All About that (Data) Bass Recap

By Celia Dillon
The Brearley School

Couldn't attend last Wednesday's HVLA Fall Meeting? Want to follow up with a vendor but didn't write down his or her information? Missed something when you were chatting with a fellow librarian? Here's the information you're looking for!

HVLA's Fall Meeting, All About That (Data) Bass was hosted by the Town School and librarians Karen Grenke and Cynthia Millman. It featured presentations and tabling by several organizations with a technology component. These organization included BrianPop, Brooklyn Public Library, Tiny Bop Schools, New York Public Library, InfoBase, PebbleGo/Capstone, Project MUSE & World Book Online. Both librarians and tech integrators were in attendance. Representatives from each organization gave a four-minute "elevator speech" about his or her organization and were also available before and after the presentations to answer individual questions. A keynote speech was given by Daryl Grabarek of School Library Journal about technology and education.

At SLJ Daryl is the editor of Curriculum Connections and Touch and Go, both part of the magazine's online content. Daryl discussed a wide range of topics, including highlighting resources that can help librarians answer the familiar parent question, "How much screen time is too much screen time for my kid?" She recommended guiding parents towards The Joan Ganz Cooney Center, Children's Technology Review, and Tap, Click, READ: Growing Readers in a World of Screens by Lisa Guernsey and Michael H. Levine to answer this common question. Daryl also spotlighted organizations that addressed issues of diversity in technology and apps, including KIDMAP and Tinybop. For suggestions of what's hip and happening in the world of educational apps and technology she recommended checking out School Library Journal's Best Apps of the Year, AASL Best Apps for Teaching and Learning, CYBILLS App Awards, and the BolognaRagzzi Awards.  And though she was too modest to include it, we at HVLA heartily endorse Touch and Go !

Looking to make contact with a vendor? Here's a list of representatives who visited HVLA:

BrainPOP-Courtney Harvey
Facts on File/Infobase- Cyd Rosenberg
Gale Group- Denise Hetz
PebbleGo/Capstone- Jason Kriveloff
Project MUSE- Ann Snoeyenbos
Tinybop- Eden Wall
WorldBook- Andrew Moore

And of course, lots of love for our fellow librarians: New York Public Library- Shauntee Burn
Brooklyn Public Library- Leigh Hurwitz

A delicious selection of chips, guacamole, and quesadilla was enjoyed by many after the meeting.