Sign up for our Book of the Month Program

Keystone AEA has boxes of books for the grade level you select through the Book of the Month program. In each box there are 25 books, half fiction and half non-fiction. When you return the box you have, Keystone AEA will send you another box. The books are delivered to your school by the Keystone AEA van driver. You will receive a paper notice when the books are due.  

Teachers, administrators, and other school staff have access to a wide variety of periodical titles from Keystone AEA. Some are available online; others can be delivered on the Keystone van at no charge to schools.  Magazines that are delivered have a loan period of one week with no renewals. 

To request a journal routing:

• Visit Keystone’s Magazine page.
• Choose the journal titles you want routed to you. Select from more than 100 titles divided into 12 categories.
• The titles that appear in red type in these categories are also included in the Gale database. Gale Cengage Learning has thousands of full-text magazine titles for teachers (and students).

As you look through the magazine categories, you will notice that some of the titles in our list of offerings are online only. When you sign up for one of these titles, you will receive an email to let you know that the newest issue is available.  More and more magazines are being published online and the physical format has been discontinued.

Besides the routed magazines, the Gale periodical databases, and the online titles, you can also access all of the reproducible newsletters posted on the Keystone Magazine page. These newsletters can be reproduced in their entirety or in part. Include them in your school newsletter, submit to your local newspaper, or hand them out to parents

For more information contact Virginia Saeugling or Mindy Reimer.

Board Policy 5303 Open Access, adopted September 17, 2018 

The functions of the Educational Services Division are intended to benefit staff and students affiliated with the agency’s accredited PK-12 public and nonpublic schools. The Director of Educational Services shall consider requests for access to the functions for educational purposes from other nonprofit entities. All requests will be evaluated with consideration of the impact such access would have on the needs of the aforementioned PK-12 partners. The agency shall not incur any costs associated with approved requests.

Non-profit entities should complete this form to request open access use.

The Keystone AEA Library Program includes a well-developed collection of books, small media kits, periodicals, non-print materials in multiple genres as well as digital resources to support curricular topics. These resources are suited to inquiry learning and our patrons’ learning needs, subject areas and interests. All of our resources appeal to different ages, genders, ethnicities, reading abilities, learning styles, and information needs.

Please use this form to request items not found in the Keystone AEA Library or Digital Resource Catalog. Library Staff will determine purchase, based on the Keystone Media Selection Policy, budget, and whether or not the item is of interest to other Keystone AEA Library patrons. Newly added physical items require 6-8 weeks processing time.

Please use this form to submit a purchase recommendation.  Thank you for your feedback!

CONTACT PERSON CHECKLIST:

1. Locate media materials in your school that are due to be returned to Keystone AEA before the van driver arrives.
2. Check Keystone AEA’s web page for a list of items that are due using our Media Due List
3. If teachers would like to keep the materials for a longer period of time, place a check mark in the box to see if the item can be extended. Media extended after 3:30pm on the day before the item is due will be given an extension code number.  Media extended before 3:30pm will not have an extension code number.
4. Be available when the van driver arrives to check in media materials received from Keystone AEA to make sure that everything on the list is physically in the box.
5. Distribute media, boxes of books, kits, and mail to teachers.

If you have a problem or question about delivery e-mail Rebecca Lower

REquest PRinted Digital Resource MaterialsAssigned building contacts use this form to request printed Keystone Digital Resource posters, bookmarks and stickies for their school.

Questions regarding printed material requests please contact: Mindy Reimer or Judy Gantenbein

NORTHEAST IOWA REGIONAL LIBRARY
In cooperation with the Northeast Iowa Regional Library Keystone AEA delivers packages for public libraries to the schools. These packages (i.e.: books, etc.) are delivered to local schools for the local libraries to pick up. Once a week (Monday) the Regional Library stops to drop off and pick up public library packages at Keystone AEA.  The Public Librarian talks with the Contact Person in the school to make arrangements for the pick-up of the packages from the school.  If you have questions please contact Rebecca Lower at 800-632-5918.

At the time of pick-up or delivery, the van driver will use a bar code scanner to check in materials being returned to Keystone. If any item is missing, the van driver will request your help to locate the item for return. If the item is available for an extension the van driver will extend the item. Extensions can be made on the web page before the van driver is at your school. The online Due List tells you what is due that day for the van driver to pick up.

If you know an item has been returned let the van driver know so he can check for the item at Keystone, or send a message to Rebecca Lower to check the shelf. 

During the winter months delivery to school buildings is occasionally canceled because of weather and roads. Our policy when this happens is to cancel all single reserved videos scheduled for schools on the closed routes; we try to reserve them for the next delivery day, whenever possible. Double booked video, kits, and books will be delivered on the next delivery to you.

The snow day procedure is:

1. We cancel a route when half or more of the stops on that route have called off school.

2. We notify by phone all schools opened on the canceled route that there will be no delivery that day.

3. We cancel all video bookings scheduled for schools on the closed route(s) and try to re-schedule any video for the next delivery day. The only exception is if Tuesday routes are canceled we will deliver on Wednesday, weather permitting (see #4 below).

4. When Tuesday routes are closed for inclement weather (snow days), Keystone AEA vans will deliver the materials on Wednesday (the following day) unless the buildings remain closed for inclement weather on Wednesday.

a. All materials delivered on Wednesday will be due back to Keystone AEA on their original "Return Date".

b. Also all materials that would have been picked up on the snow day (Tuesday) by the vans will be picked up on Wednesday to be returned to Keystone AEA.

c. If teachers have not had time to use the materials, teachers may go to the Keystone AEA website or call the Reservations Secretary at 800-632-5918 to see if the videos can be extended.

Cancellation of delivery due to weather conditions is never convenient. We regret that we are unable to deliver on these days.

If you have any questions please contact Rebecca Lower.

The smaller letter presses and dies can be checked out through the media library by searching for Letter Press. The presses will be delivered by the Keystone AEA vans and can be reserved for one week periods. Click here for more information including how to request the larger bulletin board shapes. For additional information email production@aea1.k12.ia.us or call 800-632-5918.

The Djembe Drum Set
Music Teachers (Grade 6-12)
One time fee of $100

Music teachers who teach grades 6-12 are eligible to have a set of 15 Djembe drums routed to their school for a one-time fee of $100 for the life of the drums. The set includes 15 Remo key-tuned djembe drums (24” x 10” ). The drum set includes performance bags, tuning key, Drumming Up World Music (Dancing Drum book, CD, and DVD), and inventory sheet. The loan period is generally 4 weeks. The drums are to be used with children in grades 6-12.

The Tubano Drum Set
Music Teachers (Grades 3-6)
One time fee of $100

Music teachers who teach grades 3-6 are eligible to have a set of 15 tubano drums routed to their school for a one-time fee of $100 for the life of the drums. The set includes 5 each of three Remo key-tuned tubano durms (27” x 10”, 12”, and 14”). The drum set includes performance bags, World Music Drumming (2 books and DVD), Peanut Butter Jam (book and CD), tuning key, inventory sheet and 3 shekeres. The loan period is generally 4 weeks, The drums are to be used with children in grades 3-6.

Ordering and delivery of the drums is different from Keystone AEA’s normal reservation system. To sign up for the drums contact Becky Lower at rlower@aea1.k12.ia.us or 800-632-5918. The drums will be delivered and picked up on Wednesdays, with help from your school personnel for loading and unloading the drums.

If more than one teacher from a school building wants to use the drums, only one routing fee is required, and the drums will need to be shared during the loan period.

There is an African Djembe drum in the lending collection and the order number is KM 9584    Remo key-tuned Djembe drum (24” x 10”). The drum can be reserved for 10 days and is delivered and picked up on the regular van route.

Keystone AEA has 5 classroom sets of guitars to lend to 4th-8th grade Music teachers for large group guitar instruction. Each set includes

• 25 classical guitars in sturdy cases 
• beginning guitar books
• picks
• capos
• an electronic tuner
• extra nylon strings.

The loan period is generally 5 weeks and the sets are delivered and picked up by Keystone AEA on Wednesdays (with help from the school for unloading and loading). Additional guitars may be requested if you need more than 25.

Music teachers that teach 4th-8th grade are sent sign up forms in May for the following year. To sign up for the guitars, please e-mail Becky Lower or call 800-632-5918.

The Heart Adventures Challenge Course, a resource involving Physical Education, science, and health, is designed to instruct students on the design and functions of the circulatory system. The Heart Adventures Challenge Course allows students to move through the four chambers of the heart in a larger than life setting.  

The course needs a large space for set-up (either a gym or large multi-purpose room) and storage for 3 weeks; also a 36” wide doorway. Contents of the course include: hoops, scooters, balls, mats, tunnels

Check-out Information:
The Heart Adventures Challenge Course is available for three-week loan periods. Keystone AEA will provide delivery and pick-up of the equipment on Wednesdays (with help from the school personnel for unloading and loading).

To sign up for this Heart Challenge Course e-mail Becky Lower or call 800-632-5918.

Keystone AEA circulates two portable planetariums to schools. Training is required to use the planetariums. Contact Jason Martin-Hiner for training.   You will need a large area to set up the portable planetariums. 

Digitarium Delta 2 Planetarium System (Qty 2)
KM 8648
There are 3 parts to this kit. Portable digital planetarium has a 10.5 ft. high, 16 ft. diameter inflatable dome and seats 25 adults or 40 young children. Field of view for the 5 meters dome: 180 degrees (full sky). Projects 1080 pixels across a diameter. There are 11,500,000 stars in the database. Some of the features include the demonstration of beginning through advanced astronomy concepts; simulation of the sky from any point on Earth or from other planets; simulation of the solar system over a two million year time range; shows planetary motion; simulation of celestial phenomena (eclipses, meteor showers); shows atmospheric effects such as sunsets or a blue sky; shows constellations from multiple cultures; displays ecliptic, celestial equator, meridian, and equatorial and azimuthal grids. Includes lesson plans. Workshop training required before using. Ten-day loan period.

Keystone AEA has 3 classroom sets of ukuleles to lend to Music teachers for large group instruction.

A set of 25 ukuleles (Kala KA-15S-Soprano) and cases, Ukulele Teacher Guides, 1 & 2, student ukulele books 1 & 2 (10 each), 1 copy Essential Elements for Ukulele and ukulele tuners. Four-week loan period. Wednesday delivery only. Restricted reservations to Music Teachers. Reservations requests forms are available each the spring through our Media Department to receive delivery the following school year.

Contact Kathy Wessel at kwessel@aea1.k12.ia.us or call 800-632-5918 if you are a music teacher and have any questions in regards to scheduling access to ukuleles.