Knox Library Media Center

Mary Hallgren, Library Media Specialist

The library is open from 7:20 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Monday - Friday

Welcome to the Knox Library Media Center! Welcome back to learning!
A special welcome to all of our new students and to our new staff members!

The Knox Library is the place where students come to borrow books, conduct research and to use our computers. A middle school library in today’s information age is enormously beneficial to all students and to those who work with them. A school library should reflect the curriculum and the interests and abilities of seventh and eighth graders. We work very hard to ensure that all students and staff are successful in locating, processing and accessing information.

Because so much research is done here in the Library Media Center and in the computer labs, I have a few suggestions to the students and parents of our seventh and eighth graders:

Don’t procrastinate! Take advantage of the open hours of the library. Our links on the school Web site off great opportunities to assist students in all kinds of assignments and research. One of my favorites is the World Book Online. Students will need to remember that the user name and password are jtown. If school is closed, students can use the Johnstown Public Library. Their web site is http://pac.sals.edu/polaris. Or better yet, visit them. It is a fantastic public library.

Research projects come in all shapes and sizes. Some take a great deal of time and some can be finished in one visit to the library. Check the due date! Students should talk with the teacher or the certified library media specialist at Knox to help with any problems they may be having. But don’t wait too long.

Students should listen for announcements each morning and afternoon at Knox as to the availability of the library for that day.

Lastly, I encourage students and parents to read. Read for pleasure, read for information. Children who read succeed! Simple but true.

I encourage everyone to visit the Knox Library Media Center during Open House on Tuesday, October 3, 2006. I look forward to meeting you!

Here is a sampling of some of the great new books ready to be borrowed!

A Dog’s Life: The Autobiography of a Stray by Ann Martin
The Grand Tour: A Traveler’s Guide to the Solar System
National Geographic of Space
Teen Cook: How to Cook What You Want to Eat
Wrestling Strength: The Competitive Edge
Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: The Real Deal, School Cliques, Classes and Clubs
Chicken Soup for the Mother & Daughter Soul
Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow
Poetry Zoo: Zoologico de Poemas
Small Steps: The Sequel to Holes
Among the Enemy: The Latest in the Shadow Children Series
Weight Training For Beginners
Shadow Life: A Portrait of Anne Frank and Her Family
 

If you’d like to make a suggestion for materials in the library, please let me know.

A Note of Thanks:
I would like to thank all staff members, parents and Mr. Carr for supporting the Knox library and its program and mission to bring appropriate and essential materials and crucial information skills to our students. Thank you also to the Knox PTSA.

Looking for a book? Click on the link below to access the Knox Library Catalog: http://pac.hfmboces.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?profile=jkj

World Book: http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Login?ed=wb

Homework Helpers:

• Science: Science Fairs: Intermediate Projects: http://www.cdli.ca/sciencefairs/intermed.html
• Math: The Math Forum at Drexel: http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/drmath.middle.html
• Literature: The Children's Literature Web Guide: http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/index.html

Reference: 

• One Look: Dictionary Search: http://www.onelook.com/index.html
• Education Central: http://schooldiscovery.com/homeworkhelp/bjpinchbeck/index.html

Johnstown Public Library: http://www.johnstown.com/library.html

Online Newspapers:

• Leader Herald: http://www.leaderherald.com/
• The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/
• The New York Times Learning Network: http://www.nytimes.com/learning/
• Albany Times Union: http://www.timesunion.com/?tacodalogin=no

Search Engines:

• Google: http://www.google.com/
• Yahooligans: http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/

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Services and Guidelines:
We encourage our staff and students to use all of the resources in the library media center. 

Services:

• Provide instruction and help in finding information and materials for assignments, research papers and other various assignments
• Provide help and usage of media center equipment
• Provide a quiet place for studying and reading
• Provide access to resources in other libraries

Resources:

• Print: Books, magazines and newspapers
• Electronic: Online Public Access Catalog (WebPac) and internet search engines
• Word processing
• Printing

Guidelines:

• Speak quietly and behave appropriately
• Respect the rights and needs of others
• Do not bring food or drinks into the library
• Use computers properly, according to school district policy.
   

Practice Tests Online at Local Libraries
The Johnstown Public Library now has access to online databases that help students practice for a variety of tests, such as Firefighter and Real Estate exams, GED, SAT, ACT and GRE exams, grammar and math skills, and much more. The database is called Practice Tests from Learning Express Library, which can be found by visiting Johnstown Public Library’s public access catalog at www.mvls.info. The practice tests can be found in the “Databases” link under the “Education” section, off of the homepage. The process is so simple — the sample tests can be accessed by using your library card. If you only have a short amount of time to take an online test, you can save your work and revisit it later, what a great resource!

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