Internet Librarian 2011

Love the annual Internet Librarian conference in beautiful Monterey, California. Wish it was held in August, not October at the beginning of the academic year. Once again, I can only attend one day -- the day I'm presenting on behalf of the California Campaign for Strong School Libraries.  The session is a part of the Schools@Internet Librarian conference-within-a-conference.  Here is the promo:

E101 – Changing the Story: The California Campaign for Strong School Libraries
10:15 AM – 11:00 AM
Jackie Siminitus, VP, Communication, California School Library Association
Connie Williams, Chair, California Campaign for Strong School Libraries, California School Library Association

The California Campaign for Strong School Libraries is a public awareness campaign that seeks to inform the public and policymakers on the importance of a strong school library in increasing student academic achievement. The campaign promotes the new Model School Library Standards and works to “change the story” of what a school is. California School Library Association’s Siminitus and Williams showcase a number of major outreach efforts including an audio journal; bus ads; Illustrators Galore @ LIBRARY STORE; leveraging library vendors as advocates; plus how to design and offer their free, online tutorial for teens, “Tools2Create: Summer 2.0 Fun.”

READ Image Generator by ALA Graphics

The end of a school year or beginning of summer vacation is a good time to remind book lovers of this cool tool. American Library Association Graphics makes it easy for members and friends to create their own, mini READ Posters. Simply download your photo (or anyone's photo), select one of four READ backgrounds, then add text if you wish.

How could you use it? Invite all teachers, students, and staff to get their own very special mini-READ poster? I'm sure students of all ages will come up with lots of creative ideas.

BlockPosters - Turn Image into a Poster

Here's a useful tool for educators and librarians, especially those with big walls, windows, or bulletin boards for displaying art and posters. The web 2.0 tool is called Block Posters. You create a poster by first uploading a picture or image, slice it, download the PDF, then print it. Just decide how many sheets wide you want it.

Check out the Block Posters' Gallery for ideas. How could you use it to promote your school, library promotions like "Banned Books Week" or "Library Card Sign-Up Month" or great art masterpieces? Or just one word, "READ".

Glogster Poster Maker

It has been raining for more than a week so I decided to play with a cool tool for young people, Glogster. It is an online poster-maker. See my first attempt at a poster promoting the online web 2.0 tutorial for teachers, Classroom Learning 2.0.

Online posters are for expressing yourself. How would these be used in schools or libraries, or as ways to get the attention of public policy makers? Right now in California, many schools are about to send out "pink slips" to teachers, teacher librarians, all sorts of support staff. In School Board Meetings across the state, the cuts are being announced and meetings are packed full with parents, teachers, and students who have formal statements to make. Many of the audience will have t-shirts or buttons with words like "save our teachers" or "save our sports programs" or "save our Librarians" Some will carry posters and banners, too. Is Glogster another way to make a statement?