In June of 2010, members of the Georgia Library Association and the Georgia Public Library Service launched this bi-monthly educational webinar series. The series highlights trends, innovation, and best practices in Georgia libraries. The free sessions feature Georgia speakers, but they are open to library employees from all geographic (and astral) locations. Topics are chosen to be of interest to employees of all library types, and each session is approved for one Georgia Continuing Education (CE) contact hour.

Last week Google announced another round of service and product closures. The popular image editing tool Picnik was included in the list of services that they're shutting down. I've had a few people ask me for recommendations for alternatives to Picnik, so here's a short list of alternatives to explore.

There's no real difference between ebooks and traditional paper books when it comes to kids' reading comprehension, says a new study.

Freebie alert! Did you know that April 30-May 6 is Screen-Free Week? The challenge is to  turn off the screen media for a week and see if you and your imagination are changed. Free kit available.

INTERESTING background.

Having completed four years worth of "Best of" lists for picture books, I was finally inspired to compile a list of the  best middle-grade and chapter books I have read in the last year. Maybe I didn't want to be forced to pick any favorites, or maybe this was the first year that I felt like I had actually read enough newly published books in a given year to compile a fair list. Either way, although I remain dedicated to working through that massive pile of older books that I want to share with my readers, I am very excited about this list and passionate about all of the books that made it on to this list. If you were to encounter me in my workplace and ask me about any of these titles, I would gush, most likely somewhat embarrassingly, about any or all of them, if you gave me enough time. 

After organizing their own bookshelf earlier this year, Sean Ohlenkamp and wife Lisa re-doubled their efforts for Type Books in Toronto. After several sleepless nights of animating with a crew of over 20 people, the Joy of Books was born. Music composed especially for the short by Grayson Matthews. See many more books here. (via metafilter)

Can I let you in on a secret? Typing two spaces after a period is totally, completely, utterly, and inarguably wrong.
And yet people who use two spaces are everywhere, their ugly error crossing every social boundary of class, education, and taste. *

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.

Ebook limitations, humor/reality

The Giving Tree Narrated by Shel Silverstein

Read aloud book lists. Young.

The dramatic changes in society, exponential advances in technology and globalization of 'everything' are easily recognizable one decade into the 21st Century.

As my district's technology director, I love getting the maximum bang for my buck. Maybe it's because as a former classroom teacher, I know of other ways to spend money than on wires and chips. It could be that my midwestern hardheadedness insists that only fools use two mules when one mule will do. And I know it's a deep-seated distrust of anybody who wants to make a profit selling to schools.

Hope that you follow John at his blog page, twitter is even better, see this posting for inspiration.

The power of certain books shared with children - whether a classroom, a small group or your own child at bedtime - cannot be undervalued - discussion, questioning, wonder, connecting and so much more.

Advocacy: How can you support your school library? Make sure your school has a state-certified school librarian. Some schools have replaced librarians with aides to keep the school library doors open, diminishing the level and quality of instruction and projects afforded to students. Make sure to be involved in the budget process of the school. Ensure that school board members and school administrators know that school libraries and school librarians are a critical part of the school ecosytem.

Library advocacy. I am honored to join you tonight to celebrate ten outstanding librarians and the thousands more that you represent. This award is truly significant because the nominations received from across the country show that libraries continue to play a critical role in our democracy, and that librarians are once-again on the front lines of a battle that will shape the future of our country. It is a battle that is fought out of view and the heroes are people who didn't seek a career of confrontation, but who live lives of principle and meaning - understanding that the gift of knowledge is the greatest gift we can give to each other.

http://youtu.be/lF4qii8S3gw Ready to celebrate language, pronunciation? Here's a hilarious but useful video!