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Thanks to a slew of new, easy-to-use animation tools, one doesn't have to work at Pixar or DreamWorks to create a summer blockbuster. In fact, it's now a snap for young storytellers to learn the ABC's of animation. And that's bound to make learning a lot more interesting--and much more creative. At Springfield Township High School, in Erdenheim, Pennsylvania, the authors use tools like CrazyTalk and Blabberize to help kids create their own short animated films, including a tour of Civil War Gettysburg (complete with walking-talking images of generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee); a funny, instructive 42-second flick about what not to do for the prom; and a snippet in which the school's mascot, a Spartan, boogies and levitates above the library's circulation desk. These kid-created animated movies, and others like them, are perfect for spicing up a lesson, a website, or even those often monotonous morning announcements. Animation can fuel a child's imaginative explorations. And it's not just about helping students sharpen their scripting, editing, and storytelling skills. Working with animation can also enhance kids' understanding of technology, engineering, and geometrical and spatial relations. It can even lead to more empathy, an essential skill in today's increasingly complex world. Animation software developers like Reallusion (a big name in 3-D movies) and Toon Boom (a Canadian company whose clients include Disney) have started to create products for average Joes, rather than strictly for animation pros. In this article, the authors introduce their favorite animation tools, many of which are free or inexpensive.

In this article, "School Library Journal's" ("SLJ") advisors talk about book apps for kids. They discuss what they like, what one should look for in discerning the best for kids and teens, and where this all might be headed.

A proper picture book app lets a parent and child read, listen to, or explore a book in a fun and interactive manner. Typical options offered in these apps include turning off the sound (so that a parent or child can read on their own), changing from one language to another, and small interactive features, such as making the characters move. To review an app fairly, it helps to have a smattering of knowledge about video games and children's literature. One also wants to be able to take into account how well the software works on one's device, while at the same time determining if the child is actually getting a story or merely a series of pretty bells and whistles. In this article, the author introduces a set of potential criteria for selecting picture book apps. The questions presented in this article should be asked when figuring out whether one app or another is the best possible selection for that child sitting on one's lap. The author also considers a small cross-section of the kids' book apps available today. Apps that, for one reason or another, may have advantages over their print brethren, may complement them, or may be distinctly less impressive in comparison.

This article features ImaginOn: The Joe and Joan Martin Center," a learning facility wherein students are provided with an original approach to education, learning, and the arts. ImaginOn is a joint venture of the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (PLMC) and the Children's Theater of Charlotte. ImaginOn's mission is to "bring stories to life through extraordinary experiences that challenge, inspire, and excite young minds." At this facility, students are encouraged to expand their imaginations by creating stories through the use of technology.

Discusses results of a survey questionnaire of public and school libraries that investigated the use of Internet filtering software. Considers filter alternatives; reasons for filtering or not filtering; brand names; satisfaction with site blocking; satisfaction with the decision to install filter software; and guidelines for considering filters. (LRW)

Describes the results of a survey of school librarians that investigated satisfaction with their selection of library automation systems. Discusses purchasing decisions; networking; Web-based systems; user friendliness; efficiency and usability; vendor integrity; technical support; training; documentation; authority control; links to Internet sites in the catalog; barcodes; and future considerations. (LRW)

Comparing 1994 and 1996, the eighth biennial survey of school libraries found median expenditures for books unchanged; audiovisuals, periodicals, microforms, and CD-ROM expenditures down; and software, local area network, and Internet expenditures up. The report also examines the extent of collaboration between library media specialists and teachers. Contains many charts and graphs. (PEN)

Describes the Library of Congress American Memory Project (AMP), which uses laser videodisc technology to provide online distribution of collections of historical materials. The collections, software, applications, and future possibilities are addressed; and the experiences of Hickman (Missouri) High School as a participant in the AMP pilot program are related. (MES)

This article presents the Notable Children's Videos, Recordings, and Interactive Software for Kids lists which are compiled annually by committees of the Association for Library Service to children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). These lists were released in January 2011 at the ALA Midwinter meeting in San Diego, California. The items on these lists, for children 14 years of age and younger, exhibit especially commendable quality, show respect for children's intelligence and imagination, and reflect and encourage the interests of children in exemplary ways.

HomeworkNYC Apps is a suite of tools designed to provide around-the-clock help to the estimated 1.3 million children and teens served by the libraries of New York City. Aimed at being a one-stop shop for all things homework related, the HomeworkNYC website offers access to library catalogs and databases, browsable subject guides, and even real-time homework help provided by teachers during after-school hours through a Dial-a-Teacher program. This expansive set of resources sounded great--to adults, but not to young people, who normally frequent Facebook, Wikipedia, Google, YouTube, email, and chat. Seeing that the site was not being used as intended, the project team went straight to the targeted users to learn how the library could better serve them. Bringing homework resources directly into Facebook and other sites commonly used by young people seemed like a winning idea from the start. The HomeworkNYC Apps planning team realized early on in the redevelopment phase that having kids involved in the design process every step of the way is the key to make sure these tools truly work for potential users.

The Notable Children's Videos, Recordings, and Great Interactive Software for Kids lists are compiled annually by committees of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). This article presents the lists for 2010 that were released in January during the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. The items on these lists, intended for children 14 years of age and younger, were selected based on their originality, creativity, and suitability for children.

The Notable Children's Videos, Recordings, and Great Interactive Software for Kids lists are compiled annually by committees of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). This article presents the lists for 2009 that were released in January during the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Denver, Colorado. The items on these lists, intended for children 14 years of age and younger, were selected based on their originality, creativity, and suitability for children.

Open source software has become a catchword in libraryland. Yet many remain unclear about open source's benefits--or even what it is. So what is open source software (OSS)? It's software that is free in every sense of the word: free to download, free to use, and free to view or modify. Most OSS is distributed on the Web and one doesn't need to sign a license agreement to use it.

The digital age has freed information from the restrictive hierarchies of traditional cataloging methods, notably Dewey. Although libraries still deal with the challenge of physical books, online content is a different matter. Thanks to the unregulated, grassroots cataloging effort known as tagging, the Web presents a glorious chaos of interconnected knowledge, where associations that might otherwise have been lost with formal cataloging are now possible. This article describes a new game which is pushing this concept even further, encouraging participants to creatively make connections between Web sites, with the vast expanse of the Internet as their playing field. A free activity requiring only a Firefox extension, PMOG, the Passively Multiplayer Online Game, turns Web browsing into a social adventure, in which players--striving for order or chaos--forge alliances, do battle, and create missions, all while surfing the Net. Through Resource Description Framework (RDF), a new language for describing content semantically, one can connect bits of information to a greater degree of sophistication. Collectively, the surge of new applications and protocols that supports the emergence of this rich metadata is referred to as the Semantic Web or Web 3.0. The next step will be to define new search structures that make use of RDF and semantic connections. The task for librarians is to contribute the semantic metadata through both description and linking. Just as with subject headings that go beyond keyword searches in defining the books in library catalogs, librarians need to encourage the use of tags or other methods to capture the essence of Web sites.

A widget displays Web content from external sources and can be embedded into a blog, social network, or other Web page, or downloaded to one's desktop. With widgets--sometimes referred to as gadgets--one can insert video into a blog post, display slideshows on MySpace, get the weather delivered to his mobile device, drag-and-drop his Netflix queue into iGoogle, and much more. There's even a widget for "Meerkat Manor," which displays a video preview of the upcoming episode and fun facts about the Kalahari-desert dwellers. Widgets are also free and relatively easy to use. The one problem is there are just so many from which to choose. In this article, the author gives a quick tour of widgets, along with some picks.

"Wiki", the Hawaiian word for quick, can refer to either a Web site or the software that runs it. Ward Cunningham, a Portland, OR, programmer, invented and named the wiki in 1995. He wanted to help a virtual community of programmers communicate efficiently. Teachers and librarians nationwide have begun to explore the role of wikis in classroom settings--and the possibilities do appear endless. Wikis have also been used to help students gain insights into world events. Wikis hold so much promise that motivated K-12 teachers and librarians throughout Virginia will soon be wiki literate, thanks to a program designed to bring them up to speed on technology-enhanced learning as defined by the National Educational Technology Standards. Led by education professor Richard Ingram of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, the program is being largely supported by a sizable four-year Partners in Learning grant from Microsoft. One benefit of wikis, according to Jimmy Wales, who founded Wikipedia in 2001, is the willingness of kids who use them to try to understand views that may differ from theirs. Wikis are helping young people develop "writing skills and social skills by learning about group consensus and compromise--all the virtues needed to be a reasonable and productive member of society." Others like the way that wikis let everyone play.

Describes keyword, site, protocol, time, client, and user blocking and Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS), a Web rating system. Provides evaluations of five commercially available filters (Internet filters block content, keywords, sites, or a combination of these) and sample questions to evaluate filters. (PEN)

Describes the development of a term paper resource center in public libraries that supports school assignments. A cooperative effort between the public library and school library is discussed, a topic file with appropriate resources listed is described, instructions for writing outlines and bibliographies are suggested, and provision of software is considered. (six references) (LRW)

This 5-article section provides an annotated bibliography of 39 books about computer technology; describes peripheral equipment essential for building computer systems; suggests an approach to software evaluation and selection; describes the implementation of a computer program for elementary/secondary students and teachers; and reviews 34 computer programs for library skills instruction. (EJS)

This discussion of library software packages includes guidelines for library automation with microcomputers; criteria to aid in software selection; comparison of some features of available acquisitions, circulation and overdues software; references for software reviews; additional information on microsoftware; and a directory of producers and distributors. (CLB)

Three articles include charts excerpted from "Pennsylvania Online: A Curriculum Guide for School Library Media Centers"; "Processing/Accessing Micro Software," in which Ruth Fitzgerald advocates integrating software into the card catalog; and "Microcomputer Software: A Sellers' Showcase to Physical Science Programs," in which Phyllis Levy Mandell describes 49 software programs. (EM)

Summarizes expenditures for public and private school libraries throughout the United States during 1985-86, looking at such factors as funding sources; collection size and materials; expenditures per student; school level and region; media center staff and salaries; electronic technology; and level of media coordination (individual schools versus districts). (CLB)

Discusses areas to be considered in planning for an automated system for a school library including standards; networking; hardware; cost; order of conversion; retrospective conversion; non-print bibliographic records; vendor reputation; integration with school management software; and subject access. Microcomputer integrated systems, retrospective conversion services, and schools automating circulation/catalog are listed. (seven references) (MES)

Describes the possibilities of hypermedia stackware with emphasis on applications for youth librarians. A model for the development and evaluation of stackware is offered, and an example of a proposed hypermedia product is provided. Differences in personal interest levels and learning styles are considered, and copyright concerns are discussed. (seven references) (MES)

Apart from a handful of Archies at the supermarket checkout and a scattering of superhero comics in chain bookstores, comics have been hidden from public view for decades, tucked away in specialty shops that were invisible to all but a small cadre of hard-core fans. The iPad puts them back at people's fingertips, displayed in four-color glory and available via free apps that let people buy comics directly through the iTunes store--no drive to a seedy section of town required. In this article, the author reviews three comics apps that stand out as her top picks for the iPad. They are: (1) Comics by comiXology; (2) Comics+ by iVerse; and (3) Graphicly. All carry comics from multiple publishers, and together with their publisher-specific companion apps, they cover the lion's share of what's available digitally.

When asked to weigh in on what might be the next best thing in educational technology, the author scanned the horizon for the next gizmo or software advance that would eventually grow legs, rise up, and utterly transform the library profession. But what he saw was more about evolution than revolution. Sure, Windows Vista will become Windows 7, USB 2.0 will become USB 3.0, and geekdom will march on, just to a predictably faster drumbeat. Meanwhile, a broader and bleaker brand of change was happening right under his nose; this nation's school system's tech staff was shrinking, licensed software was aging, and support contracts for things like the ILS (integrated library system) had been allowed to lapse. It was as if a school's technology plan had suddenly been condensed into a two-word mandate: save money. That's when the author realized what the next big thing in ed-tech really is: austerity. For many people, it has already settled in and is pretty much running the show. Does crisis--even financial crisis--contain opportunity? The author thinks so, especially for school librarians who have been inspired by leaders like Joyce Valenza to adopt new tools, but who have found that, ultimately, it's tech departments, not library media specialists, that typically call the shots. If one ever felt chained to a tired set of standard software served up mainly through standard desktop computer labs, an extended cash crunch could provide just the shake-up needed to make reinvention happen. Interested in getting back into the loop? Then prepare to help steer change by boning up on the cost-cutting trends presented in this article. These technology trends include virtual desktops, open source software, cloud computing, and notebooks.

What child hasn't chatted with friends through a computer? But chatting with a computer? Some Danish scientists have literally put a face on their latest software program, bringing to virtual life storyteller Hans Christian Andersen, who engages users in actual conversations. The digitized Andersen resides at the Hans Christian Andersen Museum in Odense, Denmark. There he answers questions about his life and fairy tales and responds in a fairly humanlike manner, complete with facial expressions and gestures. (Tip: Andersen gets a bit testy when asked if his teeth are false.) But Andersen's creators at NICE (www.niceproject.com), a virtual language and computer interaction initiative based at the University of Southern Denmark, are imagining a much larger playing field for their three-year-old project.

Minkel Walter, recently read about a school district in Texas that's supplying its fifth- and sixth-grade students with laptops. Along with electronic copies of textbooks, the laptops will also contain a "library" of about 2,000 books--"classics of Western civilization"--packaged by Vital Source Technologies and sold for about 5200 per computer. The package includes a handy software program that compresses the books into a space of about half a gigabyte, along with a search engine to help students find words and concepts in those hooks. So far, so good. But when the author checked with the North Carolina software company, he learned that these pre-loaded books include titles such as Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter and Herman Melville's Moby-Dick. What does he have against these masterpieces? Absolutely nothing. He just hates paying for something that's free for the taking. The fact is, there are thousands of free books available online, and odds are you can use some of them in your school or library. They don't include modern blockbusters like Harry, Potter or Shel Silverstein's poems, but they do include Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Brothers Karamazov, the works of Mark Twain, and, yes, those of Hawthorne and Melville. In other words, they're books that have passed into the public domain--titles that date back to 1923 or earlier.