Hit: Library Maintenance Part 3 of 5

[miriam travis <iyaterri@JPS.NET>]

Hit: Library maintinance part 3 of 5

I take this opportunity to thank my colleagues on the Net for sharing
information on library cleaning.  The volume of responses overwhelmed me. To
add to my dilemma, I am not good with statistics so I have chosen this
format for the HIT.  I have cut and pasted in order to share the spirit in
which the comments were made.

6.  If you and or the library staff do the cleaning, when do you do it?

-    when I have time and as the need arises_
-    As for dusting, if it gets done, I do it. Last year my aide refused to
do it, so when we'd have a meeting in the library, I'd dust. I didn't like
it, but I figured if they wanted to pay me professional wages to dust, I
could do it. Besides, it's a bad reflection on me! Now that dusting is just
in front of the books
-    We dust the shelves at the end of each school year whether it needs it
or not!
-     I try to do it at the end of the year but I just lost more paid hours
and I simply refuse to do any more work on my own time.
-     We usually do not clean, unless something really bothers us
-     I would not do this under any circumstances (I hope)
-     during the school day, when things are slow
-    Clerk cleans counters, desks, our workroom twice a year (as needed)
-    Hit or miss.
-    after school
-    I will often clean much of the shelves and counters myself, after
school usually, but during the day if I find something needing immediate
attention. If it is something I believe a student can or should do, I will
bring it to their attention and assign it to them (beyond what I've already
mentioned above). But I find that since the library is MY responsibility, I
am often not satisfied at the job student assistants do in this regard. No
one is as careful or thorough as the person in charge. Right?!!!
-    I try to get an entire section done each week--like the 100's
-    whenever I get a chance
-    I refuse to...
-    I clean table tops in-between if they need it or if I have a student
that wants to spend recess with me instead of on the playground. I dust when
I
can, not as often as it needs it!
-    twice/year; just before Xmas and in Sept. when school starts
-   end of year when weeding for inventory - when shelf reading if we have
time which is rare_______
-   when ever I can_______
-    I do it as I am working on shelves-slow times, end of the year,
day-to-day_
-    I clean the shelves that I store my books, etc. on, desk, files, and
circulation desk area. They do not know what I want to keep or pitch. I also
give the AV equipment and room a good dusting. They sure get dirty over the
year.
-   maybe 1ce a quarter_______
-   As needed when they are returned ________
-   When we can …weekly________
-   I resist dusting, but no one else seems to care so if it gets done, it
is usually by me. Sometimes the students say, "gee, you should dust this
place" and I answer, "no, that is one of the custodian's jobs." If I mention
to the principal or custodian supervisor, then the custodian pouts forever
which I cannot face.
-   My volunteers and I do a "real" dusting when the feather duster used by
the kids isn't sufficient.
-   Usually students do this, sometimes myself. I usually do a good dusting
and window washing monthly, the day of the school board meeting in the IMC
that night. one person does all the dusting in an hour, and the window
washing is usually done another hour by a different aide. Sometimes I
splitit up between a couple of kids. Depends what else I need done that
day...yearly we clean on top of stacks and chip gum out from under tables
and chairs. I get a student to do this when we are closed for inventory.
-   about every month, no schedule
-   I do it myself (having no staff), and I do it as needed, when I'm
shelving or facing and notice it's needed. I also do all the shelves just
before school starts in September.
-    During school hours

7. How often?

-     once a year
-     I clean the computers--dust them and clean screen and keyboards with a
cleaner each Monday a.m. If I didn't, the dust would be so thick and the
filth so bad, I couldn't touch them! When the principal sees me do this he
says, "Why are you cleaning those?" My response, "Because I can't stand it!"
(Yet, he does nothing to get the custodians to do it
-    only if REALLY necessary
-    a cleaning woman at night, not the school   maintenance man once a week
to dust
-    Beginning of the session and when the dust behind the circulation area
becomes unbearable


8.  If students clean, how often and how many stacks of shelves do you
assign?

-    I assign the cleaning job to my first hour aide and they continue
throughout the day until we are finished
-    If a student is on in-school suspension then they get to come to the
library and clean.
-    Student aides dust as needed, summer student workers assist me
withmajor cleaning then.
-    We used to have student library aides, but the new
administratorsdecided EVERYONE needed to be in study hall and took my aides.
They used to shelve all the books, read shelves and clean
-    they can get done in the time allotted
-    Sometimes I'll assign dusting to students who are working off fines
-    student assistants are assigned a section of shelves for which they are
responsible. This not only includes shelving books and keeping them inorder
and neat, but also for general cleaning (i.e. picking up trash and
dusting). Occasionally, I ask them to wipe the shelves with a damp cloth or
useg a spray cleaner if there is something that requires that, but usually
they don't do much of that. I often do that as I find it.
-    they are in school to learn and with higher standards I could not ever
justify using their time to clean___
-    basically my students do it once a week. They are 4th grade students
and they are assigned a single shelf each to shelf read and dust.  They
enjoy dusting more than just their own shelves though.
-    Student aides clean shelves each Friday. We cover the whole library in
a month's time. Books are dusted along with shelves. Student aides clean
tables and study carrels, clean computer and TV screens, and dust AV carts.
-    never...
-    Some students like to clean & will do it willingly, others can't be
forced to do it (mine are volunteers, so they don't have to do it if they
don't want to)___
-    They use a feather duster a couple of times a month, which takes no
time, so it varies.
-    only tops of cases____ dusting, cleaning computer screens, etc._____
-    no____
-    no_____
-    In the high school I asked student helpers during last period to wash
tables but this was explained to them before they registered for the class.
All high schoolers were assigned a range, about 1,000 books, to clean and
keep in order.
-    during the summer, a student by himself or with a custodian cleans the
library books and shelves. The books are to be removed, shelf dusted, books
dusted, then returned in the same order as they were. I tell them what to do
and then it is up to them. I gave instructions to two boys this summer. They
supposedly cleaned in a very short time but when I checked I found that most
of the shelves had not been touched. So now a custodian will have to stay
with one and do it.
-    all (small library)____
-    I let them volunteer - doesn't happen often, but they are welcome to
dust as much as they like.
-    I sometimes have students who are "working off" fines their families
cannot pay, and they sometimes dust for me
-    dusted - we have student "helpers" who come at recess.
-    As much as they can do during recess.
-    suppose to do it but we have been short on students, once a week
-    We have too few students to assign this work on a regular basis
-    If we are sent students from the dean’s office, or occasionally if we
have student teaching assistants and can spare them from other duties

9. Other cleaning arrangements:

-    as needed and as I get a chance (since these are basically up to me to
do) -we out source the shampooing of our upholstered chairs--the first time
it was done in ten years--yet I think they did not do a good job--they still
spray dust when slapped. (I assigned student to vacuum chairs at another
library and I actually think the results were better--some of the students
enjoyed the challenge.)

Thanks
Miriam Travis, Librarian
JF Kennedy HS
Richmond, CA
iyaterri@jps.net

We give thanks to the ancestors for collective talents passed through us to
our progeny.

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