Library clubs

[Lorrie Miller <PETACALM@AOL.COM>]

Linworth Publishing has an excellent binder on student library staff.  I
don't remember the exact title, and I am out of school for the summer.  I
have a K-12 library and use students as well as adult volunteers.  I use one
student per period, and students check out books, check them in, shelve,
process periodicals, laminate and run deliveries for me.  I use high school
students and they earn .25 credit per semester.  I think upper middle school
students can do the job too!  Student staff automatically become members of
Library Club.  The club is an avenue to get us all together once in a while,
and I try to make it rewarding with semester-end parties.  We throw in some
service activities (book fair, collecting used books for charities, Right to
Read Week activities, etc.).  I am paid a small supplemental stipend for
Library Club.

Helpful hint:  I used to have more than one student per period, but it was
too difficult to keep them both busy (plus the adult volunteer) and monitor
their work.  They would spend too much time visiting with each other.  It was
difficult for me to check their work--if I found mistakes were made, it was
difficult to say who did what.  I found working with individuals was more
efficient in the long run, but that's my opinion!

Another helpful hint:  At another elementary school I worked at, we could not
keep up with the shelf-reading.  Since the 6th graders stayed in the library
for a whole period a couple days a week, I assigned them each their own
shelf-section to read and straighten.  (This was after in-depth instruction
on shelf-order).  They loved it!   Students with a particular interest asked
me if they could shelve the books on the cart (always full).  They even
dusted once each grading period.  I find that students in that age group take
it on as a scavenger hunt.  They were thrilled when they found a book out of
place.

Helpful hint #3:
Let's face it - library work can be tedious!  I watch the clock...15-20
minutes of shelving is enough for anybody.  I try to mix in some check-in or
check-out and throw in some laminating or errand running to keep it
interesting.  I've found that if students do the same thing day in and day
out, they get bored and won't come back the next semester.

Lorrie Miller
Pettisville Library Media Center