1. ALA Task Force releases recommendations to advance digital literacy
2. Early Literacy Mini-Grants for Wisconsin Public Libraries
3. A dream come true for transportation book enthusiasts
4. YSS and PLDT to host Early Literacy preconference at WLA
5. New report highlights roles of libraries and museums in preparing young children for success
6. Document of the Week -- Got access? A guide for improving fruit & vegetable access in Wisconsin communities
7. BadgerLink Resource of the Week -- Soundzaboud
8. Website of the Week – OneLook Dictionary Search
9. Calendar
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EDITOR’S NOTE –Channel Weekly will not be published for the next two weeks (June 27 and July 4). The next issue of Channel Weekly will be the July 11 edition.
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1. ALA TASK FORCE RELEASES RECOMMENDATIONS TO ADVANCE DIGITAL LITERACY
The American Library Association’s (ALA) Digital Literacy Task Force (which is led by the Office for Information Technology Policy) recently released its recommendations (pdf) to advance and sustain library engagement in digital literacy initiatives nationwide. These recommendations build on the January 2013 Task Force report Digital Literacy, Libraries, and Public Policy and constitute a call to action on the part of the ALA, library education programs, front-line librarians, various funding bodies, and the diverse stakeholders who use and support library services.
Libraries of all types – school, academic, and public – play a vital role in ensuring all people have the skills and abilities to succeed in the Digital Age. These conclusions and recommendations culminate the Task Force’s work over 18 months and include comments from several public programs held at ALA conferences, as well as two online virtual public programs and task force meetings that included observers from different stakeholder groups.
One over-arching recommendation is that ALA should continue to have a member body that focuses on digital literacy and libraries. Other recommendations focus on:
- increasing investment in digital literacy
- developing and sustaining robust partnerships and collaborations
- strengthening and expanding research and assessment
- increasing access to digital literacy programming
Bob Bocher, former Technology Consultant for the Public Library Development Team, is a member of the Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP). The full ALA announcement, including a link to the recommendations, can be found here (shortened link): http://bit.ly/1awQ7iE.
2. EARLY LITERACY MINI-GRANTS FOR WISCONSIN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
The Public Library Development Team at the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) will award 40 mini-grants in the amount of $250 to Wisconsin public libraries to support early literacy efforts. This project is part of the larger Growing Wisconsin Readers early literacy initiative. Libraries may apply for grants to establish or enhance either an early literacy activity area or a "1000 Books Before Kindergarten" program. Priority will be given to libraries that serve a total municipal population of less than 10,000 and who serve children birth through age six with potentially limited exposure to early literacy experiences. Ideally, the grants will be awarded to libraries throughout the state’s 17 regional library systems.
The application process opened on June 17, 2013 and will close on Friday, July 12, 2013, at 4:00 p.m. For more information about the mini-grants, view http://pld.dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/pld/pdf/2013_GWR_Mini-grant_info.pdf. The information sheet and other documents related to Growing Wisconsin Readers are available at http://pld.dpi.wi.gov/pld_ys-sn under "Initiatives."
If you need additional information or have questions, please contact Tessa Michaelson Schmidt, DPI’s Youth and Special Services Consultant, at tessa.schmidt@dpi.wi.gov.
3. A DREAM COME TRUE FOR TRANSPORTATION BOOK ENTHUSIASTS
Think about that kid who always wants the truck books or the family that has gone through everything you have related to planes, trains, and automobiles. This is a reading challenge made for them!
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Summer Reading Challenge, which encourages children 10 years and under to read, will run from Wednesday, June 12, through August 30, 2013. Participants must read 10 books about transportation, complete a Reading Challenge Ticket documenting the books read, and submit it to the WisDOT Office of Public Affairs.
Participants who complete the challenge will receive a gift and be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a special visit with a State Patrol trooper. Winners will be notified by September 4. For more information about the program and to access a Reading Challenge Ticket, visit WisDOT’s Transportation Reading Challenge web site.
4. YSS AND PLDT TO HOST EARLY LITERACY PRECONFERENCE AT WLA
The Youth Services Section of the Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) and the Public Library Development Team (PLDT) at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction are pleased to announce the joint hosting of an early literacy preconference at the 2013 Wisconsin Library Association annual conference. The preconference will be held on Tuesday, October 22, 2013, at Hyatt on Main and KI Convention Center in Green Bay.
The conference theme of "Play, Create, Innovate," will be emphasized in a variety of ways by the preconference presenters. Jim Gill, celebrated musician and author, will serve as the preconference keynote speaker as well as offer additional breakout sessions on the topic of music and play for young children. Other breakout sessions include: Bringing "Every Child Ready to Read 2" to Diverse Audiences—Tanya Misselt and Yee Vue, Appleton Public Library; Early Literacy Library Spaces—Ashley Bieber and Shelly Collins-Fuerbringer, L. E. Phillips Memorial Library, Eau Claire; Developing an Early Literacy Collection: Books That Work for Kids, Parents, and Librarians—Merri Lindgren and Megan Schliesman, Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC); Engaging Early Literacy Storytimes: Flannel boards, Puppets, Props, and More!—Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Library, MN.
The preconference will run from 12:30 to 5:00 p.m. Look for WLA conference registration information later this summer. In the meantime, save the date for this incredible early literacy preconference!
5. NEW REPORT HIGHLIGHTS ROLES OF LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS IN PREPARING YOUNG CHILDREN FOR SUCCESS
Libraries and museums are effective, but often overlooked resources in our nation’s effort to turn around a crisis in early learning, exposing children to reading and powerful learning experiences in the critical early years and keeping them learning through the summer months, according to a report issued today by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.
The report, Growing Young Minds: How Museums and Libraries Create Lifelong Learners, documents dozens of examples and 10 key ways libraries and museums are supporting young children. It provides a clear call to policymakers, schools, funders, and parents to make full use of these vital, existing community resources.
On a more local level, Wisconsin public libraries play a pivotal role in a new statewide early literacy initiative called "Growing Wisconsin Readers." The initiative aims to support caregivers of young children with information about early literacy so they can prepare children for learning at school and beyond. See items #2 and #4 in this issue of Channel Weekly for information about Growing Wisconsin Readers projects.
Link to the full news release: http://www.imls.gov/new_report_highlights_roles_of_libraries_and_museums_in_preparing_young_children_for_success.aspx
Link to the report: http://www.imls.gov/assets/1/AssetManager/GrowingYoungMinds.pdf
Link to the Growing Wisconsin Readers initiative outline: http://pld.dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/pld/pdf/GWR_outline_06-10-13.pdf
6. WISCONSIN DIGITAL ARCHIVES STATE DOCUMENT OF THE WEEK
Got access? a guide for improving fruit & vegetable access in Wisconsin communities, http://bit.ly/15fVak7. Developed by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, this guide provides tools to evaluate and understand a community’s current fruit and vegetable environment, evidence-based strategies to improve access to fruits and vegetables, and success stories from Wisconsin communities that have implemented these strategies.
7. BADGERLINK RESOURCE OF THE WEEK
Searching for music you can include in a YouTube video? Try using the songs and sound effects that are available in Soundzaboud (http://ow.ly/jzxrc)! The music that isavailable is licensed for use by Wisconsin residents in videos or other media posted on the web.
8. Website of the Week
OneLook Dictionary Search -- http://www.onelook.com/ -- This site calls itself "a search engine for words and phrases," allowing users to find definitions or translations for more than 5 million words in more than 1,000 online dictionaries. (Website reference courtesy of refdesk.com)
9. CALENDAR
June 27-July 2, 2013 – American Librarian Association (ALA) Annual Conference, Chicago
July 12, 2013 – Council on Library and Network Development (COLAND) meeting, Black River Falls
September 25-28, 2013—Association for Rural & Small Libraries Annual Conference, Omaha, NE
October 3, 2013 – Public Library Youth Services Liaisons annual meeting, DeForest
October 4, 2013 – Continuing Education and Certification Consultants annual meeting, DeForest
October 22-25, 2013 – Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) annual conference, Green Bay
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To access previous issues of Channel Weekly, or to subscribe or unsubscribe,
go to: http://channel.dpi.wi.gov/
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Roslyn M. Wise
Editor, Channel Weekly
Department of Public Instruction
Division for Libraries and Technology
PO Box 7841
Madison, WI 53707-7841
Phone: (608) 266-6439
FAX: (608) 267-9207