2012 Kansas Summer Institute for School Librarians
(A KSDE sponsored event)
Theme: Reading: Text Complexity and the Growth of Comprehension in the Kansas Common Core Standards
Location: Emporia State University, The Teachers College (Visser Hall), Room 118, Emporia, KS
Time: Doors open at 8:30 a.m. each day. Sessions from 9:00 – 4:30 p.m. Lunch and break drinks/food will provided on-site both days and is included in the registration fee.
Special Speakers: Steve Del Vecchio will be a featured speaker on day one of the Institute. Steve is a librarian and teacher who has worked over the past 30 years as a school librarian in public elementary schools in New York City, and as a children’s librarian with both The New York Public Library and The Seattle Public Library. At The New York Public Library, Steve was the founding Project Director of the Connecting Libraries and Schools Project. Today Steve is the regional manager of the Lake City, Northeast, Northgate and University branch libraries, the four vibrant and beautiful branch libraries that make up The Seattle Public Library’s busiest region.
Steve is also a lecturer in the Master of Library and Information Science Program in the University of Washington’s Information School. Steve teaches courses on youth services, management, instruction, collection development and reference.
Steve has also taught preschool, elementary and high school and has worked on efforts to make better use of the data generated by evaluations and tests for improving instruction. Recently Steve served on the group that worked on text complexity in the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts. He had the primary responsibility for facilitating and coordinating the selection of the text exemplars that accompany the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (CCSS-ELA). Steve has continued to work with those conducting ongoing research related to text complexity and its application to curriculum and teaching based on CCSS-ELA.
Steve has written for School Library Journal, Wilson Library Journal and Teacher Magazine, and is writing the article on Intellectual Freedom and Youth for the forthcoming Handbook of Intellectual Freedom. He was also the author of the National Book Foundation’s handbook on conducting author programs in schools and libraries. He has made presentations to school and public library conferences, including national AASL and PLA conferences as well as at state and local conferences and workshops. In January Steve conducted a workshop on text complexity for school librarians and public youth services librarians as part of the annual iYouth Conference hosted by the University of Washington’s Information School iYouth group.
Steve is the doting father of a 9 year old daughter, who is an aspiring author, teacher and librarian. Steve is also an avid motorcyclist of 40 years experience, and is a certified Motorcycle Safety Foundation instructor, regularly teaching both basic and advanced riding courses.
As in the past, day two will feature authors. David Greenberg, from Portland, Oregon, a children’s book author and illustrator well-known for his award winning books and his poetry and civil rights assembles that inspire good writing and good writers will present. Clare Vanderpool, Wichita, Kansas, author of “Moon Over Manifest,” winner of the 2011 Newbery Award, will present, “The Story behind the Story.” Guest authors’ books will be for sale on-site. You may bring your books for author signing.
This year’s Institute will feature librarians and educators who are text complexity trainers: Julie Akins, Barbara Bahm, Bev Nye, Beverley Buller and Matt Copeland. This Institute is sure to provide best content and instruction, and prepare you with current information and inspiring ideas that you can immediately use as you manage resources and services, collaborate with other educators and instruct today’s children and youth. You won’t want to miss it!
Registration: The registration fee is $130/person. The registration form is available online at http://www.nekls.org/ Laura DeBaun will once again manage registration. You may communication with Laura at ldebaun@nekls.org or 785-838-4090 (phone), or 785-838-3989 (Fax). You may send a completed registration form with your school’s PO or check to Laura DeBaun, Northeast Kansas Library System, 4317 West 6th Street, Lawrence, KS 66049. Please make checks for registration payable to the Northeast Kansas Library System (NEKLS).
NOTE: Registration will open on March 2, 2012. School librarians will be given exclusive, preferred registration until March 25. After March 25, others will be able to register on first-come, first-served basis. Deadline to register is May 31. Maximum Registration: 120.
Enrollment for Credit: The Institute will once again be offered for 1 graduate credit hour. The course number is LI755 (Dow). Tuition for this one-credit hour course for Kansas residents is $323. Tuition for non-Kansas residents is $733. ESU summer enrollment begins on March 12. You may get enrolled by calling ESU’s Office of Distance Education, 1-877-332-4249 (toll free) or 620-341-5385. Jan Gerstner is the administrative assistant who will be happy to assist you. This course will focus on practical applications of the presenters’ content. This will be worthwhile, graduate level, but will not require you to spend large amounts of time outside the Institute. A syllabus will be posted online at approximately May 1 at http://slim.emporia.edu/
Individuals who enroll for credit must also register and pay the registration fee for the Institute.
Parking: Free parking will be in the gray parking lot, down the hill north of The Teachers College (not violet, not parking meters). There are disability parking spaces available at the front door (east) of The Teachers College. Cars parked in unauthorized areas will be ticketed.
Sponsors: Kansas Department of Education; School of Library and Information Management, Emporia State University; Northeast Kansas Library System; State Library of Kansas; Kansas Association of School Librarians.
