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In the Education sphere, the Common Core
is a new set of Math and Language arts standards
adopted by almost every state in the union.
It may take a decade, but I believe it will transform education
the likes we have never seen! It will transform the way
our kids learn and the way teachers "teach"
and overall, the manner in which education is delivered.
And I think it may allow librarians (finally) the opportunity to teach
students and instructors how to effectively
and seemlessly use the technology
they have toyed with for a decade or more. This transformation will certainly
involve more innovation, but it is so much more
than technology. The Common Core focuses on deep reading,
research skills and critical thinking skills
Now that sounds an awful lot
like the "Information Literacy" that we
librarians have been talking about for several decades.
In fact, the CCSS (Common Core State Standard) document itself
mentions "research" 132 times
and the word "information" 244 times!
Paige Jaeger, Coordinator of School Library Services
in Saratoga Springs, New York wrote
in the School Library Journal,
"Approximately half of the Common Core writing standards
acknowledge that RESEARCH is part of the writing process
(and then she names/lists all the standards) In the Introduction to the ELA standards,
under "Key Design Consideration"
it mentions the strong indication of that
research role - and then she quotes the document -
This is from the Common Core. When I read this think about who's
job description this is: 'To be ready for college,
workforce training, and life in a technological society,
students need the ability to gather, comprehend, evaluate,
synthesize, and report on information and ideas,
to conduct original research
in order to answer questions or solve problems,
and to analyze and create a high volume
and extensive range of print and
nonprint texts in media forms old and new"
[chuckles from audience] Sound like a
school librarian, academic librarian, public librarian?
The word "librarian"'s not there, but I think they got us down.
We are clearly on the verge of a transformative/
revolutionary opportunity to position the
library whether school, virtual, public or academic
into the limelight and truly into the heart or
center of the educational enterprise. This is our opportunity to shine!
As teachers move away from a
dependence on textbooks and primary sources,
Folks, they're gonna really, really NEED us!
U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan,
recently wrote, "Teachers are faced
with a level of change and reform in schools and districts
that is unprecedented." And I would say the same thing for
administrators and librarians. We have very little time.
We are no longer the "keeper of the books."
Rather, we are embedded professional
development instructors, co-teachers and advisors,
and facilitators of access to information and much much more.
We need to be educated, and informed
We need to be ready! We Must position and prepare
our libraries (both our facilities and our programs) NOW
to meet these needs.
Remember Mr. Abram's statement: "We have an opportunity in this
early part of the 21st century to
invent the future and not just react to it."
It is so easy to just react. It is our human nature.
Change can cause us to be afraid. The unknown can be scary.
We can easily get into reactionary mode
when we are scared or threatened. But what I think Mr. Abram
is saying—If we are informed, if we are the creators
the masters and inventors of the future we then have opportunities to Make the future.
So what does that statement mean for the South Dakota State Library?
For librarians and libraries in South Dakota?
Well, I feel it means we
have to focus on the glass being half full
and not half empty. We can celebrate what we have.
We can keep adding water to that glass.
We can keep raising the bar,
even if ever so slowly. There is plenty to do
as we align ourselves, our resources, our mission,
our programming, our facilities with our schools and our communities
There is enough to do as we just go about the business
of serving our constituents in new and more expanded ways.
Do you know your legislators or community leaders?
Do you know them by name? More importantly,
are they familiar with your library? Do they know YOU?
When was the last time you invited them to come visit your library
or hosted a town meeting? Have you planned a program around your city leaders,
your county commissioners, your teachers or school board?
Do you regularly attend a county commissioner's meeting, a school board or city council meetings?
There are opportunities everywhere,
but we have to recognize those opportunities!
Then we can grab hold of and run with those
at the same time we are dealing with our challenges. We have a new little tag line we've come up with at the State Library.
It's sort of a cute rendition of
our strategic plan. It's called Connecting South Dakota
Collborating with Communities and Creating 21st Century library leaders.
I like it because it summarizes
what I have been sharing with you today. The South Dakota State Library
connects with each and every community. We encourage
collaboration—partnering with us and with each other,
partnering with groups in your own community. And lastly
my favorite part of the tag line is, "creating
21st Century Library leaders." That really is
one of the State Library's main jobs---empowering
each of you to be a leader in your own sphere of influence,
in your own community. The State Library is here...
the State Library staff exists to support YOU!
We are here to help you and help your library
BE all it can be as you serve your community, so that we
can all serve South Dakotans with their informational needs.
Connecting South Dakota—Collaborating with Communities
Creating 21st Century Library Leaders
that is what we are about! I hope you have a great year
and enjoy the today and the Tri-Conference.
Remember: That leader is YOU!