From the Desk of Joe Olayvar If you haven’t noticed, there’s a device craze going on. Nearly everywhere you look in any town or city across the globe, someone is absorbed in conversation, web searching, or game play. Yes, we’ve come a long way since the Atari or the early phone and its five pound battery pack. But like every technology, there’s always something new that will eventually overshadow it, or at least add a new facet; in this case,…
With Microsoft, Amazon, Google and many other companies based in Washington we are a technology state. Washington State is endlessly hungry for skilled technology workers and STEM learning is an important component of educating our future workforce. The State Library, seeing this need, has invested in many STEM kits which we circulate to interested libraries around Washington. Coding and robotics are work skills that are highly prized, and one of our original, and very popular kits, Lego Mindstorms teaches these…
Volume 13, July 27, 2017 for the WSL Updates mailing list Topics include: 1) STEM PROGRAMS – FIRST TUESDAYS 2) WASHINGTON READS – ONE STATE/ONE BOOK 3) WELCOME TO SKILLPORT 4) LIBRARIES READY TO CODE 5) IMLS GRANTS WEBINAR 6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK ————————————————————————————————————— 1) STEM PROGRAMS – FIRST TUESDAYS There is a wealth of information available regarding STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) but how does one decide what type of STEM program(s) to implement into the…
No matter what type of library you work in or what your role, we all have something in common. We care about the people we serve, we care about providing excellent resources and we care about connecting those two things. Library Development is the branch of the state library which administers federal (LSTA) funds. We create programs to support the libraries of the state which we hope in turn will benefit the residents of Washington state. We love what we…
Did you know the average publication year of STEM books in many Washington school libraries is 1997? While it’s true that “Trees haven’t changed much in the last 20 years.” formatting and the visual appeal of books have. If we want to attract children to our collections it’s important that the material we provide is current and appealing. With this thought in mind, last summer Youth Services Coordinator Carolyn Petersen solicited ideas from her Teacher Librarians advisory group. Out of this meeting…
Volume 11, September 24, 2015 for the WSL Updates mailing list Topics include: 1) HR – LOOKING OUT FOR RED FLAGS 2) STEM LSTA GRANT CYCLE OPENS 3) IMPLEMENTING WIOA IN RURAL AREAS 4) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK ————————————————————————————————————— 1) HR – LOOKING OUT FOR RED FLAGS Most supervisors are surprised at the amount of time they spend on human resource issues. Do you have questions about Family Medical Leave, overtime/comp time, or how to deal with difficult employees?…
From the desk of Rand Simmons, Washington State Librarian Do you consider those years in elementary, middle, or secondary school as the primary time you invested in learning? Perhaps you went on to college or graduate school. But, over the course of a person’s life only about 3% is spent in formal education. Education is not the equivalent of learning although one hopes the two intersect. However, some who study learning believe that the most effective learning happens not in…
Topics include: 1) CE GRANTS FOR STEM INSTITUTE 2) CAYAS FALL WORKSHOP REGISTRATION OPEN 3) $2.2 BILLION REASONS TO PAY ATTENTION TO WIOA 4) PNLA CONFERENCE PROGRAM PROPOSALS SOUGHT 5) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK ————————————————————————————————————— 1) CE GRANTS FOR STEM INSTITUTE Continuing Education (CE) grants are available from the Washington State Library (WSL) for librarians and support staff who need financial assistance to attend the 2014 Early Learning STEM Institute. To provide additional support during these hard economic times,…
Libraries are no longer simply a holding area for books, they are community hubs. People gather at the library to share ideas and enrich their lives. Computers and internet are now standard in libraries and are often in demand. Unemployed individuals can come to the library and apply for jobs. Kids can do their homework (or play games) at the library. But did you know that libraries are now becoming much more than books, computers and internet? Libraries are becoming…
Volume 7, February 17, 2011 for the WSL Updates mailing list Topics include: 1) FREE GENEALOGY EVENT – BING CROSBY’S FAMILY HISTORY 2) WLA ANNUAL CONFERENCE – REGISTER NOW 3) PUBLIC RECORDS & OPEN MEETING FORUM 4) FREE WEBWISE CONFERENCE 5) HOST THE KING JAMES BIBLE TRAVELING EXHIBIT 6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK