Conference Update!

We’ve got an exciting line up for speakers at this year’s conference:

Doug Johnson, library media and tech guru – check out his presentation information and blog at http://www.doug-johnson.com

Dianne de Las Casas, storyteller and author – her sessions are phenomenal, be prepared to have fun!! Check her out and register for her free teacher/parent enewsletter on storytelling and literature, http://storyconnection.net/?content=prof_dev

Authors:
Nikki Grimes – http://www.nikkigrimes.com/  I hope everyone knows Nikki Grimes – she has dozens of books on all three levels – non fiction, poetry, pciture books, novels… I hope everyone is looking forward to hearing her speak – she will be one of the main speakers at our Authors Luncheon.

Dan Yaccarino – http://www.danyaccarino.com/dy/ elementary author and illustrator – Dan also works with children’s television and toys and designed the characters for shows like Oswald and the Backyardigans.

Phil Bildner – a teacher turned author (and he’s still teaching in Brookland, NY!) Phil has written picture books, middle school and high school fiction. http://www.philbildner.com/

There will be more author news to come – watch the listserv for updates!

There will  be great preconference sessions from Doug and Dianne, with other sessions on emerging technologies, professional writing, school reading programs and a special all day session on creating virtual field trips that will take participants on working/walking tours of Mice on Main (a treasure hunt based on Good Night Moon) and the Greenville Zoo.

There were AMAZING concurrent session proposals! Be prepared to EXPERIENCE THE JOURNEY through some incredible professional development!

The conference steering committee is meeting this weekend and we should have some more updates for you in the near future. The Call to Conference booklet should be available soon -

Thanks and I’m looking forward to seeing you in Greenville come March!

Amanda

AASL National Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina!

Yes, you will have to wait until November 2009, but AASL’s National Conference is close to home next November! The theme is Rev Up Learning @ your library. Mark your calendars for: November 5-8, 2009

Think you’d like to present a preconference? They are now accepting applications…more information available here: http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/conferencesandevents/national/charlotte2009/forpresenters/requestforproposal/rfp2009precon.cfm

2009 SCASL Annual Conference!

On behalf of the 2009 SCASL conference steering committee, I hope you are all planning on joining us for conference March 11-13th, 2009 at the Carolina First Center in Greenville, SC.

The theme will be SCASL 2.0: Experience the Journey @ Your Library! It’s an exciting time to be a media specialist and I hope you can join us at conference to share the ideas and fellowship that keep our profession moving forward in such an active and engaged way!

Speaking of wonderful ideas… check out the Call for Papers: scaslcallforpapers2009. Please consider applying to present a concurrent and/or exploratorium session at conference so that the entire organization can benefit from the wonderful things you are doing in your library. Applications are due August 22!

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email me at: aleblanc@greenville.k12.sc.us  – Hope to see you at conference!

Amanda LeBlanc

2008 Conference Wrap Up

Greetings!

A little late, but it is conference wrap up time! This was to be published in the most recent Media Center Messenger, but was left out at printing time, so here is the wrap up you have been waiting for!

Power Up @ your library!

Conference Wrap Up!

Valerie Byrd Fort, SCASL President Elect

valeriebyrdfort@gmail.com

 

More than 800 South Carolina school librarians, technology specialists, teachers, and administrators came to Columbia in March for the 33^rd Annual SCASL Conference, Power Up @ your library! To everyone who facilitated, presented, hosted a tour, worked at the Information Booth, took tickets, picked up (or dropped off) a special guest, set up technology, or modeled in our fashion show, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Conference can not happen without the help of SCASL members.

Each year, our conference provides our members a chance to get together and network with peers, as well as learn new ways of doing and thinking. This year was no different – hopefully, you left conference feeling “powered up” for the rest of the school year. Have you checked out that blog you noted or tried to podcast yet? Be sure that before the end of the school year, you try at least one thing you learned at conference. That’s the point! I have already seen my Twitter (www.twitter.com) network expand by at least 12 South Carolina connections – all new because of conference!

I know you are bursting with ideas after listening to presenters like Joyce Valenza, Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson. I know you are rejuvenated after hearing authors like Alan Katz, Eloise Greenfield, Will Hobbs, and Jaime Adoff. I know you are motivated to do more after going to sessions by your colleges. My hope is that you were able to take something away from each and every session you went to. Let us know what you have tried by posting to SCASL Blogs!

We tried some new things this year: online evaluation and volunteer forms, podcasts of book award book talks, a conference wiki (look for directions on how to participate in this issue of Media Center Messenger), and tours on Wednesdays. All of these were ideas and suggestions gathered from reading evaluation forms from past conferences. After reading this year’s evaluation forms, I know that there were many powerful concurrent sessions, even though I did not get to attend any of them. I also know that you loved the authors we had this year and that you want more and more technology sessions – the more “hands on,” the better. The Conference Steering Committee looks at each and every evaluation and thinks about them when planning future conferences. Thank you for your suggestions!

I hope you have a wonderful rest of the school year…start thinking about how you can participate in next year’s conference! We’ll see you in Greenville, March 11-13, 2009.

Pictures of conference can be found on our Flickr site!

Valerie Byrd Fort, SCASL President Elect

Favorite eateries in Columbia, SC

Let’s share our favorite Eateries for Columbia since the conference begins this week! My friend Carolyn Foote of Austin, Texas has done a similar thing in wiki form for those of us coming to San Antonio for NECC 08. We may not have a lot time to throw one together, but maybe we should think about fleshing one out for this year, and then use collective brainpower to create one for each year of the conference and its locale.

Here’s my Columbia faves:

John Paul’s Armadillo Oil Co Inc

1215 Assembly St, Columbia, SC

Tel: (803) 771-9902

California Dreaming
401 South Main Street • Columbia, SC 29201
803.254.6767

Hennessy’s

1649 Main St, Columbia, SC 29201

(803) 799-8280

 

From Heather Loy:
You’ve picked two of my favorite sit down restaurants in downtown Columbia (California Dreaming and Hennessys.) If you’re looking for “dives” as well as “quick bites” that is still downtown then you have to add: Drake’s Duck-in, 1544 Main Street, Columbia, SC 29201,(803) 799-9290; Also, big favorite of USC students is Beezer’s Gourmet sandwich Shop, 919 Sumter St # B, Columbia, SC 29201, (803) 771-7771 across for the USC horseshoe; Another one popular with staff at RCPL is Tony’s Pizza, 1120 Washington St, Columbia, SC 29201, (803) 779-3000; And last, but by certainly not least, is No Name Deli, 2042 Marion St, Columbia, SC 29201, (803) 252-0480.

 

From Sherry Rampey:
If you’re looking for something close by, my husband and I like to eat at Carolina Wings. It’s inexpensive and they have great food.

 

Now, not being from Columbia, I’m sure our Columbia friends can tell us better places, particularly dives that are well known only to locals, as well as quick bites. Someone should make a wiki with a price code too. Who wants to create this for us?

Send me your favorite Columbia place to eat, and I’ll edit this post to add it.

Attribution:

Image: ‘Shrimp Cobb Salad‘
www.flickr.com/photos/72939801@N00/467862477

Conference Program ONLINE

Big update for today!

The SCASL Conference Program is ONLINE! Go to www.scasl.net .

Plan some of your sessions before you get to Columbia!

Enjoy,

Valerie

Conference Reminders-from Ida Thompson

Colleagues,
The days are quickly drawing closer to conference time!  I do hope to see each of you in Columbia at our 33rd Annual Conference.  Lots of hard work,time and effort has gone into conference preparations to ensure that you will have an enjoyable and informative experience.
Just a few reminders:

Professional Development Credit
Please be sure to contact your district’s professional development coordinator for approval of the conference as a bonafide professional development activity.  The appropriate contacts have been made with the State Department of Education’s Recertification Office.  You can find a listing of district contacts at http://www.sc.teachers.org/cert/recert/rc_provider.cfm

Remember that you are responsible for turning in the verification to the appropriate district renewal credit plan coordinator following the conference. (A form will be provided in the conference program booklet)….and always keep a copy for your personal files.

Driving Directions
If you are registered for pre-conference tours or seminars, you will find driving directions posted on the SCASL website.  Please note that buses are provided for all tours, but not for off-site pre-conferences.  Some persons prefer to drive to tours so the directions are there for your convenience.

Registration Packet
If you are pre-registered, go ahead and put that bright yellow envelope in your purse, glove compartment or suitcase…wherever you can remember it.  The important thing is NOT TO FORGET IT.

Participation
Our conference is only as good as those who volunteer to plan and present it.  If you want to assist in some way and have not already been assigned a task, please e-mail me directly at ithompson@richlandone.org) or give me a call at 803.231.6803.  We always welcome the support of our members!

Take care, and drive safely!

SCASL Update-Speakers

I want to give you all a quick update on some of the wonderful speakers that will be at our conference…this is in addition to the authors I updated you on last week!

You can look forward to hearing:

Gail Dickinson – she will be speaking about National Boards and the Library Media Specialist as well as helping us understand the new Standards for the 21st Century Learner.

Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson will be talking about effective ways of using technology.

Joyce Valenza will be one of our keynote speakers and will be talking about school library websites as well as Web 2.0.

Karen Lowe will help us get our collections in line!

Joanne Bongaarts (you heard and loved her last year) will return to tell you about great books!

Professors (experts!) from the School of Library & Information Science who will be speaking include: Dr. Hastings, Dr. Shannon, and Dr. Naidoo. Also be sure to stop by the SLIS Alumni Tea on Thursday, March 13 at 3pm.

Frank Baker and Martha Alewine will be speaking about media literacy and information literacy.

And, there will be so much more – I’m very excited about all of the wonderful sessions that will be presented by our very own SCASL membership! We have a wealth of knowledge out there…be ready to soak it all up! Expect to leave conference feeling POWERful!

Please note! In the Call to Conference, it states that Dr. Ruth Cox Clark will be attending our conference. Unfortunately, she has had to cancel because of a medical reason. But I know you will enjoy all the other wonderful speakers who will be at our conference!

Watch for more updates as the week draws to a close and conference gets closer and closer…

Valerie

SCASL Conference Update-Authors

Your SCASL 2008 Annual Conference is just a few weeks away!

It’s not too late to register…fill out the registration form available in the Call to Conference posted on www.scasl.net

There will be LOTS of authors at conference!

Michelle Knudsen, author of 2008-2009 South Carolina Picture Book Award Nominee, Library Lion.

Alan Katz, author of Take me out of the Bathtub.

Jaime Adoff, author of 2007-2008 South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominee, Names will Never Hurt Me.

Will Hobbs, author of 2008-2009 South Carolina Junior Book Award Nominee, Crossing the Wire.

Eloise Greenfield, poet, author of Honey, I Love

Melinda Long, author of Pirates Don’t Change Diapers, will be speaking at our Author Celebration Luncheon

*JUST ANNOUNCED!*

Local authors including Frank Baker, Cynthia Stroud, Theresa Lubbers, Emily Smith Pearce will also be in attendance!

Busy Day at Mid-Winter

Beginning of Day 3 at Mid-Winter for your SCASL Officers!

Today will be a busy day full of meetings.

Yesterday, there was a meeting in the morning, during which we spoke to Presidents and President Elects around the United States about what they are doing in their associations about things such as getting members on their Excutive Boards, how they are using Web 2.0 resources in their association, and how 21st Century Standards for Student Learning can be promoted and used at the state level. Very interesting discussion. I wrote more about it at my personal blog, if you would like to read it.

Traveling with SCASL to Mid-Winter is Ida Thompson, Valerie Byrd Fort, and Kitt Lisenby. So far, we are all walking around on two good feet and feeling fine. Last ALA conference (AASL in Reno), that was not the case. That story will be in another blog…

More updates later!

Valerie Byrd Fort, SCASL President Elect