CMLE wants to read with you!

 

Let’s read together!

 

As a library system, filled with library people, we like to read books. So let’s get together and read books and chat about them!

We have set up two monthly book groups on Goodreads, where we have a forum to discuss our books. If there is interest in holding in-person book group sessions at host locations, that would also be great; but we want it to be accessible to everyone, so we will always have an online discussion where we can all share in the reading. (If you want to have an in-person monthly meeting, either at CMLE Headquarters, or in another location – email Mary !)

We will have two copies of the paper book to share, if you want to borrow one for a few days. Email Angie to get on the borrowing list!

The first group will be have a professional theme; here we will read books that may be helpful to you at work. They may be specifically library-oriented, or may be books that would be relevant to the work we do in our libraries. We have a preliminary list of books that might be interesting to our members; and we encourage you to suggest books that we all might enjoy!

For our October book in this group, we will be reading “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondō. “Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again.” Can this help you at work?? We will have to read the book to find out how!

Below is a fairly long video (42 minutes) Kondo gave at Google. She, and her translator, work through her entire system of sorting and keeping objects in the house.

And here is a short video, with just music in the background, where Kondo helps a woman organize her bookshelf:

They may be aspirational, but the results look good!

 

Our other book group will be a fiction book group, with readings we do for fun. There may be a theme of “librarian as main character” through the books we read, but that will not be a requirement. As library people, we all hear too much of the comment “it must be so fun to sit around and read books at work all day;” and it’s amazingly frustrating!! But of course, most of us really do like to read books! So we can have this time to enjoy a book together each month.

In October, we will be reading “Curiosity Thrilled the Cat” by Sofie Kelly. “When librarian Kathleen Paulson moved to Mayville Heights, Minnesota, she had no idea that two strays would nuzzle their way into her life. Owen is a tabby with a catnip addiction and Hercules is a stocky tuxedo cat who shares Kathleen’s fondness for Barry Manilow. But beyond all the fur and purrs, there’s something more to these felines.”

This book does not come with videos, but we have a couple of other ones for you to enjoy:

• Who wouldn’t want a job as Kitten Librarian?? (not technically a library; but still a great idea!)
• And these important helpers in the Huron Library in London, Ontario are clearly making an important contribution!
• Stacks the Library Cat has a pretty significant fan club at the New Castle library in Pennsylvania

Both of these books are available in paper, eBook, and audio formats; so pick a format that works for you! Content is the important part; flexibility of format is just a bonus.

 

AASL Recommended App: Books: Epic!

In June 2016, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced their 25 Best Apps for Teaching and Learning. The apps encourage qualities such as innovation and active participation, and are user-friendly.

The app Epic! features thousands of ebooks and audiobooks, with a huge variety of genres, such as nonfiction, mysteries, and even picture books. The app also features educational videos. Teachers are able to setup individual profiles for their students to track reading logs and book preferences.

Cost: Educators are eligible for free accounts so students can view content on their devices; families pay a low monthly fee.
Level: Elementary
Platforms: iOS and Android

 

 

Best eBook readers of 2016

It’s only May but PCMag is already separating the wheat from the chaff… eBook reader chaff that is. We all know about Amazon’s Kindle and Apple’s iPad, and their list includes those and all their versions, but the list also includes many other eReaders that you should consider. The article lists out all the specs and has price lists too. When you’re ready to zero in on a couple eReaders, they have full PCMag product reviews to give you all the details you need to make your decision.

Read the whole article now.

Image credit: https://unsplash.com/ (James Tarbotton), licensed under CC0 1.0

Amazon to provide Ebooks in NYC schools

It was recently announced that Amazon won a contract with the New York City Department of Education to provide Ebooks to NYC schools. Some see this as a surprise move by the online company but others wonder what took Amazon so long to move into Education. Initially the agreement will be a 3 year contract worth $30 million and supply just digital content through an internal marketplace but not Kindle e-readers.

Time will tell how this will affect the education Ebook market. Could this be another niche for Amazon or just a money making venture? Could it be good for students and educators?

Others are more skeptical of the contract citing privacy concerns. Details surrounding student information are still being determined. Regardless, schools serving up Ebooks will have to pay attention to see how this evolves because Amazon may soon be the company providing their e-content.

Image credit: amazon.com

Study says keep your picture books!

For quite some time we have been hearing that reluctant readers are often encouraged to read when the book is loaded on a device. Why? Because the  “thickness” of the book is disguised, and the reader can enlarge the print if that makes reading more comfortable. It also removes any possible stigma if you are say a sixth grader, reading a fourth grade level book. No one knows exactly what is being read except the reader, which makes perfect sense. As librarians, we want to do everything possible to encourage nonreaders and remove discouragement for struggling readers. The format can be secondary when reluctant readers are involved.

But, what about picture books at the elementary level? How important are the pictures in conjunction with the text? I must admit, I never thought about picture books.

Two-thirds of schools across America are using eBooks, according to School Library Journal, but their use in England is much more sporadic. This produced an opportunity for a handy research study where 800 students in 40 schools used eBooks and shared their feelings. Would you be surprised to learn that boys responded most positively to eBooks? Click here to read the full piece.

Here in CMLE land, we have at least 180 elementary schools. Use the comments to weigh in as to whether your school uses eBooks, and whether you use them for picture books too. Ready, set, go…

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/pejajg3, licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0