Sorry for the delay...Back to School

So we have just finished our first 6-weeks and there was a lot going on. I didn't have any classes the first week of school to give teachers time to get their students adjusted to their schedules.

In that week I was able to get the library schedule ironed out with the teachers. My aide and I were also able to process more of the books from the grant my school received last January. We also were able to get all the students assigned to their teachers in our OPAC system (Follett's Destiny).

The second week, students began coming to the library with their classes. With my kinder through 2nd grade students I read the book Goldisocks and the Three Libearians by Jackie Mims Hopkins and I showed them the adorable video Don't Let the Pigeon Touch the Books. It is a great way to teach students how to take care of books and how to choose books that are "just right". My older students (3rd - 5th grades) were given an oral lesson on the sections of the library and using a shelf marker.

After their lessons, the students (except kindergarten) were able to check-out books, which was quite an ordeal for my first grades. At my campus, kindergartners weren't able to check-out books. They only came to the library for "story time". So when our first graders came to the library to check-out a book, it is their first time.

Checking-out a book for the first time isn't such a difficult task, except our first grades must choose library books that are on the reading level according to the Accelerated Reader program. Trying to get six year-old students to find a book they want on a certain level is quite difficult especially since they have never pulled a book from the library shelves. Greeeeeaaaaaaattttt. I can't tell you how stressful exhausting much of a learning experience it is to try to get 1st grades to look at the book and the reading level at the same time.

So I got the first graders out with their first books and they are ecstatic, which makes it all worthwhile. When you see those huge smiles and bright eyes just because they could check-out a book warms my heart more than I can express.

Now it was time for the kindergartners. The good thing is that they don't have reading levels to worry about which makes it a lot easier for them to choose a book. The problem was with the teachers who did NOT want their students to take a book from the library...................uummmmmmm............Now they didn't come to me with their "concerns" with checking-out books. They talked with my aide and went to my principal (always fun).

Their concerns were students damaging the books, teachers having to keep track of the books, and one only wanted to let her students that "were behaving" to be able to check-out books.

I explained to my principal (since the kinder teachers did not wish to approach me) that the same policies apply to kinder students as will all students at our campus. The students and their parents are responsible for the books. And as far as the students who are "behaving", being good is not a prerequisite for learning to read.

So after much ado, my kinder students checked-out their first books and were so thankful. They were expressing their thanks continually while they left the library.

Since that dilemma has been settled, now time to face the new excitement.....BOOK FAIR!

Weeding

Ok....I'm sorry I haven't posted in thing in months. There is no excuse.

In April and May, I was swamped with spending the money in my budget before it expired. I am very fortunate to have a large budget for library books. It can allow me to expand my collect each year but the problem was that I already had $40,000 worth of books in boxes from a grant that my campus received in January. Purchasing more books seemed a little absurd since I wasn't familiar with what was in the boxes (my aide placed the order for the grant money since there was no librarian at the time). So I sent e-mails to my teachers to see what they would like me to purchase.

I received about 5 requests for things like biographies and book units which I happily ordered. My problem was that there are 35 teachers on my campus so my return rate was not great. :( I was told my one of my 3rd grade teachers that I shouldn't take it personally because teachers have never had an input on what happened in the library. !!!!New goal for the year!!!!!!

So I took the liberty to update our guided reading collection.

While I had to gather reviews on books, place orders, and still have classes I also had to weed the monstrous collection that was presently on the shelves.

Hhhhhuuuuuffffffff.......this was a monumental task. I started with a report of books that were published 20 year prior (the result was 200 pages long). I started with the non-fiction section. I found books on space and computers that were older than I am. It didn't get any better in any of the categories.

After many weeks of pulling and pulling and pulling and stamping and deleting from the OPAC, I weeded about 500 books. At my campus, we place the weeded books in the teachers' lounge for teachers to add them to their classroom libraries. There were so many books being placed in the lounge that teachers started asking me if I was getting rid of all the books in their library.

After reassuring them that what I was doing was the best thing for the library I began weeding the picture books.......another 200......then the fiction section (chapter books).....another 250.

Finally, there was room on the shelves, books weren't falling apart, and they were organized using call numbers rather than reading levels. Haaaaaaaaaaa.

So, that was how I started in my first librarian position. Even through it was a lot of work, it really helped me get to know my collection better. It helped me to take ownership of the library rather than just go along with "the way it's always been".

There is still a lot of work to do, especially since we are moving into our new library between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but at least it should be an organized move and students will finally be able to find books they want.

Until next time......remember:

A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies.

The man who never reads lives only one.

--George R. R. Martin

Wednesday - Day 3

Well... I wish I could tell you I got in my library and got comfortable. I wish I could say that I started making some wonderful changes but that isn't the case.

I got in on the first day and was introduced to a million people that I still don't know their names. I was shown and told a thousand different things that are suppose to be done then went home completely exhausted.

Tuesday and Wednesday I sat in a hallway almost all day because we were benchmarking. Gotta love standardized tests (especially in Texas).

I am fairly concerned with the organization (or lack of) that is present in the library. I tried to find a few books about St. Patric's Day but couldn't find the first three. So I think the next step for me is to start weeding.

I am coming from a school library that had very few books to a library that has so many that they barely fit on the shelf. IT'S AWESOME!!!! to have so many choices for the students but that means that many of the books are never touched.

My plan for next week is to create a "HELP ME!!! SAVE OUR STORIES!!" display for the books that are aged and haven't been checked-out the past couple of years. I will post pictures when I get it set up.

So now that I can finally get into my library I hope to provide you with more information on what to expect as a first year librarian in a library that has been in turmoil for three years.

(I'm sure many surprises and nightmares are in store.)

In the beginning....

Well, I have just been hired to be a librarian at an elementary school. I have been looking forward to this for several years. I have been a second grade teacher for six years and am now ready to teach different levels of students library and research skills as well as how to love reading and learning.

Monday, March 5th is my first day in the library so I will let you know how it goes.