Infolink Librarians

The best days of librarianship are ahead of us. However, to get there the field must step back, refocus, and reexamine our core principles. We as a profession have become so focused on the trees of standards and process that we are now at risk from missing the larger forest of opportunities. This talk presents a view of a new librarianship, one focused on knowledge and action instead of artifacts and collection. The presentation will look beyond the trends of today's technologies to a durable new librarianship that focuses on innovation, leadership, and service.

A guide for parents and teachers

Does the word Internet2 conjure images of a mythical realm off-limits to the masses of web-surfing plebeians? A forbidding place where computer engineers and the academic research elite speak in esoteric computer programming dialects and move terabytes of data through big pipes at the speed of light? At Horace Mann Elementary School in West Allis, Wis., Internet2 is helping transform the school library into the heart of digitally enabled innovation and learning. So what is the real Internet2, and why does it matter to K-12 schools and libraries? James Werle and Louis Fox have the answers!

In this book, which can be downloaded for free, 34 leading scholars from 10 countries challenge established understandings of lifelong learning and work, with several arguing that 'work' and 'lifelong learning' need to be 'turned inside out' through a rigorous critique of underlying power relations and practices that shape learning/work possibilities. In various ways, all the chapters are infused with imaginings of alternative futures that prioritise social justice and sustainability for the majority. Learning/Work will appeal to all those who are grappling to understand and implement learning/work critically within demanding times.

Every year schools around the world spend thousands of dollars on textbooks that are often outdated by the end of their first year in the classroom. Ebooks, many of them free, can represent huge savings for schools over purchasing textbooks. Here are seven places that you can find free ebooks.

"A TextArc is a visual represention of a text-the entire text (twice!) on a single page. A funny combination of an index, concordance, and summary; it uses the viewer's eye to help uncover meaning."

(Thanx Andrew for this one)

In partnership with LitWorld, a non-profit organization based in New York advocating for and working towards global literacy, we are going to "Take Action for Global Literacy, Celebrate the Power of Words, Change the World." March 7 is World Read Aloud Day. World Read Aloud Day is about taking action to show the world that the right to read and write belongs to all people. World Read Aloud Day motivates children, teens, and adults worldwide to celebrate the power of words, especially those words that are shared from one person to another, and creates a community of readers advocating for every child's right to a safe education and access to books and technology. We are looking for teachers, schools, school children who want to participate in this World Read Aloud Day on March 7. Thru Skype, we can read aloud to each other across the globe.

"Use these strategies to help make sure that the Web sites you use are legitimate rather than a hoax (bogus)."

A great powerpoint from Steve on his teen novel...with some interesting stats on cellphone use....

"EarlyWord's goal is to help Collection Development and Readers Advisory librarians stay ahead of public demand and identify hidden gems. "

Though Google Book Search has the largest collection of digitally scanned books of its kind, and the initiative has captured a great deal of attention, researchers should keep in mind there are other book-search sites that can help them find rare works as well