for Students (MITECS) and the International Society for Technology in Education ( ITSE ) standards. MiTechKids is funded by the REMC Association of Michigan.

By Martha Spear Find infographic here. c2018 ALA OIF (accessed 02.04.2019)

Supercharged Learning Coming Next Month! Take this opportunity to create new maker experiences! Attendees will increase knowledge of new trends and gather tools for exciting new technology integration into the curriculum. Work with Melissa Rabideau at her tinkrLAB store to engender new excitement in your makerspace labs. Attendees will receive the ISTE book "Learning Supercharged" which looks at emerging approaches and tools. You will go home with items you make at the workshop and lesson ideas to to use in your classrooms or libraries. Don't Delay! There is limited space, MAME members qualify for a special discount!

Register HERE  SCECH credits available at No Charge!

Decisions Big and Small By Amy Hermon School Library Media Specialist Grosse Point Public Schools Ask the Internet how many decisions a teacher makes each day and the consensus is 1500. In a typical 6 hour day, teachers confront approximately 4 questions per minute. My 9 years of teaching Social Studies in the high school can confirm this widely-held statistic. Something I could not have fully appreciated during student teaching, my skills of multitasking were honed during my first few years of teaching in the classroom. I could instruct, monitor my time, make note of absent students, respond to an unannounced fire drill, adjust my lesson plan as necessary, draft an email to my administrators and create a to-do list all while 28 students were actively learning in my classroom.  When I started working in my first library, the number of decisions I made each day and each minute certainly didn’t decrease. Quite the contrary. I went home shell-shocked. I was bombarded with questions requiring quick thinking.  On-the-fly decision making, call it what you will, 12 years later, I am still making decisions during lessons, during checkouts, during an evacuation drill, when I collaborate, when I present, when I order materials, and each time I press “send” on an email.  The difference is, when I became a school librarian, the scope of my daily and hourly decisions took on a much bigger scale and impacted more than the 28 students who once sat in my Civics class. The emails I authored would now be viewed by the entire building staff. My library newsletters would now be sent home to hundreds of families. The assemblies I coordinated changed the daily schedule for every single student and teacher whether they agreed to it or not. As the only one authorized to spend money on the library budget, I thoughtfully generated a list of titles. The purchases I made would be on display for 400 students to enjoy...or to ignore. When I weeded and discarded books, I knew my professional training made me the best person to make such a decision. (At least I’m pretty sure.) But the questions school librarians face everyday don’t necessarily have obvious answers.   What font would I use for my shelf signs? Paperbacks or hardcover? Spine label placement? Genrefication? When to segregate a series and when to incorporate them into fiction? How do I respond when 3 students in each class declare they have books at home and refuse to check out? Should I move the How to Draw section? Do I overlook the $35 in lost book fees and have a student check out anyway?  What do I say when parents instruct me to only check out “quality” books to their child? How do I respond when someone suggests Graphic Novels can’t be used for a class reading assignment? Should Kindergarteners check out Harry Potter? Do I interfere when a class in the computer lab is instructed to “Google” something? How do I convince decision makers that I need a bigger budget? Do I restrain myself if I hear someone mention “research” and “Wikipedia” in the same sentence? I still grapple with these questions.  Thankfully, school librarians are THE lifelong learners. The questions won’t stop, but we are always embracing new ways to respond which will best support our students, our staff and our library programs.  To tackle many of these questions and more, tune in each Monday to School Librarians United , a podcast hosted by Amy Hermon. Subscribe anywhere you listen to podcasts.

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How To Create Favor for Your Library Media Center By Mr. Jonathan Richards 5th and 6th Grade Library Media Specialist, MLIS Van Buren Public Schools In my 16 years of experience with school libraries, there have been schools where as a library media specialist, my role was misunderstood. “Are you a teacher?” “Are you a IT person?” "I thought you are the yearbook editor?" These are questions I have been asked through the years regarding my role.  Well, as fellow library media specialists, teacher-librarians, and school librarians we wear many hats: grant/foundation writer, information literacy instructor, liaison IT, book fair chair, de facto copier and laminator repair personnel, literacy coach, and maker space guru. This list could easily be lengthened. However, have you ever been labeled a collaborator? In other words, can a teacher, principal, student, parent, or school board member walk up to you and ask you for assistance or think of your expertise for a project of any size? Chances are you probably have helped or assisted in multiple projects daily already. Yet, if you have ever hit a roadblock, I would like to make several suggestions that may be helpful in marketing yourself and your library media center.  Top 6 Suggestions for Marketing Your Library Program Get social. Have multiple face to face conversations with your staff. In other words, get to know whom you work with as professionals and as people. An easy step to do this is to “feed your staff.” In one school where I had a larger budget, I provided a coffee social at the beginning of the year. Also, ask to add yourself to a teacher’s Class Dojo, Facebook, or Twitter to increase your visibility. Last, attend any school foundation events that you can. Mirror State Curriculum to Information Literacy Curriculum. Mirror benchmarks to your education and life experiences when possible. Previously, I was a Social Studies teacher and I have traveled extensively to South America and the Caribbean. Currently, I work in a fifth and sixth grade building where the Social Studies curriculum covers the countries I have visited. Consequently, this has become my opportunity to collaborate with teachers. As a result, the students benefit from my stories as well as my assignments. Grade your own Assignments. If you give an assignment to a class, you must grade it yourself. This alleviates extra work for teachers. It also lends credibility with teachers and students alike that your class in the library should be taken seriously. Complaints as Opportunities. If there is something a teacher complains about doing, view it as an opportunity. An example I can share is the introduction of Easy Bib and teaching students how to write citations in MLA style. Be flexible. Although this is easier said than done, there are many principals who really value this flexibility we can offer even if it is at the very last minute. Be a lifelong learner ...especially of technology. As library media specialists, we are the "go to" person for help or knowledge of technologies. Keep learning and share the knowledge of technology with your colleagues.

And the Winners are...!

‌	Click on the Booklist Reader to see the Award winning books for 2018 from the ALA award ceremony in Seattle !

Libraries Ready to Code (RtC) Collection by Kelly Hincks Lower School Librarian Detroit Country Day School There are 450,000+ open computing jobs across the United States, but only 35% of high schools teach computer programming ( code.org , 2019). The American Library Association (ALA) wanted to understand and support libraries with information and resources related to computer science. This led to the creation of Libraries Ready to Code (RtC), an initiative of ALA that is sponsored by Google. This initiative focuses on the role of school and public libraries in providing opportunities for youth to develop computational thinking skills through coding activities and other computer science programs ( Be Libraries Ready to Code Champion , 2017). Recently, the Libraries Ready to Code (RtC) website was released. This website is a resource that can be used by those who are just beginning to incorporate computer science concepts as well as those who are experienced.   The initiative involved three phases. In the first phase, an environmental scan of public and school libraries was conducted. This scan focused on how libraries were integrating coding and computational thinking into their work. From that scan, the RtC team published a report from which the next two phases were launched. In the second phase, the team focused on pre-service librarians. They had university faculty in library and information science programs revise their syllabi and integrate computational thinking literacies into their courses. During the third phase, a cohort of 27 libraries was created. Cohort members applied for a grant that would allow them to implement programming that promoted computer science and computational thinking with youth. The resources used by the cohort members, along with those collected by RtC faculty, have been provided. These can be filtered by many factors so you can find the perfect resource to use with your students. There are resources related to professional development and advocacy, too.  Visit https://librariesreadytocode.org/ to explore all there is to offer! Make sure you can share your story too! Reference: "Be a Libraries Ready to Code Champion." Libraries Ready to Code: An Initiative of the American Library Association, American Library Association, 2017, ala.org/tools/sites/ala.org.tools/files/content/readytocode/Ready_to_Code_Champion_FINAL.pdf Braun, Linda, and Marijke Visser. “Ready to Code: Connecting Youth to CS Opportunity through Libraries.” OITP Perspectives , Jan. 2017. “Libraries Ready to Code.” Libraries Ready to Code: An Initiative of the American Library Association , American Library Association, 2018, librariesreadytocode.org. “Promote Computer Science.” Code.org , 2019, code.org/promote.

eBooks: Why? and How to Get Your School Community Using Them Christine Schneider, K-12 eResources Specialist for Gale ( Christine.Schneider@cengage.com ) As more and more schools go 1:1 with devices, it comes as no surprise that schools are looking for more digital content for their classrooms. According to a 2016 survey conducted by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) and OverDrive, more than 80% of schools and districts reported using digital content , and four out of 10 were using it as part of their curriculum. National organizations such as AASL, ISTE, and Future Ready Librarians recognize the shift to digital and have integrated the curation of digital content into their standards.   Even though there is an increase in the need for digital content, eBooks can be a challenge to school library collection management. There are many eBook platforms and a large marketplace to navigate. Not to mention limited budgets and differing needs of students and school staff.    But eBooks offer so many benefits. They bring relevant content to students who are used to working on devices. Users have unlimited, simultaneous use, so there is no need for check-outs and no worries of lost or damaged books. Students and teachers have 24/7 access to an eBook collection. Addie Matteson, a library media specialist in Indiana, stated, “As we consider the costs, logistics, and barriers of starting and maintaining our eBook collections, let’s not forget the ways in which digital access to books can transform teaching and learning.” ( When an Ebook is the Best Book )    In collaboration with Booklist, Gale conducted a national survey of 273 schools to learn about how eBook collections are viewed and being used. They found that 86% want to learn best practices from those who have successfully implemented eBook acquisition programs. In follow up to the survey, they wrote a white paper that includes best practices from innovative librarians and industry experts, tips and tricks, and much more. They also held a webinar to offer even more insights into eBook collection development. Here is their infographic Why eBooks? :

While we know there is a need for digital content, some school librarians struggle with increasing the usage of eBooks both in and out of the classroom. Schools that are one-to-one can see dramatic increases in usage of their eBooks, like Addie Matteson’s district . But how can school librarians help classroom teachers integrate their eBook collections into the curriculum? Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL) , Gale’s eBook platform, offers librarians the ability to customize their collections. As a default, GVRL collections come with standard “bookshelves” (under “Collections” located on the right when in GVRL ), such as Arts, Biography, General Reference, etc.   But through the Librarian Sign-in, librarians can customize these and create whatever “shelves” they want. They could be specific grade levels or subject areas. You can even create a shelf for specific units or themes. Some examples of Gale created collections include Safety in Schools/Home/Community; Alternative Energy; Analyzing Data; Black History K-6; Black History 7-12; Black History – 28 days of Hidden Figures; and many more. And what about all the snow days we’ve recently encountered this year in Michigan? You could create a “Snow Day” bookshelf that teachers and students can use. The way you organize your GVRL eBook collection is limitless and can have a great impact on usage stats.   Alternatively, depending on your district’s needs, Gale can create custom aligned collections for you. (Please check with your Education Sales Consultant regarding custom alignment fees.) For example, Texas is getting ready to implement new state standards for their K-8 English Language Arts – Reading program this coming fall.  Gale just released a hand curated collection that has been custom aligned to the new state standards.  The “bookshelves” in GVRL were created so that they align with each domain per grade level, so a teacher can easily access eBooks that support that specific domain. Plus, all aligned books from each grade level were put into an “All Titles” bookshelf that can be bookmarked and shared with students. This gives students the ability to self-select texts at their reading level.

In addition to creating collections custom aligned to state standards, grade levels, and units, Gale has aligned Professional Development collections to teacher evaluation frameworks like Danielson and Marzano. Speaking of PD, have you read the Knowledge Quest article 15-Minute PD: You Get What You Give ? Gale’s PD collections would prove to be great resources for you to dole out to staff for these 15-minute PD sessions. And with GVRL ’s integration with Google Classroom, Google Drive, Microsoft, Canvas, and Schoology, you can send out individualized PD with the click of a button!   For more information on implementing or enhancing your GVRL eBook collection, please contact your Gale Michigan Education Sales Consultant Bob Clark ( Robert.J.Clark@cengage.com ) or Janel Schnur ( janel.schnur@cengage.com ).

SUPERHEROES NEEDED! Calling all past (and future !!!) presenters. Plans for MAME46 are underway and we want YOU to be a part of the excitement! We all bring new and interesting ideas to our profession and MAME46 is your chance to shine. Let’s not forget who your audience will be... School Librarians . Consider presenting at MAME46 and you will be among (friendly and appreciative) lifelong learners all looking for great ideas to invigorate their own library programs. Look around and realize you can be the reason School Librarians in Michigan are valued by their communities more and more each day. Share your SUPERPOWER! (apply HERE ) We hope to hear from you soon!

MAME Scholastic Book Grants Are you a certified school librarian/media specialist with an ND endorsement? Do you need books for your school library? Did you attend MAME 45: School Librarians Leading the Way in October 2018? If you answered yes to all of these questions, you are eligible to receive $285 Scholastic Dollars to purchase books! Please complete this Google Form by March 8th, in order to apply for the grant. One grant will be awarded to a school librarian/media specialist at each of the following levels: elementary, middle school, and high school. If you serve, multiple levels, please pick one. Winners will be announced on March 11th.

MISCELLANEOUS By Judy Hauser , MILS Information Media Consultant Oakland Schools Book Review: Got to Get to Bear’s by Brian Lies. 2018. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This story of animal friends working together and persevering to get to another friend's home is very cute and heartwarming! The story begins with Izzy the chipmunk reading a letter from Bear inviting Izzy to come over at once. Izzy does not want to let Bear down since Bear is a good friend and never asks for anything, and, even though there is a blizzard starting that does not deter Izzy from heading out to help a friend. As the snow gets deeper Izzy is helped by Scritch the squirrel as they fly from branch to branch. But even that gets to be too difficult. Then Bingle the Mallard offers to fly Izzy and Scritch to Bear's home. But the snow makes it too hard to see. Then Snaffie the raccoon offers to carry the three friends to Bear's home. They make it and Bear is surprised to see that Izzy has made it through the blizzard. The surprise ending is a great ending to the story - spoiler alert! - it turned out that all of the friends wanted to get Izzy to Bear's to celebrate Izzy's birthday! The story and the illustrations by Brian Lies are excellent. The main topic of this book is, of course, friendship and the author does such a great job demonstrating friendship through the characters. The illustrations are equally important to the story and they are perfect. You may shiver looking at the cold, snow and darkness of a winter blizzard in the illustrations! The characters persevere by helping one another get through what nature has thrown in their way. The story of friendship and perseverance will be a hit with the young crowd. This book is highly recommended for the theme, the writing and the illustrations.

One of Our Own, Lisa Brakel, Running for AASL President

Website lisabrakel.weebly.com

LinkedIn linkedIn.com/in/lisa brakel

Twitter twitter.com/brakel_lisa

Upcoming ALA Elections If you are a member of ALA please don’t forget to vote in the upcoming elections. ALA elections will be held March 11, 2019 and April 3, 2019. Results will be announced on April 10, 2019. For information about the candidates please check out the elections page.  AASL has their candidate information listed on a separate page. Several candidates for ALA offices and ALA Divisions are from Michigan. MAME member Lisa Brakel would appreciate your vote in the upcoming ALA/AASL Election

ISTE News                            By Gwenn Marchesano & Lisa Kelley ISTE continues to lead on issues that matter to school librarians. Check out ISTE’s blog for ideas, content, and resources for school librarians on topics including digital citizenship, media literacy, and OERs. You can subscribe to receive the latest posts. ISTE is heading to Washington, DC for the 2019 EdTech Advocacy and Policy Summit March 6-7 to educate policymakers on the impact technology has on education, the importance of access for all students, and net neutrality. It’s not too late to sign up to join them. Even if you can’t attend, you can add your voice by calling or emailing your legislators. The advocacy page includes a toolkit to help you learn more. ISTE Librarians PLN is hosting a webinar February 28th 5:00pm EST, “Making a Difference: Integrating Community Service in Making Activities.” Sign up at librariansnetwork.weebly.com . Still considering a trip to Philadelphia for the biggest EdTech conference ever? The program lineup is now available. Super early bird rates are available through March 1. Learn more and register.

Beverly Banks, Media Matters Co-Editor Jonathan Richards, Media Matters Co-Editor Klaudia Janek, Media Matters Interim Co-Editor Karen Becknell, Proofreader & Constant Contact Advisor Want to write an article for MAME's Media Matters? Send your article or idea to kjanek@mimame.org OR upload to

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