Presenting at ALA!

Tomorrow morning, Susan and I are leaving for the American Library Association's Annual Conference, which is taking place this year in Chicago. We're very excited about seeing a new city, learning from all the great speakers and presenters that ALA has lined up, and taking part in a poster session, where we'll tell people about all the great things we're doing with TIDES. It should be an enlightening experience, and I'll be sure to report back here with the things I've learned and the resources that demand to be shared.

Are you going to ALA? If so, let us know in the comments or just be sure and stop by to say hello. Our session is on Saturday at 1:30pm. We hope to see you there!

2009 Curriculum Development Team

This past week, Digital Projects held a workshop for the educators taking part in our Curriculum Development Team for the Preserve America grant. We are working with four teachers this year, and we couldn't have asked for a better group.

Our workshop began on Tuesday morning and we spent a few hours in the library, going over contracts, the Google group we'll be using to discuss and share information, and the TIDES website. After that, it was off for a tour of the ETRC, a delicious lunch at Shelley's Bakery, a tour of the Stone Fort Museum, and finally an experiment in geocaching in downtown Nacogdoches with the guidance of the Columbia Geospatial Service Center. Despite the heat and humidity, our educators approached each new adventure with enthusiasm and high spirits!

On Wednesday, we loaded into two vans and had a whirlwind tour of cemeteries and historic sites along the El Camino Real. This included stops at Caddoan Mounds State Historic Site for a picnic lunch and brief tour, an exploration of Mission Dolores, and a walk through the Monroe-Crook House in Crockett. By the end of our second day, half the teachers were jotting down ideas for lesson plans. By the next morning, they were already brainstorming together through the Google group. All in all, it was a rewarding workshop and helped to renew our excitement for the Preserve America grant and the resources that will be added to TIDES throughout the project.

Thank you to Joy, Jeanell, Jacy and Mindy for a fun workshop and a great time! We can't wait to see what lessons and activities you develop for TIDES!

Cemeteries!

If you've been following our Twitter account, you know that the department has been spending a lot of time in cemeteries as of late, conducting research and getting acquainted with the communities participating in the Preserve America grant. Next week, we'll be back on the road with our 2009 Curriculum Development Team - four teachers who will be writing lesson plans based on local cemeteries and regional history. We're looking forward to the workshop and to the resources that we'll soon be adding to TIDES. For a sneak peek, here are some photos from last week's trip. I'll be sure to post images and stories from the Curriculum Development Team workshop next week!

Mission Dolores in San Augustine, Texas.

Behind the scenes at the Pinto Pony, possibly the best little cookie bakery in all of Texas!

The San Augustine City Cemetery - home to history AND beauty.

The William Gasby Cemetery was a peaceful stretch of land tucked away in Sabine County.

The McGowan Cemetery in San Jacinto County.

Happy Memorial Day!

After entering the Navy during World War II, James C. Owens, of the Shady Grove community in Nacogdoches County, was killed during the invasion on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945. Owens was first buried on Iwo Jima, but four years later his remains were returned to the United States where he was given a military graveside service at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. View the James Carlton Owens collection on TIDES.

This Monday marks Memorial Day, which commemorates those men and women who died while in the military service. A national moment of remembrance will take place at 3:00pm Eastern Time, and the United States flag will be flown at half-staff from dawn until noon local time. In addition to remembering our fallen comrades, Memorial Day is also a reason to gather together with friends and family and celebrate the start of the summer season. While celebrations are important and joyful, it's just as important to acknowledge the real reason for this day of remembrance.

TIDES has some great images of soldiers as well as lessons and activities that can spark or enhance a Memorial Day classroom experience. Here's a sampling of some of the resources you can access - for free! - though TIDES for Teachers and the TIDES Digital Repository.

• A predefined search for the world "soldier."
• A collection of images and scrapbooks from the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, who trained at Stephen F. Austin State University during World War II.
• A lesson using oral histories to discuss "The Realities of War."
• A lesson exploring "The Legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen."
• A lesson about "The Second World War."

Summer Art Projects

Today is the last day of the semester here at Stephen F. Austin State University. There's a collective sigh of both relief and resignation as students and faculty wrap things up, hand in their last papers, take their final finals, and turn an eye towards the coming weeks and months. For some, the next three months stretch out as a time to work, relax, and recharge. For others, the MayMester starts on Monday! And for recent grads, the time to find a job and enter the real world is nigh.

What are your plans for the summer? Will you be working on a syllabus for the fall? Will you be taking a vacation, or catching up on your reading? Will you be in the classroom, teaching or attending summer school? Let us know in the comments!

In the meantime, if you're looking for some fun and easy projects to reward your students (or yourself!) for a year well done, why not take a look at the art activities provided on the TIDES website? We've got a Paper Flower Chain activity (great for a warm spring day), a lesson and project for Huichol Bead Art, and a Poinsettia Pinwheel, to name just a few.

As for us, we'll be in the library for most of the summer, working on new projects, new grants and new improvements to the website. We will, however, be sure to take the time to enjoy the fruits of our labor with a few trips, a vacation here and there, and a craft day that features God's eyes. We hope that you do, too!

Amigos 2009

This past Wednesday's presentation at Amigos went really well. Thanks to everyone who came to my session, and to all the people who helped organize such a friendly and informative conference! In addition to sharing TIDES with other librarians, I got to attend a few sessions myself. One of the best sessions was called "Presentations for Librarians," in which Lee Andrew Hilyer, the Program Director for Research and Reference Services at the University of Houston Libraries, showed audience members the do's and don't's of great presentations. I discovered that I was guilty of a few of the "don't's" myself, and left the session with some fresh ideas on how to be a better presenter.

Lee Andrew Hilyer also gave us some links, one of which was to a stand up comedian who uses PowerPoint as part of his act. I watched the video yesterday, and it was pretty entertaining while also containing some valuable tips. Definitely worth a watch!



Lastly, Lee Andrew Hilyer has also written a book on this topic, called Presentations for Librarians. I recommend checking it out!

Amigos Conference

Next Wednesday, I'll be presenting at the annual Amigos Conference in Dallas. My session takes place on May 6th, from 2:10 until 3:10. I'm especially excited for this session because I'm going to be part of a panel with the Digital Archivist from the Abilene Library Consortium. Our session is called "Now That's Digital," and together we'll be discussing the "active digital initiative community" that is currently emerging in Texas. It should be a good presentation, so if you're at Amigos stop by and say hello!

Also, this will be my first time going to Dallas. If anyone can recommend any vegetarian-friendly restaurants in the area, be sure and let me know in the comments. : )