Change is hard for all of us sometimes, but in the long run, the new Nutmeg timetable should be better for schools. As Lisa said earlier, the decision was not made lightly.

If you give Scholastic the titles of the Nutmeg books ahead of time, they will provide you with whichever titles they have available. Vendors such as Baker & Taylor and Follett also allow you to encumber funds. You can take the money you normally spend for Nutmeg books and have that money encumbered with a vendor and then when the titles are announced to school librarians, you can use that encumbered money to order your Nutmeg books. Not all school districts allow you to encumber funds, but the vendors are happy to work with you on this.

I'm glad you had a budget this year, Chris, but if you had to spend it all by June 30, you wouldn't have been able to purchase Nutmeg books even if we released the titles in the fall, as in the past.






David Bilmes
Library Media Specialist
Schaghticoke Middle School
23 Hipp Road
New Milford, CT 06776
(860) 354-2204, ext. 113 or 115
bilmesd@newmilfordps.org

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>>> "Chris Barlow" 09/10/12 9:43 PM >>>
I'm in the same boat. I had to spend all of this year's budget by this past June 30, which leaves me no options for ordering any new books this year. (But at least I had a budget, which I wasn't even going to get initially.)
I do have Schloastic Book Fairs, but all the money has to be used for their vouchers, unless I take books off the shelves.
That works ok if the Nutmeg Books are available through Scholastic, but otherwise, my school will miss out on getting the new Nutmegs until next September, which kind of defeats the purpose of the schedule change...
 
Chris Barlow
LMS
Franklin Elementary School
Stratford, CT
----- Original Message -----
From: Ava Biffer
To: Cynthia Armstrong ; Lynch, Joyce
Cc: CASL-L@mylist.net
Sent: Monday, September 10, 2012 9:04 PM
Subject: RE: [CASL-L] Nutmeg Timing

Much though I like the concept of the changed times, it will be hugely problematic with our budget process.  Right now, I buy ten copies of each title (then pass most on to our LA consultants once voting has ended).  If we move toward the end of the year before learning what the upcoming titles are, it's unlikely I'll be able to get the titles at all.
 
It's unfortunate that the pragmatic budget considerations will trump the other considerations, but that's a process I can't control.
 
Thanks!
 
 
Ava M. Biffer
Library Media Specialist
Nathan Hale-Ray Middle School
Moodus, CT 06469
Voice: 860.873.5081 x129
Email: ava.biffer@easthaddamschools.org
"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself."  John Dewey
From: casl-l-bounces@mylist.net [casl-l-bounces@mylist.net] On Behalf Of Cynthia Armstrong [carmstrong@avon.k12.ct.us]
Sent: Monday, September 10, 2012 7:06 PM
To: Lynch, Joyce
Cc: CASL-L@mylist.net
Subject: Re: [CASL-L] Nutmeg Timing

I agree!  I prefer the old time frame, as it gives me time to purchase books (while my funds are still available!) and an opportunity to read the books/prepare for the public announcement in February.
 
Thanks,
Cindi Armstrong
Library Media Specialist
Avon Middle School
375 West Avon Road
Avon, CT  06001



On Mon, Sep 10, 2012 at 2:21 PM, Lynch, Joyce <lynchj@plainvilleschools.org> wrote:
I am just curious how others feel about the change to the timing of the Nutmeg announcement and voting. 

Our school uses the Nutmegs for our summer reading program; and I've always appreciated how there has been enough time to order the needed titles, read them, and booktalk them before the end of the school year. In addition to the 5 copies of each title that our library purchases, the LA department buys 10 copies of each title as well. Those are loaned out to the public library to ensure that students have access to the the books throughout the summer. 

Now, I am very concerned that there will not be enough time and we will have to totally revamp our summer reading program. 

If this change remains, instead of our school buying 15 copies of each title, we will only buy 1 copy.

I'd like to hear what others think. Do you think this is timing change will have a positive or a negative effect on summer reading in general and the Nutmegs specifically?

Thanks,

--
Joyce Lynch
Library Information Teacher
Middle School of Plainville
150 Northwest Drive
Plainville, CT 06062
860-793-3250













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