2007 Imprints

Please feel free to add a signed review at the top of this list.

• The gigantic book of teachers' wisdom edited by Erin Gruwell (Skyhorse Pub., 2007. 788 p. $_____. ISBN: 9781602391772)

  Famous, pithy, and interesting quotes from the famous and not so famous have been collected here and arranged by topic. These topics include: the teacher, the philosophy behind good teaching, words from the wise, those we teacher and those who raise them, the philosophy of learning, classroom perspective, life lessons, civilized thoughts, between the lines, nut and bolts, fundamental elements, extremes of intelligence, the funny side of teaching, and finding inspiration. So, when looking for an inspirational or provocative quote for a website, newsletter, or speech, this is a good collection. Our only quarrel is that there are only about four quotes per page. Thus, the heftiness of the book. However, it is one book you can easily spot on the shelf and  one could use it instead of a barbell.  You need several good quote books available at your fingertips. This one is a good choice.

• Virtual Reference on a Budget: Case Studies edited by Teresa Calston and Michael Pullin (Linworth, 2007 191p. $_____ ISBN: 1586832875)

  How can we reach the Google generation? A group of doctoral students at the University of North Texas attacked one part of this problem by investigating, proposing, and recommending ways to use direct communication with various patrons of school, academic, and public libraries. Various chapters describe serious proposals and recommendations for actual libraries by a team of of doctoral students. In the chapter covering schools, the team investigates and proposes a system for a high-tech high school in Michigan using instant messaging as a way to directly connect to students from the library. We are reminded of the proposal to use iGoogle in our own book: In Command by Williams and Loertscher where direct messages from teachers and librarians come directly onto the student’s home page. The instant messaging concept attacks the same kind of problem.  We as teacher librarians hav to be in the faces of our patrons in order to make any sort of meaningful impact on the use of information. So, we found the proposals here forward thinking an worth testing and refining as we all enter the social networking phase of the world of Web 2.9.  For the brave and realistic professional, consider this volume’s advice along with every other idea you can get your hands on. Recommended.