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Between The Bookcovers

News from the PS8 Library

The PS 8 Library is pleased to announce the purchase of the World Book Online Reference Center. Explore interactive maps, current events, sounds, images and much more by accessing the World Book Online link from the PS 8 Library Homepage listed under "Websites of the Month."

You will be prompted to enter a login and password when accessing World Book Online from your home computer. Look for access details in the next PS8 Timely Notice email.

If you have any questions or concerns please email me. Happy searching!

Amanda Erin Green
School Librarian
agreen11@schools.nyc.gov

The PS 8 library recently underwent a reorganization in order to create space for a new collection of audio books. Earlier this month the library received a grant of over 400 audio books on cassette from the Books for Kids Foundation. The audio books included with this grant range from the classics--"Nancy Drew" and "The Lord of the Rings"--to popular modern titles--"Junie B. Jones" and "The Thief Lord". In addition, the library has doubled the number of computers available for students' use to four stations. Check out the library's online catalog and links to fun and educational resources PS 8 Library Homepage.

Special thanks to all of our Birthday Club book donors!

Amanda Erin Green
Librarian

This fall I was hired on as the first full time, licensed librarian that anybody can recollect at PS 8. Thank you so much for a wonderful welcome into the PS 8 community. I feel energized by our school's bright and eager students. I promise to do my best to guide the growth of the PS 8 library program. I can be contacted with any questions or concerns via email agreen11@schools.nyc.gov.

You may now access the PS 8 library catalog from home! Visit the PS 8 Library Homepage. The front page of our library's homepage offers links to web resources for families, students, and teachers. Clicking the "catalog" tab allows access to the catalog itself. The catalog may be viewed in English, Spanish, or French, and users can locate library resources by author (Dahl, Roald), title (Where the Wild Things Are), subject (planets), series (Magic Tree House), or the all-encompassing keyword search. I encourage students to use the keyword search when they are browsing the collection without a specific book in mind. Another helpful feature of our web-based catalog is the visual search, which allows users to click on pictures of subjects without having to necessarily know how to spell the name of the topic. This feature opens up use of the catalog to even the youngest library users!

Finally, the PS 8 library has created a Wish List at Amazon.com. To locate our list, perform a search for the "PS 8 Library" wish list and you will be able to view a listing of books and magazine subscriptions that match our library's needs. The Birthday Club has already been a great success and continues to improve our collection. Donations to the library have been vital to keeping our collection current and inviting to readers at PS 8.

Thank you for all of your support.

Amanda Erin Green

FLASH!!! PortaPortal Open For P.S.8 Community!

The caveats of internet use must be followed here, as on any internet site. Here's what the American Library Association says about children safely using the internet:

Safety By Age

At this age it's important that kids experience positive results from sites that can enhance their discovery. The issue here isn't so much avoiding dangerous sites, but making sure they are visiting sites that don't frustrate them or lead them down blind alleys.

7 to about 10:
During this period, children begin looking outside the family for social validation and information. This is when peer pressure begins to become an issue for many kids. It's also a time when kids are looking for more independence from parents, according to psychologist Richard Toft. During these years, children should be encouraged to do a bit more exploring on their own, but that doesn't mean that the parents shouldn't be close at hand. Just as you wouldn't send children at this age to a movie by themselves, it's important to be with them -- or at least nearby -- when they explore the Net. For this age group, consider putting the computer in a kitchen area, family room, den, or other areas where the child has access to Mom or Dad while using the computer. That way, they can be "independent" but not alone.

Also, consider using a filtering program or restricting them to sites that you locate via a child-safe search engine. Another option for this age group is a child-friendly browser.

When your child is at this stage, you need to be concerned not so much about what he's doing online and with the PC as how long he's spending on the PC. Be sure that his time on the computer and the Internet doesn't take away from all his other activities. Kids need variety, and it's not a good idea for them to be spending all of their time on any single activity, even reading books. One way to deal with this might be through the use of a software time-limiting tool. It's even important to be sure that they are varying what they do online. Encourage them to explore a variety of Web sites, not just one or two of their favorites.

Thanks again to Bill Maxcy for setting up the access. Please report to the library volunteers any problems with the site. They'll get the information to me or to Bill so that the problem can be solved. If you have a favorite site that you think should be included, please let me know about it.

Ann Kranis

Many wonderful things have been happening in the library this school year! We are in the process of becoming part of the Department of Education's union catalog. A union catalog is one in which the catalogs of many libraries are listed. An example is the public library's on-line catalog which lists all the books in all the branches. Here, the union catalog will be the catalogs of schools in NYC. Students, teachers, and parents will have access to our catalog on the internet on computers in classrooms and at home. When they log on, they will see only our catalog, but librarians can look and see if the material is available elsewhere in the NYC school library system. Children will be able to use the resources of our library more efficiently and can practice the searching skills they need to use the high school, college and public libraries. With this new system, we will be able to create instant bibliographies for teachers, track our inventory easily, while continuing to have an automated circulation system. Someday in the future, there might even be inter-library loans available. There are technical problems to be addressed before the system becomes fully functional in our school, and the volunteers have to be trained in using the new system, but this service will certainly be in use at P. S. 8 by September, 2007. As soon as it is, you will be given the URL, user id, and password needed to access the catalog. I foresee a time when a child will have an assignment, look at the catalog at home, ask for a reserve on line, and pick up the book in the morning, or a teacher will, at home, look at our catalog and ask for books to be put on reserve for a class's use. I'm already playing with the system from my home computer in order to become more comfortable in using it and I expect to have training sessions with the volunteers in August and September.

Also on the internet front, Bill Macxy has helped set up the P. S. 8 Portaportal. This is a listing in one place of vetted internet sites for children, teachers, and parents to use to find information on the internet. This is a constantly evolving space, and we hope that it will be a useful one for everyone. Right now, the internet sites listed are primarily from those recommended by the American Library Association and/or the NYC Department of Education. Again, we have a few technical problems to address, and as soon as they are solved, we will provide the P. S. 8 community with the URL, user id, and password needed to access the site.

Our book collection is growing nicely. It has been kept current by the supplementing of our meager budget with donations. Thank you to all those who have participated in our various fund-raising activities. We have gotten wonderful books through the Birthday Club, the Read-a-Thon, and the spontaneous generosity of friends of the P. S. 8 library. Special thanks, once again, to Paul O. Zelinsky, a very special library friend, who has given us another wonderful collection of current picture books. Library collections are vibrant entities, constantly in flux. Books become out-dated, lost, damaged. New subjects are introduced to the curriculum. New media become standard. The world changes. All of this affects the way the library must act to meet the needs of the children and teachers. We are so fortunate to have such a generous P. S. 8 community, one that keeps our library filled with materials that excite our children's minds.

A special "thank you" goes to Tess McKellen, former head librarian of Packer upper school, who has generously given her time to evaluating, weeding, and cataloging the audio-visual materials in our library. Tess was here visiting for just a few months, but made a terrific contribution in that short time. She'll be leaving us this month, and will be missed.

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A request to teachers: please let us know if the library is lacking material in any area you wish to use with your students. Your input is very valuable. If you are planning any new areas of study for next year, or think you will be putting greater emphasis on a particular topic, now is the time to let the library know about it. Just drop a note in the library mailbox, or stop in and tell your volunteer about it. If you have particular titles in mind, list them. If you don't, just let the library know the topic and the grade level you are interested in, and we will search for materials to meet your needs.

The library program is in full swing with a wonderful group of parent/community volunteers. It took us a while to get going, but the children are coming in each week, borrowing books, and enjoying their library experience. Please note the schedule below so that you can remind your child to return the books borrowed. They are lent for one week only, but children are permitted to renew their books if they haven't finished reading them. Please help your child get into the habit of returning or renewing his book each week. Children who have not cleared their book records cannot borrow additional books. We do not charge late fees, but lost books currently have a charge of $3.00 per book, a fee that doesn't come close to the replacement cost of the books, so please, help us get the books returned. Part of the school library experience is to instill a sense of responsibility in the children, but we need your help. The fee is returned should the book be found and returned to the library.

Monday: all Second grade classes
Tuesday: all Kindergarten classes
Wednesday: all First grade classes
Thursday: all Third-grade classes
Friday: all Fourth and Fifth grade classes

Most kindergartners will not be taking their books home, but to their classrooms. We have found from experience that they often forget to bring them back on time and are unduly distressed when they cannot take a new book because of this. Having the teacher responsible for collecting them in the classroom has made the library experience better for these little ones. However, the CTT class, at their teachers' request, will not be borrowing books at all, but two children each week will take their books home to prepare for book-sharing with the rest of the class. Please check your child's book bag on library day to see if he/she is one of the two book-sharerers for the week. This should happen only once during the school year.

Each class on all grades will have two children who will share their books with the rest of the class. The child should be prepared to tell the class something about the book and whether he enjoyed reading it. How detailed this information will be will depend on the grade and the child's ability. This is not something that is graded, but should be a pleasant sharing experience for the children. Ask your child about the books he borrows. Share the reading experience at home.

Something new that's been in the planning for almost a year is the Library Birthday Club. Children who have had birthdays in October and November have already received birthday greetings from the library with an invitation to bring that greeting to the library to receive a voucher for a free ice cream from Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Store on Atlantic Avenue. To get the ice cream, all the child has to do is read a book and have their teacher sign the voucher. Bring the voucher in, and enjoy the ice cream! Many thanks to Ben and Jerry's for this reading incentive. We also have arranged with Barnes and Noble to allow parents to purchase a book donation for the library at a substantial discount (20% off the list price, with no tax added) in honor of their child's birthday. This is an opportunity to help the library and give your child a sharing experience. Our children receive presents on their birthdays, and this is an chance for them to learn the pleasure of giving. If you bring your child's birthday greeting to the Barnes and Noble on Court Street and see a customer service representative there, they will allow you to purchase one book for the library at the discount. If you need guidance to choose a book, a list of library 'wants' is on deposit there as well as in the library. Our book budget is so very small ($6.00 per child) that if only half the children in the school participate, we will double the number of new books available to our children. Books donated will have a beautiful book plate designed by Paul O. Zelinsky pasted in the front, acknowledging that the book was given to the library by your child in honor of his birthday. See any of the library volunteers for more information should you need it.

A special opportunity:
The Donnell Library Center at 20 West 53rd Street in Manhattan will be holding a wonderful storytelling event in celebration of St. Nicholas Eve in the Central Children's Room on Thursday, December 7th at 6:30 pm. If you arrive at around 6 pm, there will be snacks and drinks. The program is Uncommon Versions of Favorite Tales, told by John Peters. It should be a wonderful event, celebrating stories and storytelling. All are invited, and it's free.

Ann Kranis

It's that time of year again: circulation will come to a close on June 2nd, just a few weeks from now. Please make sure that all books have been returned to the library so we can prepare for our doing an inventory in July.

Materials needed for classroom use by the staff can, of course, be retained past June 2nd. Please let the library volunteers know that you are keeping them past the due date so that we don't spend time sending you unnecessary dunning notices.

Thank you to those who purchased books for the library at the Paddlewheeler in April. The books have been processed and are on our shelves with the donation recognized by the beautiful bookplate designed by Paul O. Zelinsky. We have two "mystery" donations. If you are the Helen or the Henry who bought a book for us, please come to the library and identify yourself so your full name can be put on the bookplate.

The close of the school library's circulation should not signal the end of regular recreational reading for your child. There are several programs to encourage summer reading. One program is sponsored by Reading is Fundamental (RIF) and Target. They are inviting youngsters aged 5 through 15 to track their reading hours online for a chance to win a Target gift card. You can register for this program any time between May 1 and August 11th at http://www.rif.org/summer/default.mspx Children will also find activities, games, and ways to participate in the RIF Reading Planet Club.

Our Brooklyn Heights branch library is open every day but Sunday. Hours vary, but they are currently open from 10 am to 6 pm, MWF and 1 pm to 8 pm on Tuesdays, 1 pm to 6 pm on Thursdays, and 11 am to 3 pm on Saturdays. The branch will have a Kid's Day Celebration on Thursday, June 8th, so those of you with little ones at home, consider joining the fun. From 1 to 2 pm, a musician will play Calipso/soca, reggae/ska in the 1st floor auditorium. From 2 to 3 pm, a clown will entertain in the Children's Room on the 2nd floor. There will be clowning, games, face painting, balloons, a raffle and lots of fun. Most important of all, from 3 to 4 pm, the 2006 Summer Reading Program will kick off with gifts for all children who sign up! That will take place in the Children's Room also. Direct any questions about this event to Delia Caron, Children's Librarian at the branch.

Parents who don't live near this branch of Brooklyn Public Library should check their local branch for date and time of their Summer Reading Program launch. Reading is like any other skill...use it or lose it. Don't put your child at a disadvantage by allowing the skills learned all year to be lost. Make sure that reading is part of every day's activities.

Ann Kranis

We?ve had a busy year so far at the P.S. 8 Library. All classes are scheduled for library visits once each week. The children enjoy the books, and thanks to the generosity of several parents, we?ve had our meager book budget enhanced so that the collection continues to grow. We?ve been emphasizing the non-fiction collection, particularly science and literature. A whole new collection of Shakespeare plays re-written for second grade readers has been acquired and has been circulating, thanks to the interest stirred by the production of ?Romeo and Juliet? which was seen in the auditorium this fall. The books are suitable for classroom productions as well as for individual reading. Special thanks to Michelle Marozik, Paul O. Zelinsky, Marleny Rafferty, and Barbara Lessense for donations of books and funds that have helped keep the collection growing.

We were able to take advantage of Follett?s generosity by attending the Combined Book Exhibit and getting a $300.00 grant. While that translated into only 25 books (books are expensive!), half of them disappeared into children?s hands the moment they were catalogued! The excitement the books create is an absolute joy to behold.

The big news now is that Mr. Maxcy made contact with the Technical Services people of the DOE and the library has been given three computers and a new printer for the children and staff to use. The computers have internet access and we?ve posted a list of suggested sites for teachers, children and parents that have educational value. We anticipate that by next year, the library catalogue will be viewable on those computers, making the library experience more meaningful and the collection more accessible than it is now.

I am often thanked by the administration and teachers for helping to keep the library working. While I appreciate that, the school owes a great deal to the hard-working, reliable volunteers who come each week to circulate the books and to keep the library in order. Thanks also to the classroom teachers who help us get those books returned and who have created a wonderful sense of community in the school.

Please let the library know if there are books that you wish us to obtain or areas that you feel are not adequately represented in the collection. Teachers, if there is a new area in the curriculum that you are planning to explore, let us know so that we can try to have materials ready for your use.

Ann Kranis

Scenes From PS8: (click for more)