This year we are having a book fair at the Cumberland Barnes & Noble Book Store. On Saturday, November 12th, we will have lots of fun activities in the store. Our own Melody Makers will be singing, different teachers will be wrapping purchases for you throughout the day, there will be face painting and more. So, plan to do some holiday shopping on November 12th and support our Library-Media program. If you are unable to visit the store on November 12th, purchases made in the name of King Springs Elementary in any Barnes & Noble store country-wide or online between November 12th - 14th will earn a percentage for your school library. Almost everything in the store qualifies, and you will have an enormous selection compared to past book fairs. So, mark your calendars and don't miss out on the fun!
October 02, 2011
September 19, 2011
September 05, 2011
September 04, 2011
Destiny Quest
We are half-way through orientation and going strong. This past week 4th and 5th grade students were introduced to the new capabilities of our online library catalog. Judging by the emails, flurry of online exchanges, and encounters in the hall, enthusiasm is nearly palpable. When a student creates their Destiny account they can search the school library catalog at school and at home, see what books they have checked out and when they are due, develop a list of "friends" to whom they may recommend books, write book reviews on books they have read (viewable by every student in the school district), reserve books, suggest books to Mrs. Tovi for purchase, make lists of books they plan to read, are reading have read, etc.
For a student to access the catalog from home they will need to go to the Cobb Virtual Library. A link can be found on the left side of the school website: http://www.cobbk12.org/KingSprings/ When you choose elementary you may be prompted for a user name and password. These are available from the media center at school and for licensing reasons cannot be posted online. Once you are in the Virtual Library you have access to a LOT more than the library catalog, but more on those other great resources later. Click on the Destiny Catalog link at the top and choose King Springs from the drop-down menu.
Click "Create Account" (upper right). Enter the student's last name and in the bar code field the student should enter their student number. The student number is the same number they use in the lunch room, in the library, and to log onto computers at school. Click Next. The following page will prompt you to enter the student's birth date. Then, click Next. In the User Name field re-enter the student number again and then type in a password. The password needs to be something the student will remember and should write it down somewhere if necessary. The password will need to be typed again in the next line by "confirm password." The e-mail field should be left empty. Click Next, and you are logged in. The student's name should appear in the upper right-hand corner. Now, click on the catalog tab at the top, and the Destiny Quest link on the left. The fun begins.
August 01, 2011
We Respond as Students' Browsing Habits Change
Students used to come to the media center, head to the shelves, and flip through the books to find one that sparked their interest. Some students still search for books in this way, but more and more, they are heading to the online computer catalog. With a recent upgrade, most catalog entries began to display a photo of the book cover. Of course you have heard you can't judge a book by the cover, but most of us do, especially children. Even 5-year olds are heading to the computer first. This change in browsing habits has made it important that we change the call numbers for our picture books. Instead of filing books by the just first letter of the author's last name, we are changing the computer entry for each book to include the first three letters of the author's last name. In addition, we will need to replace the spine label on all 3,500 picture books. This is a huge project, but will better serve our students. Now, why did we choose this year to tackle this project???
March 06, 2011
New Resource Available
I hope all of our students are becoming acquainted with our Cobb Virtual Library and enjoying it at home as well as at school. If you have lost the bookmark with the home use passwords, just come by the media center for that information.
This year we purchased an additional subscription for our students, PebbleGo: Earth & Space. The PebbleGo: Animals has been so popular with students, I thought we really ought to try out this new option. Come by the media center to get the password.
