Question: What is RBS?
Answer: RBS stands for the Reading Bookshelf and is web site created by
Info-Mesh Technologies, LLC in 2007.
RBS is dedicated to promoting reading and helping children, parents, teachers and libraries
get the right books into the right hands. The Reading Bookshelf was created as a free resource
for schools to publish their approved reading lists that allows students and parents to search,
sort and filter for books based on their children’s reading level. We were overwhelmed with the
success and feedback and decided to redo the site and put the time into it to make it as it is
now. We want to thank all the schools, libraries and partners for working with us to make this
site so successful.
The Reading Bookshelf is linked to hundreds of libraries and schools nationwide. All the books
in a list are selected and approved by each school’s staff and submitted to Reading Bookshelf for
publication. If you don’t see your school or library listed, please contact them and us. We want
them to be involved.
From a breadth of functionality standpoint, The Reading Bookshelf is really in first grade. Just
like children increase their abilities as they move through grades, so do we plan for the Reading
Bookshelf. We have lots ideas on how to improve the site and where to grow its functionality over time.
We encourage our members to ask questions, send suggestions or critiques so that we can keep this resource
useful and helpful. Your input is crucial for our efforts to continue to improve the Reading Bookshelf website.
Question: What does RBS Do?
Answer: The Reading Bookshelf (RBS) is a site dedicated to helping parents finding books
for their children from their school’s reading program. The Reading Bookshelf web site allows
schools to publish their reading and add or manage additional related information like points,
level, etc. The RBS Search then uses these lists and checks for availability of those books at
local libraries and book stores. The Reading Bookshelf is also integrated with popular web
sites like Amazon so parents will also have an option to buy books that are popular with their
children. Here are all the things RBS does:
- RBS Book Search – At the core of the Reading Bookshelf is our unique Book Search tool.
We allow school reading list/quiz list to be posted on our website and integrated with our
RBS Book and Quiz Repository. This allows parents and students to search for books and numerous
parameters including title, author, book level, etc., to help find that right book. RBS Search
takes it to another level and also searches the local public library for the books meeting your
criteria to see if they have it and conveniently provides a link to go their site and reserve
their book.
- School Reading List Posting – – Schools are able to upload and manage their reading
booklist on the Reading Bookshelf website for everyone to see and search from for both Scholastic
Reading Counts and Renaissance Accelerated Reader Programs. Schools are also able to change and
control the reading level and points for their list if they don’t want to use the defaults from
the corresponding programs.
- RBS Book and Quiz Repository – – For all the AR and SRC quizzes, we have compiled a database
that we regularly keep updating of all the related quiz information and we also have gathered and
linked to additional book information to give users as much information as we can when searching
for books.
- Broader integration with Libraries – We were the first to integrate with libraries,
now we have taken it to another level and integrating directly to their catalog system via the
industry standard Z39 interface providing a much quicker and better result.
- School Self Management – Schools are now able to manage their own information including
contact information, display information and address and what type of reading program they are using.
Schools are also able to upload a booklist, remove books from their list individually or use book finder
to find books to be added.
- Library Self Management – Libraries are also able to manage their own information including
contact information, display information and address and also their integration setting such as search
URL and Z39 settings.
Question: What’s new with Reading Bookshelf?
Answer: There are a lot of new things that make RBS better; here are some of the things we hope
you will notice.
- New, dynamic fresh look – RBS has a much needed “make over” that will provide a
better user experience and more importantly make the search for books that much easier.
- Support for both Major Reading Programs – RBS initially supported Accelerated
Reader only but now also supports Scholastic’s Reading Counts. Additionally, we also
support both traditional and enterprise versions of both reading programs.
- Improved Searches – We simplified searches to make them easier and no longer require
logons or passwords to memorize. We also improved performance so searching libraries are
now quicker. There are now just 2 types of searches. In RBS SearchParents can use
search parameters (author, title, and reading level range) to narrow or filter down a
school’s book list that RBS then displays the results of what books exist at the public
library selected. Advance Search is same as RBS Search but also allows parents
then can select which books from those results to query a library for.
- School Self Manage – School book list administrators can upload and manage their book
list online efficiently and painlessly.
- Public Library Self Manage – Public library technicians can now self manage their
library’s technical connection parameters.
- Broader integration with Libraries – From a technical perspective, RBS was “refactored”
to search public libraries using industry standard protocol technologies (i.e. z39.50). This
allows RBS to query libraries more efficiently and effectively than the before and reduce overall
wait time for search results.
- Comprehensive list Quizzes – We literally have hundreds of thousands of quizzes in the
RBS database with detailed information that can be used to research and search for the best
books for your children
Question: What is the Accelerated Reader Program?
Answer: The Accelerated Reader Program (AR Program) is a reading
program that is widely used in elementary and secondary schools. Here is the Wiki on the
subject as well as here is a bunch of PhD-types giving pros/cons on the subject. All I can
say is our children read like gang busters now and before the program, they didn’t. You can
Google Accelerated Reader and find bunches more.
Question: What is Scholastic Reading Counts Program?
Answer: Scholastic Reading Counts! is an independent reading program for Grades K–12 which
combines reading practice and software-based reading assessment. Instructionally flexible, mastery
focused, and professionally written, SRC! is the program PROVEN to develop reading skills, help raise
test scores, and motivate students to achieve reading success
Question: What is RBS Search?
Answer: Take a school’s reading program book list and search a local library’s online catalog system
to see which books exist, check one or more out on-line and then go pick them up. Now 3 years later,
the Reading Bookshelf is linked to hundreds of public libraries and schools nationwide. All the books in
a list are selected and approved by each school’s staff and submitted to Reading Bookshelf for publication.