Re: New job,

[Melissa Davis <mbdavis@TENET.EDU>]

Megan,
  This can be a very sensitive subject, especially if the teachers feel
that they haven't had enough financial support (read MONEY) for teaching
supplies/materials. This is a common condition in small school districts
here in Texas.
  Some teachers also feel "ownership" of particular materials because
they don't want their incoming students to be "bored" with using the same
things in consecutive years.
  I'd suggest that you discuss this at length with your building
principal. How does she/he feel about it? Is my guess correct about
funding? If it is, has the situation changed (or is it changing)? If the
principal agrees with your premise (which I do by the way), can he/she
help re-educate the staff? Is your staff one in which the majority (or at
least those who shape opinion) have been there for several years?
  If the principal does not agree, I'd do nothing. There are too many
battles you will _have_ to fight, to get bogged down in a skirmish that
you don't have the support necessary to win.
  As a staff member new to the building, you're may have to ease into
this. One possibility (assuming it is true in your state or district) is
to explain that anything purchased with library funds must be cataloged
and circulated from the library. Another is to find materials to help the
teachers expand/change their lesson plans so they aren't tied to doing
exactly the same thing every year on the 15th week of the year (this one
may be _very_ difficult). Perhaps purchasing other titles on the same
subject would allow more flexibility. Maybe encourage interdisciplary work
amoung your teachers, which guarantees they have to share materials.
   For what it's worth, my middle school library of 550 students doesn't
have anything set aside for just one class. That's not to say I don't buy
materials for subjects that we only have 1 class of - but use is not
limited to that class.
   Good luck.
        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        Melissa Davis                   Librarian
        Splendora Middle School         Splendora I.S.D.
        P O Box 168                     Splendora, TX 77372
        Internet: mbdavis@tenet.edu     PHONE: (713)689-2853
        CompuServe: 75146,771
        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Mon, 27 Jun 1994, Megan McGuire wrote:

> school of between 400 and 500 students. Several teachers feel that if
they request something, no one else should be allowed to use it.  I feel
that library materials are purchased to avoid duplication.  For example,
...that if they aren't willing to share, then they should purchase it out of
their own budget.  I'm willing to be convinced otherwise if there are any

>...how would you go about changing things - I would like to to have a
positive relationship with the teachers and from the limited discussion I
had with one of them today it seems like a sensitive topic.