My+Quest+Information

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= What is the buzz about? =

Place holds..... Check your account..... Write reviews.... Build your book shelves.... Recommend books to your friends! 



 In library we have been learning about a part of our library catalog called “My Quest”. I showed students how they can login to the catalog, place holds, check their own accounts to see what books are out or overdue, recommend books to friends, rate books, and write reviews. Needless to say, the “friends” portion was a big hit! The program has taken off like wildfire! Below are some questions and answers regarding student safety using the program.

Q: What is the purpose of the program?  A: As a librarian, my purpose was to allow students in 3-6th grade to place holds and to check their own accounts for responsibility of check-outs. The students, are loving that they can recommend books to their friends and talk to one another in a safe environment.

 Q: When you say safe environment, who has access to this program?  A: Only students and teachers at CTE can access our students through this program. The catalog is available to everyone who enters the site, but “My Quest” is only available with a school login.

 Q: How exactly does the friend part work?  A: Students can invite friends to talk about books. Once the friend has accepted, when a student moves books to their shelves, recommends a book, or reviews a book, their friend can see what they have done and comment. The idea is to promote reading by “getting the word out”.

 Q: Can you monitor conversation, recommendations, and reviews?  A: Yes! All reviews come directly to me for approval because those do post directly to the catalog where anyone using the program can see them. I edit them for spelling, punctuation and delete any names. Recommendations and conversations can also be monitored. As with texting and internet use, I am asking students to be responsible and report any misuse they may encounter.

 Q: My students photo and full name are in the program, how is that generated?  A: The program is directly connected to Infinite Campus. I can change the photos, but the names come from the server. Again, student names and pictures can only be seen by friends that have logged in and that your student has accepted as friends.

 Q: Can friends be taken off?  A: Yes! In the friends section there is a remove button. Simply click the red X and the friend will be removed.

 Q: Can comments be deleted? <span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> A: Comments cannot be deleted. This is one way I can closely monitor conversation. What students chat about stays for my review.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> Q: Can my student opt out of this program? <span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> A: Yes! If your student does not want to participate in this program, I can set their account differently so that they do not have access and others cannot access them.

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">The students are very excited about this program and I cannot tell you how much work it has generated! I am so excited to see kids talking about books, getting a realization of just how many books they have read, and some great ideas from friends, of books they would like to read.

<span style="color: #000080; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-align: center;">Please contact me with any further questions: Stephannie Shelton 303-387-8136 stephannie.shelton@dcsdk12.org