meeting+notes

Meeting Notes 01 21 2010 Present: Christine Smith, Brooke Strachan, Carolyn Hilles We decided to postpone the 9.5 upgrade review until our next meeting. Christine forwarded the notes from the History Department meeting with the summary of the discussion about research. Many of the points of discussion for the History Department touched upon areas of concern and interest for the librarians as well. We decided that as a Department we would like to offer any assistance we might give to help with measurable outcomes, specific skills that will be reliably reinforced and evaluated and ideas to tweak projects to make them more skill based. Part of our discussion focused on the works cited initiative. Starting in the 4th and 5th grades and taught in developmentally appropriate ways at each division level, works cited is reinforced by teachers in each division. Students automatically go to the Noodletools software to use it for nearly all research projects starting in 6th grade. How do we transfer some of the automaticity to the research process? How do we teach students to consistently seek an overview in a reliable source, spend time reading information before delving into notetaking, regularly look for the best source not the easiest to find, verify information in two or three sources before including it in a paper or project, think about the research process as different from their own information seeking behaviors. Division librarians will review the HD meeting notes and our departmental discussion, creating a written reflection. Our next meeting will be 02 10 2010 at 10AM in the Middle School space.

Meeting Notes 01 06 2010 Present: Christine Smith, Brooke Strachan, Ben Goulet, Carolyn Hilles, Sloane DeAngelis (guest) Volunteer discussion with Sloane. Sloane was very supportive helping us move towards a volunteer plan for the division libraries. She characterized the best sort of connection we might make with parents who would be most comfortable in less visible but important work. With a few parents already in mind, Sloane asked librarians to forward hours and days for volunteer support for each division library. She helped us with concerns about vetting the volunteers, what to do should it not be a "good fit" and made note of special areas of interest and skill that might be helpful when recruiting volunteers.Ben created and subsequently updated a volunteer job description based on our discussion including edits contributed by department members. Our next department meeting will be held on January 20th at 10 AM in the Middle School Library space.We will review changes in the latest version of Destiny(9.5). Thanks to Ben for participating in a seminar about these changes.

Meeting Notes 12 01 09 Present: Ben Goulet, Carolyn Hilles, Christine Smith, Brooke Strachan Laura Gladding, our library aide, resigned in November. She moved on to a fulltime lead teacher position at a pre-school. Keeping in mind financial concerns heading into the next school year and the liklihood we would not be filling this position the meeting focused on the discussion of, how clerical support would be provided to the divison libraries. Christine met with Dan just prior to the department meeting to discuss the development of a volunteer program for the libraries. Currently, Philip Santini is working 10 additional hours beyond his after school supervisory/proctoring responsiblities to help with shelving, ciruculation desk coverage and proctoring tests during peak hours. After a lively discussion about experiences with parent volunteers and their likely role in the daily clerical needs of the libraries, we agreed that: A volunteer job description will be developed (Ben) We would invite Sloane DeAngelis to our next deparmtment meeting to discuss volunteers and answer some of our questions (Christine has confirmed this for January 6th at 10AM) That we might try implementing the volunteer training in the spring after March break to be ready for September (Carolyn's suggestion) Subsequent to the meeting Carolyn made an evaluation visit to Dana Hall and brought back a volunteer document as a model. Next meeting scheduled for 01 06 10

October 23 Library Department Retreat Minutes 11:30-3PM Present: Ben Goulet, Carolyn Hilles, Christine Smith, Brooke Strachan Lunch discussion focused on the changes occurring at Cushing Academy and the impact this sort of "e-thinking" and bookless library movement may have on school libraries. These important and program altering changes seem to affect Upper School/High School libraries more regularly than Middle and Lower School programs where independent reading and print based research continue to have a place in the program and service mission. The purpose of this retreat was to continue the work of the N-12 scope and sequence which we reviewed in the spring with meetings and revisions continuing throughout the spring; take a thoughtful look at the NEASC questions as they relate to the library programs and begin to write a (draft) response. The NEASC questions prompted thoughtful discussion. The library voice should be unified, look for commonalities in teaching practices and programming and illustrate those skills and strategies by division that are developmentally appropriate. Using the ideas submitted on the wiki, Christine will craft a departmental response to the questions. Discussion of the Wikipedia article was insightful as we discussed the importance of faculty "buy-in" to the theme that these information skills are the most essential for 21st century learners and should be a planned part of any curriculum. They should be taught consistently at all grade levels. This lead to further discussion of our N-12 scope of skills and the sequence in which they are introduced. Each librarian worked with representative members of their divisions seeking input and commitment to the skills and projects taught. Each created an authentic set of skills integrated with the current projects that are research based. The Department agreed that there should be two documents produced, one that enumerates the skills sequentially and the content areas in which they are included and the other a one page document for library stake holders, faculty, parents, administrators, that highlights the essential literacy skills. Thirty minutes of the retreat was reserved for Carolyn to present LibGuides to the Department. Carolyn attended a workshop on assessment at LYRASIS, a library consortium. LibGuides were a key part of the presentation.Used regularly by college reference librarians they direct students toward the best resources available. This is a 2.0 application giving the librarians flexibility while creating a one stop location for recommended resources; journals, books, weblinks,databases, video clips,etc. LibGuides may be searched on Google. Next departmental meeting scheduled for November 18th at 10AM.

Meeting Notes 09 16 09 Present: Ben Goulet, Carolyn Hilles, Christine Smith, Brooke Strachan, The meeting revoloved around the NEASC questions for review as presented to the CDH by Judy and the article "Stepping Beyond Wikipedia," by William Badke. In keeping with the preparation started last year for the NEASC visit, we reviewed questions for discussion presented at the CDH for standards 4 and 6. We discussed the first under Standard 4 and agreed that in most instances, we try to differentiate instruction, orally, written, individual support to meet individual students' different learning modalities. We decided to add the questions to a page on the wiki and use that forum for further discussion which we will summarize for future meetings. We also read the above mentioned article from Educational Leadership, March 2009. This article supports, philosophically, all that our mission and standards reflect in our N-12 program. In light of all of the discussion of innovative library programs which are moving toward "bookless" Brooke correctly pointed out that the quote from this article stating that "Clearly, the time to educate students about the new information realitys is in elementary, middle, and high school. The ability to work with information, whether in written, audio, or video form, to define a problem, understand the nature of the information available, use the best tools well to find the information needed and then enlist the information effectively and ethically to address the issue at hand may well be the most important skill of the 21st century." We do this at Wheeler K-12 which makes our program truly innovative. As we further discussed how we will make the scope and sequence easily accessible to faculty and parents, we thought we might include this quote as an introduction to what we produce. We will continue the discussion of this article on the wiki. Carolyn shared the work she was doing with the Independent School national organizations, AISL and ISS which is a divison of ALA/AASL to provide a unified voice for the library community in response to the article in the Boston Globe about the bookless condition of the library at Cushing Academy. This very important response will be inclusive of thoughts, facts and ideas submitted by many concerned professional librarians from across the country. The target for a completed scope and sequence is December. The department is planning a retreat for October 23rd in the afternoon. Christine will be reserving 211 Hope and informing Div Heads.

Meeting Notes 08 26 09 Present: Ben Goulet, Carolyn Hilles, Christine Smith, Brooke Strachan After a relaxing lunch at Andreas, Ben and Brooke updated us on the courses they took over the summer. Ben took a course at URI with Cheryl McCarthy about the School Library Media Center; he found it very helpful as he prepares for his second year as our Primary Grades Librarian. As we work on policies for the library, this course should prove beneficial. Brooke participated in an internet searching class at URI which was taught by the same professor with whom she had taken the blogs and wiki class last summer. Discussion about achievable goals for the instructional programs ensued, to be continued as we further develop the scope and sequence this fall. Meetings will be held for the department on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 10AM. Every effort will be made not to schedule classes at this time. Our next meeting is scheduled for September 16th at 10 AM.

Meeting Notes 05 20 09 Present: Ben Goulet, Carolyn Hilles,Christine Smith, Brooke Strachan We reviewed academic department web pages as we plan to send updated information to Judy for page revision over the summer. Each division library will write a curriculum summary for each of the libraries to be added to the page. We will add a curriculum or community connection item which will highlight library programs starting with this year's Battle of the Books. Ben distributed the upgraded mission statement for review by the members of the department. Kudos to Ben for doing a fine job of creating a very readable accessible mission statement which deftly incorporates our service policy as well. Ben posted the mission statement on the wiki for further review. When we have arrived at a final document this will be forwarded along with other updated material. Christine has asked that all images, summaries, and work on the mission statement be completed and forwarded to her by May 29th. Questions about picture quality came up. Christine will ask about image dimensions to ensure clarity of pictures on the web page. Each Division Librarian updated the group on the status of the search for a viable scope and sequence. Christine reported on a meeting held with a committee of science and social studies teachers from the middle school. Each member of the committee has been invited to be part of http://www.morequickthinking.wikispaces.com to edit skills add projects and help develop an authentic list in sequence that align with the middle school content area curricula. The committee will meet again on June 9th at 11AM to continue the work. Brooke has crafted a list of skills which represent the IL skills taught in the Lower School Library program. She will present to 3-5 grade teachers at a weekly meeting, distributing the list for consideration before hand. She is planning to meet with individual teachers from the various grade levels to review the list and projects which currently incorporate the skills with the plan of having an authentic list aligned with the Lower School Curriculum. Carolyn has been meeting individually with Department Heads and Upper School coordinators as well as with the IL/Critical Thinking Task Force. She is creating a document which connects the skills with the research projects and academic disciplines in which they are taught consistently across grade levels. Finding common courses to incorporate the skills through the 12th grade has proved challenging. A list of electives and IL skills taught in those electives will be separate from the main program list of skills but will demonstrate opportunities in the Upper School program for students to learn and practice the IL skills. The committee will meet once more on May 29th and possibly during the week after final exams. Christine suggested a second Departmental afternoon retreat to complete the scope and sequence; tentatively planned for October 23rd. All division scope and sequence material will be forwarded to Christine by November to meet the December deadline for finished product. Christine thanked everyone for a good meeting.

Meeting Notes 03 11 09 Present: Ben Goulet, Carolyn Hilles, Christine Smith, Brooke Strachan Announcements: Jacqueline Davies visit tomorrow. Brooke will forward schedule to Christine and Carolyn Hoping to plan a departmental retreat for the spring. The department has not had a retreat in several years with the exception of choosing the Follett Destiny Software program. Department meetings; Discussion of how the agenda is set, asking for input from all members of the department., communicating the time and date as well as minutes and points of discussion through the wiki. All members should feel that they can buy into the meeting time with topics for discussion, using this time to tap into the "professional expertise" of the other librarians and bring up points for consideration. Actively use the wiki to share articles, ideas and insights relative to libraries.
 * 1) agenda items would include, modifying and updating the Library mission statement, clear goals for the department as a whole and as the department relates to program in the divisions
 * 2) discussion of issues facing libraries in the current economic climate
 * 3) the role of the library as a technology leader with 2.0 applications, new hardware and software
 * 4) the development of scope and sequence; should this be done in conjunction with Tech people as well as content teachers to avoid duplication ensure authenticity?
 * 5) Finalizing scope and sequence for each division
 * 6) Using the wiki more effectively for communication of ideas, articles, promoting discussions

Meetings will be held on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 10AM in the storyroom unless a conflict arises, in which case the date will be moved.

Notifying library staff in case of an absence: Christine will compile a list of home numbers to be sent and also kept on the wiki. The person calling out should keep calling until they speak to a person about their absence. The librarians then can decide the best way to adjust Laura Gladding's schedule.

Next meeting April 8th @ 10AM in the storyroom.

Meeting Notes 02 11 09 Library Department

Present: Ben Goulet, Carolyn Hilles, Christine Smith, Brooke Strachan Announcements: Brooke passed along information about two upcoming Lower School Library Events: Rooster Games on February 19th and an author visit, Jacqueline Davies, //The Lemonade War// on March 12th.


 * Brooke participated in a Webinar for the Destiny upgrade to version 9.0.
 * Reported and demonstrated the changes which have been made to Destiny Quest, the interactive interface to the online catalog.
 * Allows students with user names and passwords to create lists, bibliographies, place holds, check accounts and write starred reviews.
 * New skins visual appeal to a broader audience.
 * Accessible to students; allows for author, title, subject searches as well as genre and series searches as well as searching by starred reviews.
 * Interactive and customizable for each student.
 * New widget makes resource lists available through Quest portal
 * Classic Destiny, subscription to Safari, Montage video clips
 * Cataloging, merge duplicate records district wide.
 * Globally delete reviews.
 * District Level receipts can be customized to show only the days checkouts.
 * Print reports that include notes
 * Statistics and report capabilities prompted discussion of year end reporting by division library to division heads. Should include number of classes taught, circulation statistics, hours of reference, etc. “the report should be meaningful to your institution.”

Ad hoc discussion about e-books; how and when might we subscribe to a service, (currently we are not funded for that) Advances in the Kindle and downloadable books to iPhones will make this a collection development consideration in future.

Next meeting to be held on March 11th at 10 AM.

Meeting Notes December 10, 2008 present: B.Goulet, C.Hilles. B.Strachan, C.Smith Discussion about coverage by the library aide (Laura Gladding) in the absence of a librarian centered on putting changes in writing and contacting one of the librarians should Laura need to flex her schedule. Details will follow in an attachment to department members.

Ben shared his professional development seminar on "The Responsive Classroom." He felt very positive about the immediate implementation and practice of building a sense of community in the classroom and felt fortunate to be in a school where Responsive Classroom techniques are already being used and modeled daily. Brooke will share information from the Masscue technology conference she attended. She will share her experience during the January meeting.

The EBSCO representative, Ann Murdock, visited last Tuesday to demonstrate some of the additions and changes to our database selections. AskRI.org, the Rhode Island database aggregate allows access to additional databases not covered by our subscription program. She immediately linked Academic Premiere to our database page and talked with Brooke about organizing the databases by divison level for easier access.Brooke will contact Ann Murdock to set this up. All commented on how much Ann brings to the customer in terms of service and response. Christine will contact EBSCO to pass along this information.

Each division debriefed about changes in their curriculum and how they are proceeding to craft an authentic set of skills and goals by including teachers in the development of these goals. Christine asked that content about these changes be added to the wiki. The information will be helpful when compiling the finished N-12 product. Each librarian has scheduled an opportunity to meet with the teachers in the content areas that utilize these skills. Meetings for debriefing projects are happening at all levels.

The next meeting will be January 21st at 10 AM in the Middle School Library space.

Colleagues, I will start the wiki with meeting notes from today. Please edit. Library Department Meeting, November 12, 2008 Present: B.Goulet, C. Hilles, B.Strachan, C.Smith Carolyn will be participating on a NEASC evaluation team in England this month. Christine informed everyone that Destiny will have an upgrade; version 9.0 available in November. Christine will communicate with Karie as to when the upgrade will be scheduled and will inform staff about opportunities to participate in a webinar about the updates in the new release. Each Division librarian reported on the status of Information Literacy/ Critical Thinking curriculum changes and coordination with key content area faculty. Brooke has spoken with Dana and will be incorporating skills closely related to the Big6 and currently being taught in grades 3-5 as these are skills for lifelong learners.The primary grades will be reviewed in a subsequent school year. Christine has met with Young about including the skills in the curriculum. A meeting with content area teachers was suggested to determine which skills are currently being taught and how others might become part of the curriculum as opposed to an external skill set. Existing skill sets based on the AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner will be used. Carolyn spoke with Eric Styles at Hotchkiss who shared the names of colleges and schools he reviewed when developing the skill sets for Hotchkiss. He also shared the survey he conducted with the faculty. Carolyn has met with Sophie Lau and will be meeting with a sub committee of program planning to develop the skills list. She will also be meeting with Neltje. Carolyn is hoping to develop a singular chart which will be visaully accessible and easy to understand. The upcoming budget proposal was discussed including areas in need of attention to upgrade the appearance of Lower and the MS/US library. The next Department Meeting will be held on Wednesday December 10th at 10AM. Submitted, Christine Smith