SLM521

School Library Media Websites (Elective 8)

Richard McFarland

November 26, 2005

 

School Library Media Websites

 

The library media center is the information hub of the school.  It is the place where students may go with their class or individually to receive curriculum instruction, conduct research, learn computer skills and obtain reading material for class or leisure.  It is also the place where equipment and instructional material are located for staff access.  The primary purpose of the media center is to provide instruction, materials and support to students and staff and to promote reading and independent use of information resources.  Since the media center serves such a vital role within the school it is important that the atmosphere be warm, inviting, and organized.  As the window to the community the school library media website should reflect the purpose, tone and content of the media center.  Below is a list of components that should be included in an elementary school library media website.

 

  1. Introductory paragraph containing school name, names of library staff, mission statement with a link to state standards for school library media programs (Ex: MD’s http://www.bcpl.net/~dcurtis/mlo/ ) and hours of operation.
  2. An organized list of links to the School’s main webpage and other pages within the School’s website, organized in table format on the left side of the site.
  3. A visible media center link on the School’s main webpage which will take users to the media center site quickly.
  4. A well labeled table of contents listing the contents of the website.  Each listing is a link to the section to reduce scrolling. Links follow in order below.
  5. A link to Award Winning Books that the media center has in its’ collection.  The link takes users to a list of books that have won awards such as the Caldecott Award or the Newbery Award.  The list is organized into sections by award with a brief description of each award provided in each section.
  6. A link to Maryland Black Eyed Susan Books which takes users to a list of current Black Eyed Susan books which students read and review.  Each year Maryland librarians select books of note for the Black Eyed Susan list to promote reading and broaden students’ understanding of the human experience. 
  7. A link to Kid Friendly Search Engines which takes users to a list of search engine links such as Kids Click http://www.kidsclick.org/ .
  8. A link to Websites for Kindergarten which takes users to the Kindergarten section.  The section contains a brief statement explaining what students are reading and learning about (Ex: Seahorses) followed by links to Kindergarten friendly sites such as Rosemary Wells http://www.rosemarywells.com/  for Kindergarten author studies.
  9. A link to Websites for Grade 1 which takes users to the First Grade section.  The section contains a brief statement explaining what students are reading and learning about followed by links to useful sites First Graders may use. (Ex: Polar Bears http://www.starbus.com/polarbear/ )
  10. A link to Websites for Grade 2 which takes users to the Second Grade section.  The section contains a brief statement explaining what students are reading and learning about followed by links to useful sites Second Graders may use. (Ex: Community Helpers http://bensguide.gpo.gov/k-2/neighborhood/index.html)
  11. A link to Websites for Grade 3 which takes users to the Third Grade section.  The section contains a brief statement explaining what students are reading and learning about followed by links to useful sites Third Graders may use. (Ex: Birds http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/content/animals/birds/ )
  12. A link to Websites for Grade 4 which takes users to the Fourth Grade section.  The section contains a brief statement explaining what students are reading and learning about followed by links to useful sites Fourth Graders may use. (Ex: Colonial America http://www.plimoth.org/Museum/museum.htm)
  13. A link to Websites for Grade 5 which takes users to the Fifth Grade section.  The section contains a brief statement explaining what students are reading and learning about followed by links to useful sites Fifth Graders may use. (Ex: Structures – Castles http://www.castles.org/  )
  14. A table titled Home Access to Online Resources which lists online resources that the school subscribes to which are accessible from home, such as World Book Online or Grolier’s’ Multimedia Encyclopedia.  Each listing should include the name of the resource, a brief description, the password (if needed) and an active URL link to the site.
  15. A link to Cable in the Classroom Sites with links to cable programs with lessons included for teachers to use. (Ex: PBS Teacher Source http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/ )
  16. During the spring and summer a link to the Summer Reading List which lists books recommended for students to read over the summer vacation. (Ex: Montgomery County Summer Reading list http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/curriculum/readinglists/recommended/index.shtm)

 

In addition to the list above, the site should contain graphics and color to entice users (especially students) to investigate the site.  The graphics should be appropriate for the ages of the student body and should not overwhelm or clutter up the site.  All spelling and grammar should be correct.  The site should be warm and fun while also being organized and user friendly.  All links should work and the site should be updated at least once a month with new information.  An example of new information would be “February is Black History Month” with a list of books on important African Americans or a link on the site to the list.  If the school library media website contains the components listed herein, it should be a positive and effective addition to the library media program and to the school.