October-December 2018  |  Grades 6 - 8
Welcome to Teachers Know, Deschutes Public Library's newsletter for educators. Our goal is to share resources that support you and your students. This first edition has kindly been forwarded to you by your school librarian; to receive future newsletters (scheduled for January and April) please subscribe here with your email address. We will have a Teachers Know archive linked on our school services page. We hope you like what you read!
Teacher Requests: How Can We Help You?
Did you know that we can reserve great books for you to use in your classroom? We can even provide your students with a school assignment resource page to help find the books and information they need for their homework. Let us know what you're studying and we can make your life easier with great resources to support your unit. Bookmark the teacher request form and use it often. You'll wonder how you got along without it!
Librarian Visits: We Bring the Library to You
DPL librarians love visiting your schools. We offer several types of visits:

- Sharing books through interactive book talks has the potential to foster a life-long love of reading, whether we cover curriculum-centered titles or the best new reads.

- How to use the library's website, which contains a wealth of educational and recreational possibilities.

- Building research and information literacy skills with library resources such as our online catalog, databases, and apps will enrich students' educational experience (and, teachers, you will learn how DPL resources can integrate into your curriculum.)


Our librarians are eager to share their knowledge! Fill out a Teacher Request form   to let us know how we can work together.
A Unique Library Card Just for Teachers
Starting this month, area educators can visit their local DPL location and apply for an Educator's Card. These cards allow for 100 items to be checked out, 50 holds to be placed, and a four-week check-out period. This card can be held in addition to a personal library card; cardholders are financially responsible for all items checked out to either card. Show us your school ID for the current academic year and we will get you started!
Middle School Homework Help Spotlight: Gale Research in Context
This database was created specifically for middle school students. The arrangement by both theme and topic make discovery straightforward and easy. When students learn this database, they may never turn to Wikipedia again! Highl ights include: 
  • Reference content, videos, newspaper and magazine articles, and primary sources. 
  • Categories cover many of the most-studied subjects including cultures, government, 
  • United States and World history, and literature. 
  • Curriculum standards for Oregon and links to content that enhance each one.
Find our Homework Help databases here. Log in with a DPL library card, and even save articles to a Google Drive folder by connecting to your Google account. Want a librarian to visit your class to share how this database works? Fill out our Teacher Request form!
What Makes a Novel Suitable to Middle Grades?
There is considerable confusion in the publishing, book selling, library, and educational worlds about what a "middle grade" novel is.  Publishers Weekly featured an article in the April 13, 2018, issue that addresses the rising popularity of middle grade novels and target audiences. Publishers see the audience for middle grade novels as ages 8-12. This a very fuzzy definition and books that speak to an eight-year-old are very different than those that speak to an 11-or 12-year-old. One middle school librarian interviewed looks at the age of the protagonist as a good starting point.  Content, context, and even the book's appearance also play a part in determining the targeted audience. We encourage you to read the article to gain some insight into the publishing world and where your students fit. DPL's Tween Reads list is full of great titles for this age group.
Library Locations & Hours
We have six locations throughout Deschutes County to serve you. Click here for locations and hours. Online digital resources are available to you anytime, from anywhere with internet access.
Upcoming holiday closures:
- October 23
- November 22, 23
- December 24, 25
- January 1
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Find Resources Online
Our School Services page is your gateway to resources designed to help you and your students.
Spotlight on Books
October is
National Dessert Month
Let's celebrate with books (and maybe some sweet treats):

- Pie
November is Native
American Heritage Month
Let's enrich our reading experience:

December is
Read a  New Book Month
Here are some recent releases garnering buzz.

Create a List in Bibiocommons, Our Online Catalog
It's easy to use the lists feature in DPL's online catalog, Bibliocommons. Lists are a wonderful tool for sharing your enthusiasm for favorite books or for keeping rack of resources you'll want to use again or share with your colleagues or team. Since they're integrated into our catalog, it's simple to place a hold from a list. To make a list:
1. Log in to your account by clicking the blue button on the top right of the page and selecting Log In/Register at the top.
2. That same blue button on the top right now displays your username. Under the dropdown menu select Lists under the "My Collections" section.
3. Select the "Create a New List" button in the middle left of the page and follow the simple instructions.
4. Enjoy!
507 NW Wall Street (Administration) |  Bend, OR 97703
newsletter@deschuteslibrary.org