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TRANSCRIPT
Slate of Officers
From the President
Conference Presenters
Governance/Awards
Banned Books Week
Member Spotlight
Advocacy Update
Special News
ShareFest
National News
President – Mindy Nichols
President-Elect – Misti Jenkins
Treasurer – Lynn Lilley
Secretary – Dana Lester
Inside
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September 2015
2
TASL
Conference
2015
September 24-26
Embassy Suites
Murfreesboro
Fall’s splendor is glorious evidence that there is a
certain beauty to change, and yet, we often futilely
resist its coming. We spend lots of time talking about
it saying things like it’s never going to change,
change is hard, the only constant is change, and other
such aphorisms for philosophical consideration.
However, those among us, who can embrace the
beauty of change will fare much better in this
profession.
TASL continues to evolve, and our all-volunteer
organization works to make changes that move
Tennessee’s school librarians to a higher level of
engagement and productivity each year. In this
edition of TASL Talks, you will see evidence of
productive change such as the New Librarian
program, our Banned Books Week Facebook
initiative, and the addition of the Fun Run at
conference to support the Freedom to Read
Foundation. Other highlights include celebrating
National Library Card Month, the 2015 TASL award
winners, and one of our own, Lakisha Brinson, who
was named an SLJ Librarian of the Year finalist.
TASL has also been working hard on the advocacy
front to be a voice in legislative changes that we hope
will bode well for librarians. At the state level, I
know we are all excited to see Erin Loree, TEL
Administrator, at her first TASL conference, and in
regional news, other worthy accomplishments that
illustrate librarians are facilitators of positive change.
Even more great changes are electing our newest
slate of officers, possibly adding a new two-year
membership option at a discounted rate, considering
our official affiliations, and updating the TASL
Constitution.
In addition as we plan for change, you might take
note that we are hoping to roll out the TASL
Bookmark Contest materials a little earlier this year
to help you get a jump-start on your January and
February activities. Also, this year’s conference is
upon us, but looking ahead, you will want to note that
after 2016, conferences will be earlier in the school
year with two consecutive September conference
dates.
Indeed, there is an element of beauty in this season of
change. Embrace it, inspire it, and create it. Most of
all, enjoy TASL’s transformative potential to change
your professional life.
Lora Ann Black
TASL President 2015
The Beauty in Change
September 2015
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September 2015
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TASL to recognize
award winners at VSBA
Banquet
On Friday evening, September 25th
,
TASL will host the VSBA Awards
Banquet. This ticketed event will
honor not only VSBA award
recipients, but also TASL Innovative
Library Media Award winners and
others.
Teresa Barnhill at Westwood
Elementary School in Fairview is the
winner of the elementary division for
her “VSBA Secret Agent Readers”
project. Kat Hall at Norris Middle
School in Norris is the winner of the
middle school division for her
“Summer Library Outreach” program.
Barbara Collie and Liz Hicks at
Stewarts Creek High School in
Smyrna are the winners of the high
school division.
Two future school librarians have
received $1,000 scholarships! Erika
Long of the University of Tennessee
at Knoxville and Jocelyn Smith of
East Tennessee State University are
our winners.
This year we have a full
Administrator’s Honor Roll! Connie
Sharp nominated Susan Blankenship,
Angelia Haltom honored Ricky
Catlett and Troy Kilzer, Debbie
Condry selected Becky Coleman,
Lynn Rushdi and others in her county
nominated Dr. Andre Crafford,
Amanda Counts acknowledged
Tammy Garrett, Alison Maliszewski
selected Cherish Piche, and Alice
Bryant honored Molly Rumsey. The
valedictorian of this group is Becky
Coleman, who was nominated by
Debbie Condry and others in her
county.
INNOVATORS
t the TASL Conference 2015 Annual Business Meeting, Friday,
September 25, TASL members will be asked to vote upon three items.
They are as follows: 1) the TASL Slate of Officers 2016, 2) a proposed
addition of a two-year TASL membership option at $50, and 3) changes to
the TASL Constitution and Bylaws as proposed by the TASL Constitutional
Task Force and moved forward to the full membership by the TASL
Executive Board M-APR2015-1. Please see the sample of the official ballot
below, and visit the website here to read more about item 3. You will be
asked to log in.
Governance
A
September 2015
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No more To Kill a Mockingbird? Do away with The Kite Runner? Be gone, A Stolen Life?
Not on our terms!
Banned Books Week is September 27- October 3
Be a rebel and celebrate Banned Books Week with TASL
Here’s how to show off your library’s Banned Books Week display! First, take a picture. Then, do one of two things. Either email it to:
Alli Carroll Shipwash [email protected]
Lora Ann Black [email protected]
oR
Post it to the TASL group page on Facebook
For more information on Banned Books Week, visit the ALA’s BBW page
September 2015
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Highland Rim
Nashville Media Specialists will be presenting in the upcoming
American Association of School Librarians Conference in
November. The following people were selected to speak at the
conference:
Stephanie Ham (Director of Library Services, Metropolitan Nashville
Public Schools & Allison Barney (Limitless Libraries Coordinator):
Impacting Student Achievement through Community Partnerships
Lakisha Brinson, Emmie Stuart, & Olivia Rodney (MNPS Media
Specialists): The Journey of Blended Librarianship
Cami Townsel (MNPS Media Specialist): Best Practices of Exciting
Innovative, Collaborative Lessons Aligned to Common Core
Standards
In other WH news, Kanina Davis of Rossview Elementary received
the “Making a Difference” award at her school.
West Tennessee
Nicole Douglas will be a new librarian in Houston County.
This county is now 100% TASL membership.
Lora Black, Stewart County, has been named school-wide
literacy coordinator for her school.
Here it is,
Regional News. Our Area Representatives are working to keep
our membership informed about TASL and
vice-versa.
Lakisha Brinson
SLJ School Librarian
of the Year Finalist
Lakisha is the librarian at
Robert E. Lillard Elementary
in Nashville.
September 2015
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ADVOCACY UPDATE
Time for action once again.
As Congress works on the reauthorization of ESEA, they will reconcile the differences between the two
versions of the bill passed by the House and the Senate.
The Senate version contains a number of provisions to ensure effective school library programs.
Lawmakers heard from librarians and library advocates as they passed their individual bills, and it is
time for them to hear from us again.
ALA has made it easy to contact your legislators. Please take a moment and let them know how
much it matters.
Currently, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions are preparing to reach an agreement on the reauthorization of Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The provisions included in ESEA through the Every Child Achieves Act would support effective school library programs and we need your help to ensure that they are included.
Talking Points:
Maintain the provisions included under S. 1177, the Every Child Achieves Act, that would support effective school library programs. In particular, ALA is pleased that effective school library program provisions were adopted unanimously during HELP Committee consideration of S. 1177 (amendment offered by Senator Whitehouse (D-RI) was adopted by voice vote) and on the Senate floor (amendment offered by Senators Reed (D-RI) and Cochran (R-MS) was adopted by a vote of 98-0).
Title V, Part H – Literacy and Arts Education – Authorizes activities to promote literacy programs that support the development of literacy skills in low-income communities (similar to the Innovative Approaches to Literacy program that has been funded through appropriations) as well as activities to promote arts education for disadvantaged students.
Title I – Improving Basic Programs Operated by State and Local Educational Agencies – Under Title I of ESEA, State Educational Agencies (SEAs) and local educational agencies (LEAs) must develop plans on how they will implement activities funded under the Act.
Title V, Part G – Innovative Technology Expands Children’s Horizons (I-TECH) – Authorizes activities to ensure all students have access to personalized, rigorous learning experiences that are supported through technology and to ensure that educators have the knowledge and skills to use technology to personalize learning.
Send a Tweet
Make a Call
Send a Letter
Contact your Senators and Representatives and let them know that any agreement to reauthorize ESEA must maintain the school library provisions overwhelmingly adopted by the HELP Committee and the full Senate under S. 1177, the Every Child Achieves Act.
September 2015
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Newsworthy
Erin Loree started as the
Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL)
Administrator in February 2015.
Prior to that she spent 16 years as the
Electronic Resources Librarian at
Amherst College in Massachusetts
where she managed over 200
database resources and several
hundred e-journal subscriptions. She
has extensive experience with
implementing library automation
software including the Aleph
integrated library system, SFX link
resolver, Verde ERM, and most
recently EBSCO Discovery
Service. Erin strives to improve the
user experience through training,
assessment, and universal design.
Erin holds an MS in Library and
Information Science from the
University of Rhode Island as well
as a BS from Michigan State
University.
Erin grew up in middle Tennessee
and after more than a decade away
has returned with her husband, 2½
year old son, Jack, and two cats.
Prior to having a toddler, Erin
enjoyed traveling, cooking,
gardening, and watching vintage
Hollywood movies.
New to the library profession?
Feeling overwhelmed by your responsibilities?
Looking for some good resources?
Email your name, school, and school address to:
Krista Grace [email protected]
OR
Shannon Minner [email protected]
You’ll receive a valuable packet designed especially for you and it’s all free!
Don’t delay, request today!
Tennessee Association of School Librarians Working for Tennessee school librarians—every day.
TEL Talking about
September 2015
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School Librarians: ShareFest is For You!
Join Tenn-Share on Friday, October 23 for ShareFest! ShareFest offers you a variety of ways to learn including:
A School Library Collection Fair featuring your favorite vendors, publishers, and database distributors that serve the school library market. A conference where you can learn from your peers about how they have used electronic
resources to improve education for their students. There are still six slots available for you to share what works for you in either a 10 minute or 50 minute session. Proposals should be informative and relevant, based on theory, research, or practice; encourage opportunities for learner engagement; and/or demonstrate application to the work of participants. E-resource trends, big questions, selection, use, evaluation and promotion, how resources are used to support STEM, library tools for digital citizenship, and how the library can best support inquiry learning are especially encouraged. Networking time over breakfast and lunch (both included in the $15 registration fee)!
Both events will be at the Nashville Public Library Conference Center. School library staff is vital to Tenn-Share and we want you to be part of the whole day, not just the School Library Collection Fair. The deadline has been extended to September 7.
You must log in www.tenn-share.org to register. Once in, if you are not in your profile, select
Your Account and look at the left menu and select Events & Registrations under Bookmarks. Click on ShareFest: A Digital Library Conference. The great news is that if you have a login, you can register for several people in your organization at the same time. You may pay by credit card or choose Register and Bill Me to send a check or pay at the door. The invoice can be accessed on the left menu, under your profile. See My Invoices.
If you have trouble logging in, click on the Forgot Your Credentials? link and enter your email
address. You will receive instructions for setting your username and password. If that doesn't work, contact Tenn-Share.
September 2015
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National News
AASL offers awards and grants for collaboration, for those who
champion social justice initiatives and intellectual freedom issues, for
outstanding administrators, and for exemplary school library programs.
Think you qualify?
We hope so! Take a look, and take your shot.
Visit the AASL Awards & Grants
page by clicking the logo above for details and application information for
each award.
Need something?
Email us or
It’s not too late to go All In! To register today, click here.
Conference, go.
Volume 46: September 2015
Lora Ann Black, President
[email protected] Highland Rim, Cami Townsel [email protected]
Stay Connected! To subscribe to the TASL E-List, log in at www.tasltn.org
Mindy Nichols, President-Elect/Conference Chair
[email protected] Walking Horse, Dana Lester [email protected]
Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/tasl.tn Follow us on Twitter: @tasltn
Shannon Minner, Secretary
Appalachian, Vicki Winstead [email protected]
AASL www.ala.org/aasl
Nancy Dickinson, Treasurer
Volunteer, Raina Scoggins [email protected]
TLA www.tnla.org TEL www.tntel.info
Mississippi River, Amy Balducci [email protected]
Cumberland, Kim Wattenbarger [email protected]
Tenn-Share www.tenn-share.org TEA www.teateachers.org
Western Plains, Sherry Copeland [email protected]
East TN River, Michelle Castleberry [email protected]
TASL Talks was designed and edited by Mona Batchelor.
West TN River, Lea Glass [email protected]
Want to be featured in TASL Talks?
Email [email protected]