Update of library

We are plugging along with getting the library into an accessible state. Things I have been doing are:

Creating student accounts, putting books online, returning books, shelving books, renewing books, tracking overdues, checking books out, and processing books.

 Things I want to be doing as a professional librarian:

Meeting with teachers to plan research units, developing a web page, updating the collection, working in the labs to include information literacy, reading professional journals, creating student books clubs & teacher book clubs, starting a student advisory board, developing a donation & selection policy, and evaluate the library program with Linking for Learning.

So right now I am doing the nuts and bolts to set the foundation to do all the other professional tasks. Sometimes it is frustrating, but we have come a long ways in 3 weeks.

I am looking forward to meeting with the principal and assistant principal today to educate them on school library programs.

Normal Day

Today seemed somewhat like a normal library day for me. I actually read all my emails, emailed several people, requested monthly meetings with the principal and assistant principal, started a Baker & Taylor cart, got my Outlook email setup, and all the posters I ordered arrived. Hopefully I can hang the posters tomorrow. There is an individual that laminates everything for us.

Goal for next week is to get an order sent in for some new books. Some students shared some valuable insight with me today – three girls were requesting young adult literature. They were very aware that the collection was skewed to K-3. They had several suggestions for titles. I was thrilled to have some interaction with students. Each Wednesday and Thursday there is a small study hall in the library consisting of 7th and 8th grade students. I am looking forward to picking their brains for ideas.

Also another goal is to get some magazines ordered for leisure reading. Currently the library does not receive any magazines.

Dee started working on covering some of the books. I hope that is finished by 2nd semester. Also several books that were checked out yesterday were not in they system. I may have to scan everything after all. I will have to assess the situation again. I thought it might be okay, but according to Dee it was a problem yesterday.

I have been invited to be on a committe that is reveiwing technology. I want to remember to take theISTE standards to the meeting. Also I want to be sure and include some information fluency skills in the conversation.

One last goal for next week is to get on the schedule of the middle school teams.

The Dog Poop Initiative

If you have not heard of this book – it is worth checking out. The author Kirk Weisler was the guest speaker for the day at Metcalf. What a wonderful motivational speaker. He gave us many things to think about and ways to make an organization work. We chuckled many times during his presentation. He talked about the “the big but” and “flipping your butt”. Remembering to use positive language rather than negative. Also the thought that to be a great teacher you have to be a great student. Overall the day was a great way to start the year.

Students come on Monday – I have to get the schedule finialized in my mind. Also I want to split the responsibilities of the library between myself and the teaching consultant. By looking at the job descriptions, I think I will focus on information literacy and technology skills and the teaching consultant will focus on incorporating literature into the curriculum.  Each of us will be reading advocates in the library. My first goal is to meet with the middle school academic teams and then with the intermediate grade levels and then the primary grade levels. I want to share what a librarian does and see how it fits into what they already do.

We still need to get the student barcodes in class order and then I am still battling the receipt printer. I plan on calling the company this week. I am waiting for posters to come in. I also would like to place a book order but know the turn around time of getting them back from Milner library will take some getting used to. In the public school setting I had an assistant that would process books in a very timely manner. But I have been told to expect 20 books a week. Currently Milner is trying to catch up with what books were taken there at the end of last school year.