Successes

​ =Collaboration between public and school libraries happens often.= =Here are some of our Stories:= = = ===Bradley International Baccalaureate School This is the first year that i have actively tried to collaborate with the Denver Public Library! Earlier this winter, I contacted our local branch - the Ross University Hills branch. I talked to Sue Peterson, who is the chidlren's librarian. She and I agreed to have a face-to-face chat to discuss the best and most effective ways to join our public school library with the Denver Public Libraries. When I met with Sue, we discussed several things:=== ===Here is what we discvoered! Because of the massive budget cuts to the DPL, Ms. Peterson's time and efforts have been drastically reduced as the children's librarian. Ms. Peterson used to be able to visit the local schools to discuss various projects, programs and opportunities but she no longer has the time to do this. Whereas once she was able to come to Bradley for a whole day to discuss the Summer Reading Program, she now can only give us about an hour of her time. Ms. Peterson is also on the reference desk most days so she is no longer able to man the children's area in the library. Ms. Peterson did say she can provide story time for the classes if they come for a field trip. We also discussed having the older students come over to the branch for a lesson on the DPL online databases. Unfortunately, Ms. Peterson did not think that would not work because there are so few computers in the branch. She had mentioned they tried to do a lesson on the overhead with the students following along but because that was not authentic learning, it was not effective. However! This is what we can accomplish!===
 * 1) How can the DPL help __all__ of our students - ECE through 5th grade?
 * 2) How can our students and our staff utilize the DPL?
 * 1) The students can log on to the DPL website to utilize the databases using the BRADLEY SCHOOL library card.
 * 2) Sue Peterson is willing to come to Bradley at the beginning of the year (when there is more time) to demonstrate the DPL online databases.
 * 3) Sue Peterson will continue to put together book baskets for staff and she can continue with story time for the classes that come to the library.
 * 4) I will provide the students with the BRADLEY SCHOOL library card number so they may use that anytime to accesst he DPL online databases.

Unfortunately, we did not get to collaborate very much this year. However, I have high hoped for next year when we will have more time at the beginning of the year!
Stacy Distel Nishioka Teacher/Librarian Bradley School

George Washington High School has organized a collaborative project between our IB juniors and the Auraria Public Library. To receive an IB diploma, the students must complete an independent research project of their own choosing. The project is high level research and it is expected that the students will be using college level material. After speaking to the other IB teachers and some librarians at Auraria, we have decied to pool our resources and introduce students to college libraries. Our juniors will be having a day at the library in which they will receive instruction from Auraria librarians in addition to instructions by myself and several teachers accompanying us.

The day began with a 45 minute introduction to the library in their library instruction room. This covered the basics of the library, from database access, circulation policy, and library layout. Students were given access to databases and well as chedk-out priveledges.The students were then free to gather materials for the rest of the day, with 5 GW teachers and several Auraria staff members available to assist. They also scheduled four break-out sessions during the day...one for each of the major areas of our student research papers (philosophy, psychology, history, and one catch-all session for every other subject). The instructors were the library specialists in each discipline and gave the students strategies for searching databases for their particular subjects. The remainder of the day was for independent research and/or questions for essay advisors or library staff.

The students had very positive feedback for the day. They appreciated the information on researching and certainly appreciated the full day of research. A few teachers had a follow-up with the staff and began what we could improve on next time we organize this trip during the 2010-11 school year.

Jim Goffred George Washington High School


 * At TJ High School:**

In October, An English teacher and I took a large group of Freshman honors students to the DPL library for a tour and research tutorial. The children were working on author biographies so we took them to the appropriate section, showed them how to search the DPL catalog, and how to find the books on the shelves. It helped to demysify the public library for many of the children.

I have met with the YA librarians at the Hampden and Ross-University Hills branches near our school. The Hampden branch hosts a learning space obn Tueday and Weds. from 5-7 pm, so at TJ, we are promoting this opportunity for students to get help searching for jobs and filling out applications and resumes. I have done video announcements encouraging students to take advantage of this "Classroom to Career Connection." In May, The Hampden librarian will be coming out to TJ and we will do a video promotion for the Summer Reading program. The final display boards for the year at TJ will be dedicated to this program and the summer reading list we send home with final report cards will include the schedule of activities for teens at the Hampden and U-Hills libraries.

We have a tour of Auraria scheduled for late April.

**Manual High school** has a longstanding partnership with DPL We have used the DPL branch to help the students sign up for library cards and for research. ** Some examples of collaboration between Manual and the Public Libraries: ** 
 * At the beginning of the year, a Ford Warren librarian me twith the staff to inform them of services


 * The American History teacher took students to Blair Caldwell Library during Black History Week to examine primary sources and special collections.


 * Two 11th grade English teachers will take their classes to the Auraria Campus Library in April.


 * Students are taken to Ford Warren Library to check out books during for recreational reading during Reading Intervention classes.


 * An example of a collaborative project between a 9th grade teacher and Central Library is below.

Some of our special need students shelve books 2 days a week at Ford Warren for work experience . __Assignment at Central Library__

Students will take notes on services and resources available.

Students will work in pairs accompanied by the teacher or librarian and a DPS library staff person. While one group tours the library, the other group will research materials in the reserved computers lab.

Students are required to check out 1 -2 books on their selected topics. The teacher will check out books for students who cannot check out books because of fines and overdue books. A list of students will be sent to the librarian at Central to determine the status of their library cards and to provide in advance library cards for those students who are eligible.

Students will be required to to use the card catalog and to use databases to locate newspaper and magazine articles. Advance arrangement will be made for the students to print the articles if they did not want to email articles.

Debriefing after returning to Manual: Name one thing that was a surprise to you Name one thing that you did not know about the library Rate the experience and why(scale 1-5)

Irene lay/Teacher Librarian: The activity was well organized and timed. The overall introduction to the students was approximately 20 minutes. Before completing the tasks, each group took a quick tour. Additional staff was provided to assist the groups with research ad checking out books. Students had to be on task the entire time. Proof of purchase:checked out books, titles of books or articles or the articles

Attached is the most recent handout from one of our collaborative visits:

My story is from working in Chicago: I was a teacher librarian at a very large K-8 school on the west side of Chicago - very few of our students had ever visited a library or had ever checked out books. Thankfully, the Chicago Public Library and the Chicago Public Schools partnered together to get CPS students CPL library cards! In September, the lbirarians would receive a packet with a sheet that was essentially a permission slip for the students to get a library card. The paper had to be read, signed by the student AND signed by the parent. I collected the papers and dropped them off at our local branch of the CPL. A CPL librarian created cards for every student who turned in the form, then they delivered them to the school and i passed them out. It was a GREAT success AND every year the CPL held a contest for the school with the most new library cards! We could win money or books. It was wonderful! Stacy Distel Nishioka Teacher Librarian Bradley School

My story is from working in Colorado Springs. We had a small community school that served a very poor population. Majority of students walked to school and there was very little bussing. However, we were very far away from the public library. So I collaborated with the public library and their reading program and opened our library twice a week for our community. I ran their student reading program, prizes and all, through our library. We had a school of 300 kiddos and 217 kids came to the library at some point in the summer, 150 of them actually participated in the reading program 88 of them completed it. It was a great way to keep the kids in the reading spirit. It was a great summer! Hillary Pohlmann Teacher Librarian KCAA

A few things have happened in collaboration between Brown Elementary school and Denver Public Library.
 * The past two years, Brown students have written book reviews and created podcasts to go along with the Colorado Children's Book Award Nominees. Last year DPL posted them on their website. This was an amazing project that was easy and engaging for students. This year everything was written and recorded, but they were not posted in time for students to listen to before ballots needed to be turned in (we had a minor issue with parental consent and had to hold off on e mailing the podcasts). Students remembered from last year how we picked the mot well written pieces and were driven to write. They all wanted to be "famous" and have their podcasted piece on the website and to receive a copy of the book!


 * ECE has had a volunteer reading from DPL that has come every week to read to their classes adn promote literacy, and the public library! They love it!!


 * There was an "idealistic" goal of haivng every student at Brown apply for and obtain a DPL library card. The reality was that I decided to take it slowly and have one grade level at a time apply. I choose second grader since it went along well with their "Hello, City" unit. An application was sent home with each student so that they could appply for a card. When their class was successful in recieving all applications back they scheduled a trip to the local Woodbury branch. Even though each class was a few short they are all taking a walking field trip in May!

CIndy Spruce Teacher/Librarian Brown Elementary School