The Big6™

The Big6™ is a proven approach to information problem solving. It helps you succeed in school and life. Use the Big6 to find, use, apply, and evaluate information for specific needs and tasks. In the school library we have Big6 assignment organizers designed to help you stay focused on your research projects. Come in today to pick one up and check out the resources that can help you with your next research paper or project. The Big6 steps below will assist you with any problem.

Big6 1: Task Definition
1.1 Define the information problem
1.2 Identify the information you need in order to complete the task (to solve the information problem)

Big6 2: Information Seeking Strategies
2.1 Determine the range of possible sources (brainstorm)
2.2 Evaluate the different possible sources to determine priorities (select the best sources)

Big6 3: Location & Access
3.1 Locate sources
3.2 Find information within sources

Big6 4: Use of Information
4.1 Engage in the source (read, listen, view, touch)
4.2 Take out the relevant information from a source

Big6 5: Synthesis
5.1 Organize information from multiple sources
5.2 Present the information

Big6 6: Evaluation
6.1 Judge your product (how effective were you)
6.2 Judge your information problem-solving process (how efficient were you)

Big6 logo taken from the Big6 website

Craft Days @ Your Library™

*Update! We raised $260 at the Craft Fair this year and all funds went to the Cancer Center for Kids at Winthrop-University Hospital. Thank you for all your generosity and support.*

Last year was such a blast that we're bringing it back... but this time we are doing it for charity! Stop by the school library on Thursday, December 20th and Friday, December 21st during your free time from 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Proceeds will be donated to the Cancer Center for Kids at Winthrop-University Hospital. All are welcome to attend.

Price List
Learn to knit or crochet - Free
Bead a bracelet - $2
Bead a necklace - $4
Fold origami - $1
Design a holiday card -$1
Or create your own craft from our array of crafty materials! We'll have books displayed on all these subjects to help guide your creativity or inspire a new idea.

Photo taken from Craft Days 2006

Are Books Dead?

This is Kindle. Amazon's new wireless reading device. Amazon's CEO Jeff Bezos describes it as a "revolutionary electronic-paper display which provides a sharp, high-resolution screen that looks and reads like real paper." It seems simple enough to use with no wires or need to sync to a computer. You simple turn on your Kindle and with wireless connectivity you connect to Amazon.com and shop the Kindle Store, which has more than 90,000 books available, including 100 current New York Times® Best Sellers for $9.99, unless marked otherwise. The Kindle can currently auto-deliver wirelessly top U.S. newspapers including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post and top magazines including TIME, Atlantic Monthly, and Forbes. The Kindle is lighter and thinner than a typical paperback. It weighs only 10.3 ounces. It can hold over 200 titles at any time. It has a long battery life. You can leave the wireless device on and recharge it approximately every other day. You can turn the wireless device off and read for a week or more before recharging. The Kindle fully recharges in 2 hours. The Kindle costs $399.00 with no monthly wireless bills, service plans, or commitments. Newsweek recently wrote an article regarding the Kindle, entitled The Future of Reading. The cover states "Books Aren't Dead. (They're Just Going Digital.)" What do you think: Are books dead? Is this technology the latest craze? Will it stand the test of time?

Images taken from Amazon.com

Success!

Our second annual Scholastic Book Fair was a tremendous success. We sold nearly $3,000 worth of merchandise. Your generous donations to "ONE for BOOKS" allowed us to raise over $220 for children's charities! For every dollar that we raised Scholastic will donate a book to these three national non-profit organizations dedicated to helping kids and families in need: Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc., National Center for Family Literacy, and Toys for Tots. Thank you Mepham! You rock!

Image taken from Scholastic Inc.

Scholastic Book Fair

Mepham High School will host its second annual Scholastic Book Fair Monday, November 26th - Wednesday, November 28th. Stop by the library on the third floor in room 300 anytime from 7:30 a.m. — 3:30 p.m. to browse our wonderful selection of merchandise. There is truly something for everyone, including national adult bestsellers, college prep, sports guides, cookbooks, and much more. Parents, students, teachers, faculty, and staff are invited to attend. Our special Family Event will take place on Monday, November 26th from 7:15 p.m. - 8:15 p.m. This fair raises funds for children's charities, the National English Honor Society, and new books for the school library. Together we are promoting life-long readers!

Image taken from Scholastic Inc.

Library Club

Did you know that W.C. Mepham High School once had a library club? What did they do, you ask? Who was involved? Below is a description and photograph from the 1939 Treasure Chest, Mepham's yearbook.

What is Web 2.0 Anyway?

Web 2.0 refers to web-based communities in which collaboration is facilitated and sharing between users occurs. This takes place with wikis, blogs, social bookmarking, and similar online resources. The concept of Web 2.0 began with a 2004 conference brainstorming session between publisher Tim O'Reilly and MediaLive International. Some of the buzz words associated with Web 2.0 are "social networking" and "user-driven content." Some websites that have been considered Web 2.0 worthy are Wikipedia, flickr, del.icio.us, Google Docs, and this blog.

Image taken from Wikipedia

William S. Christy Memorial Library

Many people are not aware that the Mepham High School Library is actually named the William S. Christy Memorial Library. There is a plaque in the library that reads, "William S. Christy Memorial Library - In grateful appreciation of his dedicated service to Central High School District No. 3." According to his granddaughter, Pat Christy '44, he was serving as the clerk of the board of education at the time of his death in November 1935 and was very involved with the planning and building of Mepham. He passed away just before the completion of the high school. The library was dedicated in his honor to recognize his community involvements and his many civic activities. Thank you Mr. Christy!

The first edition of The Buccaneer, our school's newspaper, on the very first page has an article entitled "Library Serves as Christy Memorial." Read it below.

"Library Serves As Christy Memorial." The Buccaneer [Bellmore] 14 Oct. 1937: 1.

LOL @ your library® during Teen Read Week™

LOL! @ your library®! October 14-20, Boost your endorphins, lower your blood pressure, and improve your immune system by stopping by your school library during Teen Read Week to laugh with a humorous book! Stop by today and see what’s funny at your library, and pick up a page turner that you can read or listen to just for the fun of it!

Mepham High School Online Resources

We have updated the usernames and passwords for using online resources (databases) for the 2007-2008 school year. Stop into the library and pick up a new password handout today!

We also have a few new databases this year. If you are looking for current information about any of the countries of the world--check out CountyWatch! If you need critical commentary on your favorite authors or novels, you'll want to look at Galenet's Contemporary Literary Criticism! Of course, we still have your old favorites like, Opposing Viewpoints, NoodleTools, and Britannica Online.

All of our online databases can be found at: Mepham High School Online Resources.

Image taken from CountryWatch

Celebrating the Freedom to Read

This year marks the 26th anniversary of Banned Books Week. It is celebrated from September 29 - October 6, 2007. This annual American Library Association event reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted. Come into your school library and check out a book today. Free People Read Freely ®

Our New Books

We have new fiction and non-fiction books in the school library. Come check them out. Here are some highlights:

Chasing Tail Lights
by Patrick Jones
Walker Books, c. 2007
Before he died, Christy’s daddy used to say that when you feel lost, follow the tail lights of the truck in front of you, and they’ll get you somewhere safe. Christy keeps chasing those tail lights, but somehow, she’s always still lost in Flint, Michigan. Like most teens in Flint, she wants to leave this dying city. But she’s got a secret that she’s never told anyone, and it’s keeping her chained like a dog to her dead-end life.

Sold
by Patricia Mccormick
Hyperion, c. 2006
Thirteen-year-old Lakshmi leaves her poor mountain home in Nepal thinking that she is to work in the city as a maid only to find that she has been sold into the sex slave trade in India and that there is no hope of escape.



The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak
Knopf Books, c. 2007
Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel--a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors.

Twised
by Laurie Halse Anderson

Viking Juvenile, c. 2007
After finally getting noticed by someone other than school bullies and his ever-angry father, seventeen-year-old Tyler enjoys his tough new reputation and the attentions of a popular girl, but when life starts to go bad again, he must choose between transforming himself or giving in to his destructive thoughts.

Happy 70th Mepham!

This year we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the opening of Mepham High School! The Mepham High School Alumni has great information on the history of our school. This past Sunday they held a celebration in the school's auditorium which unveiled the major restoration of the North wall Long Island map, an installation of a bronze plaque to honor the late Coach Nick Sabetto, and awarded the Who's Who and Meritorious Service honors to five Mepham alumni. Check back for more events throughout the year that help Mepham celebrate 70!

September is Library Card Sign-up Month

Remember to stop by your local library to sign up for the smartest card of all – a library card.

Welcome Back!

Greetings Class of 2011. Welcome back students and staff. We have had many changes to the Mepham High School Library this year. The first things returning students and staff might notice are the 15 brand new Dell flat screen computers and scanner. We also acquired many new fiction and non-fiction books over the summer and they are on display all around the library. We are always looking for ways to serve you better. If you have any suggestions of comments we would love to hear them. Just stop by the library during your free periods, lunch, or after school and tell us! We are looking forward to a fantastic 2007-2008 school year!

Image taken from Dell

See You in September...

We have had a remarkable year in the school library, and it is not over yet! The library is open everyday until 3:30 p.m. The last day for students is June 21st. Now is the perfect time to come in and study for your final exams or Regents Exams. You can pick up an extra copy of the summer reading list in the library before school lets out. We have copies of all the books on the list. Browse through them and make your selection. Thank you for making my first year teaching at Mepham High School so memorable. Have a wonderful vacation. I’ll see you in September!

Extra, Extra, Read All About It!

Meeting Khaled Hosseini

Ms. Paccione, Mr. Cooney, Ms. Dalpiaz, and Ms. Schneiderman had the unique opportunity to attend the Friends Evening Lecture with New York Times Bestselling Author Khaled Hosseini at the New York Public Library. Dr. Hosseini discussed his debut novel, The Kite Runner, which was nothing short of a cultural phenomenon. He also answered questions about his much anticipated second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns. Ms. Dalpiaz closed the evening when she asked Dr. Hosseini if he felt he has grown as a writer and to which book he felt a closer connection. Dr. Hosseini responded that he has definitely grown as a writer from his first novel to his second. He added that his first novel will always hold a very special place in his heart. However, as a writer he feels more accomplished with his second novel. The Kite Runner is on the 11th Grade Advanced Placement Summer Reading List.

Booked for the Summer?

We are pleased to present the Summer Reading Program. Each student is required to select a book from the appropriate grade-level list below. If you are having trouble choosing a book, ask a parent, teacher, librarian or the English department chair for help. The Mepham High School homepage has pamphlets with short summaries to help make your selection easier and the titles below are linked to Amazon.com for more information. Enjoy the summer with a good book!

Incoming 9th Grade Summer Reading List:
Alicia, My Story by Alicia Appleman-Jurman
The Alchemist by Paul Coelho
Driver's Ed by Caroline B. Cooney
Things Change by Patrick Jones
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

Incoming 10th Grade Summer Reading List:
Having Our Say by Sarah L. Delany and A. Elizabeth Delany
A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
Marley and Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog by Josh Grogan
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Incoming 11th Grade Summer Reading List:
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
Loves Music, Loves to Dance by Mary Higgins Clark
Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
Jim the Boy by Tony Earley
Bleachers by John Grisham
Going Postal by Terry Pratchett

The Pickup* by Nadine Gordimer
The Kite Runner* by Khaled Hosseini
*Only required for E3 AP English students at Mepham High School

Incoming 12th Grade Summer Reading List:
For One More Day by Mitch Albom
Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Ironweed* by William Kennedy
The Shipping News* by Annie Proulx
*Only required for E4 AP English students at Mepham High School

Lessons Brought to Life

Mepham High School is the proud owner of two SMARTBoard interactive whiteboards. The school library has the privilege of housing one of these SMARTBoards. We were able to see students become more engaged and motivated during lessons used with this technology. The whiteboard is a touch-sensitive screen that connects to a computer and digital projector to display the computer image. Teachers and students are able to control computer applications directly from the whiteboard, write notes in digital ink, and save their work to share later. Classes can now explore and manipulate Internet resources as a group. The SMARTBoard has been used by every curricular area and at every grade level. Educators’ resources for the SMARTBoard are available at http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-us/.

Image taken from SMART™Technologies

Recommend a Good Book

Is there a book you would like to see in our school library? Post the name here and we will try to add it to our collection.

Home Stretch

Many of our students have already begun to work on their final English projects. We have many online resources that can be accessed in the school library or at home. Some of these online databases include Britannica Online, Galenet: Opposing Viewpoints, ProQuest (magazine and periodical database) and NoodleBib (use this database to help create a works cited page). Click here for a complete list of the databases that Mepham High School subscribes to. See Ms. Schneiderman or Ms. Sereno for a list of the usernames and passwords.

Don't forget about those wonderful old-fashioned print resources! We have books, newspapers, and magazines as well. Need help finding information on your topic? Just ask. We are here to help.

Image taken from Getty Images

April is National Poetry Month

National Poetry Month was established by the Academy of American Poets as a month-long, national celebration of poetry. In our school library we have a "Poet Tree." Bring in any original poem and your name will be added to a leaf and placed on our tree. Let's see how many leaves our tree will produce this spring!

Check out these websites:
Poets.org from the Academy of American Poets - daily poems, poet biographies, discussion forums on writing, audio, and don't forget to sign up for a poem each day in your inbox during the month of April.

Teen Poetry Wiki from the Internet Public Library for Teens - express yourself freely in words and find new ways to do it.

Wordsmiths from the New York Public Library- an anthology of writing by teens (ages 12-18) on the Web.

Author Patrick Jones Visits Mepham

Librarian turned author, Patrick Jones visited Mepham High School on Friday, April 13th. His visit coincided with the kickoff of National Library Week. Forty students from the National English Honor Society (NEHS) and Literary Circle (Mepham's Book Club) had the opportunity to read Jones' first novel, Things Change, which was named by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) as a best book for reluctant readers, and then participated in a group discussion with the author. There was a question-and-answer period and students had copies of his book autographed.

What an Amazing Year!

What an amazing year we have had in the Mepham High School Library! It started way back in September with the Freshman Orientation Pirate Scavenger Hunt. Then it continued with our first Scholastic Book Fair in November. We raised more than $960 for our school and over 150 books were donated to non-profit children's charities. The library hosted its first Craft Day in December, just in time to make some homemade gifts for the holidays. We launched our new and improved website at the beginning of 2007 and it is being updated all the time. Author Patrick Jones stopped by in April to discuss his book Things Change and much, much more is being planned. Check back often!