This week I reviewed several different school libraries websites at least one for each level; elementary, middle, and high school. The Newbury Elementary School Library Media Center was the most basic site and I don’t know if this was due to the school using Weebly or if it was kept simple to aid younger students and their parents when using it. The first thing I noticed was the link to the public library and how to get a library card to utilize their materials including a collection of eBooks. Another material management system listed was Follet destiny that allows users to check out eBooks, audio book, and other materials that are in the library so that they can be provided online. The grade levels were grouped together by 2’s and each level had different links for students to use. Some of the games or materials provided that I found interesting was National Geographic Kids, Tumble Books, PBS Kids, Google Earth, Brain Pop, and Newsela. What I did not see was reading suggestions, material of digital citizenship/awareness, and education on citation/copyright.
The Exter Township Junior High Library had many tools available for students. I liked that it has a card catalog to provide students to eBooks. There is also research links to World Book, Power Library, and Sora to name a few. It was nice to see information regarding citation resources and digital/media literacy on the website.
The high school library I explored was Bella Vista’s in California. The website was very detailed with many pages. The first one that catches your eye is the library orientation videos including a different one for incoming freshman. There was distance learning tools to assist with virtual learning and to give students and parents resources regarding the format that the school was using. If interested in eBooks there was a link to the Sacramento Public Library. I liked the Reading Literature list for each grade level so that students can start their reading over the summer. Libby and Hoopla are two of the databases provided for research. My favorite link was to a bookshelf graphic that provided the entire text of popular books online or as PDF’s in case students did not have the ability to get an online public library card. This link also had audio books but at this time it looks like only the Harry Potter series but hopefully the selections rotate. Another favorite part of the website was Webcomics in which students can go to different sites to read graphic novels or comics online. Last but not least that separated this high school website from the younger schools was the Career Planning Resources link that addressed career exploration, college applications, creating resumes, cover letters, etc. Often I do not see these skills covered in the schools but then again I have been in the middle school setting for the last 6 years.
The one thing that is very clear is that libraries cover many areas that can be used in and out of the classrooms. The different databases, tools, games, and areas to explore varies depending on the level of school.