Re: Circ policy (reprise)

[Debbie Abilock <debbie@NUEVA.PVT.K12.CA.US>]

Gail:

My reply to the question "How many books can I check out?" is "However
many you can take care of."

Debbie Abilock
The Nueva School
Hillsborough, CA
debbie@nueva.pvt.k12.ca.us

On Sat, 19 Nov 1994, Gail K. Dickinson wrote:

> I know, I am a supervisor and should therefore just shut up, but I
> really can't help it.
>
> Out of 6 elementary schools, (approx. 500 kids each), I have convinced
> one, maybe two librarians to remove all limits from reading.  My
> rationale on this is that from reading THE POWER OF READING, I know that
> in order to give kids a chance, they must read.   I also want to point
> out how increased access through technology, and increasing staffing to
> 1 certified SLMS per school, has increased reading.   One elementary
> school in particular circulates wildly (the librarian is on this list,
> and probably cringing right now).  Kids are walking out with 6, 7, 9
> books.  What's the overdue rate?  It's high, but not inordinately so.
> We must remove all barriers to reading.   We can't on the one hand tell
> kids to read intensively, and on the other hand limit the numbers of
> books they check out.
>
> My argument to librarians I supervise, and the closest I have ever come
> to a direct order is, "Find a way to answer the question, 'How many
> books can I check out?', without using a number".
>
>
> ***************************
> Gail Dickinson
> Union-Endicott Central School District
> Endicott, NY 13760
>
>                         "a wild patience has taken me this far"
>