OPAC+at+Smith

=OPAC on the Laptops at Smith Street School= by Nancy Froehlich

Students at Smith Street School Library have been busy creating personal reading lists for themselves. They use the library laptops to search the catalog by subject, author and title. This activity helps them to make balanced choices among subjects and between fiction and non-fiction books. Students remark that they were unaware of how many subjects are included in the collection and we find them borrowing in areas previously unexplored by them. Citing titles is essential for later academic work and provides them a road map of potential books to read during the year. Recording the call numbers of selected books builds knowledge of the Dewey Decimal System and aids in the location of works in the library. These are tasks that readers of every age perform and practice will serve our students in the future. Many students report that they have extended their searching to include the Uniondale Public Library catalog and it is satisfying to see the application of the lessons in their lives. The catalogs of all Uniondale School District libraries are available online and students are encouraged to reference them from any computer in the world, at any time!