Debbie’s presentation at AASL 2011, “Power Searching: Demystifying Popular Search Engines and Getting Quality Research from Everyday Tools,” was a big hit. Read an overview about the session in School Library Journal:

…librarians packed into the workshop with their laptops in hand to hear Debbie Abilock, co-founder of Palo Alto, CA-based bibliography software company Noodle Tools, Natasha Bergson-Michelson, an instructional librarian at Google, and Jole Seroff, the director of library and information services at the Castilleja School in Palo Alto, give essential tips and answer questions about ways librarians—and their students—can refine their skills to get the most out of online searches.

What are the most popular search engines? Google, Bing, Blekko,DuckDuckGo, and Wolfram Alpha, but many of us—including librarians—lack the savvy to teach and use them to their full potential. But learning about a handful of commands can transform a strong searcher into a masterful one.

“Creative thinking makes good searching,” says Abilock, who told librarians to go back to the basics by thinking about how a successful reference interview is conducted. The fundamental questions that librarians ask patrons to help them define their informational needs also holds true for online searches, whether they’re fact-based ones, such as “What’s the population of Chicago?,” or inquiry-based questions, like “Why did the population there increase between a certain period of time?…”

Read more at…”AASL Conference 2011: Unlocking the Art of Search Engines“

Recordings of our webinar, NoodleTools: Overview for Teachers, Librarians, and Administrators, are now at http://www.noodletools.com/learn/webinars.php

Debbie will be speaking at AASL (American Association of School Librarians) 2011 National Conference, October 27-30. Following are the sessions she will be presenting.

Power Searching: Demystifying Popular Search Engines and Getting Quality Research from Everyday Tools (BYOL*)

Preconference session – Thurs., Oct. 27th, 8:30am – 12:00pm
Presenters: Debbie Abilock, Natasha Bergson-Michelson, Jole Seroff

Search engines we love them or hate them, but how many of us have the savvy to teach and use their full potential? Popular search engines have a handful of commands that transform a strong searcher into a masterful one. But only when combined with refined research methods focused on identification, visualization, iteration, and pursuit do students (and teachers) truly transform their confidence, competence, and engagement in undertaking research, both online and off.

Not in My Library! Self-Censorship Alive and Well

Concurrent session – Friday, Oct. 28, 8:00AM-9:15AM, Room M100 F/G

Who hasn’t struggled with what resources we should provide and what we dare not select? School librarians are champions of intellectual freedom. Easy to say, not so easy to do. We strive to select a balanced collection that reflects the needs and values of our communities. What about our own strongly-held beliefs versus the Code of Ethics? Where does informed selection end and censorship begin? Share an honest discussion about the sensitive topic of self-censorship.

• Debbie Abilock, Consultant, Author
• Helen Adams, Retired Public School Librarian
• Catherine Beyers, Library Media Specialist, Southern Bluffs Elementary School
• Alice Bryant, Instructional Librarian, Harpeth Hall School Library
• Carrie Gardner, assistant professor, Clarion University

Target Audience: School Librarians, Library Supervisors, Higher Education, Students, Public Librarians Working with Children and Youth

Tricky but Not Impossible – Smart Inclusion Strategies for School Librarians

Grade Level: K-3, 4-6, Middle/Junior, High
Saturday, Oct. 29th, 1:00PM-2:15PM, Room 200A

You bet it’s a challenge to give exceptional students the attention and resources they require. You’ve a room full of students, no aide – and the homeroom teacher is on a prep period. This session will provide an overview of helpful information on exceptionalities, plus real-life examples of inclusive learning in schools just like yours. In roundtable discussions, attendees will share their concerns about effectively differentiating to meet the needs of all students.

• Debbie Abilock, Educator
• Patti Foerster, Librarian, Vaughn Occupational High School

Target Audience: School Librarians, Classroom Teachers, Library Supervisors, Curriculum Specialists, Students, Public Librarians Working with Children and Youth

We hear from librarians and teachers how they are promoting NoodleTools to their students. Patricia McClune, a library coordinator at the Conestoga Valley School District, tells us about her approach.

Last school year we began using a Web-based product called LibGuides to create online pathfinders for a variety of school assignments. Each LibGuide is a one-stop shop for students. Our library guides are straightforward and nothing fancy. They follow the concept of “less is more” and assemble links to the most appropriate eBooks, databases, Websites and productivity tools for each assignment. Links on the LibGuides provide seamless access to those resources. We promote the use of NoodleTools by including a direct link to our school NoodleTools login page on each of the research assignment LibGuides. It was easy to create a custom widget by hyperlinking the URL for our NoodleTools login page to an image of the NoodleTools logo. Once that “widget” is created it can be reused on other LibGuides. Including a visual NoodleTools reminder encourages students to make use of the citation tool we prefer them to use.

Conestoga Valley High School freshmen. Photo credit: Patricia McClune