1st Step to presentation at LOEX

"Summer Sleuths in the Library
Kimberly Davies Hoffman, Reference/Instruction Librarian, SUNY Geneseo

Susan Norman, Director, Xerox Center for Multicultural Teacher Education, SUNY Geneseo

Of New York State's largest urban school districts, Rochester ranks lowest with an appalling graduation rate of 39%.1 With goals of keeping our poorest children in school and focusing their futures on college, SUNY Geneseo hosted 50 young "CSI candidates" who worked tirelessly to solve fictitious art thefts. Library research, blogging, public speaking, interviewing, forensic science, and digital photography were among the skills incorporated, forming a solid base of critical literacy for these young scholars. Milne Library helped create an educational yet recreational learning environment by offering instructors, classroom space, technology, potential suspects, and ultimately, one of the indicted "criminals."

Susan Norman will offer the overarching goals of the RYSAG (Rochester Young Scholars Academy at Geneseo) program, the results of our efforts, and plans for the future. Kim Davies Hoffman will bring focus to the importance of libraries and librarians in the struggle to keep children (specifically those from the inner city) in school and aiming high towards a successful future.

1. Who'll lead city schools, Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, 10/27/07"

Plan for session:

* Introduction to the summer camp, as seen through the goals and programs developed by the Xerox Multicultural Teaching Center, including a definition of critical literacy (if appropriate) (Susan)
* Introduction to the inclusion of a librarian on the planning team and basic goals and lessons for CTU (Kim)
* Video of the camp experience
* Importance of the Library's role (any library) in enhancing students' academic skills - demo of pre-determined blog entries - I can pull together a few relevant articles on this general topic (Kim)
* Overall benefits of the summer camp program (from the students'/counselors'/faculty's point of view) (Susan and Kim)
* What has happened to these students/the program since July 2007 (Saturday school) (Susan)
* Plans for Summer 2008 (Kim)
* Ultimate plans for the future - the pipeline, book discussions on blogs, culturally significant reading, students to eventually become counselors, etc. (Susan)

I have been recently reminded how quickly 45 minutes can go (my recent presentation at UB on the library/ANTH collaboration) so we will have to be sure to remain concise and not go off on too many tangents, which will be too easy to do considering our excitement for this program. :-)

What do you think?