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Saved by Sue Sherif
on March 2, 2009 at 9:34:39 pm
 

Welcome to the new online Alaska School Library Handbook!

 

Alaska has 53 public school districts with almost 500 schools.  More than 60% of public schools in Alaska have fewer than 200 students.  In these smaller schools one may not find a school library center, but most schools have some kind of library and even some of the smaller ones are staffed (sometimes only a few hours a day) by individuals with little or no preparation.  Regardless of the size of the school, running a school library is a big job.  It is important to make every minute productive.

 

Purpose

This online guide is meant to help library staff maximize their work by providing information and references to many "frequently asked questions." Most pages carry links to other relevant topics or to related websites.  The topics are arranged alphabetically.  Because there have been so many changes in school libraries, particularly in the areas of technology and electronic resources, since the 2000 version appeared, the massive job of revising the last paper edition has been completed in stages.  Some chapters are still in revision and will be posted as they are completed.  Some of the pages must be updated frequently, for example the calendar one, the Alaskana book list, and the electronic resources pages. The Alaska State Library, with help from leading school librarians in Alaska, will work to keep these current. Other chapters will change only slowly over time. 

 

Organization 

Like the loose-leaf notebook, the sections are arranged in alphabetical order under the Topics folders.  If you don't find the topic that you are looking for under the heading you choose, use the search box to perform a keyword search. You can also do an exact phrase search if you enclose your phrase in quotation marks in the search box.

 

You Can Help

You can help keep the handbook current by using the comments feature of the wiki.  Although you won't be able to edit sections directly, you can point out errors, outdated information, and offer suggestions for improvement as you read through the handbook.

 

History

This is an updated online version of two previous publications Handbook for Alaska K-12 School Libraries by Clara Sitter (1995) and Handbook for Alaska K-12 School Libraries - 2000 revised by Lois Peterson.  Both were publications of the Alaska State Library, a division of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development.  Both were published in loose-leaf notebook format for "easy" revision, but it not was until the advent of wiki webware that accessible, easy, continuous,  and timely revision was possible. 

 

This online version replaces the 1995 and 2000 paper versions.  It has the same purpose as the early versions: to serve as a general introduction to school libraries with specific information for school libraries in Alaska. 

 

Use

Feel free to explore the whole online handbook and to print out pages that are of particular use to your or your school district.   The contents of the manual may be reprinted in whole or in part, provided credit is given to the Alaska State Library.  Reproduction of the online handbook in whole or in part for resale is not authorized.

 

Credits

Dr. Clara Sitter, who in 1995 was a library faculty member at the University of Alaska Consortium Library, created the first paper edition for the Alaska State Library.  Della Matthis, the new School Library Coordinator for the State Library in 1995, was instrumental in completing the first edition.  Lois Petersen, the next  State Library School Library Coordinator, was responsible for the 2000 revised edition.  Sue Sherif, who followed Lois Peterson in the coordinator position, launched the revisions and organized the transition to an online format.  The newest School Library Coordinator, Jacque Peterson, will carry on the revision and updating process and guide whatever direction the handbook takes next.  While all of these people have taken a major role in creating this work, they have all been assisted by a large number of members of the Alaska library community.  For a complete list of contributors to this handbook, see Acknowledgements.

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