Re: media center use during lunch at h.s.

["J'aime Foust" <jfoust@MUM.NERIC.ORG>]

I usually reply to the individual, rather than the group, but felt this
needed a "larger discussion."  I've been the Librarian here for 8 years
now and like the fact that students are comfortable coming here for
whatever meets their needs at that time.  We are fairly small (seat
around 65) in a school of approx. 1,000 but I would like to see us
eventually expand.  Students come with passes from study halls/and or
teachers, but we are "open" from lunches.  I try to keep it fairly quiet
and for the most part the kids are good about it.  They read newspapers,
magazines, talk (quietly?!), do homework by themselves or in small
groups, work on computers (a lot of e-mail - another discussion later?),
etc.  I don't think that this impacts negatively on their attitude
toward the Library at all - when they need to do research, they come
here; when they want to read and relax, they come here.  What's wrong
with a social life in school?  The cafeteria is a zoo - I don't blame
them for not always wanting to yell across the table for a
conversation.  Don't get me wrong - this isn't perfect.  But it often
beats the alternative.
All in all, I want this to be a place where they want to be.

J’aime L. Foust, Librarian
Queensbury High School
409 Aviation Rd.
Queensbury, NY 12804
518-793-8811; Fax 518-742-6045

“We shouldn’t teach great books; we should teach a love of reading.”  B.
F. Skinner




Wendy Lambert wrote:

> Fellow LM_NET-ters,
> I am at a high school that has adopted a one-hour
> lunch period for all students this year. I have just
> returned from a leave of absence and am very unhappy
> with the use of the media center during this time.
> Basically, the media center has become a "holding
> tank" and students are, per administration's
> directive, allowed to surf the Internet in the
> computer lab or generally hang out. We have provided
> some educational games (chess, scrabble) so that there
> is something worthwhile going on for some of the kids.
> However, the majority of students just come in and
> hang out.
> My concern is that this seems to be impacting the
> general attitude toward the media center. I see the
> difference in kids as they come in during class to a
> place where they "hang out" before school and during
> lunch.
> If research shows that there is a direct correlation
> between the quality of the media program and student
> achievement, then certainly this mis-use of the media
> center as a holding area does not lend itself to an
> improved media program.
> The above is my "take" and I am open to any and all
> comments and suggestions. I look to you, my
> professional colleagues, for your valuable input!
> Thanks in advance!
>
> Wendy Lambert
> Library Information Specialist
> Poinciana High School
> 2300 S. Poinciana Blvd.
> Kissimmee, FL 34758
> 407.870.4860 ext 241
> lambertw@osceola.k12.fl.us
>
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