[CALIBK12] GEN: Digital Textbooks-- bring 'em on

Fri May 8 12:57:53 PDT 2009

A lot of us (among those few who have classified assistants) would probably lose our aides if we didn't have textbooks.  I would drop textbooks in a New York minute, but not if it meant losing my assistant.

Tony

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Anthony Doyle, Teacher Librarian
Livingston High School
Livingston, CA
tdoyle at muhsd.k12.ca.us

What am I reading now? http://lhsblog.edublogs.org/whats-he-reading-now/

"When I read about the way in which library funds are being cut and cut, I can only think that American society has found one more way to destroy itself." (Isaac Asimov, from his autobiography I Asimov)

The contents of this message are private and are intended for the recipients named in the To and CC fields.  You may not forward this message without the expressed permission of the author.  The contents of this message are the work of the author and do not represent the opinions or policies of the Merced Union High School District or Livingston High School.
________________________________________
From: calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu [calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu] On Behalf Of Millam, Joy [jmillam at pylusd.org]
Sent: Friday, May 08, 2009 12:40 PM
To: calibk12 at lists.sjsu.edu
Subject: Re: [CALIBK12] GEN: Digital Textbooks-- bring 'em on

Our school and district takes a similar approach to high school textbooks-- the classroom teachers house them and check them out to students. We have talked about centralizing the checkout but fortunately these talks have stalled and my principal is committed to me being a TL and not a textbook clerk.
I would like to see the books put into Aeries to track them better, but am very happy to not have avalanches.

Joy Millam

YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers Committee Member (2010)

District Library Coordinator/Library Media Teacher
Valencia High School
500 N. Bradford Ave.
Placentia, CA 92870
714-996-4970 x3250
jmillam at pylusd.org

http://www.vhstigers.org/library/mrs_millam.jsp?rn=1816497
http://booktalksandmore.pbwiki.com

-----Original Message-----
From: calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu [mailto:calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu] On Behalf Of Loreen Schallon
Sent: Friday, May 08, 2009 12:12 PM
To: Blanche Woolls; California School Library Association
Subject: Re: [CALIBK12] GEN: Digital Textbooks-- bring 'em on

At Napa High our departments take care of their own textbooks. There is a textbook clerk who doubles as receptionist in the office. It works quite well. The books are housed where they are used (when I was in the classroom, I loved keeping my own textbooks because I was able to hold my own students accountable). New books are processed by the clerk before they go to departments and she keeps track of lost books. It does involve teacher time to record book numbers.
If we should ever go to a textbook management system (and I suspect that will happen at some point), there is a general agreement to keep the books in departments and spend money to buy extra scanners for teachers to use to input the data (much less expensive than a textbook room and less draining on human capital than hauling books around). Our AP suggested the teacher-scanner model and department chairs liked it--we will see what happens if we go there.

Departments and classrooms have housed their own books for two decades now and prefer it to the old textbook room we used to have. That room is now used for meetings that do not have to happen in the library. Our site is spread out all over the place, so hauling books around just does not make sense here.
Loreen Schallon, MLIS
Napa High Library
2475 Jefferson Street
Napa, CA  94558
Phone:  707.253.3702
lschallon at nvusd.k12.ca.us

http://www3.nvusd.k12.ca.us/education/staff/staff.php?sectionid=584
Loreen Schallon, MLIS
Napa High Library
2475 Jefferson Street
Napa, CA  94558
Phone:  707.253.3702
lschallon at nvusd.k12.ca.us

http://www3.nvusd.k12.ca.us/education/staff/staff.php?sectionid=584
-----Original Message-----
From: calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu [mailto:calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu] On Behalf Of Blanche Woolls
Sent: Friday, May 08, 2009 10:33 AM
To: California School Library Association
Subject: Re: [CALIBK12] GEN: Digital Textbooks-- bring 'em on

Could you not store some textbooks in the appropriate classrooms over the summer? On top the teacher's desk? Might make some kind of point until a Kindle-like alternative is available.

Did anyone know that 8 states are migrating to digital books for the users of the Libraries for the Blind and Handicapped. Missouri shipped its first 300 "readers" yesterday!

One would think our non-handicapped students (and their teachers) could cope.

Blanche

On Fri, 8 May 2009, Barbara Duffy wrote:

> Our library at Jordan will also be full of textbooks.  They will be
> piled on tables and the floor.  It is difficult to get the place
> cleaned over the summer because of all the textbooks.  Also, classes
> want to use the library in the summer and we must find a way to stack
> the 15,000 textbooks so that some tables are clear and the place is moderately safe.  When could we paint (there is a possibility of funding BUT) ???
> And we have to rush to get inventory done before the textbook deluge
> begins.
>
> I'm with Tony!  Let's get this done!!!
>
> Barbara
>
> >>> Doyle_Tony <tdoyle at muhsd.k12.ca.us> 5/8/2009 9:25 AM >>>
> My library is a dangerous place.  Textbook avalanches are constant
> threat.  Every new adoption seems to have more and more ancilary
> materials that need to be stored (and rarely get used).  All of my
> book carts have welding scars on the legs where they have collapsed
> and been repaired by the shop teacher.  Luckily no toes have been lost
> to these collapses.  In a couple of weeks the annual flood of textbook
> returns begins and I will need to see my chiropractor every 3 or 4 days to help deal with textbook-induced back pain.
>
> E-Textbooks? What's taking so #%^%$*& long?  Open source or
> proprietary, I don't care.  Even if the combined cost of a reader for
> every student and the content is the same as what we pay for the paper
> and ink versions it will be worth it in so many ways.
>
> Here's my vision:
> Follett partners with Renaissance to create an AlphaSmart-like reader
> (light weight, tough, adaptable, built in word processor) that
> integrates with a new Destiny e-text module.  Kids can log in to
> Destiny via a wi-fi link or USB plug and automatically download the
> texts they need.  Destiny manages the number of downloads to check
> that licensing agreements are being obeyed and, using enrollment data
> imported from Aeries or SASI, ensures Williams Act compliance.
> Teachers can push content (supplemental readings, worksheets, quizzes)
> to their students' machines  When the device is turned on a splash
> screen reads, "This device is checked out to Joey Smith." The texts self-delete at the end of the school year.  A built in electronic lo-jack chip disables devices that have been reported stolen when they connect to the Internet.
>
> Okay all you vendor-lurkers, get to work on that :-)
>
> Tony
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> Anthony Doyle, Teacher Librarian
> Livingston High School
> Livingston, CA
> tdoyle at muhsd.k12.ca.us<mailto:tdoyle at muhsd.k12.ca.us>
>
> What am I reading now?
> http://lhsblog.edublogs.org/whats-he-reading-now/
>
> "When I read about the way in which library funds are being cut and
> cut, I can only think that American society has found one more way to
> destroy itself." (Isaac Asimov, from his autobiography I Asimov)
>
> The contents of this message are private and are intended for the
> recipients named in the To and CC fields.  You may not forward this
> message without the expressed permission of the author.  The contents
> of this message are the work of the author and do not represent the
> opinions or policies of the Merced Union High School District or Livingston High School.
>
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