Welcome to the Kentucky Virtual Library's blog.

New Website for Ky Dept for Libraries & Archives

Posted: March 16th, 2011 | By: Enid

Our friends at KDLA [the state library/archives] have announced a new website.  Per our colleague Nancy Houseal, State Library Services, in an email today:

“Have you seen it? KDLA’s new website (http://kdla.ky.gov/Pages/default.aspx) was launched on March 15. It has a fresh look and was designed with you in mind! When entering the new site, look for the Librarians tab at the top left to find all information relative to you.

KDLA’s web address has changed slightly and many of your old bookmarks will no longer link to your favorite KDLA web pages.  Here is a handy list that will help you locate the State Library’s programming materials and resources:

Kit Request Form: http://kdla.ky.gov/librarians/askalibrarian/Pages/KitRequest.aspx

Ask a Librarian: http://kdla.ky.gov/librarians/askalibrarian/Pages/InformationRequest.aspx

Book Discussion Kits (all types): http://kdla.ky.gov/librarians/programs/Pages/BookKits.aspx

Thematic Kits (all types): http://kdla.ky.gov/librarians/programs/Pages/ThematicKits.aspx

Circulating Audiobook Collection: http://kdla.ky.gov/librarians/programs/Pages/CirculatingCollections.aspx

Circulating Large Type Collection: http://kdla.ky.gov/librarians/programs/Pages/CirculatingCollections.aspx

Can’t find what you need on the new website or want to make a comment (good or bad) about the website? Please contact the Reference desk at (800)-928-7000, ext. 342.”

KDLA is a major financial supporter of the KYVL licensed research databases and a very good friend partner in resource sharing and other initiatives.  You can access the services of KDLA as a state employee or as a citizen of Kentucky.  If you are a university, public library patron or other, you have resources available to you as well, including using interlibrary loan to borrow materials at the state library.  We could go on and on regarding what KDLA offers you but see for yourself.

Visit ttp://kdla.ky.gov !

Happy Spring!

Your friendly KYVL Director,
Enid

Library Media Survey from AASL/KDE Announced

Posted: February 15th, 2011 | By: Enid

Survey announcement from our friend Kathy at Ky Dept of Education.  Are you a media specialist in K12 in Kentucky?  Please take a minute and put in your two cents for this AASL survey by 18 March.

2011 Library Media Survey

Hello Fellow Librarians!

The Kentucky Department of Education has officially partnered this year with the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) for its annual national data collection project. Kentucky School Media Librarians are invited to participate in AASL’s “School Libraries Count!” survey (www.ala.org/aasl/slcsurvey). This survey is vital to AASL’s national advocacy efforts and our state’s advocacy efforts. School Media Librarians completing the survey will have access to a personalized report to use locally for their own advocacy efforts. Deadline: March 18, 2011. New questions in this year’s survey cover digital citizenship curriculum in school library programs.

A short survey with questions specific to Kentucky School Media Librarians is also available. The KY-specific survey takes approximately 5 minutes to complete, and the data from it will be used with data from the national survey to create a snapshot of our state’s library media programs. Even if you choose not to complete the AASL survey, please take the time to answer the 11 brief questions at the link below. The survey link will be active through March 31. http://www.education.ky.gov/KDE/Instructional+Resources/Library+Media/Kentucky+School+Library+Media+Survey+2011.htm.

Feel free to contact me with any questions. Thank you for participating in this important task!

Kathy
Kathy Mansfield
Library Media / Textbook Consultant
kathy.mansfield@education.ky.gov

Digital Media & 21st Century Learning – a PBS documentary

Posted: February 1st, 2011 | By: Enid

UPDATE with the Upcoming Airdates on our KET:

KET2: Tuesday, February 15 at 5:00 am EST
KET: Thursday, February 17 at 4:00 am EST
KET2: Wednesday, February 23 at 9:00 pm EST
KETKY: Friday, March 11 at 4:00 am EST
KETKY: Thursday, March 24 at 1:00 am EST
Past Airdates:
KET2: Monday, February 14 at 3:00 am EST
KET2: Tuesday, February 15 at 5:00 am EST
KET: Thursday, February 17 at 4:00 am EST
KET2: Wednesday, February 23 at 9:00 pm EST
KETKY: Friday, March 11 at 4:00 am EST
KETKY: Thursday, March 24 at 1:00 am EST
Past Airdates:
KET2: Monday, February 14 at 3:00 am EST

I hope you catch this show – I’ll be watching.

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I’m sharing this press release because it is important to all of us who work with K12 and hope to meet student needs, whether in the classroom, online or in the library.    It may be “old news” but the documentary is coming up on the TV schedule for 13 February.  Check the listings of your local PBS station. “The film, targeted at parents, teachers, and anyone concerned about education in America, explores how exceptional instructors are increasingly using digital media and interactive practices to ignite their students’ curiosity and ingenuity, help them become civically engaged, allow them to collaborate with peers worldwide, and empower them to direct their own learning.” I’ll be watching, I hope you do too.  Thank you, Enid

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For Immediate Release                                                                                                                              December 3, 2010

CONTACT:

Daniel Gumnit, (651) 229-1582

dgumnit@tpt.org

The Education Revolution Will Be Televised:

PBS Presents “Digital Media: New Learners of the 21st Century”

Premiering Nationwide February 13, 2010; check local listings

Blogging. Texting. Smart Phones. Gaming. Social Networks. YouTube. More than just diversions for America’s kids, these technologies are becoming intrinsic to how they live…and learn.

Increasingly present in kids’ formal and informal educational settings, digital media is as common as pencils and notebooks were to their parents.  Yet in many American classrooms and homes, these high-tech tools are severely limited or forbidden.  Teachers and parents wonder: What are students doing with these technologies?

Digital Media: New Learners of the 21st Century, a one-hour PBS documentary produced by tpt National Productions and Mobile Digital Arts, addresses this vital question, taking viewers to the frontlines of what is rapidly becoming an education revolution.  The film, targeted at parents, teachers, and anyone concerned about education in America, explores how exceptional instructors are increasingly using digital media and interactive practices to ignite their students’ curiosity and ingenuity, help them become civically engaged, allow them to collaborate with peers worldwide, and empower them to direct their own learning.

The documentary also dives into cutting-edge educational and cognitive research to explore how increasingly powerful forms of digital media impact today’s learner.  Viewers meet some of the country’s most noted educational experts and thought leaders in the digital education realm.  Nichole Pinkard, founder of the Chicago’s Digital Youth Network, connects the dots between digital afterschool programs and their potential relationship to in-school practices. Henry Jenkins from the Annenberg School for Communication discusses the Internet’s role in sparking student political participation. Katie Salen, Professor at Parsons School of Design and Founder of the Institute of Play, illuminates how gaming helps kids more effectively explore systems and processes.   And the University of California Irvine’s Mimi Ito shows parents how new media practices are creating new avenues for kids to interact, collaborate, and learn

Digital Media: New Learners of the 21st Century also criss-crosses the nation to highlight real-life examples of how digital media is exploding in educational environments.   In Manhattan, the innovative Quest 2 Learn public school employs game design to help students explore both academic subjects and human interaction. A Wisconsin classroom uses mobile devices and place-based learning to model civic activity and teach history.  Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute sponsors The Science Leadership Academy, a public magnet school integrating digital practices into all curricula.  Middle school campers race around D.C.’s museums on a digital scavenger hunt implemented by the Smithsonian Institute.  And students on Chicago’s South Side gain media literacy, social networking skills, and self-efficacy in a decade-old pioneering multimedia program.

From classroom to library to museum to mall, students are claiming digital media as a means of connecting, communicating, creating, and learning.  Digital Media: New Learners of the 21st Century explores this burgeoning phenomenon, interpreting its importance and offering parents, teachers, and everyone who cares about kids a window into 21st-century education.

***

tpt National Productions is based at Twin Cities Public Television (tpt), the PBS affiliate for Minneapolis/St. Paul. For more than 25 years, tpt has produced award- winning series, documentaries and specials for national audiences. tpt’s commitment to and expertise in producing educational content is evident in numerous science and technology programs, including the Emmy Award-winning series DragonflyTV and Newton’s Apple, as well as numerous science documentaries and NOVA specials.

Mobile Digital Arts produces films about innovation and reform in education. REBORN: New Orleans Schools is a feature documentary about the school reform movement after Hurricane Katrina. A 21st Century Education is a series of twelve short films that profile individuals who are at the forefront of using technology, project-based learning, and providing fair and just educational opportunities for all students.

Good news for McLean County and all of Kentucky: Every county will be served!

Posted: November 17th, 2010 | By: Enid

Our Commissioner of Libraries, Wayne Onkst, sent this around to friends of Kentucky libraries on 9 November and with his permission, I am re-posting here to the KYVL blog:

Nikole Wolfe has informed me that the McLean County Fiscal Court voted unanimously earlier today to enter into an agreement with KDLA to establish the McLean County Public Library.  We expect to sign the agreement soon so the County Judge can appoint a board of trustees.  Thanks so much to Nikole and Susan Dunman who have worked with library supporters and county officials for a long time to make this possible. The library that has been operated mainly by volunteers with some support by the city of Livermore for about 60 years will be transferred to the new library board and will become the county’s library.  The library will be funded primarily with a federal grant obtained by Congressman Whitfield for the next 2 years after which long term funding must be obtained.  So the vote today by the Fiscal Court is the beginning of what will certainly be a long process to make the library permanent.

Nevertheless, this is a major milestone for Kentucky and for our libraries.  With the new libraries in Carter County and McLean County, for the first time public library service will be available in every county.  Free public library service for every resident of Kentucky has been a dream of many for a long time.  There are so many people who have worked so hard to establish and build the public library service we enjoy.  Many receiving this message deserve a share of the credit and I’m sure we all know of others in our communities who have worked and sacrificed much for their libraries.

We have a lot of work to do to make certain this new service continues and to guarantee quality service across Kentucky, but I think today it is appropriate that we all celebrate the hard work that has been accomplished in each of our counties to make this day possible.

Wayne

Wayne Onkst
State Librarian & Commissioner
Kentucky Dept. for Libraries and Archives
P. O. Box 537
Frankfort, Ky.  40602-0537
502-564-8300 x312

Kentucky Adopts Lexile Framework for Reading

Posted: November 17th, 2010 | By: Enid

The Kentucky Department of Education has announced a partnership with MetaMetrics and the adoption of the Lexile® Framework for Reading and the Quantile® Framework for Mathematics.

Did you know that many of the digital resources provided through Kentucky Virtual Library (www.kyvl.org) contain the Lexile measure?  Lexile levels are provided for books profiled in Novelist, as well as magazines and journals available from EBSCO.  EBSCO’s Student Research Center, Kids Search and Searchasaurus interfaces for the K12 students have Lexile available as all searchable by Lexile reading level.  The Grolier Online encyclopedias also offer Lexile levels as a search option, and the reading level is listed for each article .

For details on the Kentucky agreement with  MetaMetrics® see the news release  LEXILE AND QUANTILE MEASURES TO BE AVAILABLE” for details.

For questions about the resources from Kentucky Virtual Library, use the Contact link on our main page.

Thank you!

K12 Districts Can Still Opt-In! 70 districts still have time…

Posted: November 8th, 2010 | By: Enid

The deadline has passed for districts to return their letters of intent to Kentucky Virtual Library regarding membership.  We are allowing a grace period so folks have some extra time to work with decision makers within their district to help make the case for opting in for KYVL.

We have almost 100 school districts who have said “yes” to KYVL membership for this year, giving access through June 2011.  But we have around 70 we haven’t heard from yet. We are currently short about one-third in the assessment to be collected from the public K12 group.  That means we have a significant shortfall for this group and have to cover the deficit somehow.  We have nearly 100% participation from our other user groups and you can track that http://www.kyvl.org/advocate.shtm.

With participation in KYVL, Kentucky schools have the advantage of group buying power AND over $1 million from agencies subsidizing member contributions.   If schools and districts were on their own, the 25+  research databases would cost nearly $10 per student.    Consumer Reports, Rolling Stone,  School Library Journal, and Ranger Rick are available online to all members because of KYVL’s contracts and the power of so many coming together to share the costs.

The Top 10 KYVL databases used by KYVL’s public K12 users last year were:

Grolier Online Encyclopedias
Middle Search Plus
Newspaper Source
MAS Ultra
TOPICsearch
Academic Search Premier
Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia
Primary Search
MasterFILE Premier
ERIC

These same databases in addition to another fifteen (15) are used by many of Kentucky’s universities, colleges and community/technical colleges — students using these databases throughout their elementary and secondary education will be familiar with the resources when its time to do college-level research.  Or when they reach the workforce, the now adult Kentuckians can read foreign language newspapers online, or compare cars in Consumer Reports automotive edition, because they know where to go and how to do it.

Many resources are also Lexiled so you can choose the appropriate reading level for your student. Lexile can be used as a search criteria as well whether you are checking Novelist for a girl scientist hero fiction book for an advanced reader or perhaps, just articles from magazines or U.S. newspapers for a particular grade level.

We would like to hear from all districts by November 15th. If you need search statistics, the cost for your district or the letter of intent sent to you to pass on to your superintendent, please contact Betsy Hughes.

We will begin cutting off access via IP and login, and finally by 17 December, we will block any non-member sites from accessing KYVL licensed resources.   If KYVL is important to your students, your community, please tell your leadership to keep KYVL available.

If you need examples or talking points, check out our Advocacy page:   http://www.kyvl.org/advocate.shtm

We’ve also posted the presentations we did in September, explaining the strategic planning and how the new funding model was created.

Long PPT  – http://www.kyvl.org/docs/FundingPPT.pdf
Short PPT – for school districts   http://www.kyvl.org/docs/FundingPPT_Supers.pdf

Thank you for your support!

Enid Wohlstein, Director of KYVL, and the KYVL Strategic Planning Steering Team:

Susan Brown (Transylvania University)
Carrie Cooper (Eastern Kentucky University)
Tara Cooper (Union College)
Charlene Davis (KDLA)
Kathy Mansfield (KDE)
Sheree Huber Williams, Chair (Jefferson Community and Technical College)

Deadline is here to opt-in for Fiscal Year 2010-11

Posted: October 28th, 2010 | By: Enid

The letter of intent for participating in KYVL for this fiscal year is due today, 29 October. We have been emailing about the new funding model for several weeks and the process is coming to a close.  If you have not received an email from us about the new funding model and the fee change for your library, please get in touch so we can resend it immediately.  If you cannot meet the deadline, please let us know – we will be happy to work with you.

For the first time, public school districts are asked to cover their own participation fee.  Any questions about this, the history or funding formula, and the estimated assessed fee, email us.

You must be a KYVL member to participate in the ground courier service for inter-library loan and delivery of course materials.  For the public libraries, community & technical colleges, and public universities, KYVL provides this service to your library at no cost. If your library is not a Kentucky Virtual Library member, courier service cannot be purchased. Without a signed letter of intent for your library, your courier service will be discontinued at the end of December. Your library may not be a lender but consider the mailing costs of returning the items borrowed for your patrons. Also consider you may have to pay to have items shipped from the lending library.

You must be a KYVL member to access the KYVL research databases.  For these subscriptions, state agencies subsidize your access with over $1 million in contributions.  Participating libraries also receive discounts on other products from the KYVL vendors on master agreement such as EBSCO, Proquest, etc. because of the contracts or because of our purchase of basic resources.  Participation in KYVL provides you a core collection of resources at a very low cost compared to the vendor retail costs.  KYVL resources are licensed for KYVL members only. Without the signed letter of intent, in mid-November we will begin the process of suspending logins and finally blocking IPs of non-members by 17 December.

Information on the process, including the presentations from last week, can be found on the KYVL Advocacy page.  http://www.kyvl.org/advocate.shtm

About the funding model – http://www.kyvl.org/docs/FundingPPT.pdf

Who is participating?  Check the Advocacy page – we are tracking who has returned their district or library’s letter of intent.

More detail on the history and formula for the model has been provided to the school district leadership and directors or deans at member libraries in previous communications.  If you have any questions, please contact us.  Again, if you need your letter sent to you or your director or dean again, contact us.

We appreciate your continued support. Thanks to all who have already sent in your Letters of Intent!

Virtual Libraries in the South – webinar for P20

Posted: October 26th, 2010 | By: Enid

The webinar has been archived at:

https://sas.elluminate.com/p.jnlp?psid=2010-10-27.0831.M.F416DE271D904B3481688D10A681B4.vcr&sid=849

*******************

Good morning!

Tomorrow, 27 October at 11am Eastern time, the SREB (Southern Region Education Board) is hosting a webinar entitled:  ”Virtual Libraries Can Save Your Job, School and Sanity!”   Please consider joining us as experts from multiple Southern states share the commonalities in K-20 virtual library offerings and partnerships.

The webinar will address: Access, Interfaces, Journals and Magazines, Licensed Digital Content, Primary Resources, Resources for Research

Presenters:
Denise Oliver, Alabama Virtual Library
Merryll Penson, GALILEO
Enid Wohlstein, Kentucky Virtual Library

KYVL, the Kentuckiana Digital Library and Kyleidoscope will be included in the webinar, along with our colleagues in parallel projects in Alabama, North Carolina and Georgia.

The webinar has been promoted to K12 specifically in the SREB states but anyone with an interest in digital libraries, virtual libraries, the similarities and differences between our states and the benefits of these collaborative initiatives would benefit.

The webinar is open to anyone.

Hope you are enjoying the beautiful autumn weather.

Thank you,
Enid – KYVL Director

New Fee Structure

Posted: October 15th, 2010 | By: betsy

By now, most of you will have probably heard something about KYVL’s new funding model and fee structure. The KYVL Strategic Planning Steering team, along with the Funding Subcommittee have finalized our new funding model – designed to make KYVL more self-sustaining and less dependent on state agency funds.

There will be three special webcasts where KYVL staff and members of our Strategic Planning Steering Team will answer questions about the new fee structure and related issues. Anyone with an internet connection and a telephone may attend.

To join a webcast, click the appropriate date/time below:

October 20, 2010 – 3:00 PM Eastern
(Click here to add this meeting to your Outlook calendar)


October 20, 2010 – 5:00 PM Eastern

(Click here to add this meeting to your Outlook calendar)


October 21, 2010 – 11:30 AM Eastern

(Click here to add this meeting to your Outlook calendar)

 

We will be taking questions in advance of the webcasts, so please be sure to submit your questions via this form.

 

For more information, please visit our Advocacy page.

 

Congratulations to the KY Book Fair Grants recipients

Posted: September 22nd, 2010 | By: Enid

Last week at the KY Library Association conference, seven public and school libraries were awarded grants totaling $7,500 from proceeds of the 2009 Kentucky Book Fair.  Congratulations to all!!

  • $1,500 to the Academy@ Shawnee in Louisville to increase student literacy skills.
  • $1,500 to Caldwell County High School in Princeton for contemporary biographies and social sciences books.
  • $500 to Fairdale Elementary School in Jefferson County to enhance the collection of books on countries and cultures.
  • $1,000 to Jamestown Elementary School in Russell County to purchase high interest books for reluctant readers.
  • $1,500 to Lee County Public Library in Beattyville to aid in the recovery from a disastrous water main break.
  • $750 to Mayfield Middle School in Graves County to add to the biography collection.
  • $750 to Newport Junior High School in Campbell County to expand the number of social science books.

Since the inception of the book fair in 1981, more than $300,000 has been awarded to libraries across the commonwealth. Each year approximately 150 authors attend the Kentucky Book Fair to autograph and sell copies of their latest books. The event draws about 4,000 patrons to purchase books and related media, with proceeds used for operations of the fair and the library-grant program.

Kentucky Book Fair Inc., a nonprofit organization, was founded to coordinate the annual Kentucky Book Fair, with proceeds supporting Kentucky’s libraries and literacy programs.

The 2010 Kentucky Book Fair is Saturday, Nov. 13, from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., at the Frankfort Convention Center.  Proceeds from the 2010 book fair will be distributed in 2011. For more information, visit http://kybookfair.org/2010/.

Judith Gibbons

Kentucky Book Fair Grants Chair