NYS librarians endorse approach to address Common Core skills

On Board Online • March 11, 2013

By Jim Belair
Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES

School librarians in New York State have a new resource to help them collaborate with content area teachers at every grade level to ensure students become independent readers and learners.  Almost all of the school library systems in the state have endorsed the “Empire State Information Fluency Continuum” (IFC), a document that identifies information skills aligned to Common Core standards at every grade level.

School library systems are available to all school districts and independent schools from the state’s 37 BOCES and Big 5 City School Districts (New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers). They are funded by the state through Education Law section 284. Services may include interlibrary loan, library automation, media libraries, online database purchasing, ebooks and professional development.

The IFC is the brainchild of Barbara Stripling, president of the American Library Association and former school library system director for New York City. The IFC has also been endorsed by the New York Library Association, which has requested that information be placed on the EngageNY website.

For more information on the IFC, please contact your local librarian or visit: www.monroe2 boces.org/IFC.