An Update from

For more information about these happenings and more, please visit the MSLA web site at <http://www.maschoolibraries.org/>

2008 Bookmark Contest

This year's Bookmark Contest Committee is pleased to announce the start of the 2008 Bookmark Contest season! This year's theme is "School Libraries: the Heart of Our Schools." The mailing deadline for entry forms is February 25th, 2008. The forms can be found at <http://maschoolibraries.org/content/view/25/68/> along with a FAQ about the contest.

The prize ceremony will take place on April 2nd at the State House as a part of MSLA's Legislation Day. This year's Legislative Day event promises to be bigger and more important than ever, and the Bookmark Contest was going to be a celebration worth remembering! If you have never entered the contest before, this year is the year to get your students involved in a highly publicized event where winners and honorees are invited to the State House to meet legislators, authors and illustrators. Parents and librarians are welcome to have their photos taken in honor of their students' achievements, and school administrators get to show off their librarians! It is a terrific day!

Legislative Day is a collaborative event with the Massachusetts Library Association - so get your public librarian to help judge your local contest - it's the best form of collaboration!

We look forward to receiving all the entries from our member schools!

Gerri Fegan
Bookmark Contest Chair
Legislative Committee

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School Librareis Count

School Libraries Count! is a survey sponsored by AASL and run by Keith Curry Lance, author of the first Colorado Study, to determine the state of school libraries across the US. The survey will be used to judge how nationwide trends are affecting school libraries. This is NOT a long survey, but it will require that you gather some statistics on your library, for example:

* number of books, AV, magazines
* number of class visits, individual student visits
* number of computers in library, school
* school enrollment
* your time spent planning with teachers, teaching students
* hours, staffing

Procedure is simple:

1) go to
2) create a login
3) print the survey (link provided) and gather the information. Then, go back in and enter your data.

The survey ends on March 15th.