911!

[Judith Cravens Estabrook <judithe@TENET.EDU>]

With all the technology questions being posted, I feel a bit foolish
asking for help with a low-tech problem, but I am about to lose my mind
and I don't think it's backed up on tape anywhere.  I am a first year
librarian in an elementary school of 850 students.  I have no help
--clerical, volunteer, or otherwise.  Until last week I had been
attempting a modified flexible schedule with grades 3 - 6 coming to the
library only when the teacher requested and allowing open checkout on the
honor system all day every day.  I failed to mention that I am not
automated, do not have any sort of computerized library records.  My
district is in the process of automating, but there are about 200 schools
and I am 200th on the list.  In the meantime my card catalog is 3 years
out of date and I have 4 separate shelf lists during the retrospective
conversion.  I have no way to find materials except to check
 bibliographies or browse the shelves.  And right now, at least half the
collection is on carts because I don't have time to shelve.  At best I
will have to deal with this system for the rest of this school year and am
pessimistic about getting my
automation up and running by the beginning of the 95 school year.  I
am absolutely overwhelmed with the process of getting cards returned to
book pockets and getting books shelved.  I need suggestions for managing
this process efficiently so that I have time to do something else.  I
still have weekly library classes for grades K-3 and starting this week,
will go back to the old system for grades
 4 -6.  At this point I am so discouraged I know I am not even making
sense.  My flexible schedule and my hopes for integrating the library
have been dealt a death blow by the negative attitude on the part of a
few teachers and I don't have the energy to deal with it because I am
frantically trying to card books.  I feel isolated and unappreciated
--whoa! Pity party!!
I have been semi-lurking on the net long enough to
feel that I can count on some of you good people out there for
encouragement.  What have you done _before_ automation to handle the
clerical duties when you couldn't get volunteers?  I almost cried Friday
when a gentleman came into the library offering to
volunteer  -- to read to the children.  Nice gesture, but this was a man
who had had years of experience working in libraries and he wouldn't help
me on a bet because he knew how much work is involved.  Is there hope??

Judy Estabrook          judithe@tenet.edu       214-492-2938 (home)
Jeff Davis Elem.        Dallas, TX              214-331-7795 (work)