Ellen Siminoff, CEO of Shmoop, presented the Keynote address at the 2009 California School Librarian Association annual conference.

1. The Great Online, Where Young Minds Roam Freely
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential
“Best of the
Internet”
Ellen Siminoff
President & CEO, Shmoop
Nov. 20, 2009

2. Serendipity Rule #1:
Follow Your Heart

3. Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 3
‘Man plans and God laughs.’
Very often, in life and business, you won’t end up doing what you think you’re going to do.
‘Man plans and God laughs.’
Very often, in life and business, you won’t end up doing what you think you’re going to do.

4. I Fell in Love with Business and Media
(Dad Forgave Me... Eventually.)
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 4

5. My First (and Only) Study Partner
at Stanford Business School…
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 5
…Became my husband

6. Serendipity Rule #2:
Don’t Underestimate the
Importance of Luck and Timing

7. Media Was About to Change Drastically.
But Nobody Really Knew “How”
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 7
LATimes.com
Dec 21, 1996

8. I Joined Yahoo! in 1995
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 88

9. Serendipity Rule #3:
Luck Favors those Who Pay Attention
and Adapt Quickly

10. 1996: Move Fast or Get Eaten

11. 1997: We Evolved Constantly, Relentlessly
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 11

12. 1999: Email, Sports, Entertainment, Local, …
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13. 2000: Shopping, IM, …
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14. 2001: Finance, Kids, Jobs, Music,
Movies, etc.
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15. Serendipity Rule #4:
Reinvent Yourself (or Somebody Else Will)

16. Along Came Google
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 16Google in 2000

17. GMGM
Great Companies Often Fail to Adapt
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 17
Chevy
Truck
Clayton Christensen,
Harvard Business School

18. But We’d Never Make that Mistake in Our Own
Intellectual and Personal Lives, Right?
• Literature teaches us that
complacency is a fatal
flaw
• On a happier note…
Free Shmoop T-Shirts!
– Name the character
– Name the novel/play
– Name the author
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 18

19. We Have Something for Everyone
• Email us if you’d like
bookmarks
support@shmoop.com
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 19

20. Serendipity Rule #5:
Behind Every Brave First Leap…

21. … Is a Strong Nudge in the Right Direction
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22. “Shmoop” (v., Yiddish slang):
To give a nudge in the right direction

23. Teacher Librarians are the
Ultimate Shmoopers!

24. You Shmoop Students
• Rules of the road & online ethics
• How to be savvy online researchers, consumers, and publishers
• Proper citation & avoiding plagiarism
• Online safety and etiquette
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25. You Shmoop Parents
• Reinforce good student habits
at home
– Tips on how to monitor usage
– What sites are ok to use
– Avoiding plagiarism
• Access options for all homes
• Checking up on assignments, grades,
and teacher communications through
your school’s website
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 25

26. You Shmoop Fellow Teachers
• Get over the technology inferiority complex
– Some teachers feel overmatched by their
students, or think their students already
know everything cool about the Internet
• Play the role of
– Scout & Filter
– Promoter & Trainer
– Cheerleader & Supporter
• And, occasionally, you might need to help
students in spite of their teachers
– My daughter’s Ethiopia research project
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 26

27. Now… In this Fast-Changing World,
How to Shmoop Oneself?

28. Teacher Librarians are Already on the
Cutting Edge
• We know this well. You were the first and most
vocal supporters (and constructive critics) of
Shmoop
• But… we’re facing a lot of uncertainty
– Shrinking budgets, especially for Libraries
– Technological change is hard to keep pace with
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 28

29. Your Role is More Critical than Ever
• Libraries are the Facebook of the
School
– A social hub & discovery point with free-
flowing information
• This is the Wild West
– Boston-area Prep School going all-Kindle;
removing all print books from its library
• The Wild West Needs Sheriffs
– Be mentors, researchers, guidance
counselors, police officers of the digital
revolution inside your school
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 29

30. Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 30
www.shmoop.com
"The language is
totally student-
friendly... ...a very
cool site."
"The language is
totally student-
friendly... ...a very
cool site."
“A website you
can trust”
“A website you
can trust”

31. How We Started Shmoop
• A Moment of Serendipity
• Most online homework
resources left something to
be desired
• We wanted a pro-learning
resource for our kids
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 31

32. Students & Teachers Say…
“Shmoop has enriched my
teaching and made literature
accessible to ALL my
students!”
- Martha, HS teacher
“Shmoop has enriched my
teaching and made literature
accessible to ALL my
students!”
- Martha, HS teacher
“Shmoop makes me
actually want to
work.”
- Stephanie, 19
“Shmoop makes me
actually want to
work.”
- Stephanie, 19
“Shmoop is
intentionally about the
joy of learning.”
- Paul, HS teacher
“Shmoop is
intentionally about the
joy of learning.”
- Paul, HS teacher
Quotes from Shmoop focus groups of HS and College students, April 2008Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 32
“This website is my
dream come true”
- Noel, 20
“This website is my
dream come true”
- Noel, 20

33. What is Shmoop?
• Digital learning guides that make
learning fun and relevant for
students
– Deep analysis, questions, quotes, trivia,
multimedia, loads of links
• Written by educators and experts –
primarily Ph.D. students from
Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley
– >90% of Shmoop writers have taught at the
high school or college level
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 33

34. Things You’ll Learn on Shmoop
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 34
The Portrait of a Lady
(written in 1880) shares a
lot in common with TV’s
“Gossip Girl”
The Portrait of a Lady
(written in 1880) shares a
lot in common with TV’s
“Gossip Girl”
Emily Dickinson was a
packrat
Emily Dickinson was a
packrat
Ernest Hemingway and
James Joyce picked bar
fights together in Paris
Ernest Hemingway and
James Joyce picked bar
fights together in Paris
Albert Einstein's 7th-grade
teacher told him he "would
never get anywhere in
life." True story.
Albert Einstein's 7th-grade
teacher told him he "would
never get anywhere in
life." True story.

35. Shmoop Literature
• Help make literature fun
and relevant for your
students
• “Why Should I Care?”
• Themes
• Quote analysis
• Plot analysis
• Character analysis
• Literary devices
• Study questions
• Trivia
• Best of the Web
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36. Shmoop US History
• Analysis from multiple
points of view
• Events, People, Quotes
• Trivia, Glossaries
• Links to multimedia,
primary sources, and more
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 36

37. Shmoop Poetry
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Demystify poetry
• Close Reading (line-by-line)
• Deep analysis of Symbolism,
Themes, Meter, Sound, Setting…
• Trivia
• Study Questions
• Best of the Web (primary sources,
photos, audio, video, etc.)
• Now the largest poetry analysis
site on the Web
“Smart and consistently
humorous”
- Academy of American Poets
(poets.org)
“Smart and consistently
humorous”
- Academy of American Poets
(poets.org)

38. Shmoop’s “Best of the Web”
• Links are carefully selected by
Shmoop’s writers
• Audio, video, photos, art,
primary sources, historical
documents
• TV and Movies
• Books
• Websites
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39. NEW Shmoop Civics
Because Civics Shouldn’t be Boring
• Government,
politics, law
• Heated issues
that students
care about
• A line-by-line
analysis of the
Constitution
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 39

40. NEW Shmoop Bestsellers
Let Your Inner Fan Feast
• Use “Pop Lit” to teach
literary analysis
• Twilight
• New Moon
• Eclipse
• Harry Potter…
• Many more coming
soon
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 40

41. NEW Shmoop Biography
Get to Know the Big Cheeses
• 31 bios and
counting
• Authors, poets,
political leaders,
inventors, …
• Back-stories, fun
anecdotes,
multimedia,
personal letters
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 41

42. NEW Shmoop Music
Listen and Learn
• Analyze lyrics like poetry
– Lyrics are often a less
intimidating intro to poetry
• Historical context
• “Behind the music” stories
• Technical analysis of rhythm,
songwriting, instrumentation
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 42

43. NUEVO Shmoop Literatura
• Spanish translations of
our most popular
literature summaries
• A “bridge” for ESL
students
• Or great practice for
students learning
Spanish
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 43

44. NEW: Shmoop on iPhone, Kindle, Nook
Put a Ph.D. in Your Pocket
• Shmoop is a top educational
publisher on many devices
• 400 guides on the Web
• 300+ eBooks on Kindle
• 250 iPhone/iPod Apps
• 200 eBooks on B&N Nook
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 44

45. How to Cite Shmoop
• Shmoop automatically
generates citations for
students in MLA, APA,
or Chicago formats
• Our About Us section
includes our
background and
academic credentials
to help establish
authority
• Shmoop teaches
students about the perils
of plagiarism and
encourages original
thought
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 45

46. Shmoop for Educators
Shmoop University, Inc. Confidential 46
• A tour of Shmoop
designed for
educators
• Ideas and examples
from teachers who
use Shmoop in the
classroom
• Much more coming
soon
www.shmoop.com/teachers/

47. Link to Us: http://www.shmoop.com
Follow Us on Twitter: @helloshmoop
Ellen Siminoff – ellen at shmoop . com
We’ll Stick Around for a Bit (Look for Brady in the Shmoop Shirt)
© 2009, Shmoop University, Inc.
http://www.shmoop.com