Wakemedia Monthly
Volume 7: October 2020
We hope you find these updates useful as many of you work to establish new routines and processes for students’ return to school buildings. Our work will continue to demand the utmost flexibility and creativity. Please reach out to our office or to one another if you need inspiration or support.
Kendra and Susan continue to hold office hours via Google Meet for anyone who may need to drop in to ask a question:
Kendra: Tuesday/Thursday 8am-9am
Susan: Tuesday/Thursday 8am-9am
Technology Guidance
Make sure that you’ve read and understand the Technology Guidance for Schools Fall 2020 document.
Circulation when students return to school
When filling hold requests, you can know whether a student is scheduled to be in the building or learning from home by looking in Destiny in the field User Defined 2.
Track 1=Cohort 1
Track 2=Cohort 2
Track 3=Cohort 3
Track 4=Virtual Academy
Year-round schools will most likely already see this on the circulation page for each student. Schools can make the following change in settings in order to see this field:
Go to Admin>Site Configuration>Circulation.
Scroll down. Under the heading “Customized User-Defined Patron Field Names,” check the box for Display in Circulation Desk next to “User Defined 2.” Click Save.
You’ll then be able to see the track listed when you pull up a student to check out books.
This information, and other FAQs can be found on the COVID-19 Guidance page on the Library Media Services site.
NEW! Guide for School Library Media Coordinator PLTs
It’s more important than ever for you to feel professionally connected. Participating in a PLT with other school library media coordinators can be a valuable way to reflect on and grow your practice. We have created a new guide for school library media coordinator PLTs, which can be found by clicking on the PLT button on the home page of the Library Media Services site. The guide contains information to help you find a PLT to join, start your own PLT, and make your existing PLT as effective as possible.
Guidance from the Grants Office regarding Amazon Wish Lists
Some of our new school librarians asked whether schools could create an Amazon Wish List. We reached out to the Grants office to ask, and wanted to share their response with everyone:
DonorsChoose is the only crowd-sourced grant funding website permitted by WCPSS. District Leadership determined that DonorsChoose met the level of financial transparency and accountability required for public education. No other online crowdfunding is district approved (including but not limited to Kickstarter, GoFundMe, Adopt A Class, Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT), and TeacherFunder). Per board policies and R&P (2410, 3243, and 4243), district staff should not post individual requests in their capacity as a district employee. School-based requests would be considered a fundraiser and therefore, must follow board policy and R&P 6830. Similarly, gift registries (such as Amazon Wish List) are not district approved and should not be used for purposes of obtaining school supplies or materials in one’s capacity as a district employee.
You can find additional guidance for purchasing on the Library Media Services site under Best Practices: Best Practices for Purchasing
Wakemedia Shared Drive
We’re looking for lessons!
If you have lessons that incorporate eWISE or the NC Digital Learning Standards, please consider sharing them in the appropriate folders in the Wakemedia Shared Drive. Many of you are looking for ideas that will work well in various environments, and we would love to have example lessons to point to for our new school library media coordinators.