Welcome back to school.  We hope you had a restful and exciting summer vacation. It seems that our summers are getting shorter each year. In addition to some well-deserved R&R, many library media specialists also found time to participate in completely overhauling on the onLINE website, developing new online research models, and working on many subject area curriculum workshops. We are confident that when you see the results of their work you will appreciate the new tools to assist you in administering the school library media program. It is our sincere hope that everyone will have the best year ever!

Back to School Meeting - Professional Study Day - August 29
All library media specialists will meet at Dogwood Elementary School on August 29 (ONLY) from 8:15 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Following brief announcements, the Maryland State Department of Education will conduct "media literacy" training. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Directions to Dogwood: Security Blvd (WEST); Right on Roling Road; Left on Dogwood Rd to school on left.
Please CARPOOL

onLINE Website: New Look and New Home

The Office of Library Information Services received some unexpected funding to hire 15 library media specialists to revise onLINE: The Librarians' Network for the Essential Curriculum. It has a completely new look with all new links to Internet resources that support the teaching and learning of the K-12 Essential Curriculum. Many thanks to Kay Jones, webmaster, who led the team of library media specialists in completing this awesome task. We wish to extend our appreciation to Lisa Allen, Joyce Caldwell, Cheryl Cohen, Pat Fiero, Barbara Falkinburg, Cynthia Gardina, Mary Grauel, Pam Lichty, Ann O'Neill, Kim Ports, Kelly Ray, Penny Setser, and Pat Simon.

Also, onLINE is not mounted on the Baltimore County Public Schools server. The new URL is
< http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis >. Make sure you update your bookmarks! In addition, both Della and Kay have passwords and permission to upload files at any time.

New Online Procedures Manual for School Library Media Specialists
Thanks to Valorie Ritenour who called the office before school ended, we have a new procedures manual. Without a doubt, our procedures manual was out-of-date. The task of writing a new one has been on the burner; however, it always got shoved to the back. Something else always seemed to get in the way....perhaps it was just plain procrastination. Anyway, this summer we worked feverishly to develop a new manual - a much improved online format that will allow us to keep current and useful.

The manual is arranged by your roles as library media specialists - teacher, instructional partner, information specialist, and program administrator. Each role is a webpage that has not only links to information to support that role, but also to documents, guides, policies, etc. written by the Office of Library Information Services. In addition, there are webpages for each of the responsibilities of the Office of Library Information Services. The manual is not only a source of information for library media specialists, but also a public relations tool to inform the educational community of the roles and the services of the office. Please give your suggestions for additions. Also, if you have any documents that you would like to share with others, email them to Della Curtis.

NOTE: The banner above is an imagemap....just move your mouse over the headings and go directly to that webpage.
The URL is < http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/office >.

New Information Problem Solving Research Models
We are now calling the online research modules a new name - information problem solving research models. We wanted a title that would be inclusive of not only Jamie McKenzie's model but also of other concepts/models such as WebQuests, I-Search, Jay McTighe's Understanding by Design, and the Big Six. This summer many new information problem solving research models were designed in conjunction with the Summer Curriculum Workshops. Many thanks to Kay Jones, Webmaster and expert model designer, and the following library media specialists: Joyce Caldwell, Mary Grauel, Kim Ports, Pat Simon, Jamie Harring, Phyllis Fullem, and Pam Lichty.

It is highly recommended that you incorporate these models in your instructional program. Also, request that you present these at a faculty meeting. Take some time to study the models....you will find that they comprehensive, aligned with the Essential Curriculum, and are excellent tools to integrate information and technology literacy skills with the curriculum.

NOTE: The banner above is an imagemap....just move your mouse over the headings and go directly to that webpage.
The URL is < http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/models/index.html >.

Library Budget
We are most pleased that funding for "library collection maintenance" was approved by the Board of Education and the County Council. These funds will be centrally administered by the Office of Library Information Services in order to ensure that all schools receive an equitable allotment of funds for collection maintenance.  Library budget information will be distributed at the August 29, 2001 meeting at Dogwood Elementary. Also, directions for collection maintenance will be provided.

The LOLA Project was an outstanding success. Secondary school library collections are now 80% of MSDE Standard, current, appealing to students, and support the Essential Curriculum. Everyone appreciates the mammoth job you did to get the books in the library media center....it was an awesome job and well done. Check out the impact statements submitted by every school library media specialist.

S.A.F.E. Grant funds will again be distributed to elementary school libraries.

School Library Media Cohort IV 
The critical national shortage of certified school library media specialists continues; however, our partnership with Towson University, that provides a process for BCPS teachers wishing to make a career change, has greatly reduced the negative impact of the shortage in BCPS. A new cohort of 25 BCPS teachers will begin this fall. Many of the cohorts have chosen to accept positions in the school library media center this school year. Those that will be working in the library media center this year, I am sure, would welcome your helping hand; those that will continue their positions in the classroom would also appreciate your encouragement as they begin their studies. The Cohort IV members and their current assignments are as follows: