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On February 12, librarians from both the public and independent school communities came together for a rare opportunity to comingle and collaborate in a workshop focused on the newly-revised (2019) Empire State Information Fluency Continuum (ESIFC) This multi-faceted document identifies discrete research skills and helps enable collaboration between teachers (content specialists) and librarians. What’s new in the “New IFC?” The addition of Design Thinking;  Multiple Literacies (e.g., visual and media); Social and Civic Responsibilities (e.g., diverse perspectives; digital citizenship) and Personal Growth and Agency (e.g., social/emotional growth, independent reading) to the standards. Continue reading “HVLA Winter Meeting (with NYCSLA)”

On November 7, HVLA members gathered for our Fall Meeting. Hosted by the librarians at Friends Seminary, the meeting showcased new and upcoming titles from small presses. Attendees had the chance to preview titles and talk with publishers, as well as catch up with colleagues from other schools before the Small Press Preview presentation. Everyone was able to take a book from one of the featured presses back to their libraries!

Huge thank you’s to our gracious hosts at Friends Seminary, as well as the publishers who came to share their titles with us:

Blue Dot Kids Press

Boyds Mills & Kane

Elsewhere Editions

Enchanted Lion Books

Greystone Kids

Flying Eye Books

Phaidon

Pow! Kids Books

Readers to Eaters

Workman Publishing 

If you weren’t able to make it to the meeting, or if you’d like another look at the titles presented, take a look at the HVLA Small Press Preview slides. Also, let’s keep the conversation on collection development resources going- don’t forget to add to the Collection Development Tools padlet!

I hope you are having a smooth transition into the 2019 – 2020 school year.

Thank you to those who have already filled out your member survey. 

Having read through the responses thus far, here are the initial findings:

• 94% of members hope to obtain a professional network from HVLA.
• 84% of members would like HVLA conferences and events related to library curriculum. Some members gave the feedback that they would like to learn more about research instruction. Also the board heard from upper school/high school librarians who are hoping to have more events geared toward their practice.
• 70% of members would like conferences and events related to collection development.

You chose the Small Press Preview as our most impactful event from the last two years. We are thrilled that our fall meeting will be another Small Press Preview hosted by Friends Seminary! Please check your email from HVLA for event details.

You also found the Diversity and Inclusion in School Libraries event to be quite impactful, and we are planning to follow up with more events on this topic.

One piece of feedback that we received from multiple members is that HVLA librarians appreciate events like Drag Queen Story Hour where children are invited to attend.

The HVLA board has met and reviewed your responses and we will continue to make decisions based on your valuable feedback.

If you haven’t already, please fill out your survey. We will resend the link to the survey in an email.

The HVLA board is eager to hear from all of you. 

-Gili Warsett, HVLA President

By: Gili Warsett
Brooklyn Friends 

The HVLA Winter Meeting brought together about forty librarians to think deeply about Diversity and Inclusion in School Libraries.  We gathered in Public School 363 – The Neighborhood School’s library hosted by HVLA Vice President Cheryl Wolf.

Cheryl welcomed HVLA into the space.  She spoke about the demographics of both The Neighborhood School and PS 63 – STAR Academy, which share a building.  HVLA President Karen Grenke and veteran members noted that this was the first time HVLA had held a meeting in a public school, not including the HVLA and NYCSLA meet-up, also hosted by Cheryl Wolf at The Neighborhood School. Continue reading “HVLA Winter Meeting 2019”