Keystone AEA Media Access

As you know, Iowa has passed legislation that impacts how Iowa’s AEAs provide services to our districts.  Keystone AEA leadership has been working with school administration to help us better understand your district’s needs and plans for the 2024-2025 school year. If there is an AEA service you are passionate about, I suggest contacting your principal or superintendent. We are committed to finding the best solution for Iowa’s students and educators. We appreciate your continued patience and support while we navigate next steps. Our district relationships are important to us, and we will update you as we know more. 

 

IASL Announces 2023-2024 Award Winners

Congratulations to all of this year's winners!

A special thank you to all the Iowa teacher librarians who engage student readers and encourage their votes.  Also, I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to the IASL Award Book Committee, who are volunteers who give Iowa students a voice in the Awards and take their suggestions for titles for the yearly reading list.

Video Announcement 
Slide Show Announcement

Please see IASL's website for more information. 

Order the Award Winners from our Keystone Media Collection! 
Media Search Page

B 126809 - The Couch Potato by Jory John
B 127614 - Better with Butter by Victoria Piontek
B 126316 - War Stories by Gordon Korman
B 127290 - You'll Be the Death of Me

 

 

NEW! Insignia Library System for Fall 2024

Keystone AEA will be launching a new Media Catalog & Reservation tool in the fall of 2024-25 called Insignia.  

Some features of Insignia include:

User-Friendly Interface: The OPAC Insignia Library System provides patrons with a visual, intuitive, and easy-to-navigate interface, making it simple for our patrons to search for and access our library resources.

Advanced Search Options: Patrons can use the embedded advanced search options to refine their searches based on various criteria such as author, title, subject, keyword, publication year, and more, ensuring educators can find exactly what they're looking for.

Browsable Catalog: The system offers a browsable catalog feature, allowing patrons to explore the library's collection in a visually appealing and organized manner.

Personalized Accounts: Patrons can create personalized accounts within the Insignia system, enabling them to view and manage their borrowing history, save searches, create reading lists, and receive notifications about due dates and holds.

Availability Status: Patrons can easily check the availability status of library materials, including whether items are currently on loan, on hold, or available for immediate check

Stay tuned as more communications will be forthcoming. We think you are going to LOVE it! #groundedinservice
 

 

Iowa AEAs and SeeSaw for Schools Continued Partnership, 2024-2027

Iowa’s Area Education Agencies are renewing the partnership with Seesaw to offer districts and schools a reduced annual subscription rate, running from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2027. This agreement has ensured districts throughout Iowa have access to Seesaw at the same per-student price, no matter the size of student enrollments. 

Please this informational document for more details. Deadline for commitment is May 17, 2024.  Please reach out to Grant Wood AEA contacts: Stacy Behmer or Kathleen Goslinga with questions. 
 

 

 

Iowa AEAs and Pear Deck for 2024-2025 School Year

Iowa Area Education Agencies are now offering a partnership with Pear Deck to provide districts and schools at a reduced annual subscription rate, running from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. This agreement has ensured districts throughout Iowa have access to Pear Deck at the same per-student price, no matter the size of student enrollments. 

Please see this informational document for more details. Complete the district interest form by Friday, May 17, 2024, to help us with an accurate number of students to determine the per student price.  Currently, the licensing structure is $0.95 to $1.15 per student. The more enrolled, the lower the cost.

Please reach out to Grant Wood AEA contacts: Stacy Behmer or Kathleen Goslinga with questions. 

 

 

Phonics and Phonemic Awareness with TeachingBooks

This is one of those "must see" webinars to share with teachers.

TeachingBooks just released some new filters that primary teachers will use in the classroom and share with parents. In this 30-minute webinar, participants learn how to create and share lists to support:

• phonics and phonemic awareness (e.g. all books with short e)
• teach about alliteration
• provide story time activity kits
• print worksheets and activities for home
• create shelf talkers
• include QR codes inside books with the author introducing the story

Collections include:

• Any Phonics & Phonological Awareness
• Alliteration
• Any Blends & Digraphs
• Blend & Digraph Combinations
• CH
• CK
• CL
• FL
• SH
• ST
• TH
• WH
• Any Vowel Sounds
• Vowel Combinations
• Long A
• Long E
• Long I
• Long O
• Long U
• Short A
• Short E
• Short I
• Short O
• Short U
• R-Controlled
• Rhyming

 

 

2024-25 IASL Award Book Group Buy

The official 2024-2025 IASL Award Book Order Form for Keystone AEA area schools is available.  Schools who submit their order(s) to Perfection Learning by April 1, 2024, will guarantee delivery by May 18, 2024, and will receive a FREE poster with each set purchased.  These honor books are available to Iowa school libraries at a discounted price negotiated through Iowa AEAs. Please see Iowa AEAs website and/or Perfection Learning for more ordering information, as well as IASL's website for more details about these selections.

All Iowa educators can learn more about these titles from AEA Digital Resource - Teachingbooks.

• Goldfinch Award, 2024-2025, Grades PreK-3 
• Iowa Children's Choice Award, 2024-2025, Grades 3-6
• Iowa Teen Award, 2024-2025, Grades 6-9
• Iowa High School Book Award, 2024-2025, Grades 9-12

The annual IASL Award Books are intended to support reader engagement for all Iowa students. These award book nominees are a culmination of students' voices. Iowa students have an opportunity to read award book selections and then cast their votes on their favorite books from each of the four distinguished grade-level categories. Students' input regarding what titles should be featured for the annual awards titles list for the next school year.  Students are currently reading and voting on the IASL 2023-2024 awards nominees. Voting for this year's awards ends mid-April.

 

2023 SLJ's Average Book Prices Released

Here are the average book prices released in 2023, produced annually by SLJ in partnership with Follett and Baker & Taylor.

Citation: Staff, S. (2024, February). SLJ 2023 Average book Prices. School Library Journal. Retrieved March 6, 2024, from https://www.slj.com/story/slj-average-book-prices-2023-follett-baker-taylor

 

 

 

Reminder: Printing and Laminating Services

Keystone AEA offers the convenience of online ordering for all area Districts and schools' printing and creative service needs at cost. 

Have questions? Refer to our Print and Production webpage or this QUICK START GUIDE.

 

 

 

Keystone AEA Media Policies

Keystone AEA recognizes the contrasting needs of those receiving our library services. Therefore, we offer a comprehensive collection of resources for a diverse population of students and educators. Keystone AEA will follow board policy when selecting and maintaining media materials available for loan.

Learn more about Keystone AEA's board policies.

MEDIA POLICIES

 

 

Keystone AEA Digital Resource Page - Updated! 

Keystone AEA Digital Resource Page has a new look!  Our patrons are still able to locate their Keystone AEA OneClick URLs and are able browse our digital resources by Elementary, Middle, High School, and Educator interest levels. Each resource highlighted offers a short description and indicates the appropriate interest levels aimed to support our area students' and their learning needs. 

 

 

AEA Digital Resource Personalization and Accessibility Guide

This guide supports our users in understanding the full features and functionalities of our Iowa AEA Digital Resources.  Given the considerations outlined and defined in this guide, our digital resources can help students with diverse learning needs by supporting, and in some cases accelerating, their learning by providing the appropriate scaffolding and accessibility options when needed.   

 

 

 

 

Keystone AEA Digital Resource Marketing Materials Available!

Keystone AEA has provided five copies of printed 11x17 posters to each of our area schools to serve as a reminder regarding access to the Keystone AEA Digital Resources for teachers, students, and families at home. Please use this form to request additional marketing materials to be printed for your buildings and sent to you directly through our van delivery mail.  

Please contact Virginia Saeugling with questions. 

 

 

District Media Service Snapshots for 22-23 School Year Available!

District usage stats of Keystone AEA Media Services for the academic year 2022-2023 are now available. 

These data sets offer our partner Districts and schools a number of insights into their overall usage of Keystone AEA media resources to support desired learner outcomes. 

Area teacher librarians and teacher leaders are encouraged to use this data to inspire professional development plans (IPDP) and goal areas, create awareness of available services, and better inform their own opportunities to support learning initiatives in their schools and Districts. Contact Media Administrator, Mindy Reimer if interested in learning more.

 

 

 

Keystone AEA In Your Community - Media Spotlight

Keystone AEA's Media Staff has a goal to increase LEA usage of our media resources.  Please help spread the good news regarding our services.  All of our area school buildings have a building contact to support media reservations, deliveries, and pickups. Enjoy this video highlight to learn more about our services.

 

Here are some helpful resources to support reservations for your classrooms!

• How to Order
• Search Media Materials
• Educator Number Retrieval Tool
• Helpful User Tips for Media Reservations
• Recommend a Purchase

 

 

 

Keystone AEA OneClick

Keystone AEA ClassLink OneClick streamlines student and educator access to all of our AEA Digital Resources and so much more using a customized dashboard for schools with G Suite or Microsoft login.  Learn more about Keystone ClassLink OneClick from this Media Minute short or extend your learning about our version of ClassLink through this self-guided course.

Please contact Karen Randall or Mindy Reimer with any questions or support. 

 

 

 

Keystone AEA Area Teacher Librarians & Access to Core
Collections

The first step in a great readers' advisory is a great library collection.
 

Core Collections provides impartial guidance, by experts in their fields, on the essential titles for reference, nonfiction, and fiction materials for all ages. Guidance is vendor and publisher-neutral.   Keystone AEA Media provides area teacher librarians with access to Core Collections.

 

Access is granted through EBSCOhost.
Contact Media Administrator, Mindy Reimer with questions and needs for access. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image Citation: Retrieved from State Historical Society of Goldie History Kits Iowa Educator Manua

 

 

 

Have You Checked MackinVIA Lately?

Have you noticed?... Several new titles have been added to MackinVIA recently. The addition of new titles and increased usage by our schools are reflective of the digital changes in education.  Digital access to ebooks and audiobooks is becoming a very popular and reliable instructional resource.  At Keystone AEA, we are always looking for equitable, efficient, and effective ways to connect our resources to our patrons to support their love of reading and their instructional needs.

Find access to MackinVIA library resources, title lists and MARC records here.  

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright BriefNotes for Students and Teachers

Copyright BriefNotes resources have been updated and made available to students and teachers regarding copyright considerations. Copyright BriefNotes is an overview of copyright for students and PreK12 educators. You’ll find several “think-about” sections to help you decide if copying is a good idea for these areas and more:

• Fair Use
• Web Content Creation
• Images 
• Video and Continuous Learning

Copyright BriefNotes for Students flipbook - the updates have been made on pages 11, 13-15, 22, and 23.

Copyright BriefNotes for Students and Teachers flipbook - the updates have been made on pages 13-15, 17-19, 22, and 23.

Also see Keystone's Copyright Considerations page for access to these great resources to support teaching and learning.

 

 

Weeded Materials Available for Delivery

Now available for van delivery are Keystone Weeded Materials! Use our Keystone Media Search and Reserve Tool to search and request weeded materials (kits, professional books and box sets of books by grade spans) delivered through van delivery to keep for your classroom needs. Watch this brief HOW2 video tutorial to help you use and benefit from this newly added search and reserve feature. This is just another way Keystone Media is #groundedinservice and working responsibly to serve you.

 

 

 

 

Use Built-in Calendar Feature to Reserve KMs and Professional Books 

Have you ever tried to request a KM or professional book for delivery and it was unavailable at the time of request?  Please consider using the built-in calendar feature within our Media Reservation Search and Reserve tool to reserve Keystone Kits and/or Professional Books to determine a next available date.  Watch this brief How2 with #AEA1Stacks video tutorial to see how to use this feature to your advantage.  Have questions?  Please do not hesitate to contact Keystone Media Administrator, Mindy Reimer, Media Delivery Manager, Becky Lower or Media Clerk, Virginia Saeugling.

 

 

MackinVIA Professional Collection for Keystone AEA Area Educators

Did you know?

Keystone offers a Professional MackinVIA for our Educators. Enclosed is a short video and a doc to step by step directions of how Keystone AEA professionals can access some of the great digital content inside to support and inspire leadership, teaching, and learning. There are over 1000+ and counting professional resources in multiple formats available for checkout geared toward the Professional YOU!  Contact  Keystone AEA Media Administrator , Mindy Reimer with any questions.