Re: TECH : VCR Use

[Betty Dawn Hamilton <bhamilt@TENET.EDU>]

On Sun, 11 Feb 1996, Susan Middelton wrote:

> My middle school media center has 9 VCR units on carts which are shared by
> the 53 teachers on staff.

Susan, we have only 6 units for about 60 people, so we *really* have
problems! I have a special monthly calendar book especially for VCR and
camcorder reservations. Since we currently have only 6, I number each day
with 6 lines. When those are filled, teachers know there aren't any more.

Since our capital outlay has been restricted so severely for the past 2
or 3 years, I've suggested that departments use their money to buy
additional ones if they use a VCR/TV often.  The social studies
department has already done that.  That has helped a *great* deal. They
still reserve the ones from the library on occasion, but not every day as
you describe.  I, too, had one last year whose name was on the list
*every* day of the year, just in case.  However, he didn't do it all at
once; he just came in and signed up 2 or 3 weeks in advance every so often.

Needless to say, other teachers noticed that -- but I didn't find a
solution.  The department's purchase helped, though.

Betty
                                .----.
Betty Hamilton, LRS             |    |                701 Cub Drive
bhamilt@tenet.edu           ____|*    ~~~~~~.         Brownfield TX 79316
Brownfield High School      \               |         (806) 637-4523
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  In order to reserve a unit to be used in a
> classroom, teachers are asked to sign up 24 hours in advance whenever
> possible.  I must say that almost all of the teachers follow this guideline
> and we rarely have any problems with overbooking of units, even around the
> "heavy use" times of vacations, end of year, etc.  Unfortunately, one of the
> teachers has signed up for one of the units for 7 weeks in a row, every day,
> every period.  When I questioned the 7 week checkout and the reasoning
> behind it, the teacher more or less told me, the media director, that what
> she did in her class was her business, and not mine.  In order to be
> prepared in case this happens again, will wiser heads prevail and share with
> me  how they handle such a situation?
>
> Susan Midelton
> smiddelton@kiwi.dep.anl.gov
>