Jane Addams High School Library

Ms. Chrismore has started a Japan Club, which meets Fridays during 10th period.  Students who are fans of Japanese manga and culture will have an opportunity to learn more about Japan. 

Topics will include, origami, art, music, haiku and more.  There will be a portion of the club dedicated to learning the Japanese language.  Speak to Ms. Chrismore if you are interested in joining.

Congratulations to the Jane Addams students who are now active READ tutors. 

1. Alina Babar
2. Marvin Astacio
3. Monique Bain
4. Tenaja Brown
5. Jovoni Everette
6. Avis Howell
7. Miguel Montan

READ tutors work 3 days a week.  Teen reading tutors work with local at-risk kindergarten and first grade students.

Every year the Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of ALA, holds Teen Read Week (TRW), a week to focus on teen readers and promote leisure reading.  The theme for this year is “Read Beyond Reality.”  There is a display of Science Fiction and Fantasy books and bookmarks in the library.
To learn more about what you read “for the fun of it,” you will be asked to complete a survey in your English class.  Thanks for your time and feedback. 

Students who check out a library book during Teen Read Week can enter to win 5 Science Fiction/Fantasy books. 

Hope to see you soon!   

Ms. Chrismore, librarian

Hello Students!

At long last, we have furniture in the library!  Thanks to money from the Jane Addams Library Fund, a majority of which was donated by the employees of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, we have a sofa and coffee table!  This lounge area is for quiet reading and studying.  I will be purchasing a little more seating, but it is a start.

 Please let me know what you think! 

Ms. Chrismore, tchrismore@schools.nyc.gov

Teens lead. . . Children read

Volunteer to be a READ tutor!

READ is a nonprofit organization which recruits and employs teens to teach reading skills to children in elementary schools throughout New York City.  Learn more about the READ program at www.readnyc.org. 

Students from Jane Addams will be placed at elementary schools in the neighborhood. 

On Tuesday, September 15th at 2:00pm, Ms. Jaselis Mejia, Teen Director of the READ program will be in the library to answer your questions.

If you are interested in becoming a READ volunteer, but can’t make this meeting, please see Ms. Chrismore for more information.

The first year that I started as a librarian at Jane Addams, my sister Stephanie Settle, in West Des Moines, Iowa, asked if I would like some handmade beaded bookmarks for students.  I said I would love it.  Well, I couldn’t believe how nice they were.  The students were so excited to see the beautiful beaded bookmarks.  All 250 bookmarks went fast.  Last year she sent over 400 and I decided to ration them out as special prizes for library events and for the hardworking library volunteers.  It was one of my student volunteers who suggested that we sell them.  Since my sister refuses to take money for her creative work, I wasn’t sure about this.  However, I did decide to start taking donations for the bookmarks last year.  Suggested donation for each bookmarker is $1.00.

So far, we have collected over $75.00 in donations.  With this money I buy fun books, mostly graphic novels and that we wouldn’t normally have the money to buy.  Thanks to my sister’s creative kindness and donations from JA students, we have already purchased 13 books.

If you would like to leave any bookmark comments, compliments, or requests, I’ll be sure my sister sees them!

September is Library Card Sign Up Month

The New York Public Library will be at the Jane Addams to sign students and staff up with NYPL cards.  Visit the library on Tuesday, September 15th and September 22nd, from 10am to 12pm.  Take this opportunity to get your NYPL card or replace your lost card.

In the past we have been able to help students wipe out overdue and lost book fines and have a “fresh start.”  Unfortunately, due to budget constraints, the Woodstock branch can no longer clear student fines if the library materials were taken from a branch library other than its own.  You are responsible for materials you check out.   You can renew NYPL library books online and by telephone.   See your librarian if you want to learn how.

To check books out from the school library, you do not need a library card.  Just present your student ID at the circulation desk.  You can take up to 4 books out at a time for a total of 2 weeks.

The library is finally going to replace our sad old computer printer that is currently out of order.  Thanks to Per Scholas, Inc., a non-profit company that I heard about from our friends at the Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Co., we will soon have 2 printers for the 22 student computers. 

The people at Per Scholas are wonderful.  The work they do is both good for the environment and for those in need.  Not only have they donated a total of 6 printers to our school, they have also given me a few extra keyboards and mice for students who need to replace their broken home computer equipment. 

If you would like to learn about this amazing company, visit http://www.perscholas.org/.

Our school is better thanks to organizations like Per Scholas!

The Jane Addams High School Library has been awarded a 2009 Laura Bush Foundation grant for America’s Libraries.  This grant of $5,500 will be used to purchase non-fiction books mostly in heath and science, college and careers books, and professional magazines.

We are honored to have received this grant and look forward to putting it to work in for our students.

For more information about the Laura Bush Foundation grant, visit the website at http://www.laurabushfoundation.com/.

I hope you all had a wonderful summer! 

We have a lot of exciting new changes coming to the library this year.  Look for a new reading lounge, playaways and book clubs!  This new blog will inform you about upcoming library events and new materials.  You can read book reviews and add your own or add comments about the books posted.  There might be a few bumps in the road as we start using the blog, so please see me if you have any questions or problems. 

Remember, your feedback is essential!  Let me know how I can make the library a better place for you to learn, study, find new books and develop your love of reading.

• Ms. Chrismore, your librarian
• tchrismore@schools.nyc.gov