Librarian's
Corner

In January, I attended the Mid-Winter Meeting of the American Library Association because I had to give a speech.   I was asked to run for the position of Chair-Elect of the Independent Schools Section of the American Association of School Librarians, and I had to to tell the group what I would do if elected.  As I stood in front of the group, I wished  I had attended Overlake and taken Bill Armstrong’s 9th grade English class! The election results are in.  I was elected to the position and I will have the opportunity to work with a terrific group over the next three years.�

Library Assistant, Diana Halsey, has decided to retire at the end of the school year.  Diana has worked at Overlake for 23 years.  Diana deserves a rest, but the glue who holds the library together will be missed.Cheryl Steele

Sometimes I am asked “How do you select the items that make up the library’s collection?”  We read lots of periodicals that review books and other media.  One of the periodicals  is Booklist which is published by  ALA (American Library Association). Booklist is read by public and school librarians, and is one of the selection tools we use.  The Booklist staff review hundreds of items a year.  I thought you would enjoy an insider view via Booklist Online.  (Booklist Online  REaD Alert is both a free Web site and a subscription database. The free site offers a generous selection of Booklist content—plus some Web-only features—and is updated daily or weekly, depending on the portion of the site. The subscription database contains archived reviews and feature that are dynamically linked.) This article discusses  fantasy and  science fiction genres.

Check out new books and DVDs added to the library’s collection in April. Click here.

Horn Book editor Roger Sutton writes: “Notes from the Horn Book,  is a monthly electronic newsletter for parents and others looking for good new books for children and teenagers . Written by the editors of The Horn Book Magazine, the nation’s leading periodical about children’s literature, Notes will provide brief recommendations of new children’s books, interviews with writers and illustrators, and news from the children’s book world.”

Bertha Mahony Miller, who founded the Horn Book in 1924, wrote that she chose the name of the magazine to pay tribute to the object that opened the world of reading to generations of children in centuries past. She also indicated her intention to “blow the horn for fine books for boys and girls.” We hope that this latest iteration of the Horn Book’s mission will prove as useful as Bertha’s initial inspiration.”  Please check out this great  resource.

It’s that time of year and we need parent, student and faculty help in getting library books back at the end of the school year.  All library materials are due on Friday, May 23^rd.   If students are unsure about what library materials they have checked out, please contact library staff.  Students should also contact  library staff if they need to keep their checked-out materials after May 23^rd , to explain why they need them.  Please remember– in order get a yearbook, all library materials must be returned by May 23^rd.    Questions? Contact Cheryl Steele.