Library Services
Be Curious Today!
The goal of the library is to provide our students with satisfaction for their curiosity, and the skills necessary to use libraries and the Internet throughout their lives. We use the Information Fluency Continuum, which places a heavy emphasis on the inquiry process along with questioning skills. All these concepts support our efforts to meet the challenges of the new common core.
Collaboration
Collaboration with classroom teachers is vital. Yearly, 7th grade library and science collaboration helps students understand how to evaluate reliable information, hoaxes, and pseudoscience. A recent grant provided the funding to support the development of a year-long unit on the Great Depression focusing on primary sources.
Technology
MOODLE is an on-line course management system being piloted by the library. We are also using My Big Campus, which is a communication software intended to support student-teacher links. Our library is complete with a Promethean interactive white board, a mounted projector, sound system, and all the support technologies available. Students are often seen in the library doing research on the computers. We are very proud of how our library supports the academic programs of our school.
Beyond the library walls
The NYSSD Library is truly part of the wider world. Our K-12 collection is
supported through borrowing from other libraries. We have a variety of on-line databases provided through the Madison-Oneida BOCES School Library System. With the increase emphasis on research based education and the focus on fiction and non-fiction texts, keeping an updated library would be nearly impossible. By utilizing the inter-library loan program we are able to keep up with the changing demands on literacy. These databases and our online catalog are available at www.moboces.org/cider 
. They may be accessed at any of our classroom or dorm computers. Passwords for home use of the databases are available to students and staff.
Literature Garden
An important part of our summer program is the literature garden. Plants relate to curriculum and books. Story time for younger students is conducted outside and encourages exploration in the garden. Each summer has had a different theme and focus. In the past we have focused on spiders, life cycles, popcorn, and the Irish potato famine.