"A library in the backpack" a workshop in the Goethe Institute Library in Athens

On Friday, 27 November 2009, we were once again in the hospitable library of the Goethe Institute in Athens, for another well-organized event about what else: libraries, books and our students.
The workshop "A library in the backpack" was presented by Ulrike Buchman, professor of the German Literature department at the University of Hannover (Leibniz Universität Hannover).
After the introductory lecture , she presented various activities that can be conducted in a school library to promote reading. The slogan was
"Reading, just for the fun of it!"
Later on, five books were discussed:
Steinsuppe,
Fünfter sein,
Die Torte ist weg,
Gewitternacht &
Die Geschichte vom Löwen, der nicht schreiben konnte
and then it was the participants' turn to form small groups and express their own ideas on how to present these books to their student clubs at school.
The seminar did not look like «ex cathedra» teaching at all. On the contrary, it was very vivid and also the teacher librarians contributed their own comments and suggestions.
Professor Ulrike Buchmann, whose main research interest is psychology and teaching of reading & juvenile literature, spoke in German, but Sabine Sartzetaki, who teaches at the Ionian University, helped us with her excellent interpretation into Greek.

I would like to express my thanks to director Gerlinde Buck and librarian Christine Tzimis of the Goethe Institute Library
for the interesting event and the relaxed atmosphere that was provided.

Similar posts in Greek have also appeared in the following social network media of school libraries:
HELLENIC (GREEK) FORUM OF SCHOOL LIBRARIES
http://3gym-kerats.att.sch.gr/library/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3597 # 3597
SCHOOL LIBRARIES
http://greekschoolibs.blogspot.com/2009/11/blog-post_28.html

Video: 10 years of school libraries in Greece

An anniversary movie celebrating the first 10 years of School Libraries in public schools in Greece.
It is the joint work of various school libraries from all over Greece.
In this short video you can see snapshots of the diverse work that has been done
the last few years of this new institution:
lessons using the rich materials of our collection and new technologies,
speeches by famous Greek authors, theatrical performances, cultural programs, user training
(information literacy), reading clubs, book fairs, and of course hundreds of loans,
since they are lending libraries for all the members of the school community.
All services provided by libraries in public schools are offered totally free.

Watch the video at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekIgDFnlY1Q

[The presenter speaks in Greek, but there are also captions in English.]

THE HELLENIC (GREEK) SCHOOL LIBRARY FORUM

Τhe Hellenic(GR) School Library Forum [He.S.Li.F.]
http://3gym-kerats.att.sch.gr/library/forum/viewtopic.php?t=512
was founded in September 2001 by two teacher librarians who not only embraced the opportunity of working in a public high school library, but are also proponents of new technologies and computer geeks.
Only Greek teacher librarians can become members of the Forum, and they can either only read the various posts or also contribute something themselves.
Over the years its 264 active members have published 2875 queries, solutions, proposals and suggestions in the eleven sections of the Forum.
The topics include: legal issues, announcements, the role of the teacher librarian, news from foreign school libraries, IT issues, the media, lesson plans, library management software, open-source, and educational , cultural & environmental innovations.

IFLA Satellite Meeting: Athens, Greece, 19-21 August 2009

The IFLA pre conference "Service Strategies for Libraries" will be held in Greece.
This conference addresses strategies for optimal library services through review and discussion of methods or best practices.
Services can include goods, ideas, places (the library itself) or the people delivering services (librarians).
Papers may include research, case studies, promotion schemes, etc.

Topics for presentation ideally may include:

how to identify potential and actual users in communities,
how to target user groups,
how to design optimal services for the community,
planning and management practices, as well as evaluation activities, to facilitate library service strategies,
how library associations may empower libraries in their service strategies and advocacy.

For details visit the official site
http://www.ypepth.gr/iflaen/index.html

Dr Marian Koren speaks at the 6th Senior High School Library in Egaleo

A special evening on Wednesday, June 10, 2009, at the 6th Senior High School Library in Egaleo, Attica.
The HELLENIC(GR) SCHOOL LIBRARY FORUM
http://3gym-kerats.att.sch.gr/library/forum/index.php
organized an event about (what else?) school libraries.
Dr. Marian Koren, who is head of Research & Public Relations of the Netherlands Association of Public Libraries [VERENIGING OPENBARE BIBLIOTHEKEN] gave the keynote speech .
Her topic was libraries and children's rights, but of course she focused on the tasks libraries undertake in order to meet the new trends of the information society.
She also spoke about the situation in the Netherlands, where public libraries also play an educational role by transforming their children's sections [Jeugdbibliotheek] into "school" libraries, Librarians cooperate with teachers so as to better meet the needs of their young users.
Koren also presented the excellent idea of
an "Extended School Library" [Brede School Bibliotheek]
As we saw in the short video, primary pupils (aged 8-10) take an active role as "Librarians" [their title is medewerker, a free translation in English would be "people in charge of the library"].
The result of their involvement in the management of the library is obvious: they end up using the library more and they also experience a sense of achievement.
Similar attempts have also been made in Greece in the Municipal Library of Veria and the Kindergarten at Kaparelli.


The event was also attended by teacher librarians in Athens as well as:
Christine Tzimis, Athens Goethe Institute [Goethe Institut Athen],
Janta van Lienden, the Netherlands Institute in Athens
[Het Nederlands Instituut in Athene]
http://www.nia.gr/
and Barbro Wigell-Ryynänen in charge of libraries at the Finnish Ministry of Education.

The following colleagues helped organize the event:
Doxa Karasavvoglou (hostess)
Helen Karavanidou (organizational manager)
Manolis Lemontzoglou (technical support)
Ageliki Platania (interpreter)
Lili Papaspyropoulou (organization)
George Barberis (video)
Despina Koutli (design & production of the poster and bookmark)
Manolis Ninos (presentation of the speaker)

Photos of the event at the website of the High School Library in Magoula
http://gym-magoul.att.sch.gr/library/synergasia/dialexi10_06_2009/photos.htm

The video of the event in the
School Libraries EPEAEK blog
http://greekschoolibs.blogspot.com/2009/06/marian-koren.html

Dr Marian Koren also spoke at the
6th International Conference
Library policies: from local to national
11 and 12 June 2009
http://www.goethe.de/ins/gr/lp/prj/syn/aca/enindex.htm