The Link - Fall 1997

An extra special program of events awaits conference participants at this year's ECIS Conference in The Hague, The Netherlands, taking place November 20-23, 1997. The committee, led by Vivienne Locke (Chair), has gone with a new format proposed by the ECIS Secretariat. The event, which will be known as the "Libraries Forum" and will take place on the conference Friday, represents an entire day's activities beginning at 11:00 a.m. and addressing a single theme "School Libraries: Moving Literacy Forward in International Education". Invited speakers Mr. Aidan Chambers and Dr. Sigrún Klara Hannesdóttir will keynote the event. The open business meeting will be scheduled during this time, as well as workshop-style discussion allowing time to cover topics in greater depth with the speakers. Participants are urged to bring along useful materials and themes to share with others during this event.

Friday promises to be a special day, but the rest of the conference schedule will also offer librarians and information professionals much food for thought. There will be other sessions by our invited guests as well as speakers from our own ranks of librarians in international schools. Topics will include the latest developments in client/server architecture, literacy promotion in primary and secondary school libraries, languages beyond English in the school library, and the role of youth literature in the electronic age.

Check the official conference schedule when it is published for full details. The program can also be found on the world wide web at the ECIS web site at http://www.ecis.org.

The International Association of School Librarianship (IASL) is committed to making librarians in international schools an integral part of its membership. To help us to create a distinct entity within the IASL, the membership registration form now allows librarians working in an international setting to identify themselves as such. Annual membership fees are calculated on a sliding scale starting from US$15 for members in developing nations to US$50 for most others. Dr. Sigrún Klara Hannesdóttir, the IASL president, will be a featured speaker at the ECIS Autumn Conference in The Hague, and the 1998 IASL Conference is planned for July 5-9 at Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel. For further information on IASL and its activities, contact The Link, or Rick Barter, IASL International Schools Coordinator (rick@idecnet.com).

Think back, if you will, twenty years ago to 1977. It was the year that the controversial Pompidou Centre for the arts was opened in Paris. The space shuttle made its first flight on top of a Boeing 747 and outer space became big at the movies with such films as Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Star Wars. John Travolta made his silver screen debut in the disco film Saturday Night Fever, and the radio played "Don't Give Up on Us", "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", and "Mull of Kintyre". It was the year that Bing Crosby, Groucho Marx, Maria Callas, Vladimir Nabokov, and Elvis Presley died. Nineteen seventy-seven was also the year that the first issue of the newsletter of the ECIS Standing Library Committee (as it was then called) was published. Later dubbed The Link, the newsletter celebrates the twentieth anniversary of its founding this year.

The years have marched on and in 1997 the Pompidou Centre is now a cherished part of the Parisian cityscape, outer space still consumes Hollywood's imagination in such recent hits as Independence Day and Men in Black, John Travolta is enjoying renewed popularity after a prolonged career slump, and line dancing is back in vogue. Evita is still making money for Andrew Lloyd Weber, Nabokov's Lolita is still causing controversy, and every once and awhile Elvis will make a mysterious appearance.

How little things change, and yet how much things change. Thank goodness for the reliability of The Link. In 1977 it carried heated debates about whether librarians should order paperbacks versus hardcover editions. Listening stations were much talked about, as were filmstrips. Pets in libraries was a hot issue. Now the focus seems to have shifted to library automation, flexible scheduling, CD-ROMs, and the internet; but remarkably, many of the issues remain the same.

Certainly one thing has remained constant—This modest newsletter has now been connecting librarians in international schools and dispensing useful professional advice for two decades. This survival is a testament to its usefulness. Throughout these years it has changed and metamorphosized to adapt to the changing world of information. Yet it has always remained true to its mission: keeping its readers linked.

The history and continued existence of The Link have depended on volunteers and the generosity of various people and organizations. A special thank-you is extended to past editors, contributors, ECIS, SIRS, and you, the loyal and appreciative readership. We hope to serve our interested subscribers for many more years to come. Help us to define the direction of the next decade of The Link. Let us know what you have enjoyed in the past and give us advice on how The Link can continue to serve you for the next twenty years!

Issue number one featured an article called "A Cure for a Quiet Library" in which a librarian recommended key titles for a collection of rock and popular records. "A record collection," the contributor wrote, "just like a book collection, should be diverse; and once you have a good record collection, it will bring you business." The following titles were recommended for a core high school collection:

Most of the recommended titles retailed for US$6.98, another sign of the times. Record collections like book collections, no doubt, must be regularly weeded. Does anyone feature a popular music collection in their library today?

"BE FLEXIBLE. You are a service-station attendant! Remember that American TV slogan? 'You can trust your car to the man who wears the star!' He was smiling, always ready to dash to your assistance as you drove onto the forecourt. The same is true with you. Love your patrons. Don't smother them with insincere affection, but let your smile tell the story. Drop everything to help Johnny find his book on bear baiting. Adapt your schedule to take the shape of your users." Wise advice from editor Alan Heath from The Link, Jan-Feb 1979.

Editor's Note: Under the editorship of Alan Heath (American School of London) The Link was published as a multi-page magazine (which even accepted advertising) and there was some speculation that it was well on its way to becoming a successful international periodical in the field of librarianship. At that time it was sent to 57 countries and the US represented the largest subscriber list. For various reasons its climb to superstardom was thwarted, and The Link even disappeared for a short time. Under the sponsorship of Sirs The Link was resuscitated in 1986 and survives, thanks to their goodwill, with a more humble mission and a smaller subscriber list.

Early issues included such homespun tips as recipes for muesli and detailed travel advice for conference participants. To illustrate just how much has changed in the twenty year history of The Link, read the following advice to participants at London's ECIS Conference in 1979: For many of you, British prices will seem incredibly cheap, so make the most of it while you can. Expect to spend at least Ł2 on a meal, but some cafes [ . . . ] offer luncheon specials for Ł1 to Ł1.50, and usually include roast beef.

The following excerpts are taken from an article called "Audio-Visual Indispensability" by Neil Goldthorpe from the Spring 1981 edition of The Link. Audio-visual, you say? Certainly gramophone records and sound filmstrips are passé? To show you how issues remain constant, try replacing the word "audio-visual" with "internet", "CD-ROM", or "computer resource".

It is commonplace today to observe that our children are growing up in the midst of an audio-visual revolution, that the "civilization of the printed word" is rapidly making room for that of the audio-visual machine. While the continued place of books seems assured, methods of education must also accommodate the positive aspects of technological innovation . . .

The use of audio-visual materials . . . is not meant to replace more classical methods of teaching, any more than the materials themselves are meant to replace books. Even less are they meant to replace the teacher. On the contrary, while they might modify his role, their fundamental purpose is to aid the teacher and enrich his lessons. . . .teaching in all disciplines can make profitable use of audio-visual material . . .

If it is true that "humanity has only ever learned the things it really wanted to learn," it falls to the teacher to STIMULATE the desire to learn and in doing this, audio-visual materials have a significant role to play.

Updates

The April 1997 issue of the Library Association Record carried the death announcement of Barbara Janzer, long-time member of the ECIS Committee on Libraries and former editor of The Link. She died on February 15th, 1997. Barbara Janzer served most recently as Reader Adviser in the library of the Nightingale Institute of Nursing and Midwifery, Kings College London. She was an American who spent the first ten years of her professional career in school libraries in Ohio (USA). In 1972 she served as school librarian at the Munich International School and in 1982 became librarian at the American Community School in Cobham (UK). In 1994 she joined the Nightingale School of Nursing. Her activity in the ECIS Committee is well-documented in past issues of The Link, and I am sure she is well-remembered by her colleagues in international schools.

Calling all librarians who have personal e-mail accounts. The Link would like your address. In an attempt to encourage dialogue between colleagues in more than just the newsletter, I would like to create an e-mail directory of international school librarians and information professionals. This may eventually be something which could be distributed or posted on-line for the benefit of all. Colleagues can exchange tips or ask questions of each other with immediate feedback. It is even a great way to write letters to the editor or submit articles to The Link! Do not delay, join the upcoming e-mail directory of international school librarians. Send your name, title, and school and e-mail address to the editor's e-mail box.

Janis Hosemann has accepted a position at the Inter-Community School Zurich, where she hopes to continue the friendships she has made within the European community. Janis was most recently at the International School of Stavanger, where she is being replaced by Dan Sevig. Dan comes to the international schools circuit from Oregon (USA), where he was involved in developing and implementing a school technology plan. Randi Pegnetter of the American International School of Zürich will be enjoying a leave of absence from her duties in Switzerland while attending the University of South Florida Graduate School of Library Science as well as continuing with her Master's degree in Educational Technology through George Washington University. The latter is a distance learning program, all accomplished through video-taped lectures, e-mail correspondence and a listserv. Krista Jacobson will serve as both librarian and college counselor during Randi's absence, and Edel Sturcke will assist with computer and data entry, circulation, etc. Lisa Griest and her husband Gary, most recently of the International School of Amsterdam, have accepted positions stateside for the 1997-98 school year at the Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts. Lisa has been a driving force within the library field in ECIS and the IBO, lending her expertise in many ways. Her contributions have always been insightful and well articulated, and with her keen interest in the internet and computer resources, always represented the cutting-edge of library instruction. Marion van Engelen, most recently Head Librarian at the Universal International School of Thailand, has taken a position at Le Bocage International School in Mauritius. Tracy Salters will be her successor at UIS. Adrine Debuscher retires from the International School of Brussels after a long and distinguished career as elementary librarian. She will be replaced by Mark Ray.

"I got to admit, heroin's the best. I mean, THE BEST. The others, well . . . Acid, your thoughts come alive and they start to live a life of their own. Hash, your senses sort of wake up. But with heroin, ahhh. You can just sit in a sewer all day and be soooo happy and feel soooo good."

This is one of the controversial passages from this year's Carnegie winner, Junk, by Melvin Burgess. Taken out of context, it can shock. But as librarians well know, no book can be understood by reading isolated passages. Junk is a gritty tale about two runaways, a boy and girl. You may think it is a love story, and it is— a love affair with heroin. It takes place in Bristol during the 1980s and offers the reader insight into the dark world of squatters, drug abuse, and teenage prostitution. It may be the new Outsiders, a story about teenage rebelliousness that could serve as a cautionary tale. In the tradition of Go Ask Alice, Junk will find an avid readership.

Nancy Fennessy of The American International School Budapest wrote with a Narnian conundrum in the last issue. What is the correct order of the C.S. Lewis fantastic fantasy sequence? The answer is both: The order in which the series was written is not the same as the order of the story line in the books. Lewis himself suggested (in his book Letters to Children) that his Narnia books be read in chronological order (according to plot) rather than the order in which they were written. This explains why the series can be numbered differently. The two orders are given below:

The next IB librarians' workshop for the IB Europe/Africa/Middle East region will take place at the International School of Amsterdam on April 24th-26th, 1998. (This represents a change of date and venue from previous announcements.) Two days of general sessions are planned with a particular emphasis on the internet. Sharing their internet expertise will be Allen Brown, a computing and education consultant, and Corinne Laverty, an instructional services librarian. If you have any suggestions for topics you would like to see included, in particular anything that you would be willing to present yourself, please contact the IB Librarians' Committee Chair: Coralie Clark at the American International School of Budapest,

School Libraries

In a recent article Lisa Griest solicited ideas from other librarians dealing with the topic of internet training to pass on to other readers. Lorna Flynn, librarian at the American International School in Cyprus took her up on her suggestion and submitted the following based on experiences at their school:

Staff at AISC have had internet access for a little more than a year and this past autumn internet e-mail accounts were offered to all middle and high school students. Our elementary students are currently able to access the internet with teacher assistance in the library, and during this academic year will be able to access internet sites in the classroom via downloaded information on zip-drives. (The wiring to the elementary section of the school is in progress.)

We began our all-school training with assemblies for middle and then high school. Students were given general information on the internet and then supplied with acceptable use policies to be signed by them and their parents. When the contracts were returned each class was instructed on how to use the school local area network, set up passwords, access personal folders which contained web software, as well as instructed in general housekeeping chores. The internet is accessible to students via the school network in the computing labs and the library.

The next training stage involved faculty. The school technology committee implemented a professional development plan for all our faculty which began during the 1996-97 school year. This plan encourages the integration of the internet in the school curriculum in meaningful ways.

During the 1997-98 academic year we will write a comprehensive K-12 computer/technology curriculum. As librarian, of course, I would like to see more cooperative ventures between the library and the classroom in the field of research incorporating these new and exciting technologies.

Most librarians realize the importance of the internet as a research tool, but how many use it for ordering books?

The emergence of internet book shops represents one positive step for librarians in the increasing commercialization of the internet. Shopping for books on the internet is particularly attractive to international school librarians who frequently find themselves disconnected from the regular and abundant sources of English-language material that our colleagues at home take for granted.

While I use consolidators to order the vast bulk of my library acquisitions in a given year (which of course offer additional services such as computer processing in the bargain), I frequently will order books from the internet to fill emergency gaps in the collection, get a new title from a favorite author, replace a lost book, or even order gifts for friends and relatives.

Shipment from the United States is easier with diplomatic postal privileges, but regular mail will work just as well (it will just be more expensive). There are several internet book services available from the UK, which for European customers (especially those in EU countries) may make more sense. A credit card account is all that is required. With secure credit card payment you need not give a second thought to confidentiality. I have used these services for several years without incident and compare it to giving a credit card over the phone to book a hotel reservation.

A rather complete listing of internet book shops exists at the following web site called "The Internet Roadmap to Books": http://www.bookfair.com/Booksellers/BooksellersIndex.html

If you have an interesting experience or insight to share on the topic of internet book shops, please contact the editor.

Many of our students have lived in as many places as they have years, and often the strain is telling. The child is perpetually trying to maintain his/her balance in a new situation and, once having achieved this, is whisked off to begin again. There is little one can do about this situation. Librarians, however, are in an especially helpful position. Libraries provide a more stable and predictable atmosphere than a new classroom. Some classes are elegant sitting rooms complete with carpets and chandeliers, some are large colourful "areas" or learning centres, while others are as soul-less as a civil service office block.

The library, however, is instantly recognizable. It is always the room where shelves are lined with books, where the card catalogue is organized according to Dewey, and the books on airplanes or dogs are found under the same number as in the last library.

New children seem greatly relieved to find that [you have the same authors and similar books to what they were used to at their last school]. A book might have provided a few moments of peace to a lonely child in the past. The sight of [a] particularly comforting book in a time of new trial could be a great tonic.

Current editions of [familiar magazines and newspapers] are also a settling factor. A new student sitting woodenly at a table, staring into the terrible void of a lonely lunch time may be reached by pulling up an adjacent chair and producing a copy of Sports Illustrated. One can pry out the name of the child's favourite team and then connect this child with the other students of the same loyalty.

The first day of school could be a much more encouraging one if we all had a few touchstones to give a child. We in the library are in the particularly advantageous position to do just this.

The Feature Article

Selection is part of every librarian's duty. Curriculum normally determines what is purchased for nonfiction, but the criteria for fiction selection are a little bit more elusive. Do you stock such series as Goosebumps, Nancy Drew, Bay Watch, and the Babysitters' Club? In what follows, two librarians share their views.

Kimete Basha I Novosejt, Middle School Librarian at the International School of Brussels, writes:

When I was a young avid reader I used to devour, almost exclusively, Enid Blyton's stories. I became a faithful follower of the many adventures of the Secret Seven and particularly George, the leader of the Famous Five. George and her extraordinary adventures led me in turn to Anne of Green Gables and to Kate in Little Women and then on to Dorothea in Middlemarch.

When I was reading Blyton, librarians were already dismissing her as a formula fiction writer whose trite plots, uninteresting vocabulary and limited imagination were thwarting, not nurturing, young readers. This was not worthy literature and not well-used reading time, I was told. Off the shelves with this rubbish, they urged!

I've always felt that young people who like to read will consume whatever they can get until they, as a result of a slow process of maturing, will begin to discern between literature that stimulates and satisfies and scribblings that aspire to be nothing more than comfortable escapism.

As a school librarian, I feel the need to respect the fact that there may be people who prefer to read about the antics in Sweet Valley High or the tensions in Point Horror. I let my students make their choices and slowly, through booktalks and quiet private dialogue, hope to accompany them a little way on their journey to other worlds.

Barbara Wellborn, Elementary Librarian at St. John's International School (Waterloo, Belgium) writes:

Providing recreational reading for the school age child or adolescent is a challenge for a librarian. We face limitations imposed by budget and space restrictions, but the crucial factor is the competition for the young person's time. The school-age child can be involved with music lessons, sports, computers, video games, TV, and homework (of course). Because of the variety of activities competing for the child's attention, I feel that my fiction collection must represent the best that is available in today's market. For this reason I do not have mass-market paperback series in my library. In the time the student has available to read, I want the very best, critically reviewed fiction and nonfiction available to the student from which to make his or her choice.

In the book selection policy of our school, we have stated our aim to provide an outstanding collection by using a variety of review sources such as Booklist, Books for Keeps, Hornbook, and School Library Journal. The circulation statistics show that the students do check out these critically acclaimed books and their enthusiasm indicates that the books have been read and enjoyed.

Your Committee

Coralie Clark completed her two years as Committee Chairman, and in keeping with what has become committee practice, stepped down. She remains on the committee, and the new Chariman is John Royce. Anthony Tilke has joined the Committee and is taking over as editor of The Link. Please contact any one member of the Committee if you have concerns, requests, ideas or suggestions as to how the Committee can support you.

John Royce (Chair), Robert College, email: jroyce@robcol.k12.tr
Coralie Clark, American International School of Budapest, email: clark.c@upper.aisb.hu
Linda Marti, International School of Prague, email: lmarti@isp.cz
Randi Pegnetter, American Internaional School of Zurich, email: pegnetkr@yahoo.com
Anthony Tilke, Yokohama Internaional School, email: tilkea@yis.ac.jp

The Link is the newsletter of the ECIS Library and Information Services Committee
and is edited by Anthony Tilke, Yokohama International Schools, Japan.
Email: tilkea@yis.ac.jp; fax 81-45-621-0379.