Some Reflections on Sharing

One of the things I love most about our profession is how generous so many people are with their resources, creativity and expertise.  I was a classroom teacher for many years before donning a library hat and even though I loved that part of my career and remember those days with great fondness, I never felt as supported or as much a part of a community as I have since moving to libraryland.  I truly believe that when we share, we all become better and our practice, as a whole, is strengthened.  What's more, it's fantastic to be part of a profession that truly understands and embraces that philosophy. 

Whenever I talk to kids about citing their sources and giving credit where credit is due, I strongly encourage them to, whenever possible, use resources that are licensed under Creative Commons - not because this will keep them out of the hot seat or to prevent the dreaded copyright police from knocking in the night - but rather because it shows them how much better we all become when we share.  My hope is that they'll not only learn about attribution, but that they'll also grow up to become generous contributors to whatever fields they choose to tackle for work or pleasure.  Sometimes I feel like we miss the boat when talking about copyright by focusing more on the law and/or the bad feelings that can result from someone else pilfering your work(s).  Those things are important, of course, but I find I have better results from stressing the positives of sharing your talents and of using the works of others who are willing to do the same.

But, that's a post of a different color.

That being said, it was truly an honor to be a part of the sharing that went on during the TL Virtual Cafe Session on Adding eReaders to your Library Program. Honestly, I am still pinching myself.

And, in the spirit of sharing, here are my slides from the presentation.

Diving Into Digital Books: TL Virtual Cafe 5/2/2010 

View more presentations from Jennifer LaGarde

Coincidentally, some people were asking about the images used in the session - I'm actually pretty stoked (do people still use that word?) because every last one of those images was my very own!  I tackled a 365 photo project this year that has turned out to be decidedly non-library related (but a great creative outlet!). So... when I learned I'd need to do a Power Point for the TL Cafe session, I decided to break out the camera instead of trolling the internet.  It was great fun and helped me realize that Power Point doesn't have to be a substitute for Ambien.  And, of course, all the photos (that do not contain students) are  licensed under creative commons, so please take, use, alter and share.  What's mine is yours. Similarly, some folks in the room expressed interest in the list of dystopian novels that I mentioned in the session.  Feel free to email me at jennifer[dot]lagarde[at]nhcs[dot]net and I'll share the google doc with you!  Finally, if you weren't able to make it to the session, an archived audio version as well as a text version of the comment thread are housed  here.  

Thanks again to everyone who shared their time, talents and experience with me last night.  It's amazing to be part of a profession that embraces the philosophy of sharing for the benefit of the whole.  I know I'm much better at my job as a result of this generosity.

Diving Into Digital Books: TL Virtual Cafe Webinar Coming Up!

I feel so fortunate to have had a number of amazing opportunities to reflect on this year's experiment with eReaders in my library. Perhaps the most exciting is the one that's coming up on Monday when I get to spend an hour or so chatting about the marriage of eReaders and school libraries with my friend and hero Buffy Hamilton.  Seriously, if someone had told me a year ago that I'd be sharing a stage (even a virtual one) with Buffy, I'd never have believed it.  It's truly an honor to be included in this discussion at all, nevermind with the person I constantly try to model. Plus, it's hosted by little miss Daring Librarian herself, Gwyneth Jones.  Mind blowing.

Anyway, I really hope you'll join us!

Image from the UnquietLibrary Flickr Stream

Diving into Digital Books: Adding eReaders to Your School Library

Guests: Buffy J. Hamilton & Jennifer LaGarde
Host: Gwyneth Jones
May 2 - 8pm EST
Learn Central Page
Participant Link
Kindles, Nooks and iPads, Oh My! Implementing eReaders into your library program is about more than just jumping on the latest technological bandwagon or attempting to reinvent your library in order to stay relevant. It’s about good practice. Join Buffy Hamilton and Jennifer LaGarde as they discuss how eReaders have helped them provide students with a) access to the most up to date titles, b) the unique ability to efficiently link works of fiction with nonfiction resources and, c) the opportunity to interact with texts in ways that are simply not possible with traditional, library owned, books – all in an environment that both appeals to and enhances their skills as 21st century learners.

All materials, including my slideshare (which I'm proud to report contains only my own images) will be archived on the wiki once the session is complete. 

Our eReader Adventure Part 4: Taking the Plunge - AGAIN!

Today we took a big step in our journey with eReaders as a tool for impacting student learning - we purchased 35 more! 

This time, we went with the Sony PRS 350SC Touch.  To be honest, we've been very happy with our Nooks.  Almost a whole school year in and we haven't had one technical glitch.  Not one.   Don't get me wrong, we've had our fair share of bumps in the road, but none of them have been the result of the devices themselves.  Rather, we've experienced growing pains - the kind that always accompany having to adapt policies and procedures that have been in place for a long, long time.  In the end, we'll be better for all the teeth gnashing, but getting there can be messy.

That said, turning the page on a new chapter of this journey reminded me that there's still plenty of reflecting and adapting left to do when it comes to our Nook program.  

In the beginning, I was most fussed about the fact that we couldn’t send our new toys home with students.   Since that time, I’ve done some research on our policy, asked a few questions to smart people know more than I do and decided it wasn’t a battle I was going to win – so I didn't fight it.

Even so, despite having to readjust my thinking regarding how we would use them, the Nooks have proven to be an incredibly impactful device for students at my school.  What’s more, the way they’ve been integrated, almost seamlessly, into classroom instruction has made not being able to send them home seem like a small obstacle.  Besides, I’ve been busy figuring a million other things out. 

 

So far, I’d have to say that the two biggest lessons that I have learned in regard to eReaders are:

1.  We (schools) are not Amazon/Barnes&Noble’s target audience.  Their purchasing systems are NOT set up for libraries and they will not adjust their policies for us.
2. It’s vital to work with your finance department to set up purchasing policies BEFORE you start buying eBooks.  You will need the bean counters to be on your side, so you might as well talk to them before you hit a wall – believe me, I learned this the hard way! 

The bottom line is that depending on your system’s finance rules, you have 3 choices when purchasing eBooks:

1.  Credit card:  This is the vendor’s preferred method.  Our system is allowing me to set up a separate library e-procurement card specifically for eBooks next year, but this has disadvantages too as, typically, the cards are only good for a set amount of time and are deactivated in early spring, so if you want to make purchases after that, you need a back up plan.
2. Gift cards:  This also has disadvantages.  Our system does not allow us to purchase gift cards with state monies, however, we received some gift cards as well, gifts and were able to purchase others with money from fundraisers, grants, etc.  Unfortunately, vendors require that you a) have a credit card on file when using gift cards online for eBook purchases AND b) that your credit card has enough money available to pay for the amount you are spending on the gift card, or they will not let you use the gift card online.  I know, that seems crazy, but it’s true and believe me, I fought it all the way to the top. (See lesson one from above).  So… once your school credit card is out of $$$ or has expired for the year, you cannot make eBook purchases - even if you have a million dollars in gift cards.  (Oi.  Just reliving this makes my brain hurt!)
3. Purchase Orders:   This is tricky too.  Because eBooks are purchased as individual titles and some vendors bill each book as a separate sale, it’s tough to use a PO unless it’s open.  To be honest, I haven’t had a lot of success in using POs to purchase eBooks, but I’m working with our finance department to clear these waters for next year.  Baby steps, right?

Of course, while the pure commerce aspect of purchasing eBooks has proven challenging, in the end it’s kind of the least important part of the purchasing process.  In the beginning, I thought about how to purchase eBooks in the same way I do print titles, but that soon proved to be, frankly, inappropriate.  Sure, it’s important to look at reviews and think about how a title fits in with your overall collection, but there’s more to consider when working with this digital content.  

One of the great joys of putting eReaders into little hands has been the ability to customize the reading experience specifically for that student. Because ebooks are relatively inexpensive, it’s possible to make the emotional, social and academic needs of the individual student your primary concern when purchasing titles.  Even as I type that out, I’m touched by how powerful it is.   It's like being able to give each child their own library.  Amazing.

Anyway, one of my goals for this summer is to finalize some collection development policies for our eReaders, but for now I’m thinking far less about how a title fits into my collection or how it impacts my stats and am instead spending much, much more time thinking about the student who will be reading it.  

It’s funny.  But in addition to today’s eReader purchase, this seems to have been the week for eReader questions and discussion around my school, district and state.  These discussions are incredibly helpful to me as they force me to consider (and reconsider) the hows and whys of the decisions I make.  With that, I’ll close with my response to a question from my good friend John Downs who is working on a grant to bring eReaders to his school.  After discussing many of the things I’ve mentioned in this post, he simply asked: “was it worth it?”  To my way of thinking, the fact that I didn’t pause to consider my answer before sharing it says a lot. Maybe even more than the answer itself.    

The fact is, in many ways this is uncharted territory, so there’s bound to be bumps in the road. However, I love the way students can interact w/text via the eReader (highlighting/annotating/etc – those things simply cannot be done via a print book that the school owns).  More importantly, I’ve come to value the ability to create customized reading experiences, that not only combine fiction and non-fiction texts, but that also (and more significantly) are tailored to the individual student needs.  To me, these benefits far outweigh the challenges.

So… what’s next for us?   

Because our new Sony eReaders don’t have internet access, we’re going to be able to circulate them through our library as I originally intended with our Nooks.  This is exciting and scary because, frankly, it means starting over and rethinking some of our new (and yet somehow now old) procedures. On the eve of our first eReader pilot I was anxious and eager to see how these new devices would impact the young readers I work with every day.  It's nice to have those same nervous butterflies in my stomach again - especially now that their accompanied by the comfort of having a little experience under my belt.

Hooked on eBooks: Presentation for NCTIES 2011

Yay!  What a thrill to be able to present what we've learned from our eReader pilot program this year at the North Carolina Technology in Education Society's annual conference. It's been a wonderful experience to learn and share with such an extraordinary group of educators.

The following is the prezi that I (and my fabulous co presenter and partner in crime Christy James) will use during our presentation.  Links to the documents mentioned in the presentation can also be found here, here and here.

This presentation is just one in a series of personal and professional opportunities for reflection related to our eReader program.  I'm looking forward to seeing how a live conversation with some really, really smart educators informs how our eReader program grows and changes.

Hooked on eBooks on Prezi

Scratching The Resolution Itch

As the sun sets on another year, it's only natural to reflect on what's transpired over the last 12 months and to then look ahead to the 12 on the horizon. Indeed, many of the blogs I read are currently sporting New Year's Resolution posts and it's been inspiring to read what others are reaching for in 2011. It is in that spirit of healthy self refection and in knowing that, as someone "of a certain age," writing things down is always a safe bet, that I too started making a list of professional goals for the coming year.

For me, 2010 has been a year of extreme professional growth. Even though the connections I've made have been almost entirely virtual, I feel more connected to my colleagues than ever before.  What's more, these connections keep me constantly striving to do and be more. These days, it seems like not a day goes by when I don't find myself inspired to try something new or to push myself one step further. I love that feeling, but there are things about it that make me nervous too.

Being something of a librarian newbie, (this is only my 5th year in the library, after 10 years in the classroom), sometimes I worry about leaping before really looking - that is to say, diving into to new programs/projects without fully exploring the *why* of it.  This is compounded by the fact that, more often than I care to admit, the time I need, post lesson, to truly reflect on student learning is simply not there.(I'm hearing Mr. Schu's Metacognition song in my head even as I type this).  If nothing else, I am desperate to be purposeful in my practice.  Even if I can't be as formally reflective as I'd like to be, I *can* act with intention.

And so, here I am, with a goal setting itch that needs to be scratched. 

The Goal	The Why
1.  Explore/begin using Evernote & Diigo: I know there are plenty of high schools that have integrated both of these tools as a part of their instructional programs, but I'm unaware of middle school examples. That said, I'd like to take the Evernote plunge PERSONALLY and implement it as a cloud replacement for MS OneNote (which has, sadly, gone from life changing to increasingly clunky as of late) but also as a research tool for my students.	I feel that one of my strengths as a librarian is teaching students how to locate and evaluate resources - particularly those online. However, I also know that I am weaker at showing them how to stitch all of of the information they find together together into a useful, ever evolving tapestry of resources. I believe (hope!) a tools like Evernote & Diigo might help me help my students collect and organize information.  This has been on my radar for awhile, but 2011 feels like the year to do it!
2. Increase visibility/validity of library Facebook Page: I've already taken the plunge and created a facebook page for our library, but in 2011 I'd like to see the followers increase to 450 (half our students population) and I'm committed to updating the page at least once per week.	I'll admit the why of this goal is partly selfish. I believe strongly that this kind of promotion and branding of our library will be an essential part of our survival as we head into budget talks this year. However, I'm also committed to connecting with students in the digital world where they already live and to proving that social media can be a force for good in education.
3. Complete 365 Photo-A-Day Project:  As a part of our library's FB page, I'd like to start a photo a day project (Diane Cordell Style) to include as part of the FB feed. Some of the photos may be personal, but I'm planning to make those taken on "school days" in particular related to the library so that they can become a feed for students to access.	There are so many opportunities for me to enhance the connections I make with students via digital images. As I'm planning to have students both access and contribute to the feed, I'm hopeful that this project will provide another avenue for students to feel connected to the library, its resources and to me.
4.  Explore/Implement QR Code program:  Truly, I need a whole other blog post to talk about how excited I am about QR Codes, (thank you, Gwyneth Jones and Steven Anderson - and thank you Ryan Redd for showing me the way) but I plan to integrate them into NUMEROUS collaborative projects *and* as a means of transforming my library into a creation station - (more on this later).	Following Joyce Valenza's assertion that the library is a place to learn and create, I believe QR Codes will provide my students with a creative, innovative means of sharing their digital, "library-made," creations. I can't wait!
5.  Continue to grow Nook program, explore other options for student use, grow Nook wiki: Project Nook will continue in 2011. As they cannot be checked out in my district, my work will be focused on their continued integration into content area instruction.  Further, I want to grow the Nook wiki to include student and teacher reflection videos.	I believe our Nooks provide the perfect opportunity for students to engage in open choice reading. Following Donalyn Miller's example in The Book Whisperer, it's my goal to both encourage and actively collaborate in literature projects that afford students the opportunity to choose what they read. Frankly, this will require a shift in thinking for some of our teachers, but I'm ready to "direct the Rider, motivate the Elephant, and shape the Path" in order to make this a reality.
6.  Continue to grow "You Might be a 21st Century Librarian in NHCS" wiki: I have the specific goal of increasing participation in my district's "You Might Be A 21st Century Librarian" wiki to 80% by the end of the school year. I will also add pages for links to artifacts (with a nod to Kathy Kaldenberg for the idea!)	Like many districts around the country, ours is facing even deeper cuts into budget and personnel next year, I believe our wiki will provide us with a means of focusing our instructional efforts and provide documentation of our "value added" for shareholders. Plus, I love reading about what others are doing and implementing some of those same ideas with my own students.
7.  Continue to grow/promote Gators Read Everywhere Project: I have the specific goal of increasing participation in my Gator's Read Everywhere Project to 250 students with at least 10 classes having used instructionally - by the end of the school year.	I love this project and want so much to see it grow in 2011. I started the map because I truly believe that the Gators Read map is the perfect marriage of 21st century skills, reading promotion and connecting the library to the learning that goes on in every class.I feel there's so much potential in this project, I just need to stoke the fires a bit.
8. Help Develop and grow a long distance Collaborative Book Club:  I wish to implement a collaborative book club with at least one other librarian and his/her students in 2011.	I have learned so much by connecting with others from around the world, I can only believe that the same would be true for my students. Plus, collaborating with other libraries from around the country/world would provide my students with another opportunity to use tools like wikis, blogs and skype as a part of the book club process.
9.  Maintain and update Library Girl blog with more frequency: I have the specific goal of updating this blog once per week.	This blog provides me with a platform for reflection. It's a place when I can think about my own learning (queue Mr. Schu again). I believe this makes me better at what I do. At least, I hope so. :)
10.  Write monthly "Professionally Reading" column:   I have the specific goal of contributing one review, of a professional resource, to our district's employee newsletter - our district PR officer has named this column "Professionally Reading w/Jennifer LaGarde"	I often joke that I never read books for anyone over 4ft tall. This project gives me an excuse to step out of the world of YA fiction and read some of the professional titles that I've been longing to dig into, but that I keep putting off!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaah.  That feels better. :)

Happy New Year, everyone!

Our Nook Adventure Part III

The Good:
First off, I want to say that the vast majority of what we've experienced with our eReaders has been good.  Great even.  We've yet to have to return a unit or even call for technical support. While our students are, indeed, being careful, the Nooks themselves seem to be hearty little devices capable of withstanding frequent, prolonged use. The battery life has been more than adequate and the screens are easy to read - both inside and out. (Yes, I tested this!)

But what's been *really* exciting is the ways in which our students have been able to interact with texts.

Providing students with the opportunity to choose their own books to read empowers and encourages them.  It strengthens their self confidence, rewards their interests, and promotes a positive attitude toward reading by valuing the reader and giving him or her a level of control.  Readers without power to make their own choices are unmotivated.- Donalyn Miller in The Book Whisperer: Awakening The Inner Reader in Every Child

Picture stolen shamelessly from Christy James

As we've discovered, eReaders are the perfect vehicle for independent reading initiatives.  Currently, a 7th grade class at our school is using the Nooks for a unit on "choices."  In this instance, the teacher provided the students with a list of titles that fit the theme and students were able to select the titles that most appealed to them - once assigned a Nook, students found that it was customized just for them - containing all the titles that they requested. (Incidentally, the Nook does allow you to "archive" titles that are not in use through your B&N account.  Theoretically, you could "hide" titles that were purchased for use in other classes so that students only saw the content you wanted them to.)

I love this use of the Nooks because, let's face it, whatever excitement students may feel as a result of the gadget itself is bound to wear off quickly.  Without the element of self-selection, once the cool factor is gone, students are left with nothing more than just a book that someone else is forcing them to read -- and we all know how motivating that is. This student-propelled learning continues as they discover how easy it is for them to annotate texts, access related online materials and build their own document library of related resources.  In all my years in public education, I'm not sure I've ever witnessed a more authentic reading experience. What's more, it would have been next to impossible using traditional pen and ink books.

The Bad:
Honestly, the worst part about this experience has been that school purchasing/finance policies are still playing catch-up with the technology.  Like most districts, we are not allowed to purchase gift cards with state funds which leaves us with one option:  using our school credit card to make eBook purchases  - which is fine, except that we have to remove all credit card information from the Nook accounts after each purchase (which isn't a huge obstacle, just time consuming).  Another monkey wrench has been that our school system limits the number of credit card purchases that can be made in a month, which can be sticky because B&N bills each individual eBook as a separate transaction - this is something I learned the hard way.

In the end, most of these things are just minor irritants when compared to the learning that is taking place.  Further, if I were a betting girl, I'd put my money on the chances of school systems all around the country adjusting their policies to account for these new devices. That said, truly, I'm not complaining.  We're making it work. What's more, I believe these processes will continue to become more efficient as time goes on. (However, if others have already found a more efficient way to purchase eBooks for school system devices, I'm eager to hear about them!)

The Unknown:
Currently, we're among those districts whose interpretation of CIPA prevents us from sending our Nooks home.  (See Buffy Hamilton's post on CIPA and Kindles in the Unquiet Library).  Again, I think we'll see the day when CIPA and other laws are amended to address mobile devices of all stripes - (who knows, there may even be a whole new acronym for us to contend with).  In the meantime, however, the question stands:  how do we incorporate new publishing and/or mobile, hand-held devices into our library programs while still adhering to laws aimed to protect students accessing the internet at school? I don't know the answer.  And I'm not the only one.

Other questions I have relate to the devices themselves and their continued evolution. As eReaders become the gadget du jour, it will be interesting to see if/how the publishing world reacts.  Even though we only have the traditional black/white Nooks at our school, the new color version offers some pretty interesting/exciting features including interactive texts (currently only available in children's titles), far more extensive magazine/periodical subscriptions, as well as the inclusion of 3rd party apps.  For the moment, the color Nook offers only a smattering of these apps, but a Nook App Marketplace is in the works, which opens these devices up to all sorts of possibilities.

These developments leave me both excited and wary.

While I'm most definitely a "gadget girl," at the end of the day, I'm really more of a "right gadget for the right learning goals girl" -- even though that's not nearly as catchy.  For now, the Nook is proving to be the right gadget for the reading goals we've established for our students.  I'm anxious to see if the evolution of the eReader will translate to an even greater impact on student learning.

Next up:
Student/teacher reactions to the Nooks.  Or, I finally hush up and let some other people talk. :)
Stay tuned!

Our Nook Adventure Part II

Since my last post, I've learned a few things about our Nooks that seem worth sharing:

1. The Nook must be powered on or in "sleep mode" when charging. If you're Nook is powered completely off, charging is disabled.  (You'll know you're okay if the Nook screen saver appears).
2. Ordering eBooks is easier, and more fun, with two people.  While one person spends the money, the other can update the Nook library and confirm that the book has magically appeared.
3. There MUST be a credit card on file during the entirety of the download process.  If you remove the credit card info immediately after purchase, but the eBook is still making its way to the Nook, the process will be stalled.  So, keep the CC info in there until after your eBooks are completely installed.
4. When you upload content from places other than B&N, they show up in "your documents" - as opposed to in your "B&N Library."
5. The Nooks claim to support titles from Overdrive (which our public library uses to distribute content), but we've yet to explore that option.

Needless to say, there's a lot I'm still learning.

For example, it's taken me awhile to wrap my mind around the whole cataloging aspect of this.  Because we're physically checking out the devices, as opposed to the individual titles, clearly, the Nooks themselves have to be cataloged.  However, if you want your patrons to be able to search for eBook content via the OPAC, then you've gotta catalog the eBooks too.  Couple this with the fact that we've yet to locate even one existing MARC record for any of the eBooks we've purchased, and you've got a recipe for disaster a big fat disclaimer! :) And here it is:

Anything I share here a) is definitely a work in progress, b) is free for you to use, edit, adapt and share c) wouldn't exist without the work of Buffy Hamilton at the Unquiet LibraryN and d) is in desperate need of your feedback.

Procedures for Setting Up Nooks for Circulation:***

 ***We print these on half page labels for the inside cover of each folder.

Nook eBook Inventory Form


So... what's next?
What happens when Nooks and Kids collide? (Answer: Magic!)

Our Nook Adventure Part I

If imitation really is the purest form of flattery, then Buffy Hamilton and Kathy Parker should feel extremely flattered right about now.  Their eReader journey, involving the Amazon Kindle, has provided a framework that has proven invaluable to me as I start my own foray into the digital book world.

At the beginning of the school year, I purchased 30 Nook eReaders for my middle school library. These posts will chronicle that journey.

Full Disclosure:

First of all, I think it's only fair that I come clean and admit that I used to work for Barnes & Noble.  Back in the day, I was a bookseller at the big box store helping people find copies of The DaVinci Code part-time during both the holiday and summer breaks from school.  However, I received absolutely no discount on the Nooks I purchased for our school and I received no monies or incentives whatsoever to promote their products. In fact, when I first decided to take the leap into digital content for our library, I explored both Kindles and iPads as possible options.  Once I came to terms with the fact that I couldn't afford iPads, I used the Edukindle Ning as well as the plethora of reviews that are out there to explore my remaining options. 

In the end, I chose the Nook for one reason alone: support.  Barnes & Noble has provided 3 separate trainings for my staff, will come to my school for hands on support if I ever need them and if a Nook goes bad, I can take it over to the store for replacement.  This is the basic service they provide to all customers and has nothing to do with my relationship with them.  To be frank, I think the Kindle is a better device (the speech to text option is something I desperately wish the Nook had and hope will be included in future upgrades).  However, because of the learning curve that exists for everyone involved in this project, I wanted the safety net of a *real* person who could walk me through any process I couldn't understand on my own and/or help me out when things (inevitably) go wrong.  One last thing, and then I will move on, I promise.  And perhaps this really goes without saying, but... these posts are not designed to convince you to buy Nooks for your library.  Rather, their purpose is simply to share our experiences. Implementing eReader programs is something many school libraries are grappling with right now and I firmly believe that all of our practices are elevated when we share stories, resources and ideas.

Ok.  Moving on.... :)

Show Me The Money:

Although we did not use a purchase order to buy our Nooks, Barnes & Noble did give us that option.  Because we had raised enough discretionary monies, through fundraisers, etc., we were able to request a quote from  B&N, mail them a check, and within about a week 30 Nooks arrived at our door. Purchasing the eBooks themselve proved to be a bit more challenging.  B&N does not accept purchase orders for this process, so we had to work out some procedures for buying content that would work for B&N and satisfy the requirements of our district's finance department.  More on that later.

They're here!  Now what do we do?

1. Unpacking: Like others going through this process have suggested, we kept the boxes so that we would have them if we ever needed to return a Nook.   The boxes are labeled with each Nook's serial #.  You can also find it on the menu bar by going to settings: it will appear on the first screen displayed.  
2. Charging:  According to the set up instructions, the Nooks needed to charge for 30 minutes prior to use. 
3. Physical Processing: It was easy for us to do this while the Nooks were charging, and since we were all very anxious to get the digital ball rolling, we started labeling them right away.  The information that we wanted clearly visible on each Nook was:
1. The Serial #
2. The Barcode
3. The Nook Name**:  This relates to the B&N account associated with each Nook.  Because B&N eBooks can be shared among 6 Nooks, we wanted to make sure we knew which Nooks were associated with which account.  
4. We also made sure we labeled our Nook cart to correspond with all of the Nook Names.  This will just make it easier for us to keep track of which Nooks are in, which Nooks are out and which ones we've completed certain processes with. 
5. Finally, we made a spreadsheet of all of this information for our equipment inventory.
4. Registering the Nooks:  In order to load content on the Nooks, we had to create accounts with Barnes & Noble.  One B&N account can be shared by up to six Nooks.  Since we have 30 Nooks (for now!) we created five Barnes & Noble accounts.  The advantage of a limited number of accounts is not simply that it's... well, a limited number to keep up with, but more significantly, the content purchased on one account can be shared among the six Nooks - which of course, leads to savings down the road.  This kind of grouping also has many of our teachers excited about the possibility of using the Nooks for Literature Circles.  Anyway, like anything worth doing, registering Nooks takes a little work.  Here are the steps:
1. Create email accounts for your Nooks - these accounts will be used to register your Nooks with Barnes & Noble.  We used gmail to create these accounts.  We chose account names that were easy to remember and were all the same except that they ended with Nook1, Nook 2, Nook 3, etc.
2. Create an account with B&N at BN.com.  To do this  select "My Account" in the upper left corner of the site, and then select "Create an Account."  Note:  You do not have to enter a credit card at the time you create your account - however, you will need one on file when you go to make a purchase - EVEN free material (Attn B&N:  This is really irritating!) More on making purchases later.
3.  Turn on the Nook and register it by typing in your B&N account email and password.  Note:  you will need access to WiFi in order to do this.   
4. Now you're ready to shop!  figure out how to catalog these things! (Shopping is more fun, but first things first!) So... while we figured how to make our new toys library friendly, we offered our teachers the chance to request content.

**One final note about Nook Names:  Based on the fact that we ended up with five accounts, we organized our Nooks into five groups.  (Nooks 1, 2, 3 etc.)  From there our Nook Names became Nook 1a, Nook 1b, 1c... you get the picture.


Soliciting Help:

One thing that makes our situation a little unusual is that, for now, our district technology department is unwilling to let us send the Nooks home.  This makes me a little grumpy, but the bottom line is that they have concerns and it is my job now to collect the data needed to ease them.  Until then, we're rolling out our Nooks for in-house use, both in our library and in classrooms. 

Anyway, in keeping with my ever diligent efforts to be the solution to my stakeholders problems, I solicited imput from teachers regarding the content to be purchased for the Nooks using this Google form.   Many of the questions are directly related to our school improvement goals.  (A quick aside:  just today, my principal asked me how I thought the Nooks could be as a tool for impacting whole family literacy.  After sharing my thoughts, she gave me an additional $500 to buy eBooks.  I can't stress this enough:  if you are offering solutions to the things that keep your principal up at night, he/she will do the best they can to provide you with the resources to fund your requests).

All the while, my thoughts about why I'm doing this have been further informed by the student reactions to the arrival of the Nooks and their appearance in our library. Even though they've yet to make their big debut, the big gray and red cart is tough to miss and the kids have been quick to gather 'round as I explore and prod and process.  Their reactions have been interesting -- ranging from giddy excitement, to questions about how books would be purchased for them (more on that later!) to having no clue what an eReader even is.  Our school has a very diverse population made up of kids from all sorts of backgrounds - both cultural and economic.  The diversity in their reaction to these new devices brings questions about the digital divide to the forefront of my thinking.  I'm not sure where all of these ruminations are headed, but I'm confident that they're an important component of this journey and to my evolution as a librarian.

Anyway, that's all for tonight, I think.
Next up?  Cataloging/Circulation procedures.  Stay tuned!