October | Statewide Power Up at Your Library Events (More info TBA) to broaden the awareness of library services in public, academic, and school libraries. this year in Power Up Week, then please register your programs by clicking a new video each Wednesday leading up to Power Up at Your Library Week.
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Here are the major needs that these libraries are meeting. Students still want to meet and learn in physical environments.
A Place Where Kids Want to Be
Check any shopping mall, coffee shop, or teen center. Online bookstores have not killed the physical bookstore.
But like bookstores, the school library needs to become a high-touch environment in a high-tech world. Comfort and appearance are increasingly important. Upholstered seating, flexible furniture arrangements, and attention to aesthetics in lighting and colors help make the library a place where students and staff want to be. The modern library is a place for teams to work together, formally and informally. For schools that have no other spaces for recreation and play, such as a student commons or a playground, the library can provide such spaces, especially before and after school.
A successful library adopts a liberal definition of what constitutes a constructive activity, allowing users to engage in gaming and research on topics of personal interest. Such a library may be the only place at school where some students feel at home. The school library can become a learning commons by encouraging a wider scope of use by more school personnel for tutoring, vocational education, gifted and talented services, and a raft of instructional support services.
Technology integration specialists' offices and workspaces should be a part of the library so that users can readily collaborate with them and access their expertise. School library expert Joyce Valenza reminds today's educators that we need to stop thinking of the library as a grocery store—a place to "get stuff"—and start thinking of it as a kitchen—a place to "make stuff. As digital access moves from computer workstations to mobile devices, the physical library needs a robust wireless network infrastructure.
Also essential are numerous electrical outlets to power and recharge mobile devices; indirect lighting that reduces screen glare throughout the library, not just in computer labs; and workspaces on which laptops can be placed at a good ergonomic height. School libraries have traditionally contained presentation areas for librarians to read stories and to create puppet shows and skits.
Today's libraries need to expand these spaces as electronic presentation areas for students and staff. Student demonstrations and presentations that take advantage of multimedia enhancements such as video, computerized slideshows, and sound need good audio amplification, video projection systems, interactive whiteboards, and audience response systems. The library's resources have changed, but not its mission: The emphasis has shifted from teaching learners how to find and organize information to teaching them how to evaluate and use information. But students and teachers need guidance and instruction more than ever.
Teaching space for use by the school's information expert—the librarian—remains vital. The librarian's desk needs to be prominently placed for one-on-one assistance. Large-group instruction is still a useful means of imparting information, giving instructions, and hosting discussions. Such instruction requires a classroom-sized seating area in or attached to the library. Seminar and small-group spaces are popular in all libraries and can be created by sectioning off part of the main room with furniture or dividers.
Separate conference rooms can be used by many groups throughout the school. From the panhandle to the port and everywhere in between, 90 Texas cities offered approximately programs and media events designed to broaden the awareness of library services in public, academic, and school libraries. Get inspired by following the poweredlibraries hashtag, visiting the Ideas Shared page, downloading the Power Up Toolkit , or by watching video vignettes showcasing dynamic programing and special collections from around the state. Powered Up Week Registration If you participated this year in Power Up Week, then please register your programs by clicking the link below and completing the short form.
Powered Up Week Countdown Powered Libraries took to the road in search of some of the greatest innovations happening in Texas libraries.
Power Up Your Library
Sonnichsen Special Collections 8. The campaign tour will visit six libraries in San Angelo, Midland, Fort Davis, Marathon, and El Paso to produce video spotlights dedicated to each library. Read the press release for more information about the tour. Each day during the week, TLA will be supporting local efforts with social media giveaways and videos featuring various libraries around Texas.
Choose one or choose all. Customize your participation to fit your library. All types of libraries — academic, public, school, and special — can participate. Register and share your plans with us when the link is live. Pre-game Sunday October 1 A day for libraries and librarians to share photos or posts about how they are preparing for Power Up Week.
The New School Library - Educational Leadership
Advocacy Monday October 2 A day for stakeholders, administration, and dignitaries to demonstrate support toward libraries and librarians — e. Powered Libraries will release an advocacy video spotlight.
Powered Libraries will release a video spotlighting technology. Powered Libraries will release a new video. Powerful Partnership Thursday October 5 A day celebrating partnerships with organizations, associations, groups, cultures, and storytellers in our community e. Powered Libraries will release a video spotlighting a Powerful Partner in the Texas community.
Innovative Impact Friday October 6 A day demonstrating how libraries impact communities campus, city, neighborhood, school, town through both subtle and dynamic strategies.