Christopher Harris believes that board gaming is a strong contender to become the “Next Big Thing” in schools. Yet no sector of education has laid claim to it. Could libraries be the place where gaming flourishes?
ConnectED Will Bring Faster Connections to Schools and Libraries | The Next Big Thing
By on August 28, 2013
What could your library do with gigabit broadband? If you don’t have a list of innovative ways to use an Internet connection 10 or 100 times faster than the current norm, start making it now.
‘Here Be Fiction’ Launches: New site features ebook fiction available to schools on library-friendly terms
By on June 28, 2013
Discovery of ebooks in K-12, particularly worthwhile fiction, has been tough going. A new site, Here Be Fiction, will attempt to remedy that, enabling users to identify quality ebooks accessible to schools on library-friendly licensing terms. Featuring ebook previews and reviews, HereBeFiction.org will enable librarians and others to discover fiction from a wide variety of publishers made available for both individual and multi-user access.
Give Students a Break: Four Strategies to Combat Information Overload
By on June 12, 2013
When it comes to presenting resources to students and teachers, librarians have been as guilty as any regarding information overload. But in this digital age of abundance, our real value is being able to discern quality over quantity.
Self-Published Ebooks not a Solution for K-12 Schools
By on May 6, 2013
While self-published titles may be an option for public libraries when it comes to acquiring ebooks, not so for schools, according to SLJ columnist Christopher Harris, who lays out the ongoing challenges for ebook adoption in K-12.
In Light of Common Core, Seeking Ways to Circumvent Dewey
By on March 25, 2013
At one of the hottest sessions at ALA’s most recent Midwinter meeting, the Dewey Decimal System—that sacred cow of library organization—was trotted out in front of a packed room and subjected to intense scrutiny. But in the midst of Common Core, among other pressing issues, is this debate really worth our time?
Webooks: A novel plan for cooperative ebook purchasing | The Next Big Thing
By on February 14, 2013
Webooks, a cooperative ebook purchasing plan, has been named a Cutting Edge Technology Project by the American Library Association. It could be a model for districts around the country, says Christopher Harris.
Ebooks 2013: New leasing models, cheaper devices, more content
By on January 4, 2013
“School libraries, I believe, will be the coming focal point for ebook licensing,” write Chris Harris. “We have strong relationships with our K–12 publishing partners, but now we must reach out to the trade houses. As the print market weakens, the time is right for schools to present a new business proposal.”
A Call for ‘Blended Funding’: Schools must pool money to support Common Core
By on December 10, 2012
How will schools pay for new CC resources, including digital? One approach is to look for existing funds within your school and district that can be redirected so that your library can purchase CC resources for the classroom. But that requires that libraries market their expertise in resource selection and collection development so that your value is obvious to others, says Christopher Harris.
A Call for Fair Ebook Pricing: Site-based pricing has small schools overcharged
By on November 26, 2012
Christopher Harris shares his thoughts on how rural districts—with an average size of 1,100 students and less than half the budget of the average New York school district—are, in effect, subsidizing the state’s large, wealthy, suburban systems, which are purchasing the same content at the same cost per building.
