📚The Library Lowdown

I hope you all enjoyed the summer and are returning with a renewed spirit! ☀️🏕📖 All of us in 4J Library Land are excited to support the incredible work you do for students and are eager to connect and collaborate. Although there have been some shifts and additions among 4J’s library staff, our team is settling in and is eager to spread the joy of reading and connect with students.

As you gear up for the year, please remember that your library services team is here to support you every step of the way. Check out the slide deck below, which includes links to resources, library information, and other relevant materials related to library services. If there's any other way we can assist you, please don't hesitate to reach out. We're committed to supporting your work, and if we can't help, we'll connect you with someone who can. We wish you all the best in the coming year!

4J elementary and high school certified teacher librarians and classified middle school library specialists gathered on August 28th for a day of learning and collaboration. Our team spent time planning our year, learning, and "rumbling" as we grappled with some of the challenges we face and library ideals we want to uphold. We enjoyed a visit from Dr. Mickelson, who dropped by to introduce herself and show her support. Our team is a dedicated group of professionals with a wide range of experience and expertise. We look forward to growing together and learned how to best serve our school communities.

Meet our team:

Elementary Certified Teacher Librarians:

Adam Shepard: Edgewood/Charlemagne

Anya Kean: Willagillespie/Twin Oaks

Brynne Eidlin: Yujen Gakuen/Chinese Immersion/Family School

Christina Jimenez: Howard

Crystle Strege: River Road El Camino

Crystal Ardoin: Camas/Adams

Daletta Gonzales: Awbrey Park/Spring Creek

Emily Gilkey-Palmer: Buena Vista

Ethan Tibbs: Gilham

Jasmine Castligiliano: McCornack

Katie Westerman: Edison

Martha Dyer: Chavez

Robbie Cortez: Holt

Middle School:

Jamie Parks: Monroe

Jennifer Kotlarek: Spencer Butte

Julia Rice: Kelly

Julie Hopkins: Cal Young

Meredith Coelho (Teacher): Roosevelt

Shana Olsen: Madison

Shelby Clancy: ATA

High School Certified Teacher Librarians:

Amory Taylor: North Eugene HS

Debbie Levy: Churchill HS

Julie Vignoul: South Eugene HS

Sienna Griggs: Sheldon

District:

Amy Page: District Librarian

Buffy Ritchie: Curriculum Materials Manager

Mellissa Magill: Catalog Specialist

Learn about Hispanic Heritage and find resources for students in the resources below.

Hispanic Heritage Month is a special time of the year when we celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and contributions of people who come from or have ancestors from Spanish-speaking countries. This month, from September 15th to October 15th, is when we learn about and appreciate the history and achievements of Hispanic and Latino people.

During Hispanic Heritage Month, we celebrate the wonderful tapestry of cultures that make up our world, and we have a lot of fun while doing it! We learn, we dance, we eat delicious food, and we show love and respect for all the people who make our world so special.

Resources:

• NEA: K12 lesson plans and resources
• National Museum of the American Latino
• Hispanic Heritage Month Collection in Sora.
• Children's Toolkit

We are thrilled to share that registration for the OASL 2025 Fall Conference will be hosted at North Eugene High School! We hope you can join us on October 4th for an incredible day of learning and connecting.

This year’s conference will feature School Library Journal’s 2022 National Librarian of the Year, K.C. Boyd! Known for “Bringing the zeal back to librarianship”, Boyd is a teacher librarian in the District of Columbia Public Schools and is a highly sought-after keynote speaker and national presenter.

We’re also excited to welcome authors Makiia Lucier (Dragonfruit), Trudy Ludwig (Calling the Wind), and Will Ritter (The Jackaby Series) for our author breakfast panel and as session presenters.

The conference will offer a full schedule of sessions covering the breadth of our work in school libraries​, including library learning, innovative technology, staff development, advocacy, best practices, and more. Teachers, administrators, and anyone interested are welcome to attend.

Register now at the OASL 2025 Fall Conference Website.

Hope to see you there!

Sora is both a website and an app where all students and teachers can access our district's digital library collection. This diverse, engaging, high-interest collection of ebooks and audiobooks can be accessed 24/7 and is curated throughout the year. You can find the latest and greatest books in this collection, so check back often to see what's new. Bookmark Sora for easy access all the time!

This fall, librarians will be introducing this collection to students. There are books for all levels and interests: an incredible comics collection, magazines for every interest, engaging diverse books, read-alongs for non-readers, and much more!

The collection is curated into collections so readers can find what they're looking for with ease. Students log in with their 4j username and password. K5 students will need to know this information. Watch this quick tutorial to learn how. Contact Amy Page if you need assistance printing 4J usernames and passwords for your students.

Common Sense Media has great lessons for middle and high school focused on mental health and well-being. They have "Device Advice" lessons for elementary kiddos and many other great resources to get students started off smart with technology this year. Check out their Back-to-School Healthy Minds resources here and help our kiddos learn smart technology practices.

The GALE Resource page is filled with activities and resources for all the databases Eugene 4J has access to. The activities are easy to use right away and will teach students how to utililize and navigate the various databases while having a fun at the same time!

Elementary teachers click on GALE Elementary in Context and click on “Type” at the top of the list of resources to organize the list with activities at the top. You’ll find activities like Question of the Week, Developing a Research Question, Tic-Tac-Toe, and Scavenger Hunts.

Secondary teachers click on GALE Middle/High School in Context or one of the many other databases available for secondary research. Then click on “Type” at the top and see a list of ready-to-use activities similar to those described above but geared toward secondary students.

If you need any assistance, ask your teacher librarian or Amy Page (page_a@4j.lane.edu).

This year all 4J students' Eugene Public Library cards will be automatically renewed so students can continue using the wide range of digital resources the library has to offer. New students to 4J, including kindergartners, will be issued new cards in late fall.

With your public library card students can check out physical books (five items at a time) and access digital books, resources, and much, much more! Find resources for kids and teens and begin exploring today!

This program is an exciting collaboration between 4J and Eugene Public Library, which improves the educational experience and fosters a love for learning for our students, as well as strengthens the fabric of our community as a whole.

Library cards are free to all City of Eugene residents. Plus 4J educators and staff who live outside City limits can get a free card for work use. Wherever you live, to get started, simply call the library at 541-682-5450 for immediate access to online resources including ebooks, online audiobooks, streaming movies, research tools and more. Then follow up in person within 30 days by bringing your school photo ID and your current Oregon driver license/ID (if you don't have one, see other accepted address documents). Or visit in person to sign up all at once: come to the Downtown Library, Bethel Branch or Sheldon Branch with those items and they'll give you your card for full services.

If you would like to visit a place in or around Eugene this year but can't get your class there, I am happy to collaborate with you to take them there virtually. Reach out to me if you have ideas and we'll make a plan.

There is plenty to celebrate in September! From Dot Day on September 15th to Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15th - October 15th there are resources to support all your explorations. September 30th is "Be Who You Are Day", a celebration of Todd Parr's awesome work! Have fun exploring the coding and virtual maker space boards, too. You can find it all in the September Choice Board below. Have fun!

Email: page_a@4j.lane.edu
Website: https://wakelet.com/@AmyPage5788
Location: 200 North Monroe Street, Eugene, OR, USA
Phone: 541-790-7765
Facebook: facebook.com/4jlibrarymediaservices
Twitter: @AmyPageTL