Re: new job/first week

[James Mong <jmong@NEPTUNE.ESC.K12.IN.US>]

On Thu, 29 Aug 1996, Deborah Chaney

 The point is: Service should begin when the students
> return, just as it does for classroom personnel.
> Deborah Chaney
> Coordinator for Library and Media Services
> Birdville (TX)ISD
> chaney@tenet.edu
>
>
        Well, I HAVE to say something about this statement.  It is a much
desired thing to begin service as soon as the students come in the door.
BUT, if you have no aide, a computer system that requires all new
students to be put in by hand, all old ones updated and new barcodes
printed out as well as trying to get a class list from a multitude of
teachers, it is impossible.  On top of that there are books to be
processed that weren't finished last year, Accelerated Reader records to
be deleted, updated and passwords invented for 600 students.  This is
just a sample of jobs to be done.
        My point is this, it is a fine thing to begin service
immediately, but if you are like most school librarians I know, the first
week to ten days are a blur of getting ready to open the library and
there are only dreams of immediate service.
        Hey, I'm not really coming down on you Deborah. I just wanted to
speak up for those librarians (like me) who have so little and are
expected to give immediate satisfaction.  I enjoy the job, but it takes
me longer than "now" to get it going.
        My two cents.
        James Mong

Riverview Middle School-- Huntington, IN 46750
jmong@neptune.esc.k12.in.us