You Tell 'Em Sister!

Friday At the Library

Is That a Bad Thing?

"We have more libraries per person than any other city in the world.

I’ve got more libraries in my area than I have Tim Hortons."

~ Doug Ford

See:
Our Public Library: Project Rescue 

Annual Report of Public Libraries 2010

Annual Report of Public Libraries 2010 / Federation of Ontario Public Libraries.
Ontario: Federation of Ontario Public Libraries, 2011.

Without Libraries, We're Powerless

"Without Libraries, We're Powerless." Windsor Times / Shawna Sharp.
Windsor, Ontario: Windsor Times Online, July 5th 2011.

"These are centres of learning, not only for kids or teens. The library is a centre of learning for everyone, regardless of age, gender, race or the amount of income they have."

Librarians Necessary

"Librarians Necessary." The Intelligencer / Colin Mackay.
Belleville, Ontrio: The Intelligencer Online, June 2nd 2011.

"How to access information, evaluate its authenticity and then use it for research is a skill needed by all students. The teacher librarian has a huge role to play by teaching students how to acquire these necessary skills.

Teaching children that the Internet is a gateway to information is important but it is also essential students realize many Internet sites are inaccurate. Many Internet sites are not edited properly and do not have simple checks and balances that published books must have.

The teacher librarian can teach students to become proficiently selective. A teacher librarian will be particularly familiar with this and help kids move past the cut and paste of Wikipedia.

Teacher librarians are critical because, as many studies show, they enhance students' skills in research and the use of information technology, valuable skills in a today's society.

Studies have also shown that having a teacher librarian improves reading abilities and in turn achievement on standardized test scores.

So if everybody knows this helps students achieve proper skills and higher test scores why are teacher librarians numbers dwindling?"

A Last Hug For High School Librarian

"A Last Hug For High School Librarian." Windsor Star / Emily Tremblay.
Windsor, ON: The Windsor Star Online, June 8th 2011.

"Today was our librarian, Mrs. Delbello's, last day of school. She was laid off by the Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board.

I go to F.J. Brennan high school. After Catholic Education Week, we the students learned that practically all of our librarians were going to be laid off. Many of us were devastated."

School Libraries & Information Literacy

School Libraries & Information Literacy / People for Education.
Ontario: People for Education, May 2011.

"Results from the data analysis showed that:

• the presence of trained library staff is associated with a higher proportion of grade 6 students attaining level 3 (the provincial standard) on reading tests;

• schools without professional library staffing tend to have lower achievement on the grade 3 reading tests (both in terms of average achievement and attaining level 3); and

• the presence of teacher-librarians is associated with more positive attitudes towards reading in both grade 3 and grade 6 students."

See Also:
School Libraries & Student Achievement in Ontario / OLA

5 Qualities Someone Interested In My Job Should Have

"5 Qualities Someone Interested In My Job Should Have." Only Connect / Alex.
Ottawa: Ottawapubliclibrarian.blogspot.com, February 23rd 2011.

"A strong set of your own personal and professional values
: Again, this one is applicable to anyone, but especially important if you are going to be working in an environment in which you might be the only professional. Articulating your values will help you when your boundaries are challenged at work, and also help you set the standard in your workplace (hopefully), and exhibit true leadership."

Libraries: Where Shit Gets Real

"Libraries: Where Shit Gets Real." Guys Should Make Passes at Girls Who Wear Glasses/ Cait.
Hamilton: Girlinthisroom.blogspot.com, March 2nd 2011.

" Libraries are weird, weird places. No one ever believes me when I say that, but they really are. They are not quiet or serene. They are holding tanks of human energy teetering on the brink of glorious collapse. One of the reasons I love this racket is the sheer anarchy of them, the precarious balance of so many different people with so many different agendas crammed into one poorly-ventilated, fluorescent-lit space. It's kind of like working inside an episode of Candid Camera, where I have the limited authority to kick someone out if they pee on something. "

Canadian Library Statistics Bibliography

Canadian Library Statistics Bibliography / Library & Archives Canada.
Ottawa: Library & Archives Canada, January 2007.

Shelf Life: How the Toronto Public Library Deals With Complaints

"Shelf Life: How the Toronto Public Library Deals With Complaints." National Post / Paul Terefenko.
Toronto: National Post Online, February 15th 2011.

"What is a little unusual is what’s been targeted. There’s no Twain. No Vonnegut, Bradbury, Salinger or Lee. Even the Harry Potter series, with its heavy occult imagery, didn’t make the cut. Instead, the naughty nine were comprised of children’s and teen fiction, graphic novels, a Vanity Fair magazine article, Sacha Baron Cohen’s Bruno DVD and a book on being a Chartered Financial Analyst."

A Stealth Librarianship Manifesto

"A Stealth Librarianship Manifesto." Confessions of A Science Librarian / John Dupuis.
Toronto: Confessions of a Science Librarian, February 10th 2011.

"Stealth librarianship is a way of being. ... to thrive and survive in a challenging environment, we must subtly and not-so-subtly insinuate ourselves into the lives of our patrons. We must concentrate on becoming part of their world, part of their landscape. ... This is based on hope and promise, not despair."

Lessons For Grown-Ups From Story Time

"Lessons For Grown-Ups From Story Time." Your Ottawa Region / Charles Gordon.
Ottawa: Your Ottawa Region Online, January 27th 2011.

"For one thing, this would give children an opportunity to see librarians in action, and notice what heroes they are."

Something Else / Diamond Rings

I Like Clouds

OMBI 2008 Performance Benchmarking Report

OMBI 2008 Performance Benchmarking Report / Ontario Municipality Benchmarking Initiative (OMBI).

"Each municipality’s results are influenced to varying degrees by a number of factors, including:

• access: number and size of branches and hours of operation mean municipalities with lower population densities may require more library branches and more service hours to provide residents services within a reasonable distance

• collections: size and mix, as well as number of languages supported 

• programs: range of public programs 

• library use: mix, variety and depth of library uses and the varying amount of staff  resources 

• web services: availability and degree of investment 

• demographics: socio-economic and cultural make-up of the population served."

The Northern / Alexisonfire

Embracing Technology in Ontario’s Public Libraries

Embracing Technology in Ontario’s Public Libraries / Southern Ontario Library Systems.
Markham: Library Technology Trends Committee, June 25th 2010.

Library Use #7: Help