Learning through Books, Media and Technology

ARTICLES THIS ISSUE:

1995 Administrative Leadership Award for Library Media Services

1995 President's Award Winner

1995 Technology Award

Editorial: Highlighting the Arts

Seurat, Haiku, Computers, Murals...

Keywords for the Fine Arts

Library Bids on Bach's Lunches

Quilting Gifts for the Community

Using the Arts to Understand

"Do We Get to Come Back Tomorrow?"

Intersecting disciplines

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1995 President's Award Winner:

Dr. Esther Sinofsky

"After all," says Esther Sinofsky, library media teacher at Robert Frost Middle School in the Los Angeles Unified School District, "we all check out books, help students and colleagues, and handle paperwork." The clear implication here is that these tasks, though important, are just not enough. And that is undoubtedly why Esther is this year's winner of the President's Award.

Dr. Esther Sinofsky and students at Robert Frost Middle School.

Esther calls her approach "a combination of vision and attitude." She spells out the vision to include acquisition and intensive use of media and computers; an expanded, curriculum-related print and nonprint collection; use of innovative methods to entice readers; being available to students and staff to discuss research project ideas; sponsoring book fairs and spelling bees; displaying student work; being a homeroom teacher; serving as School Improvement Program coordinator; working on the Consolidated School Site Council and the Instructional Transformation Team; welcoming fourth- and fifth-grade students who were moved to the Frost campus after the Northridge earthquake and including them in the library media program; reviewing books for the school district, for ALA's Reference Books Bulletin, and for other publications; editing the quarterly newsletter for Los Angeles school librarians; and leading workshops for the California School Library Association and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology.

If this recital of tasks and responsibilities is not persuasive enough, consider Esther's proactive attitude that has helped make her vision an ongoing reality. Two technology grants have resulted in full computerization of the Frost library system, which offers five student stations. Solicited donations have added five computers to increase that original number. Networking with the entire school and, ultimately, the school community is next on the list. With the help of department chairs, Esther has gathered together all errant audiovisual software, cataloged it, and published titles and access information. Now, she says, "finding a video or filmstrip is no longer a time-consuming search of the campus."

For her tireless efforts, Dr. Esther Sinofsky merits our applause. She joins a stellar group of very special library media teachers!

• Robert Frost Middle School (Grades 4-8; enrollment 1,300)
  12314 Bradford Place, Granada Hills 91344; (818) 360-2146
  Ronald Frydman, Principal
  Dr. Esther Sinofsky, Library Media Teacher
  Los Angeles Unified School District