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Hi LM_NETters!
I can't resist jumping in at this point.  I have read the article in=20
question, as well as most of the responses at this point.  My job (last year=
=20
was my first year ever!) has always been that of luring people into my=20
domain.  I work in a HUGE library, that has been underutilized for years.  W=
e=20
have 1,300 kids in our school with my library serving approximately=20
1,000-1,100 kids.  The kids are all in grades 4-6.  There is a small K-1=20
center that has a separate small library.  Last year I taught 30 classes per=
=20
week/fixed schedule.  That much will probably remain the same.

At the end of last year, my school received a large amount of money as part=20
of an educational expense fund to increase student test scores.  My principa=
l=20
announced a meeting to discuss how to best spend these monies.  I showed up.=
 =20
Just me and three administrators.  She asked the staff for written proposals=
.=20
 She received two.  So I was pretty much given a free hand to develop a user=
=20
friendly library.

The first thing that I asked for was a couch, a settee, 2 arm chairs, and 5=20
bean bag chairs for a reading corner.  Coincidentally, they will be the firs=
t=20
things people see when they enter our library.  The rules to use this area=20
are simple, you must be reading, you can't talk or you will have to move.  A=
t=20
my principal's suggestion, I also ordered a coffee table and an end table. =20
In back of the furniture, I have 2 covered chalkboards that I have been=20
hanging bright, colorful posters promoting reading.  On the other side of=20
those 2 chalkboards, I have my teaching area.  Both of these sections are in=
=20
the middle of the fiction collection.

My circulation desk resides squarely in the center of the library.  Last yea=
r=20
I always had a CD playing music in my circulation computer.  By the end of=20
the year, I had decided that I would purchase a small stereo this school yea=
r=20
so that I wouldn't burn out my CD player on my computer!  The music and the=20
stereo are mine, but I did order in a shelf unit for my printer and the bran=
d=20
new copier, that has room on it for the stereo.  I mention the music because=
=20
of the comments made to me by both the students and staff that it was so=20
relaxing and friendly feeling when they came to visit.  I also purchased a=20
cordless phone since the one in my office didn't stretch to the computer, an=
d=20
when I purchased a 100 ft. cord, people tripped on it.

Next to the Circulation area, I am placing a large cabinet to hold my poster=
=20
collection.  It took a lot of talking to convince my principal that this=20
would be a great investment, but she finally came around.  In case any of yo=
u=20
have doubts, I have a poster collection of about 1,000 posters.  Either on o=
r=20
about books or various aspects of the curriculum.  There are a lot of source=
s=20
out there that are happy to send posters if they think that a teacher will=20
use them.

At the far end of my library, the reference collection resides.  When I go=20
back in two weeks, most of the volumes will be weeded out.  Since they have=20
an average copyright age of 1965, I'm sure that you will agree that this is=20
no great loss.  I used the age of this segment of the collection to talk a=20
contribution of $3,000 and 2 brand-new sets of Compton's Encyclopedias out o=
f=20
district office.  My principal had agreed to match whatever they gave.  The=20
first of my new reference tools started arriving several weeks ago. =20
Immediately adjacent to the reference area is where I'm putting 10 brand-new=
=20
computers.  Once I do the initial lessons, and establish ground rules, this=20
area is our new "Reference/Research Area."  The teachers will be able to sig=
n=20
up for time slots to bring their entire classrooms down to the library to do=
=20
research projects while I'm teaching at the other end.  Needless to say, the=
y=20
will be required to stay with their classes.  Many of our staff have=20
expressed thanks for this privilege.  It's something they have never been=20
able to do.

The next area that received attention had to do with providing a pleasant=20
place for the faculty to come in and make use of the facility.  Again at my=20
principal's suggestion, I reclaimed one of the small library rooms that had=20
been used for small group instruction, and will be turning it and the one=20
adjacent to it into a Faculty Workroom/Professional library.  I purchased a=20
table, 6 comfortable chairs on wheels, 2 wall mounted magazine racks, a=20
credenza (to hold a coffee maker that I purchased out of my own pocket), a=20
paper cutter, etc.  We will be moving the letter press down from the backroo=
m=20
it was in on the third floor to this room as well.  It also holds two large=20
bookcases.  I need to weed the bookcases of materials like filmstrips that=20
very few teachers ever use anymore, to hold the professional collection whic=
h=20
had gotten mixed into the general collection. =20

I was also given a free hand to order various supplies for the workroom. =20
Book jackets galore, tape dispenser for applying the reinforcement to=20
paperbacks, paperback covers, bookmarks, etc.  With my inexperience,=20
sometimes it was hard to estimate what I would need in the coming years, but=
=20
I did my best.

The final area that I concentrated on was purchasing the books.  I had been=20
interested in writing a couple of grants before I was given the go ahead to=20
get what we need.  I started with biographies.  I ordered more than 500 new=20
biographies in various reading levels and page lengths.  I looked at the=20
ethnic population in our school, and tried to purchase a collection that=20
reflected the large African American segment and the smaller Hispanic segmen=
t=20
as well as the Caucasian population.  I purchased biographies about women as=
=20
well as men.  I tried to reflect curriculum needs in the areas of social=20
studies and science with this purchase as well.

Then I moved on to our Science Fiction/Fantasy collection.  We had 77 titles=
=20
on our shelves.  Several of our teachers require kids to do books reports on=
=20
these genres.  There were not enough to adequately do the job.  I then=20
progressed on to the picture book collection.  We had some.  Not many.  Many=
=20
times a teacher can use a picture book to start off a unit.  There have been=
=20
a lot of high quality picture books written over the last several years that=
=20
are NOT for small folks.  We didn't have many of these in our collection.=20

From that point, I went into the Social Studies State standards.  I have=20
several 6th grade teachers on our staff that regularly visited the public=20
library because we didn't have any materials on W.W.I, and very few on=20
W.W.II, and the Holocaust.  They shouldn't have had to do that.  I then=20
progressed to the 4th and 5th grade topics, and purchased accordingly. =20

The next area to be ordered had to do with Science.  Our teachers are=20
teaching to the state standards, and as a result have 3 new Smithsonian=20
science kits per grade level.  Every time they came in to check out a book t=
o=20
use with their units, we either didn't have it, or a child would already hav=
e=20
it out.  The PTA had agreed to provide $600 per unit to provide a separate=20
collection of books exclusively for teacher use.  These books will have PRO=20
placed at the top of their call number to indicate that they are only to be=20
checked out by the staff.  They will also be shelved in the Professional=20
Library. =20

By the time I got done ordering, we estimated that I had spent at least=20
$40,000 just on books!  The bulk of them haven't arrived yet, but when they=20
do, it will be a huge task just to process the order.  So today, I spent 2=20
hours on the phone and my computer, contacting the PTA to start recruiting=20
parent volunteers to help me set up the library.  Oh yes, did I mention that=
=20
I couldn't get into the library all summer because of the ceiling renovation=
=20
work? =20

Now the point of all this is not to brag about the incredible success that=20
I've had, but to say that realistically, change is a part of life.  Things=20
are always changing.  When they remain static, they die.  The needs in the=20
school have changed, so the library must reflect that.  My library became th=
e=20
favorite after-school meeting place last year.  This year it will be worse,=20
because I've made it so inviting.  But on the other hand, do I fear for my=20
job?  Not at all.  Of the 6 new librarians hired last year, I was the only=20
one not automatically terminated at the end of the school year.  Now I expec=
t=20
that most of my colleagues will have been rehired at this point, but when I=20
mentioned the possibility to my principal, she hit the ceiling.  I had made=20
myself and the library an indispensable part of the school and the=20
curriculum. =20

I suggest that we all need to take a look at what our schools' need, and=20
start dreaming about what we could ask for if the sky was the limit.  Becaus=
e=20
once they tell you that you can have your dream, they don't give you a lot o=
f=20
time to find it!  I think that that is a lot of what Jim Trelease's article=20
is about.  What kind of a library would you or your patrons have if you coul=
d=20
have your dream?  Marcy

><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> =20
Marcia Berbeza
Library Media Specialist=20
Grades 4-6
Bayard Elementary School
200 South DuPont Street
Christina School District
Wilmington, DE  19805
(302) 429-4118
Mberbeza@aol.com
berbezam@csdmail.k12.de.us
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> =20
"It is our choices, =E2=80=A6that show what we truly are,=20
far more than our abilities."  J. K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>

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