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narratives from americans

video, film, photos, podcasts from American historical movements of recent centuries

"It was the best times, it was the worst of times…." This famous observation by Charles Dickens is certainly applicable to the current status of school library programs and school librarians. On the one hand, some programs are valued and receive ongoing support from their communities. Led by competent, effective school librarians, programs such as those recognized as meeting the criteria of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) National School Library Program of the Year Award, provide solid evidence of the positive impact of best practice on teaching and learning. On the other hand, the economic downturn, often combined with a lack of understanding or value for how school librarians and library programs contribute to student achievement, has led other communities to eliminate positions and to cut back, curtail, or get rid of once thriving programs.

Guide on the side tutorial created by the U of A. Brought to my attention in American Libraries article by Meredith Farkas. Supposedly the U of A plans to provide the code through GitHub.

The current release allows you to explore globally the geographic distributions for any terrestrial vertebrate species (as well as North American freshwater fish). Specifically you are able to: Display expert range maps, point occurrence records, records from study areas such as reserves and larger regions. These are shown as layers on maps, and a layer control widget allows you to adjust ordering, visibility, etc . Retrieve a list of species for the vicinity of any location worldwide using the species list tool. Simply set search radius and group of interest, and right click (control-click on Macs) your mouse button on a point of the map.

a nine week course by the American Library Association on Web 2.0 apps. via Ben W. on Diigo.

The American Academy of Dermatologists has awarded Coolibar its Seal of Recognition for sun protective clothing. It's the first time the Academy has recogniz...

A collection of American Folklore including scary Halloween stories.

Half a century before e-books turned publishing upside down, a different format threatened to destroy the industry.

The worlds of Brian Selznick's Wonderstruck and The Invention of Hugo Cabret offer rich possibilities for classroom learning in every area of the curriculum. Read our guide to teaching with Brian Selznick's award-winning books, filled with rich resources for teachers and students. From a virtual field trip inside the American Museum of Natural History-the setting for much of Wonderstruck-to discussion guides, classroom activities, and interviews with Selznick, it's all here!

Onscreen vs paper reading

A new study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project looks at the future of libraries. The study, titled "Library services in the digital age," doesn't include anything particularly shocking or revelatory, but it suggests that many people still value the role of libraries, and that librarians are thinking about how their services can evolve.

According to this survey of teachers, conducted by the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project in collaboration with the College Board and the National Writing Project, the internet has opened up a vast world of information for today's students, yet students' digital literacy skills have yet to catch up....Given these concerns, it is not surprising that 47% of these teachers strongly agree and another 44% somewhat believe that courses and content focusing on digital literacy should be incorporated into every school's curriculum.

Order a poster for your classroom on how to become president of the USA. Great resources here to teach the election process.

'Since 1982, Banned Books Week has rallied librarians, booksellers, authors, publishers, teachers, and readers of all types to celebrate and defend the freedom to read. As we commemorate 30 years of Banned Books Week and enter our 31st year of protecting readers' rights, ALA is pleased to unveil this timeline of significant banned and challenged books.'