Archived email messages may be found at http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curriculum/lmcindex.htm

Total 3 messages

1.   THE RISE & FALL OF READING SCHOOL LIBRARY BOOKS There’s nothing quite so wonderful as a new book. Imagine it in your hands as you admire its jacket and then flip through its crisp pages. Can you smell the newness? Are you excited about embarking on a new adventure? It’s too bad our school library shelves aren't overflowing with new books every year because Indiana students would increase their practice of reading if they had access to new, interesting, and useful books. New books really do make a difference. From 1997-2001, the Indiana General Assembly provided funding for school library books. During that period, school corporations matched that funding. The result was just what one would expect. There was a huge increase in the purchase of books. Circulation rose from a per student average of 33.8 to 43.1 as a result of the School Library Printed Materials Grant. With the loss of funding for new books, the circulation dropped to 32.7 to 2006. As with everything else, the price of books has steadily increased over the years. The average cost of a school library book is now over $20, and schools should be purchasing two books per student per year to keep their library collections current. Even with the state funding, most schools are not purchasing two books per student per year. No matter the cost, there is no escaping the fact that there is no substitute for books. Without access to current, appealing, high-interest, and useful books in school libraries, reading achievement suffers. Money most definitely does make a difference in reading.  http://mgrn.evansville.edu/library%20report%202006.pdf

2.  Summer reading materials will soon be mailed to each building in the state.  This means some of you will receive multiple copies as you are the only library media specialist in the district.  The only mechanism I have for mailing is the building address.  The package will be addressed to LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST …….   You will receive K-6 and 7-12 as they are packaged together.  In addition to the manuals and CDs, you will receive a flyer from Highsmith with incentives you may purchase.  This is up to you.  The Department paid your membership fee to enable you to buy the incentives at a reduced price and purchased the manuals.   If you want to share the extras with non-public schools in your area, that is fine as long as your students are served.   In the mailing, there is also information about copyright.  The information details what you may and may not do with the CD and other materials.  Be sure to read through that information.

I strongly encourage you to be planning now for a great summer reading program.  The students gain so much for continued programming and do not have the "summer loss" so prevalent.  Visit with the public library and see how you can work together or if you don't have a public library close by, set up your own program.  This is not meant to be competition between the public library and the school library but is intended to help students of all ages be more interested in reading.  I plan to write the principals, superintendents, and school board presidents letting them know the buildings are receiving this information.  I am encouraging them to enable the library to be open and staffed at least a few hours per week during the summer with qualified staff being compensated.

3.  In my last message the ways a problem with the MASL Spring Conference prices and alignment.  I will try again.

April 15-17 MASL Spring Conference -- Tan-Tar-A

Keynote Speakers -- Raymond Bial --  Tony Manna  --  Flex Flinn

Hotel Rates    Resort -- $104   Estates = $94

Conference Contacts   

Sharon Marsh  smarsh@spsmail.org  OR 

Jan Powell  jpowell@bolivar.k12.mo.us