EM 525 FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Greetings to EM 525 Audiobridge Participants--

The information in this FAQ (frequently asked questions) file is intended
to provide you with basic course information, along with some URLs I have
identified to be helpful along the way.

What should I do first in this course?

Be sure to send me an e-mail message with basic introductory information.
When we begin class, we will be starting with the text, since there is so 
much to cover.

When you are sending e-mail, please submit *plain, vanilla* e-mail as I do
not read e-mail with MIME attachments.

By the way, we will be communicating through email throughout the course.

When can I go to the site lab?

Remember that your site lab assistant will be available *all* sessions, in
the event that you need assistance with your assignments, going
online, searching, etc.

What do I do if I have online problems?

If you are having a computer or technical support problem, you will need to 
contact the people who handle these activities.  Main Help Desk (800-541-6682), ext. 4357 

How do I get my questions about the class answered?

Any questions that relate to the EM 525 class or course content should be 
sent to me through email.  GTEP staff cannot answer these questions for you.

I don't have an online account.  Can I use my husband's/wife's, 
sister/brother-in-law's, daughter's/son's, etc., account?

Please know that I cannot send information that relates to you, or your
activities as a student, to any email account other than your own.  Please
do not send me a message through someone else's account and expect me to
return a message of significant content to you.  Although I am in no way an
Internet policeperson, I would caution you against doing this since you
never know who might question your use of accounts.  NSU and FIRN frown on
this practice--big time!  Many of our students use free personal accounts
through Hotmail .

How can I forward my NSU e-mail to another account?

For information on forwarding your NSU e-mail to another e-mail address, follow 
these instructions.

What about using FIRN accounts?

On March 2, 1999, we were notified that "FIRNmail is being retired," and
will be completely deactivated by January 1, 2000.  If you would like to
register for a POPmail account (that requires a high-speed modem), then
follow these directions that were provided by FIRN:

"You can register for POPmail via the dial-up process:
    1)	Dial and connect to a FIRN number
    2)	for username, type netreg (must be lower case)
    3)	for password, type firn (must be lower case)
    4)	read the screen info presented then type netreg again
    5)	select the POPmail account option
    6)	complete the registration information
    7)	PLEASE NOTE: your POPmail username and password will be assigned 
        and given to you online during registration - NOTHING will be 
        postal mailed to you so be sure to write them down.

You can register for POPmail via a direct connect at school or via another 
ISP Internet access:
    1)	telnet to wizard.firn.edu
    2)	read the screen info presented then type netreg
    3)	select the POPmail account option
    4)	complete the registration information
    5)	PLEASE NOTE: your POPmail username and password will be assigned 
        and given to you online during registation - NOTHING will be postal 
        mailed to you so be sure to write them down.

If you have questions, please phone the FIRN Helpdesk at 800/749-3476."

Is there anything special I should do at/before audiobridge?

For the consideration of all participants, turn off any speakerphone feature 
before calling into class.  Although I know this feature is very convenient 
for the student who is using it, speakerphones distort the sound quality for 
the rest of us.  

It is expected that all students and facilitators submit data sheets on the 
first day of class.  Forms are available online at the NSU Educational Media Web Page.

How can I help the instructor to speed up answers to my e-mail?

When sending messages to me, please note the course number to which you are 
referring.  I work with many students, facilitators, and lab monitors each 
term, and this notation would certainly help me to speed information 
along to you.

What is the first page for an assignment?

Remember to put a heading or a cover sheet on every assignment that
you submit.  Also, be sure to follow the APA form and style manual and/or
use one of the online sources for bibliographic reference, such as
Electronic Style - APA.

How long does it take to get assignments back?

I do my best to return assignments to you as soon as possible.  To speed up
this process, submit your assignments directly to me (P.O. Box 273404, Boca
Raton, FL  33427) and include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for the
return of the assignment.  Obviously, physical turnaround takes a bit
of time, not to mention the time that it will take me to evaluate what has
been submitted.  Nevertheless, I will try to proceed rapidly. Please be sure
to keep a copy of all messages that pertain to grades.

What is the process for taking tests and getting grades?

Your test will be administered at your site. This test is a closed-book/no 
note test that covers many of the topics discussed during audiobridge, 
facilitated sessions, in assignments, and through e-mail messages.  

Please be sure that you have submitted all of your assignments either
through your facilitator or by mailing them directly to me.  All materials
are due by the last class meeting.  Grades are to be submitted within one
week of the last class meeting, however, this is usually not possible since
we do not receive materials from the sites by that time.

Is there a listserv that I should monitor while I am in this course?

OCLC provides the following information on COLLDV-L:
 
------------------------------------------------------------ 
PLEASE DO NOT REPLY OR SEND MESSAGES TO THIS EMAIL ADDRESS. 
------------------------------------------------------------ 

DATABASE NO:  62329
      TITLE:  COLLDV-L, Library Collection Development List
       TYPE:  mailing list
  PUBLISHER:  University of Southern California
    CONTACT:  For List Administrator,  colldv-l-request@vm.usc.edu   
              For Mail to group,  colldv-l@vm.usc.edu   
     ACCESS:  (email)  mailto:listserv@vm.usc.edu
     DOMAIN:  edu   Education
    SUMMARY:  COLLDV-L is a mailing list that provides a discussion of 
              topics related to library collection development. Membership 
              to the group is open. The discussion archives are available 
              only to members of the group. The organization responsible for 
              running this mailing list is the University of Southern 
              California, based in the USA. The server name for this 
              organization is VM.USC.EDU. To join the mailing list, send the 
              message "sub COLLDV-L your name" to listserv@vm.usc.edu. To 
              reach a human administrator for the mailing list, send a 
              message to colldv-l-request@vm.usc.edu. To send mail to the 
              entire group, send it to colldv-l@vm.usc.edu.
       NOTE:  Archives: for members only.  Member Policy: anyone.  Listserv 
              server: VM.USC.EDU.
       SIZE:  Number of participants: 1805.
      PLACE:  Place of publication: USA
 LC SUBJECT:  Collection development (Libraries).
DEWEY CLASS:  025.21

Many of the participants are university-based, but they still raise many 
issues that will be of interest to the K-12 sector.

Do you have any recommendations for online articles?

Do you know where I can get free magazines on technology?

Are there any tricks to finding out about library resources for distance learning students at NSU?

Libraries Having Formal Agreements with Nova Southeastern University

The following libraries have formal agreements with NSU stating that NSU
students have use of the library and, sometimes for a fee, NSU students are 
eligible for a library card.  According to the Directory of Selected Academic
Libraries Near Off-Campus Program Sites, a document issued by NSU's Office
of Resource Information for External Programs, "NSU programs usually will
reimburse a student for one library card at an appropriate institution.
However, some programs set limits of $50.00 or $100.00 per student" (p.
iii).

According to this document, GTEP students are eligible for services in the
following sites (listed in order, as listed in the Directory):

Florida  -  Daytona Beach Area

1.  Stetson University - DeLand, Florida ($35/$100)
2.  University of Florida - Gainesville, Florida (No fee stated)
3.  University of Central Florida - Orlando, Florida ($60)
4.  Rollins College - Winter Park, Florida ($50)
5.  Bethune-Cookman College - Daytona Beach, Florida (No fee stated)

         -  Fort Myers Area

1.  Eckerd College - St. Petersburg, Florida ($30)
2.  New College of the University of South Florida - Sarasota ($50)
3.  University of South Florida - Tampa, Florida ($50)
4.  University of Tampa - Tampa, Florida ($20)

         -  Gainesville Area

1.  University of North Florida - Jacksonville, Florida (No fee stated)
2.  Jacksonville University - Jacksonville, Florida (No fee stated)
3.  University of Florida - Gainesville, Florida (No fee stated)
4.  Stetson University - DeLand, Florida ($35/$100)
.
         -  Melbourne Area

1.  Florida Institute of Technology - Melbourne, Florida ($50)
2.  University of Central Florida - Orlando, Florida ($60)

         -  Orlando Area

1.  University of Central Florida - Orlando, Florida ($60)
2.  Stetson University - DeLand, Florida ($35/$100)
3.  Orlando College - Orlando, Florida (No fee stated)
4.  Rollins College - Winter Park, Florida ($50)

         -  Sarasota Area

1.  University of Tampa - Tampa, Florida ($20)
2.  University of South Florida - Tampa, Florida ($50)

         -  Tampa Area

1.  University of South Florida - Tampa, Florida ($50)
2.  Eckerd College - St. Petersburg, Florida ($30)
3.  University of Tampa - Tampa, Florida ($20)

         -  West Palm Beach Area

1.  Florida Atlantic University - Boca Raton, Florida (No fee through
SEFLIN Card Privileges)
2.  Palm Beach Atlantic College - West Palm Beach, Florida (No fee stated)

Nevada   -  Las Vegas

1.  University of Nevada - Las Vegas, Nevada (No fee stated)

If there is *No fee stated*, you must usually provide some proof of
residency, picture ID, driver's license, local library card, etc., and then
fill out a form.  The fee is usually charged for borrowing privileges and
other services, such as interlibrary loan.

For reimbursement, send a copy of your receipt and a written request to 
Mr. Tim Shields at the North Miami Beach GTEP Site.

Are there any other library resources for South Florida Students?

SEFLIN SERVICES FOR STUDENTS IN BROWARD, DADE, and PALM BEACH

Let's imagine a situation where you cannot find the library
materials that you wish to use at the NSU Einstein Library.  What
are your alternatives?  You could request interlibrary loan
services, or you can use the services of another library, such as
your public library.  But, you still have other options!

Did you know that if you are a student, faculty member, or
professional staff member of NSU that you are eligible for user
privileges at the following libraries that are members of SEFLIN
(Southeast Florida Library Network)?

Which libraries are included in SEFLIN?

Broward Community College 
     (North and South Regional Campuses)
Florida Atlantic University 
     (Boca and Palm Beach Gardens Campuses)
Florida International University 
     (North Miami and University Park Campuses)
International Fine Arts College
Lynn University
Miami-Dade Community College 
     (All campuses)
Northwood University
Palm Beach Atlantic College
Palm Beach Community College 
     (Central Campus)
St. Thomas University (Main Campus)
Trinity College at Miami

What do you need to do to use library services of SEFLIN
member libraries?

1. Get a student identification card made at the NSU Registrar's
Office. (Call for business hours.)
2. Go to the NSU's Einstein Library in the Parker Building and
request a SEFLIN card.
3. Take the SEFLIN card, NSU identification card, and driver's
license to the library circulation desk of the college/university
at which you wish to use library services.  (You may wish to use
the services of several libraries and you will need to apply for
services at each separate library.)
4. You will be given a library card for that particular
university which you will have to present each time you borrow
materials. 
5. All privileges are determined by the lending library.
6. Review the rules of SEFLIN and know your responsibilities.

NOTE:  You will probably have to fill out forms for each library
from which you request a card, but you will need only ONE SEFLIN
card, regardless of how many different library cards you apply
for.)

Additionally, in addition to the sites listed above, faculty 
members are able to use the following libraries:

Barry University
Broward Community College 
	(Central Campus)
Palm Beach Community College
	(Belle Glade and Eissey Campuses)
University of Miami
	(Richter Library)

Enjoy this great service that NSU provides for you!  And don't
forget that many of these universities provide web-page library
information.  Search before you go!

What are the electronic databases available to me at NSU?

Go into the "el" (Electronic Library) to check the many valuable databases that are free for your 
use as a GTEP student.  

Did you know that you have access to the online Book Review Digest through
el?  Try it out!

What does ADA mean and how does it apply to the media center?

ADA stands for the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Regarding the media
center, it is the responsibility of the media specialist to provide
physical access to all parts of the collection.  In addition to physical
access, we must consider *intellectual* access.  How can you decide if you
are providing full intellectual access in your center?  Consider the
following questions:

1.  Can learners find information on opposing viewpoints of sensitive
issues?

2.  Are all materials factual and objective?

3.  Does the collection include materials in a variety of formats that
would meet the learning abilities of a variety of students?

4.  Are learners given ample opportunities to learn to use resources
effectively?

5.  Does scheduling allow fair access to the center?

A positive answer to each of these questions would indicate a media center
that is addressing the issue of intellectual access.  How would your media
center rate?

What are my responsibilities for copyright in my school?

Some media specialists have an idea that they are to function as
"copyright" police people in the school.  To the contrary, media
specialists do have responsibilities, which are outlined in your district's
media center handbook, school board policy, and your text, but the media
specialist should not have full responsibility for classroom teachers'
compliance with the law.

Four responsibilities are outlined in your text.  Do you know these?  Have
you checked your local policy to determine your responsibilities?  If not,
please be sure to check your local written requirements soon.  I would be
interested in hearing about your local requirements and how they *mesh*
with those listed in your text.

In addition to the database, does SUNLINK offer other resources for
media specialists?

The following is an example of a SUNLINK brochure that is available at the
online site.  Note the information on locating materials for students who
have special needs, along with ideas on how to use SUNLINK to create
bibliographies--what a timesaver!

SUNLINK also offers materials for teaching information skills!  Be sure to
review the site thoroughly!

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Forwarded message:
>From yates Fri Jan 30 09:38 EST 1998
>Date: Fri, 30 Jan 1998 09:38:37 -0500
>From: yates (Jan M. Yates)
>Message-Id: <199801301438.JAA21749@fcae.acast.nova.edu>
>X-within-URL: http://www.sunlink.ucf.edu/train/106.html
>To: yates@fcae.nova.edu
>Subject: 106.html
>Content-Type: text
>Content-Length: 5635
>
>
>SUNLINK 106:
>Selecting Materials
>& Creating Bibliographies
>
>  WHAT IS COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT?
>   
>   If the library media center is truly to be the heart of the school,
>   then the collection must be the heart of the media center. It is the
>   resources which the media center provides that make up the collection.
>   These resources include books, periodicals, audiovisual materials and
>   other resources which are found within the media center itself, but
>   they also include other resources in the school, human resources,
>   community resources, Internet resources and more which students and
>   teachers may use to meet their informational and instructional needs.
>   
>   Collection development refers to an ongoing plan to locate, select,
>   acquire, organize, access or otherwise make available the resources
>   your students and your teachers need. This part of the process is
>   generally known as "selection." This also means discarding materials
>   that no longer meet their needs for any reason. If the material is too
>   old, irrelevant, misleading, or wrong it should not be part of the
>   collection. This part of the collection development process is known
>   as "weeding." Both processes are used to keep the collection current
>   and relevant.
>   
>  HOW CAN SUNLINK HELP US SELECT MATERIALS FOR OUR MEDIA CENTER?
>   
>   While there are some unique needs for curriculum materials in every
>   school, there are generally trends and issues which are of statewide
>   or even national interest. By using SUNLINK, you can easily see what
>   others have purchased. If you have a question about an item, use your
>   SUNLINK manual to call or fax the media specialist at the school
>   listed in the holdings. You can even borrow the material and review it
>   for yourself or with your teachers.
>   
>   If many schools in the state (and in your district) already own the
>   material, you may decide that it will be good for your collection as
>   well and decide to purchase it. This is especially true if you have
>   little in your collection on the subject and it seems to be something
>   that will be used frequently. However, you may also decide to borrow
>   the material when it is needed and use your money to purchase
>   something else that is needed in your media center.
>   
>   This may be a good time to begin some specialized collection
>   development and join with other schools to build good collections in
>   different areas, share the materials with others, and make everyone's
>   dollar go farther. For example, if you are an elementary media
>   specialist, you may decide to build an excellent collection of fairy
>   tales while another media specialist builds a collection of concept
>   books. Or, at the secondary level, you may build a strong collection
>   of materials to support the science curriculum while another school
>   builds a collection in the arts.
>   
>  HOW CAN SUNLINK HELP FIND THINGS TO FIT A SPECIFIC NEED IN THE CURRICULUM?
>   
>   If you are looking for something on a particular topic, try searching
>   using some of the keywords from the topic in the "anyword" field. If
>   you have plenty of books on a topic, but you lack non-print resources,
>   try a search which combines your keyword or words in the "anyword"
>   field and specifies video in the "format" field.
>   
>   The "anyword" field is an excellent way to find resources which may
>   already be in your collection, too. For example, although the Sunshine
>   State Standards are new, your media center contains hundreds of
>   resources to help your teachers implement them. Again, try searching
>   for some of the key concepts in the Sunshine State Standards in the
>   "anyword" field. You may be pleasantly surprised!
>   
>  HOW CAN SUNLINK HELP STUDENTS WHO HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS?
>   
>   We all know students who need a little extra help. Maybe you have a
>   new elementary student who speaks better Spanish than English. By
>   searching for a particular topic or title in combination with
>   "spanish" in the language field, you'll find everything from the
>   Berenstain Bears books to poems to biographies to riddles and
>   games--all in Spanish! What a wonderful way to let this child know the
>   media center is there to help! Or maybe you have a secondary student
>   who just isn't doing well at understanding Shakespeare. Try searching
>   for Shakespeare in the "author" field and select a non-print format.
>   You will find many videotapes, audio tapes, filmstrips and other
>   materials which may help this particular student.
>   
>   SUNLINK can help locate visual materials for the student who learns
>   best through pictures, audio materials for students who need to hear
>   what they are reading, and even closed captioned materials for the
>   hearing impaired.
>   
>  HOW CAN I USE SUNLINK TO DEVELOP A BIBLIOGRAPHY?
>   
>   There are several ways to print a bibliography from SUNLINK. Most
>   computers will allow you to cut and paste bibliographic information
>   into a word processor or note pad. However, you can print a
>   bibliography of up to 100 entries directly from SUNLINK. When using
>   the CD-ROM version of SUNLINK, locate the record for a title you'd
>   like to include in your bibliography and press ALT-S to "save" the
>   record. Now locate another item and repeat the procedure. When you're
>   finished simply press ALT-F7 to print.
>   
>     * Return to the SUNLINK Series page
>     * Go to information about Learn & Earn, the SUNLINK online quizzes
>     * Go directly to the Learn & Earn quiz for SUNLINK 106: Selecting
>       Materials & Creating Bibliographies
>
There is a cataglog card in our text.  Why is it there?

During your reading of Chapter 5, did you notice the catalog card record on
page 65?  This is an example of a media specialists who offers a high level
of service to students and faculty.  How so?  This media specialists has
provided a bibliographic record that alerts customers to the availability
of a speaker on natural foods.  Now, if you are thinking that you will not
have time to create such a record, I will suggest that you will actually be
*saving* yourself time by making it a policy to include resource records so
that you will not have to remember where you have paper copies of such
resources.  Additionally, you could easily prepare bibliographies of such
resources and update/edit the information as it changes.

Do you supposed that you might be able to include at least one record of
this type in your consideration database to demonstrate your awareness of
the importance of community resources?

Will we cover censorship in EM 525?

In this course you will read about censorship and consider its impact on
your activities as collection developer.  This issue is also expanding into
collection of and accessibility to online resources, with the bottom line
being to filter, or not to filter.  How do you feel about filtering Internet 
resources?  Should full access be given to K-12 students, regardless of age 
and maturity level?  Can you think of other resources in the K-12 media center 
to which students have full access?

By reading and discussing resources, such as the ALAWON (American Library
Association Washington Office Newsline) newsletter and other journal 
literature, you will begin to develop your position on filtering.  In some 
cases, the question has been decided for you by your school district.  Do you 
know if your school board policy has addressed Internet use and filtering?  
Do you know how to find out?

To subscribe to ALAWON, follow the following directions sent by that group:

>ALAWON is a free, irregular publication of the American Library
>Association Washington Office.  To subscribe, send the message:
>subscribe ala-wo [your_firstname] [your_lastname] to listproc
>@ala.org.  To unsubscribe, send the message: unsubscribe ala-wo
>to listproc@ala.org. ALAWON archives at http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawon. 
Visit our Web site at http://www.ala.org/wash. 
>
>ALA Washington Office                            202.628.8410 (V)
>1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #403                 202.628.8419 (F)
>Washington, DC 20004-1701                        800.941.8478 (V)

Also, in the event that you ever have to deal with a censorship charge
(reconsideration), you can contact representatives at ALA's Office for
Intellectual Freedom (OIF) for support.  They can be reached at
800-545-2433.

You will also fine a great list of censorship sites at the Wisconsin Educational Media Association.

Weeding is a major job!  Can you offer suggestions on how to make this job easier?

The following is an example of how to use SUNLINK for collection
development and maintenance, i.e., weeding.  You can search the SUNLINK
database for titles by date, and, thus, determine the number of items in
your collection that fall within a certain age range.  At the FAME
Conference in November, this title was used as an example of a title in great 
need of weeding.  Can you determine why?

Best wishes.

Jan

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>>   [IMAGE] Le Pac®
>>   
>>   
>>   
>>     _________________________________________________________________
>>   
>>   Bibliographic Record
>>     _________________________________________________________________
>>   
>>   Searching : Careers in dope [1973]
>>     _________________________________________________________________
>>   
>>
>> 001       48203041
>> 008       721214s1973    nju      b    00100 eng  cam
>> 010       $a72013655//r902
>> 020       $a0131146602$a0131146521 (pbk)
>> 043       $an-us-ny
>> 050 00    $aHV5822.H4$bW34
>> 060       $aWM 288 W166c 1973
>> 082 00    $a362.2/93/097471
>> 100 10    $aWaldorf, Dan.
>> 245 10    $aCareers in dope.
>> 260 0     $aEnglewood Cliffs, N.J.,$bPrentice-Hall$c[1973].
>> 300       $avi, 186 p.$c22 cm.
>> 350       $a$5.95.
>> 490 0     $aA Spectrum book.
>> 504       $aBibliography: p. 178-183.
>> 650  0    $aHeroin habit.
>> 650  0    $aNarcotic addicts$zNew York (N.Y.).
>> 650  0    $aNarcotic habit$xTreatment$zNew York (N.Y.).
>> 999       $4Region 5$3Broward$2$cAnderson HS$eCareer$f362.293$gWal
>>
>>   Help Enter a new search 
>>   
>>   Full Record Brief Record MARC Record
>>
>
How can we be sure that all students have full accessibility to media
center resources?

Remember the section in your text on accessibility, intellectual vs.
physical?  Think about the online resources to which you will be 
directing your students.  The following message will give you a starting
place for considering how you will provide access to those with
handicapping conditions that may limit their use of graphical resources.

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Forwarded message:
>Date: Wed, 04 Feb 98 12:35:15 -0500
>From: "Marian Deeney"
>To: 
>Subject: [PUBLIB:8425] Accessible Web sites 
>
>     I found this message and the next one I will be sending to the list on 
>     publib which has a reference to sites to assist libraries in making 
>     their web pages accessible.
>     
>     
>     Hope this helps!
>     
>     Marian 
>
>
>______________________________ Forward Header __________________________________
>Subject: [PUBLIB:8425] Accessible Web sites 
>Author:   at Internet
>Date:    1/26/98 7:20 PM
>
>
>Recently my wife and I went to Disney World. We were all celebrating our 
>25th anniversary.  We were impressed with how much more accommodating to 
>those with disabilities the Disney park had become since our last
>visit.  At Cinderella's castle/birthday cake, there was a Disney 
>character song and dance review.  We were lucky to be watching near the 
>sign language interpreters.  The two interpreters did a truly magical 
>dance and sign language routine for the hearing impaired.  It really 
>seemed to capture much of what the characters on the stage were doing in 
>song and dance.  In the rest of the park as well, efforts were made to 
>accommodate a diverse audience - the invisible hand of the market was in 
>evidence everywhere.
>     
>When I returned and got back to work, it all got me to thinking about 
>accessibility on the Web.  How well, I wondered, did library web sites 
>treat those with disabilities?  For that matter how well did other sites 
>do?
>     
>A little searching found the Bobby site.  It can be found at: 
>http://www.cast.org/bobby/
>     
>The Bobby site is truly amazing. Bobby is a free web-based service that 
>will help you make web pages accessible to people with disabilities. It 
>will also find HTML compatibility problems that prevent pages from 
>displaying correctly on different web browsers. Fill in the form below by 
>typing in the Location (URL) of a web page that you want Bobby to 
>examine. Select a browser that you want the web page to be compatible 
>with, and press the Submit button.  A final benefit of submitting a site 
>to the Bobby analysis is that it will tell you how long it takes the 
>average browser to download your site!
>     
>Bobby was created at CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology). 
>Founded in 1984, CAST is a non-profit organization whose mission is to 
>expand opportunities for all people -- especially those with 
>disabilities -- through the innovative uses of computer technology.
>     
>I decided to test out a number of library web sites.  They were mostly 
>in Wisconsin, since that is where I am, but I also subjected a number of 
>other library sites throughout the country to the Bobby test.  Just for 
>good measure, I threw in the Disney World web site.
>     
>You have probably already guessed my very tentative results.   Disney 
>passed the Bobby four stars test with flying colors, while most library 
>web sites did not!
>     
>Was this a willful oversight?  I think not.  It seems more likely that 
>Disney has the resources to meet all the HTML challenges, whereas most 
>library web page designers are still feeling their way with limited 
>resources.  Still, I hope that more library web site designers will take 
>the time to make their site totally accessible to all.  It is our duty 
>to serve all the people all of the time.
>     
>By the way, Microsoft's home page got four Bobby stars, while Netscape's 
>page got just one.
>     
>And, yes, the Lakeshores Library System home page gets a four star Bobby 
>rating -- now that I have cleaned it up.
>     
>--
>------------
>Thomas J. Hennen Jr., Lakeshores Library System Administrator 
>email: thennen@wi.net
>voice: 414-636-9211  fax:  414-636-3710 
>HomePage:  http://ftp.wi.net/~thennen/
>     
Can you direct us to Web sites that will help with writing collection
plans and policies?

As you are developing policies for your collection, will you address
policies for any web resources that you provide?  If so, the following site
at LION is a good one to use.

http://www.libertynet.org/~lion/web-ages.html

In addition to addressing policy, ideas are provided on how to start the
Web page development.  Be sure to spend some time looking at the other
offerings at LION--it is a great place for media specialists.

Do you have any resources for regular programming activities?

>From time to time, you will find something that is very useful on the web!
This message directs you to a source that offers this year's logo for
National Library Week in a variety of sizes for screen savers, buttons,
etc.  Try the site!

Free Web Clipart for National Library Week 
http://www.ssdesign.com/prtalkshop/art/index.html

Regarding plans and policies, what is the conspectus approach?

In your readings, you will soon see mention of the conspectus approach for
collection policies.  The conspectus approach basically states to which
level you will be collecting materials on a specific subject area, for
example, in K-12 schools, you might only collect basic materials on
chemistry.  The Center for Research Libraries offers you a university collection policy
which uses the conspectus approach.  And even though we usually don't
follow this approach for the K-12 center, it wouldn't be a bad idea for you
to list the areas which you wish to emphasize in your collection.  This site
will direct you to other resources that will provide other ideas for collection policies.

Can I apply the general selection criteria to selection in other courses?

The general selection criteria will be very similar to those that are also 
applied to reference materials (EM 515), children's materials (EM 505), and 
young adult materials (EM 535), so be sure to keep these notes handy.  As for 
the specific format criteria, I am sure that you noted that the text includes 
a few formats that are not used as much in the K-12 environment.  Did you 
notice that any formats were missing?  If so, which of the criteria for the 
formats described could apply to the new formats?  Notice also that the 
formats for computer software and CD-ROMs have now blurred in distinction.  

Is there an online resource for average book prices?

School Library Journal has generously allowed some of its articles to 
be posted online, and quite a few will be of interest to you.  So, go to this
site and look at the article on average book prices (It will be updated
this March) and another article entitled _Small Change_.  An overall
understanding of average book prices and budgeting is important to your
activities in collection development.  These areas are also covered in EM
530.

What is an IUP?

If you haven't already, you may be asked to participate in a school or
district discussion on how to develop Internet Use Policies (IUP).  I
believe that this source at the Santa Clara University's Center for Applied
Ethics provides some interesting recommendations for how a public library
could deal with use.  Try the site and find out if it offers suggestions that 
would apply to your school.

Can you recommend other sources with examples of collection plans and policies?

Here are a few starting places if you are looking for ideas on how to
organize a collection policy statement.  Even though these are intended for
university libraries, the common statements might help you to articulate
your mission statements, goals, etc.  Also check ACQWEB and 
Virginia Tech Universities Libraries under the pull down menu for "About the Libraries." 

Are there any jury-refereed sites for information on media center?

SLMR Online is an online jury-refereed research journal for school library media specialists.  
The title initialism stands for School Library Media Research.  Since its 
change in publication policy in 1997, Knowledge Quest will replace 
the paper edition of SLMR and will be sent to members of AASL.  SLMR Online 
is available free of charge, regardless of membership.

Back to the issue of weeding, how can I begin to weed a collection that
hasn't been weeded in over ten years?

Weeding should be an ongoing process in the media center.  For this reason,
and to help the media specialist organize the workload, we suggest that
weeding be coordinated with inventorying collections.  We suggest the
process of "perpetual inventory," i.e., inventorying a separate Dewey
category each month.   For example, the 000s could be inventoried in
August, the 100s in September, the 200s in October, etc.  As you are
inventorying the collection, you can begin to look for materials that are
in disrepair (faded, missing pages, torn sections).  Later, as you begin to
learn about your collection and specific needs, you will go back to
evaluate books for content and pull titles that are dated, inaccurate,
biased, have been superseded by more recent editions, etc.  During your
first year of service in the media center, I suggest that you look for the
titles that are in obvious physical disrepair.  Later, when you feel
confident that you know the curriculum (and when you have teacher input),
you can begin to weed titles for content.

Do you have suggestions on how to choose titles to replace the ones that
I've weeded?

If you have not yet visited the SUNLINK site (and you should have), read
the message regarding the Weed of the Month Club topic.  As you are working 
through your weeding assignment and reviewing the weeding criteria for your
district, you will find the SUNLINK site to be a wonderful
complement to this collection management activity.

By the way, if you would like to be in the know on the change of topics,
subscribe to the FAME-NET listserv.  Notices are always posted when the
topics change.

In addition to the resources at SUNLINK and school board policy in our
district for selection, can you think of other sites we can visit for
weeding information?

Weeding guidelines can be found on the Web page for the Nassau 
School Library System in New York.  Since you are now in the *policy
business*, do you think that these guidelines would be easy to follow?
Would you make any changes to the policy?  I'll be interested to hear your
responses.  (Note how this policy applies to automation.  Should there be
distinctions?)

I am ready for more online sources for collection development.  What can
you offer?

Take a look at Collection Development and the Internet, an online *handbook* 
which was developed by the Library of Congress.  What you
will wish to look for are the general resources that will help you locate
online information for ordering and reviewing materials.  Many other
resources are listed in this file and the class syllabus.  Some of these items 
may have an *academic library* focus, but remember that you are looking at 
process for collection development activities.

What is the resource that I will find most useful for other teachers and
administrators in the school?

Remember that the school library media specialist is also functioning as
the special librarian for staff members in the school.  One of the most
useful resources you will link staff members to is the ERIC database.  If
you have taken reference, you will remember that ERIC stands for
Educational Resources Information Center.  (Did you remember reading this
in your EM 525 text also?)  

ERIC is composed of two sections: RIE and CIJE.  It is important that you 
can distinguish between these two sections so that you can guide staff to 
the resources.  You also have to know the difference between the sections 
so that you will know how to go about ordering items.  For example, when 
you are ordering items through el, you are asked to verify if an item is 
a journal article or an ERIC document.  How?  Look to see if the item has 
an ED or and EJ number.

Now, I want you to find out (or review):

1.  What do RIE and CIJE stand for?
2.  What are the resources offered by each section?

There is so much to know to be able to select materials.  How can I keep
up with what my school needs?

Schools are always in the process of making changes and plans for next year's 
program through the curriculum committees.  The activities of the curriculum 
committees are critical to the effectiveness of the media specialist?  Why?  
If courses are being changed or created through the curriculum committee, 
there will be new demands on the media center for basic and research 
materials.  And, if the media specialist is not aware of the need for 
these materials, well in advance of ordering time, it is quite possible 
that the teacher and students will not have what they need for the courses.  

So, the point is that if you are not on the curriculum committee, get
involved with the activities.  This is the best way to keep informed of
your school's plans.

By the way, if courses are changed without your knowledge, what can you do
to make sure your teachers and students do not go without materials (until
you can order what you need)?  

How do I determine which materials to use for review?

If you have not yet taken EM 515 (Reference Materials), pay close attention
to the list of review materials on pages 206-207 in your text.  You will
see many of these titles again in the reference course, but you will wish to
look at some of these titles now in your media center or public library.

Note that the criteria mentioned refer to adult materials.  This is because
the chief emphasis of reference materials is for the adult market.  We use
many reference materials that were originally intended for adults in the
K-12 media center, but more and more publishers are starting to focus on
young adult reference needs.

Are there specific tools that I should be looking at when choosing
materials for our special students?

Remember that as you are identifying materials for your consideration file
that you must try to collect materials for *all* members of your student
population.  And, because of the diversity of student needs, you may need
to refer to special selection tools or subject area journals to help you to
identify appropriate materials.  Here are a few of the special needs
categories and related selection tools:

Low readers:  
High Interest-Easy Reading for Junior and Senior High School Students (NCTE)
The Best: High/Low Books for Reluctant Readers

Students with personal issues:  
The Best of Bookfinder
Books to Help Children Cope with Separation and Loss

Special reading interests:        
Genreflecting
Books for You: A Booklist for Senior High Students
(NCTE - They also offer similar titles for elementary and junior high)
Reading Lists for College Bound Students

Special needs:    
Adaptive Technologies for Learning & Work Environments
Exceptional Children (journal)

You are also obligated to provide equipment and peripherals that help
students in your school to gain physical access to all materials.  Do
you know which special populations are included in your school?  Do you see
why the media specialist will wish to meet with ESE teachers to discuss
which materials are on hand and which need to be provided by the media
center?  I hope you will find out more about which materials are need in
your school, during this course term.

What are bibliographic tools?

Bibliographic tools list "bibliographic information" (author, title,
publisher, date of publication, place of publication, price, ISBN or ISSN,
etc.).  Your text refers to a *trade* bibliography.  What is a trade
bibliography?  Which trade bibliography will you use the most in your media
center--or will you even use one?  Did you know that you have *free* access
to a trade bibliography through your NSU account?  It is in one of the
FirstSearch Databases through el.  Can you identify it?  (HINT:  The title
is mentioned on page 232 of your text.)

Other bibliographic tools are mentioned in a table in your text on page
233.  As you will find out in reference, many of these selection tools are
*very* expensive for K-12 media centers.  So, you will probably wish to use
these resources at your public library or at your district media office.
Chances are, though, that you will do most of your identification of
materials through review sources, and you will then verify bibliographic
information through a vendor or vendor catalog.  Some vendors, such as
School Media Associates, will provide bibliographic information through
their toll-free number (800-451-5226).

In addition to ERIC, are there other ways to keep informed of general
educational resources?

On an issue more related to collection development, I wanted to be sure
that you know that your U.S. Department of Education has a toll-free number
(1-800-USA-LEARN) that offers referral and reference service for education
issues.  The department also issues a monthly newsletter (Community Update)
that provides URLs and lists resources that are available (free) to
educators.  For example, this month's newsletter describes a free booklet,
A Compact for Learning: An Action Handbook for Family-School-Community 
Partnerships.  Last month's newsletter offered free posters.

The Community Update is also available online.

This is a great resource for free documents to add to your professional
collection.  You can also request multiple copies that you can distribute
to your administrators and faculty members.

Are there any special catalogs that will be helpful to use?

When in your media center, you will wish to make sure that you have current
catalogs from vendors and jobbers.  When I last requested a catalog from
Brodart, I was happily surprised to receive *TitleFlight*, which is
Brodart's CD-ROM catalog of books for children and young adults.  You can
also request one at 1-800-233-8467.

The neat thing about this CD-ROM version is, like with all CD-ROM reference
products, your search is quicker, more efficient, and accurate.  Several
search modes are offered (by Dewey, grade, publication date) and you can
even create bibliographies and save search files for later ordering through
a Rose order.

TitleFlight does require a PC with at least a 386 processor and DOS 5.0, or
higher.

This is truly a great resource that will make the life of a collection
developer easier!  I hope you will call for one today.  Perma-Bound also
offers a searchable CD-ROM that you can request from the company.  Do you
know how to find this contact information?

What is collection maintenance?

Collection maintenance refers to the many important activities that provide
for record-keeping and updating, preventive maintenance, reevaluation of
materials and equipment, and weeding of materials that are no longer 
appropriate for the collection.  These many activities are just part of the 
collection development cycle, because the maintenance activities bring to our
attention what needs to be added to the collection for updating, filling in
gaps, and replacement of materials.

Your district probably has a policy that addresses inventory and weeding,
so I want you to be sure that you are familiar with any existing policy.
(Can you close your media center for inventory?  In Broward County, it is 
against school board policy to close the media center on any day that the 
students are present.)

How do we evaluate Internet resources?

One of the areas that I'm sure your author (Van Orden) will be addressing
in the next edition of your text is that of criteria for Internet resources
and links.  Although not the definitive list, the following does offer
important areas of consideration.  What are the criteria that you would add
to the list?

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

>Date: Mon, 16 Mar 98 10:19:36 -0500
>From: "Carole Fiore"
>To: 
>Subject: Internet Bookmarks and Criteria 
>
>
>Wow!  Due to the overwhelming response to my offer, I will be posting
>information regarding Internet Bookmarks and criteria directly to PUBYAC
>rather than responding to
>each person individually.  Thanks for your interest.
>
>The following is a list of website selection criteria used by children's
>librarians at Medford Library, Jackson County Library Services, Medford,
>Oregon.  Please note: this is not an official addition to our collection
>development / selection policies.  Rather, this list of criteria is used to
>help us narrow down the range of possible sites to bookmark.
>
>Website Selection Criteria for Medford Children's Department:
>
>1) Age-appropriate content -OR- content for parents or educators of children.
>
>2) No sex, violence, profanity or hate messages; no obvious links to sites
>with sex, violence, profanity or hate messages.
>
>3) Non-commercial sites are preferred over commercial ones.
>
>4) Site must provide actual information -OR- site provides multiple links to
>other relevant sites (meta-site).
>
>5) Site covers broad subject area -OR- Site provides specific content
>relevant to our patrons' needs.  Ex: Animals, NOT flamingos; Native
>Americans of Southern Oregon, NOT Native Americans of Georgia.
>
>
>Other things to consider:
>
>+ Organize bookmarks into folders with "kid-friendly" labels.
>
>+ Consider re-naming bookmarks to keep names short.  Long titles are cut off
>on Netscape.
>
>+ Limit the number of folders and bookmarks within folders so that they fit
>on one screen; don't let them get too overwhelming / cumbersome.
>
>+ Remove bookmarks that are not useful to you.  If you do remove a bookmark,
>be sure to keep a copy of the URL in case a patron wants to find a specific
>site again.
>
>+ Periodically update URLs by running the "What's New" function in Netscape
>bookmarks.
>
>+ Keep a paper copy of your bookmarks next to the Internet terminal(s) in
>case they are in use and you'd like to refer another patron to them.
>
>These are just some helpful hints that we have had to learn the hard way.
>
>I hope these criteria are useful to you.  I will be forwarding our list of
>Children's Bookmarks to PUBYAC some time next week, as an .htm attachment.
>That way, you will be able to view them using your Internet browser.
>
>--Christine Perkins 
>............................................
>           Christine Perkins
>          Reference Librarian
>    Jackson County Library Services
>  413 W. Main St. Medford, OR  97501
>     (541) 776-7281 csp@jcls.org
>............................................

In addition to FAME, AASL, and ALA, are there any other conferences that 
might help us to keep up with new titles?>

The Conference on Children's Literature will holding its eleventh 
conference on Children's Literature in the beginning of April 
at the Broward County Main Library, 100 S. Andrews Ave., Fort 
Lauderdale.   The Conference is free and is held each year on the first 
day of the >Children's Reading Festival.  Call (954) 357-7336 for more
information.

Do you have other EM 525 links for us to access?

The following links lead to information on collection development and intellectual freedom:

Are there other general URLs that we can use for other courses, too?

Professional Information, Organizations, Etc.

Now, I need some resources for technology for my school.  Do you have more URLs?

Online Resources and Utilities



If you have further questions, please contact Jan Yates.

This FAQ is copyrighted by Jan M. Yates, 1999.  All rights reserved.