Maine Libraries Conference

For constitutional purposes, the May 8, 2004 support staff workshop meeting was begun and suspended. On October 18, 2004, MASL went back into active meeting format and continued the May meeting.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Kelly McDaniel announced five $1000 grants from MASL to Maine School Libraries to support Evidence Based Practice.

Applicants were asked to describe their projects, and all agreed to share the results of the projects at next year's Maine Libraries Conference.

Ellen Spring from Rockland District Middle School will do a project called "Listen! …And Become a Better Reader." The project will provide audio books, print books and CD/cassette players for students. Ellen will collaborate with two special education teachers, one ESL teacher and an 8th grade English teacher. The books will be used in classes and include easier reading levels. They will study circulation figures, do surveys and read literature logs. They will also consider reading test scores to see if the books on tape affect test scores.

Jodie Breau of Messalonskee High School will collaborate with an English teacher in a project called "Messalonskee Reads." As a result of a literacy audit for the school the Messalonskee Reads club was formed to eat lunch and read together on Thursdays for 45 minutes. The goal is to increase student awareness of the variety of available young adult literature. Assessment will be through products, surveys, and adult observations.

Peggy Becksvoort from Falmouth Middle School will collaborate with a seventh grade science teacher and an English/language arts teacher on a disease unit. Students will research diseases and produce a product showing their understanding of a disease. Then, they will choose a fiction book or a biography. They will make an evaluation of the author's accuracy in the presentation of the disease based on their own research.

Susan Trott from Chelsea School will collaborate with a 4th grade teacher in a famous Maine person unit. The students will research a person, write reports and do presentations dressed in costumes. The grant will provide school video equipment to support this project.

Judy Wentzell is at Adams Elementary School one day a week. It is a small school with less than 200 kids. Judy and her collaborating grade 4/5 teacher are hoping to get a high school or college age native American to be involved in their project on Native American History and Culture. They are planning to have students do week long activities and have a guest speaker for a day. Student journals and written products will be used in assessment.

TREASURER'S REPORT

Pam Goucher spoke about the MASL budget in action – being able to give stipends for standards work and grants for research. The Class Act Workshops were very successful thanks to Ross Todd. He offered something that the school community needed and embraced. MASL offers in-service opportunities like Class Act to non members and at reduced cost to members. A motion was made, seconded and passed to accept the treasurer's report.

SCHOLARSHIP

A report was sent from Fran Haines, committee chair, reviewing scholarships that had been awarded this year.

No applications for scholarships to the 2004 Maine Libraries Conference were received
The silent auction funds support both MASL and MLA scholarships.

MASL members were reminded about the Audrey Conant scholarship fund that is open specifically to Maine women who are pursuing advance degrees in library studies.

CONFERENCE COMMITTEE

Thanks to the conference committee for a job well done!
MASL members were urged to join the conference committee for hard but satisfying work..

A discussion about the benefits of MASL membership was repeated for those who had not been present at the Standards Workshop. Although we no longer have a newsletter, we do have an informative web page; we offer many excellent workshops, award scholarships, and fund grants to members. We are looking forward to hearing the results of the excellent projects just funded.

Members were asked for feedback regarding MASL's work this year (standards, support staff job description). We welcome member support and input.
There are openings on the MASL Board, and everyone is welcome to come to Board meetings. Board membership is open to support staff. In fact, the chair for support staff is currently open.

SUPPORT STAFF

Work is ongoing regarding a support staff job description. The Spring Workshop generated a 191 list of tasks. The list was narrowed and reviewed in connection to the SLMS job description.

MASL members are asked to share Conference news and ideas with support staff who were unable to attend.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

It was noted that food options are limited by the civic center.

Comments were made that the autumn timing of the Maine Libraries Conference was good because of having money to spend, and time to follow up on the great ideas presented. In a show of hands, only 2 members felt that the autumn timing was not preferable to spring. Hopefully, MASL will do a workshop offering in the spring.

It was suggested that there may have been fewer people in attendance because of school conference funds having been cut.

In response to a question on how we found Ross Todd, Sylvia spoke about how a Massachusetts librarian had heard Ross speak at a conference in New Zealand and was very impressed by him. He was invited to speak in Massachusetts at a NEEMA leadership program where Sylvia heard him. When Sylvia met him again, she talked to him about how he could help us interpret our standards and move our goals forward. MASL supported his coming to Maine several times and working with the MASL Board. We feel very fortunate to work with such a dynamic international researcher.

This year we will be doing work on our constitution that will come to a vote at our next business meeting. Gretchen will be putting an open invitation on MELIBS to attend MASL Board meetings the first Saturdays of the month. Look for the announcements with the subject line: MASL members please read.

Several people spoke about grant opportunities. The next applications for the Stephen King foundation are due in March. Mainecommunityfoundation.org has a variety of opportunities by county and region. Grants through Maine Humanities are restricted by poverty limits.

It was noted that the appropriations committee wants to eliminate Title V funds. Members were urged to write to senators and representatives to protest.

A motion to adjourn was made, seconded and passed.

Respectfully submitted,
Margaret McNamee, Secretary