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Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1998 00:02:37 -0400 (EDT)
To: pubyac-digest@nysernet.org
Subject: pubyac V1 #400
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Date: Mon, 3 Aug 1998 18:52:17 -0700
From: lauram@ci.hillsboro.or.us
Subject: CD-ROMs for homework station
Hello all!
I haven't seen this issue addressed and am wondering if any of you have
faced a similar dilemma?
When I was first hired on here in Hillsboro, my responsibility became
developing a CD-ROM station that included 5 CD-ROMs that could be used
primarily for homework purposes. So, I loaded on DK's Encyclopedia of
Science, DK's Ultimate Human Body, Multimedia Encyclopedia of Animals,
World Book '95 and Jr. Discovering Authors (which by the way is pricey!
and ugly). Needless to say, almost daily we faced glitches, hang-ups,
ctrl+alt+del, and ultimately, rebooting completely. UGH! But our patrons
did become used to having this station as an option for homework help.
The WB was especially nice when they needed state information printed
out (i.e. state flags, state maps). The animal encyclopedia was 2nd in
popularity (and 2nd in printing glitches as well!).
Well, 3 yrs. later, our computer guru came in and installed a Pentium
processor. This happened at the beginning of the summer. Turns out
that the animals, and the 2 DK products will no longer operate on our
system now.
I have gone through SLJ from Nov. '97 to the current with no viable
substitutions reviewed. Do any of you have a homework CD-ROM station
set up in your library and if so, can you let me know what products you
are operating? Needless to say our patrons are beginning to get pretty
fed up with our current boring selection!!!
Our operating requirements include:
WIN 95 or NT compatible
- -able to run on Pentium 90 MHz, or 75 MHz
- -16 Mb RAM
- -50Mb hard-disk space
I should also let you know we are considering switching out the WB '98
in favor of Encarta. The current WB CD-ROM product is incredibly
confusing to our children (its really hard to locate what we need).
Luckily we have just begun a rotating CD-ROM collection, so I can
deposit it there while we work into Encarta. Just thought I should let
you all know that we are also short on space, and materials. This might
help explain why the CD-ROM station was developed initially as a
homework supplement. In the future we hope to have another station that
is filled with game-like products (WHERE IN THE WORLD IS CARMEN SAN
DIEGO). We aren't being fuddy duddy's without just cause!!!
Thanks for your time and any input you can send my way. Have I missed an
obvious reviewing source? Are there CD-ROM products you consider "must
haves" for a stand-alone station, esp. designed for homework? Please
respond directly to me and if there is interest, I will definitely post
what we finally loaded onto our CD-ROM station.
Laura Mikowski
Youth Librarian
Hillsboro (OR) Public Library
lauram@ci.hillsboro.or.us
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Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 08:17:36, -0500
From: FAJM08A@prodigy.com (MS NADINE R LIPMAN)
Subject: Books re: car accidents
Hi all,
For those who asked me to forward the information I received,
unfortunately, I didnt get an answer to my request for suggestions
for a book in helping a 3-yr old overcome his fear of getting into a
car after being in a minor accident. If anyone hears of anything, it
might be good to post to the list, as ther are others interested,
also. If there are any vendors out there who are familiar with one,
please let me know; perhaps it is something worth looking in to as
judging from the requests I received. Thanks....
Nadine Lipman, School Librarian
fajm08a@prodigy.com
Cohanzie Elementary School
Waterford, CT
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 04 Aug 1998 09:10:53 -0400 (EDT)
From: brazell@InfoAve.Net
Subject: Re: Ask Jeeves & filtered searches
At 12:13 PM 8/1/98 -0800, you wrote:
>I have an Internet question and think I've found the answer, but am
>hoping some of the Net experts on Pubyac can confirm: We have
>unfiltered Internet terminals at our library. We want to keep them
>that way, but allow patrons to do a filtered search if they
>specifically choose to. I think if we have a link to "Ask Jeeves,"
>this will work. If I understand it right, an "Ask Jeeves" search
>first searches selected kids-only sites, but then uses the
>"Surfwatch" filter to search WebCrawler, AltaVista, InfoSeek,
>and Excite. So I can tell a patron who wants a filtered search to
>use Ask Jeeves and look at the results below the squiggly green line.
> Is that true? Or is there a better way to offer a filter option
>without a filtered feed?
>--------------------------------------------------------
>Steven Engelfried, West Linn Public Library
>1595 Burns Streeet West Linn, OR 97068
>ph: 503-656-7857 fax: 503-656-2746
>e-mail: steven@westlinn.lib.or.us
>--------------------------------------------------------
>
>
This sounds about right; we learned at a workshop that the "Ask Jeeves"
for kids uses the "Net Nanny" filter, so perhaps this is a nice option
for
worried parents, without filtering everybody.
Robe
rt Brazell
Kers
haw Co. Public Library
Camd
en, SC
braz
ell@infoave.net
Frances Whealton, Director
Kershaw County Library
1304 Broad St.
Camden, SC 29020
(803) 425-1508
(803) 425-1509 (Fax)
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 10:59:03 -0400 (EDT)
From: Gail Roberts <groberts@sailsinc.org>
Subject: Re: More on summer reading
DOn't you just hate that? Some parents would fall on their knees and kiss
that child's feet for wanting to read at all, and here's one that is
actively discouraging reading. I see it all the time. Parents tell kids
"you'll never read that!", or "You don't want to read that, it's
way too
long for you." I also grit my teeth when parents refuse to let their
children get library cards because they don't want to bother with the
responsibility. As I get older and more cantancerous, I may stop just
gritting my teeth and really mouth off. I have shooed parents out of the
room if they "get in my way", told them to go read a magazine, we'll
call
you when we're done. The kids look more relaxed, and are more open to
trying new things when the parents are out of the way. Oh well... (sigh).
"We can't all and some of us don't. That's all there is to it."
Eeyore
Gail E. Roberts
Coordinator of Youth Services
New Bedford Free Public Library
New Bedford, MA
groberts@sailsinc.org
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Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 11:34:47 -0500
From: Laurel Sharp <lsharp@mailbox.lpl.org>
Subject: Re: Die-cutting
>Could you give the information on Ellison, so that I can get info?
>Thanks.
>Pat Lambirth
>Children's Librarian
>Sturgis Library
>Barnstable, MA
>(Cape Cod, MA)
Ellison Educational Equipment, Inc.
P.O. Box 8209
Newport Beach, CA 92658-8209
800-253-2238
We get occasional infusions of dies from our Friends group--they cost from
$40-$70 each.
laurel
>>We have an Ellison die cutting system, with 2 alphabets and about 40
dies.
>>They are expensive but worth it. Once you get the cutter it's not too
hard
>>to add 3 or 4 dies every once in a while.
>>
>>One of our trustees went to a library conference, and liked it so much
she
>>made it possible for us to get one.
>>Laurel
>>Liverpool Public Library
>>
>>
>>
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Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 11:30:12 -0400 (EDT)
From: Sala <msala@suffolk.lib.ny.us>
Subject: Re: More on summer reading
Dear Rebecca - I love it "Annoy your parents read a book!" It reminded
me
of one parent that came in to donate a wrestling video for our collection
(we sent her to the adult dept) She came back in a rage because she had to
then "find" her kids who were thrilled to be at the library and drag
them
out. Her closing response to us as she stamped out dragging one child by
the arm was "Why don't you people get a drive through window!!" We all
had
a good chuckle at that one.......... then I read Jen Quirks's message
implying that some librarys actually have them!!!! What is the world
coming to? Will this be the wave of the future? YIKES. - Meg Sala
On Mon, 3 Aug 1998, rebecca fisher wrote:
> One of the reasons I believe incentives seem to work to boost summer
> reading is that the PARENTS perceive the activity as better worth pursuing
> if there are tangible rewards attached. Just about everything we do at
> the library seems to be met with great enthusiasm on the part of the kids
> who come in. Getting them into the library and seeing reading as an
> important activity, however, has a lot to do with the parents.
> The other evening a mother and her young adolescent son were in
> the library. He was looking for the Fellowship of the Ring. When the
> mother saw the size of the book, she said, "That's too long for
you!" and
> "How long do you have to finish it." When the kid revealed that
it was
> not for an assignment, she was plenty mad he had made her come to the
> library for no good reason. This kid did not do a lot of reading as a
> rule, but a friend of his had told him about the book and he was all
> excited to find it. He seemed even happier that his mother didn't really
> approve.
> There's an incentive for you to read: Get on your parents'
> nerves! Read a book!
>
> Rebecca L. Fisher Phone: (302)478-7961
> Youth Services Librarian Fax: (302)478-2461
> Concord Pike Library
> 3406 Concord Pike E-mail: fisher@tipcat.lib.de.us
> Wilmington, DE 19803
>
>
>
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 04 Aug 1998 10:35:58 -0500
From: Marilyn Zaruba <fmpl@startext.net>
Subject: Re: Source for Puppets? Also - die cut opinion
We got our puppets thru Folkmanis. They are wonderful, but the only drawback is
that you have to spend a minimum of $200 for the cheaper rates, or so it was
when we bought ours a couple of years ago. Their phone number is 510-658-7677 at
1219 Park Ave. in Emeryville, Calif. 94608. These are absolutely beautiful
puppets and for our $200 we got about 9 or 10 puppets. They hold up well and
the people puppets are charming. Our story time kids think the boy and girl are
their personal friends.
Also, we have a lot of fun with the Ellison machine and dies. Ours belong to
our system office & we have to go there to use it, but it's well worth the
short
trip and we do a lot while we are there. The kids like the doorhangers they can
decorate & I use the bookmarks to give to the story timers. There are just
so
many uses.
Marilyn Zaruba
Mansfield Public Library
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Date: Tue, 04 Aug 1998 14:10:14 -0500
From: Susan Price-Stephens
<susan.price-stephens@treasure.lpl.london.on.ca>
Subject: Re: Cataloguing of easy readers -Reply
Thanks for replying Carol. We mark the order indicating what
classification we want assigned to a book. Once in a while when we
have the book in hand we realize that we have made an error. We send
up the book with a "request for revision" slip attached with
instructions. The responses we get back are often insulting and our
more often than not requests are denied. This is the problem I am
grappling with. Any additional suggestions? I do word the requests
as graciously as I can but that doesn't seem to matter.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 15:37:39 -0400
From: "Jeff Becker" <dbecker@dreamscape.com>
Subject: Re: pubyac V1 #396:rewards
Now there are almost always two sides to every issue as there is with the
rewards issue, it's something we deal with in public school all the time.
We'd like to think that children could be intrinsically motivated towards
learning but that isn't always the case, and while rewards may initially
take the focus off the activity we have to rely on the quality of the
literature and enjoyment of the activity to persuade the children to want
to keep reading.
So the question is what is your purpose? What is the objective of your
reading program? If it's to turn kids onto reading then by all means offer
a reward and hope that is just the hook you need to pull them into a great
life long learning experience and pastime. If your goal is only to have
children read who are intrinsic readers, than sorry folks, they'd probably
read on their own with or without your reading program.
In order to make a reading program at our school less competitive, and put
the focus on the reading NOT on getting the prize, we decided to give all
of the participants the prize. We accomplished this by making the prizes a
little smaller and less expensive and approached our reading program as a
CELEBRATION, not a competition.
Just my thoughts
Debbie Becker
School Library Media Specialist
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 14:56:30 +0000
From: "Vicky Smith" <vjsmith@mcarthur.lib.me.us>
Subject: Stumper solved--girl chess genius
About a million and one people wrote to tell me that the story of the
girl chess genius with the awful mother is from Amy Tan's Joy Luck
Club. I've actually read it, but I don't seem to remember grown-up
books as well as I do kids' books . . . .
Thanks!
Vicky Smith
Children's Librarian
McArthur Public Library
Biddeford, ME 04005
(207)284-4181
vjsmith@mcarthur.lib.me.us
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 04 Aug 1998 15:07:32 -0400
From: "Amy Switzer" <Amy.Switzer@chuhpl.lib.oh.us>
Subject: fine free children's materials
Our children's services department is considering eliminating fines on
children's materials. I would appreciate any information (pro and con)
about not charging fines on children's materials.
Please reply to me personally at aswitzer@chuhpl.lib.oh.us.
Thanks for your help.
Amy
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 13:58:32 -0700 (PDT)
From: TAMARA JONES <tammycjk@yahoo.com>
Subject: Spanish Children's Magazine
Does anyone have a suggestion for a children's magazine that is in
Spanish? We have a growing Spanish population and are looking for a
magazine for grade school age children. I haven't had any luck but
maybe one of you can give me some ideas.
TIA
Tammy Jones
Children's Librarian
Forest Public Library, Forest, MS
_________________________________________________________
DO YOU YAHOO!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 04 Aug 1998 16:30:52 -0700
From: Lorraine Jackson <lorraine@olympus.net>
Subject: Re: Die-cutting
Linda,
I work in a small rural library on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington
State. My Friends group purchased an Ellison die cutting system for me last
year. I use it all of the time. It is an incredible time saver. I understand
that the dies from Ellison and Accu cut are interchangable. The cutter and the
dies are expensive, but I have found that the amount of use and time saved more
than makes up for the cost.
Lorraine Jackson
Linda Peterson wrote:
> We are looking at the purchase of a Die cutting system. The flyer we have
> is Accu cut Mark III and IV. Have any of you had any experience with these
> or any other brands. Are they worth the cost?
> Linda Peterson
> lpeterson@bloomfield.lib.in.us
- --
Lorraine Jackson
Jefferson County Library
P.O. Box 990, 620 Cedar Ave.
Port Hadlock, WA 98339
voice: (360) 385-6544
fax: (360) 385-7921
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 19:04:28 -0500
From: Helen Kowalczyk <Kowalczyk@addison.lib.il.us>
Subject: RE: CD-ROM recycling craft?
For those of you who haven't seen some of the CD Craft pages...
http://www.neosoft.com/nikki (Nikki's 1997 AOL CD Collection) and
http://www.earthplaza.com/aoldisks (101 uses for AOL disks) are two
sites found using a Yahoo search.
There were others found by searching Yahoo, but these have been around
for a while.
Helen Kowalczyk
kowalczyk@addison.lib.il.us
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 20:17:03 EDT
From: DAISYWAGES@aol.com
Subject: Re: Audio Memory Publishing
I have bought these. Particularly the ones on Phonics are very popular. I
just saw
them in the Kimbro catalog, also an "Advance " audio catalog, either
from
Baker and
Taylor or Ingrams. I am off the rest of the week, or I would look at the
catalogs for more info. Hope this helps . I think the Multiplication tape is
called "Multiplication
Rap".
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 20:49:27 EDT
From: ALUV4BKS@aol.com
Subject: Re: Pubyac debate on SRG's
Hi All
I''ve been following the debate on SRG's and incentives vs. no incentives with
great interest. Like it or not, we are a nation born and bred on an
incentive based system. Do well in school; you get A's on the report card.
Do well on the SAT's or ACT's and you get into a good college. Do well on the
job and you get raises, promotions, perks, etc. Why do we expect reading
games to be any different? The very word game means there are
"winners" and
"losers", whether we like it or not. I have worked very hard over the
last
several years to eliminate the notion of competition from my reading games.
You can read one book or one hundred books and we will still be equally proud
of you. There is no finish line to reach, no goal to achieve, no carrot
hanging out there for you to chase. Every child who joins gets a badge,
pencil, bookmark. Every child who reports (limit once a day), can take part
in the weekly raffle and the grand prize raffle. We count books, not
minutes. Every four books read or five books listened to if you're a
prereader earns you a sticker. Every two stickers earns you a prize. They
are usually pieces of plastic, nothing much. We hire "listeners" who
sit and
listen to the child "report" on one of the four books. And this is the
best
part. They tell them as little or as much as they want and this, I think,
puts emphasis back on the book and shows the child how much we care about the
book and what they thought of it. When the listener is not there the
librarian does it. It's wonderful. I get a chance to hear about what kids
are reading and there is always reader's advisory that follows these listening
sessions. I've been very interested in this debate over minutes vs books
counted and to me it's no contest. Count the books. That's what we're
selling, after all, not minutes. And if the sixth graders want to read
picture books to meet their quota, don't let them get away with it!
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 16:31:00 -0400 (EDT)
From: P Hay/PPLC <hayp@snoopy.tblc.lib.fl.us>
Subject: Favorite Newbery books
I have as a (long-term) goal to read as many Newbery books as I can. I
have read some, but would like to know which ones are your favorites to
get me started.
So far my favorites are Up a Road Slowly (Irene Hunt), And Now, Miguel
(Joseph Krumgold), and Island of the Blue Dolphins (Scott O'Dell).
Your favorites?
Patty
Patricia Hay
Gulf Beaches Public Library
Madeira Beach, FL
hayp@snoopy.tblc.lib.fl.us
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End of pubyac V1 #400
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