Lois Petersen Becomes Life - Alaska Library Association

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N o r t h e r n R e p o r t by Lyn Ballam
As your new Northern representative,
I look forward to meeting you online
and then in person at the next AkLA
conference. I truly believe
that school librarians are
the center of the universe.
Students who are lucky
enough to have a librarian
in their school are doubly blessed.
FAIRBANKS REPORT
Fairbanks North Star Borough School
District’s librarians presented two
sessions at the Alaska Bilingual and
Multicultural Education and Equity
Conference, held here in Fairbanks,
on February 10, 2006.
The sessions, entitled Everybody
Cooks Rice (Pre K-6) and Everybody
Cooks Rice (7th through 12th), were
the brainstorm of Nicky Eiseman
(West Valley High school). Her energy,
enthusiasm, and organization
skills made these two sessions informative
and fun.
Librarian Katie Sanders (Ladd Elementary
School) hosted the first
session. She spoke eloquently on the
need for multicultural literature in
school libraries. The highlight of her
The Western Region says goodbye to
four librarians at the end of this school
year as they head down the road to
retirement. Diana Wiberg of LKSD Media
Center, Jean Tennant of Chevak, Susie
Franklin of Kenai High and Middle
School and Carol Dallman of Soldotna
and Skyview High School. We wish
them well and hope that there will be
other certified librarians that will fill the
holes they are leaving.
NEWS FROM THE LOWER KUSKOKWIM
SCHOOL DISTRICT by Diana Wiberg
Anne Hanley from Fairbanks visited
three Lower Kuskokwim School Dis-
First, they have the opportunity to
learn how wonderful reading can be
and second, studies have proven, without
a doubt, school librarians make a
difference on student test scores. Although
you and I know there is more to
life than scores, it is the only game in
town, so let’s play!
session was her display of over 100
books from the Ladd library. It was
great to examine the many notable
and award winning titles.
Next the secondary librarians took
turns presenting their favorite books.
It was enjoyable to see everyone’s
interests and we were all pleasantly
surprised at the lack of overlap. All
attendees, as well as presenters,
were given a sizeable bibliography,
complied by Ann McCann (Tanana
Junior High School). We also gave
a plug for Databases for Alaskans
and a short PowerPoint highlighting
Novelist.
To help draw people in for our latein-the-day
sessions, Nicky used music,
provided multicultural food, dis-
Representing my most favorite people
will be a breeze. So, please e-mail your
concerns, successes, and questions to
me at: lballam@alaska.net . You will
find that I live online and will receive
an answer fairly quickly, weather
dependant (warm winter, I’m skiing,
warm summer, I’m gardening).
Everybody Cooks Rice Sessions at the Alaska Bilingual and Multicultural
Education and Equity Conference, February 10, 2006
played an assortment of interesting
multicultural knickknacks, and stood
in the hallway hocking our sessions.
Forty people attended the first session
and twenty-five for the second.
Attendees enjoyed the food, conversation
and the chance to look at high
quality materials. Plus, we had the
opportunity to stress the importance
of school librarians, not only for students,
but also for teachers in meeting
their curriculum resource needs.
We reiterated that librarians love for
teachers to give us recommendations.
It is always satisfying to purchase
materials that bring a spark to
teacher’s eyes. “It’s just want I need”
is music to our ears.
W e s t e r n R e p o r t by Suzanne Richards
trict village schools late in April. She
is a playwright, poet and screenwriter
who regularly writes for the Anchorage
Daily News. She shared some donated
books from Todd Communications
with students. Anne was the Alaska
State Writer Laureate, 2002-2004. She
was sponsored by the mystery writers’
group, Alaska Sisters in Crime, who
received a grant from the Alaska Humanities
Form to fund travel expenses
for Alaska authors to visit rural schools.
Jerah Chadwick, a published poet
and also a professor of English for the
University of Alaska, will visit Bethel
schools and also the Kuskokwim Consortium
Library early in May. He lives
in Unalaska and currently is the Writer
Laureate for the state of Alaska.
Two members of Poetry Alive performed
in several Bethel schools during
April. Poetry Alive is a national
group whose members travel around
the country giving performances to
audiences ranging from kindergarten
through the university level. The performers
empower educators to improve
student literacy. The shows are a Reading,
Writing and Performing Connection.
The Puffin, Spring 2006 v25, #3