Scholarships

The ISLMA Scholarship for library students and the McCusker Professional Development Scholarship committees are accepting applications until February 1st. Take a look at these opportunities to see if you qualify.

The Collective Voice Initiative: Join with Illinois Libraries
to Advocate for Our Community

ISLMA members can now join the Illinois Library Association (ILA) as a "co-member" at an annual rate of $25 for a maximum of five consecutive years. 

This membership category has full benefits and includes invitations to participate in our forum and committee membership such as youth services and our new Leadership Forum (formed by Synergy alums to help continue to grow Illinois library leaders); eligibility for all association leadership positions; member rates for all publications; and all professional development opportunities. 

Go to www.ila.org “Membership” to take advantage of this  ISLMA member benefit and Illinois library community building initiative. Email  ila@ila.org with questions.

Call for Proposals - ISLMA Spring Mini-Conferences

Submit a proposal

The Illinois School Library Media Association is planning two spring mini-conferences to provide additional professional development opportunities for school librarians.  These events will take place from 8:30 am - 12:00 pm on Sat, April 21st at Central A&M HS in Mowequa, IL AND Sat, April 28 at Highland MS in Libertyville, IL.  

We will need 8 - 12 persons per location to present 45-minute sessions on a wide variety of topics of interest to attendees. Topic areas may include library-related technologies, collection development/weeding/book repair, book talks, advocacy, eBooks/audiobooks, solo librarianship, CCSS implementation/standards-based instruction, reading motivation, special programs in the library, Battle of the Books/book clubs, etc.

Complete this form to propose a topic to present.  Deadline to apply: Friday, Feb 17th.  Applicants will be notified of their proposal status by Monday, March 5th. Contact Lisa Perez with questions.  Watch for registration information in early March.

I-SAIL 2011

The new version of I-SAIL is here!  If you are interested in a framework to teach the needed skills in all content areas you will want to click here.

Remember these standards, benchmarks, and objectives are aligned to the new Illinois Common Core Standards, AASL and NETS-S standards as well.

Start sailing......

ISLMA "Webinars to Enhance Learning for Librarians" (WELL) Series

Make plans to attend the ISLMA WELL webinar series!  Each month during the school year, you will have an opportunity to join a free ISLMA webinar to hear from leaders in school librarianship while enjoying some time communicating with other librarians.  From the comfort of your home on your computer, you can participate in quality professional development and network with your peers.  Each webinar will take place on the Learn Central platform at 7pm and will be archived for later viewing, if you cannot attend the live webinar.  Attendees at the live session can apply for CPDU credit.  On January 18, 2012, our presenter will be  Julie Monahan. See http://islmawebinars.wikispaces.com for more details about these exciting webinars.  

Common Core Standards

The new Illinois Learning Standards incorporate the Common Core Standards.

It is important that school librarians become informed about these standards.  The state board has made a commitment to the concept and thus it is important for all to be involved and gives librarians the opportunity to take a leadership role. Read more

Linking For Learning 3rd Edition

Are you ready for up-to-date and effective guidelines to assist you in planning your library program?

An ISLMA task force has been at work diligently revising and creating new material for this program handbook.

Linking for Learning 3rd Edition includes:

• Program guidelines--quantitative and qualitative
• New rubrics
• Easy-to-use format for sharing guidelines with administrators, school boards, and other stakeholders
• Examples of evidence that can be assembled
• New job descriptions
• An evaluation tool for school librarians
• Information specifically targeted to school administrators
• Online links to fast-changing information will keep Linking current
• Key articles for new members written by our most experienced members
• Revised interview questions and responses

This user-friendly document was created for both school librarians and administrators. 

The price is $20 (includes shipping and handling) Order your copy today.