KidsConnect is looking for new volunteers!

[Blythe Bennett <blythe@ERICIR.SYR.EDU>]

KidsConnect, the question and answer, help and referral service component
of ICONnect is looking for volunteer cybrarians.  Consider joining with
more than 200 of your virtual colleagues in this exciting project.
KidsConnect has already assisted over 15,000 students with questions they
have for school projects and assignments.

NEW:
KidsConnect volunteers are no longer required to be AASL members.
**Any librarian or library school student may participate in the project.**

The upcoming dates for training sessions are listed below:

March 8
March 22
April 5
April 12
April 26
May 10

On the first day of your training session, you will receive instructions
on how to access the training materials. Then, at your own pace, the first
week is spent reading the training materials and the following week you
would begin the practice questions.  You will get a question for the age
group with which you work, so if you are in an elementary school, you
would get questions from elementary students.  After sending your first
response, you will receive feedback before being sent the second practice
question, and so on.

Since the training is all done via email, it is very flexible according to
your time schedule.  Some people finish their training in one week because
they have few outside commitments, but most have taken several weeks,
depending upon how busy they are.  Although the turn-around time for the
actual questions from students is 2 school days, you don't need to adhere
to that time during the training.

It is suggested that new trainees look through the following online
courses, so you may want to start these before the training. You will want
to read through the WebNav course if you are new to Web searching and the
SearchE and Search2 courses if you are familiar with Web searching.
These are courses from the ICONnect Online courses which are free and are
found at: http://www.ala.org/ICONN/advancedcoursesarchive.html

Please contact Sandi Block, KidsConnect Chairperson, at the following
address: block_s@popmail.firn.edu
if you would be interested in joining any of the above training sessions.

What is the commitment? Trainees who elect to join with the "real"
volunteer team are expected to take a maximum of one question per day
(usually not more than three per week) during the months they are "on
duty". The volunteers choose to assist either on odd numbered months or
even numbered months and we don't count holidays, so when you are on break
from school, you are also on break from KidsConnect.

Current KidsConnect Volunteers report these benefits:
* more efficient searchers with more confidence
* helps volunteers find materials online for their own students and
  faculty
* helps volunteers find gaps, strengths and weaknesses in own collections
* learns what schools around the world are studying
* great continuing education tool
* gives new ideas for projects in their own schools
* has helped in developing own school web site
* empowers LMS and establishes role of information specialist

Please consider joining with your colleagues in this project which helps
us demonstrate that the library without walls still needs a librarian!



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                        Blythe Allison Bennett
                        KidsConnect Q and A Coordinator
                        Syracuse, NY
                        blythe@ericir.syr.edu

KidsConnect is a component of ICONnect, a technology initiative of the
American Association of School Librarians, a division of the American
Library Association.  KidsConnect is offered in partnership with the
Information Institute of Syracuse, Syracuse University, and is
underwritten by Microsoft Corporation.

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