Competency #7-Internet-International Children's Digital Library

I chose the website, International Children's Digital Library: A Library for the World's Children. The URL is http://www.icdlbooks.org/. I found it using http://www.dogpile.com/ however the site listed there (www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/kiddiglib/) redirected me to the original research page for the ICDL project. Towards the bottom of the page, I clicked a link to get to the above URL. It was a long trip, but it was worth it!

This website has children's books in various languages that children can read. Children have written reviews about the books. The most awesome thing about this site and the reason I chose it, is because of the search mechanism for children. They can choose to search books by country, picture books, recently added, award winning, and many more categories. Children can also choose by book cover color, by age of reader, by types of characters, and by length of book. All the search features are buttons with pictures so there is very little reading required although the appropriate text is under each button. If your goal is to teach in an elementary school library, you must check out this site. It really is amazing.

Competency #6-Multimedia

I chose this image because it is important to get kids reading. Having little nooks and crannys, such as this one, are a good way to invite kids to come in, get comfortable, and read. Libraries cannot function as places to help children read if the children do not want to be there in the first place.

I found this image at http://images.google.com. It was taken by David Shankbone at the Buell Children's Museum in Pueblo, Colorado in March 2008. Permission to use this image is granted upon attribution to the photographer, David Shankbone. The website containing this image is http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Children_reading_by_David_Shankbone.jpg.

Competency #5A-D: Overall Reflections

Reflecting on the 4 types of searches I performed, building block, citation pearl, specific facet first, and successive fractions, I realized something important about myself. My search style matches my learning style. I am a learner who need details and steps to create the whole. I feel the reason I had a difficult time with the building block search was because it made me feel like I needed to know the whole before I knew the details. In the 3 other searches, I used details to construct the whole or used a very systematic steps to conduct the search. Even though the successive fractions narrows down results, it is still very systematic and you use one detail at a time to conduct the search. Thinking about the future, I see myself using the citation pearl, the specific facet, and the successive fractions strategies first and the building block strategy as a last choice.

Competency #5D: Successive Fractions Search in WorldCat with Reflection

In looking for resources related to helping emergent readers use the school library to further their reading skills and interests, I chose to try the successive fractions strategy in the WorldCat database.

I began with the largest concept, that of reading.

S1= reading support or reading encouragement or reading motivation
4922 hits

I continued with the second largest concept, elementary school.

S1+ elementary or primary or grammar=s2
1575 hits

I further narrowed my search by applying the final concept, school libraries.

s2+school library or school library media center=s3
52 hits

As I still had many hits, I limited the search with a date range.

Limit by date range 2000-2008
34 hits

Here is a hit.

Building the habit of reading how public librarians and school library media specialists support and enhance early reading initiatives / http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2123/WebZ/FSPage?pagetype=return_frameset:sessionid=fsapp12-37995-fikbi6i8-qoicpz:entitypagenum=49:0:entityframedurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.state.ct.us%2Fsde%2Fdtl%2Fcurriculum%2Flrit02%2Fbldghbt_readfnl.pdf:entityframedtitle=WorldCat:entityframedtimeout=15:entityopenTitle=:entityopenAuthor=:entityopenNumber=: http://digitalarchive.oclc.org/request?id%3Doclcnum%3A76064572Author: Goyette, Betty.; Leone, Luci.; Williams, Linda. Publication: [Hartford : Connecticut State Dept. of Education, Bureau of Curriculum and Instruction, 2006 Document: English : Internet Resource Computer File

This search was comfortable for me. Beginning with the largest concept and narrowing it down in subsequent steps is a very systematic approach. I like processes that have steps to follow, it is part of my learning style.

Competency #5C: Citation Pearl Growing Search in LibLit with Reflection

I began with the title of a hit I found from one of my other searches, "A Library Media Specialist's Response to Reading First" by Susan Plewa. I found it in LibLit and looked at the subjects listed as access points.

Subject(s):
School libraries/Relations with teachers and curriculum; Children's reading/Aims and objectives; Children's reading/Wisconsin; School libraries/Wisconsin

I chose one, "Children's reading/Aims and objectives." That led me to 52 hits. I limited the search to a 2008 publication date. This left me with 4 hits. I chose two to pursue.

VanRaden, S. Connecting Boys with Books. Nebraska Library Association Quarterly v. 39 no. 1 (Spring 2008) p. 21-4

Subject(s):
Children's reading/Aims and objectives; Children's library services


Miller, P. Is Your Library Kid-Friendly?. Library Media Connection v. 26 no. 6 (March 2008) p. 22-4

Subject(s):
Children's library services/Aims and objectives; Children's reading/Aims and objectives


I was interested in both of these. Checking the subject access points, I chose "Children's library services/Aims and objectives." That led me to 90 records. I chose this hit.

Jones, J. L. Promoting Resilience: Ways Library Media Specialists Strengthen Children. School Library Media Activities Monthly v. 22 no. 3 (November 2005) p. 25-7

Subject(s):
Children's library services/Aims and objectives; School librarians/Aims and objectives; Libraries and socio-economic problems

Checking the subject access points again, I chose "School libraries/Aims and objectives." That led me to 109 hits. I limited the search by 2007 publication date. There were 13 results. Here is one.

Buzzeo, T. Literacy and the Changing Role of the Elementary Library Media Specialist. Library Media Connection v. 25 no. 7 (April/May 2007) p. 18-19

I like the hits from following this search. They are relevant and provide information for helping emergent readers use the school library to further their reading abilities and interests.

This was the easiest search I have completed and I enjoyed this type of search. Starting with one article on my topic and then using the subject headings was very helpful. I knew that the next results would be on topic. The search seemed much more specific and user friendly. There are times each type of search is appropriate but I think this is the type of search that fits me.

Competency #5B: Specific Facet Search in ASC with Reflection

Again, my topic is helping emergent readers use the library to further their reading abilities and interests. I used the specific facet first search strategy and the Academic Search Complete database. I used "emergent reader" as my specific facet. I got 38 hits.

The fifth hit was relevant.

5. TEACHING EMERGENT READERS: COLLABORATIVE LIBRARY LESSON PLANS. By: Rosenfeld, Esther. Teacher Librarian, Feb2007, Vol. 34 Issue 3, p48-48, 0p; (AN 23812186)Notes: This title is available at the TWU LibraryHTML Full Text Available TWU catalog

Given my experience in frustration with the building block search, I felt certain that "emergent reader" would be the most specific facet of this search. It was. This search seemed easier for me. This experience left me feeling that I could do searches. When the topic is already very narrow, I think this is a good strategy to use.

Competency #5A: Building Block Search in ERIC with Reflection

My topic is about helping emergent readers use the library to further their reading skills and interests. I used the ERIC database for the building block search.

s1=reading instruction
s2=elementary or primary or grammar
s3="school library" or "school library media center"
s4=support or motivate or encourage

s1+s2+s3+s4=26 hits

The second hit seems appropriate.

2. What Motivates Reading? How Library Media Specialists Can Contribute to the Development of Good Readers (EJ784602)

Author(s):
Fitzgibbons, Shirley A
Source:
School Library Media Activities Monthly, v20 n10 p21-25, 35 Jun 2004
Pub Date:
2004-06-00
Pub Type(s):
Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Peer-Reviewed:
No
Descriptors:Reading Comprehension; Independent Reading; Reading Attitudes; Reading Achievement; Media Specialists; Reading Skills; Reading Instruction; Reading Motivation; Role Perception; Educational Environment; Library Role; Reading Habits; Habit Formation
Abstract:Since the significant report "Becoming a Nation of Readers: The Report of the Commission on Reading" (Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, and Wilkinson 1985), more attention has been given to the need to motivate and encourage reading in addition to teaching reading skills. That report concluded that the best predictor of reading comprehension, vocabulary size, and gains in reading achievement between the second and fifth grade is personal reading. Then during the 1990s, the "whole language" and "literature across the curriculum" movements had as a primary objective the encouragement of more independent reading. As a result of this focus, several publications were influential in promoting specific approaches including "Fostering the Love of Reading: The Affective Domain in Reading Education" (Cramer and Cramer 1994) which is based on motivation theory and research. This article draws from recent research to posit that motivation to read is an essential ingredient to the development of good readers, and as importantly, to lifelong readers; and that there is evidence that reading attitudes and behavior are linked to reading achievement. Suggestions for the role of library media specialists, working cooperatively with teachers, are presented based on this research.

While working on this search, I felt frustrated. Trying to find synonyms for my subjects was difficult for me. Also, this search made me feel like I needed "all the answers" before I even began looking. It makes me think of a puzzle. All the pieces are there on the table, but you have to find the exact piece to make the picture complete. This search made me feel like the piece I was looking for was the one on the floor under the table.