The conference was attended by 67 school library media specialists from WSBOCES, ESBOCES and Nassau BOCES. The winner of the “School Library Media Specialist of the Year” award was Kim Bronzino from the Commack UFSD. The winner of the “Administrator of the Year” award was Vincenza Graham, Director of World Languages, ESL and Library Media Services for the Smithtown CSD.
The keynote speaker, Dr. Marc Aronson, is a well-known author of nonfiction books for children and teens. He is a professor in the Masters of Library and Information Science program at Rutgers University. He speaks extensively about the Common Core State Standards and informational text. Dr. Aronson’s keynote address “Sharing the Future: How You Need To Think To Help Young People Think Past You” stressed introducing students to the process real explorers use when gathering information to create a piece of nonfiction. Nonfiction can be seen as a model of the inquiry process, research skills, and persuasive writing practices that students are learning.
Other sessions offered throughout the day included:
- A “Maker Spaces Panel” (librarians Kristina Holzweiss and Gina Seymour) with a 3D printer shown in action by Solidoodle.
- An introduction to Lynda.com, an online resource for video clips teaching a variety of topics related to technology. Lynda.com can be used with students for “flipping” the library or can be used with staff for professional development. (facilitated by librarian Cathy Masrour)
- “Understanding the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA)” with Oscar Michelen, Esq. from the Nassau County Bar Association.
- “Text Sets” presented by Dr. Marc Aronson. A way to assemble groups of materials (books, websites, articles, etc.) that center around one topic.
The conference was supported by eleven vendors who were present to speak to the school librarians about their resources. Breakfast and lunch were enjoyed by all. Evaluations completed by the attendees have been very positive. See the “Links” page for links to the powerpoints, websites, and hand-outs shared by the presenters.