Assignment+2

Part A:



Higgins Middle School Library Website

Part B:

Looking through the many different websites that were on Joyce Valenza's wiki opened my eyes to the wide variety of visions that school librarians across the country have for their programs. Since I made a school library website for a middle school, I focused on the exemplary middle school websites. Out of all of the different library websites, my two favorite sites were the Van Meter School Library Website and the Chambersburg Area Middle School East Library. I thought that these two library websites were uniquely designed and functional for students, teachers and parents.

The Van Meter School Library Website didn't look like any other school websites I had seen before. I liked the side menu and the wealth of information that each section had. I thought that promoting the library via Facebook and Twitter were fantastic and I believe that more school libraries have to do this. I believe that I connected with this website because I think that it has all of the components that a school library must have on its' website today to be considered useful. It is also designed in a way that students will use because it doesn't look old or outdated. It has a very modern look and middle school students will utilize a library's site more if it is "cool" looking. I feel that this website gives everything that they need from the school library when they can't physically be at the school library. I believe that it portrays a library program that focuses a lot of energy in getting students to be technology literate, information literate and develop a love a reading while creating an environment that makes the library the heart of learning, creating and doing in the school.

The Chambersburg Area Middle School East Library is also an exemplary website. I love that so many different resources are right on the homepage of the website for students to use. I think that the pictures help students easily identify different resources which can cut down on confusion. The design of the website is fantastic and looks very professional. Like the Van Meter School Library website, the Chambersburg website has everything for a student to use so that when they cannot physically be at the library, they can still use everything that the library has to offer. The only thing that I don't like that is on the library website is the librarian's professional portfolio. I don't believe that the best place to put your resume or c.v. is on the school library website. Other than that, I believe that this site is incredibly functional, up-to-date and portrays a library program that promotes itself as giving students the opportunity to utilize a wide variety of tools to learn and create new understandings as well as a place where teachers from the school can communicate, collaborative and develop lessons that allow kids to do all of the things they need to so they can become upstanding 21st Century citizens.