ELEM: advice on flex schedule

[Jane Perry <perocon@MINT.NET>]

Would appreciate some input from this fantastic group. After two years on a
fixed library schedule where I saw classes back to back with NO time for
planning with teachers, scheduling an interested teacher for extended
lessons at the point of need, or administrative duties, my principal has
finally seen the light! I have been asked to propose a schedule for next
year. I currently work half time in a K-8 school, which has never had a
certified media specialist prior to my position. Library time is not
planning time for my faculty and except for a couple of people everyone
remains with their class. I have worked rather closely with one teacher in
my building, and  have had scattered successes with others. There were many
times this year when a teacher was interested in suggestions I had for
integrating library skills into the curriculum, but there was no time with
the current schedule to fit it in. I would like to move us toward a schedule
that will encourage teachers to plan with me and allow us to extend lessons,
or plan long term lessons as needed. Here's what I'm considering :

K-3 would come biweekly for a regular storytime/checkout/(skills lesson when
appropriate)
4-8 would come when the teacher plans with me (this need not be elaborate each
      time, but involve SOME contact with me, informing me what the activity
       will be, etc.)
Morning Block each day for 45 minutes -Open schedule for book checkout, etc.

 For those of you functining on a flexible schedule, or semi-flex schedule,
your advice would be greatly appreciated. Is this a workable proposal? (I
might add that I currently have 7 hours (total) of support staff, so I'm
pretty much it).I AM concerned that circulation will take a drastic drop
without the regularity of a weekly scheduled visit. Would I be better off
sticking with a fixed schedule (maybe biweekly, so that there would be
openings in the schedule to do more in depth work with classes when needed),
and waiting until my position goes to full time with increased support
staff, before changing to a flexible schedule? TIA for any advice.

Jane Perry
Vassalboro Community School (K-8)
Vassalboro, Me.     perocon@mint.net