LM_NET: Library Media Networking
Hi!
Following are the responses I received after posting a TARGET for ideas for
doing "Freshman Orientation." Many thanks to the people who took the time
to send me some great advice and ideas. It was interesting to me that I
received 7 responses from librarians who said they were in the very same
boat as me and would appreciate it if I would post any responses I
received. This LISTSERV is so very valuable. Thanks again!
Before I post the HIT I was wondering if anyone on block scheduling has any
advice for the following predicament. My principal told me that I will be
doing freshman orientation during the freshman English classes. The
problem with this is that I will only see half of the students in the Fall,
and the rest I will see 2nd semester when they have English. I was hoping
that I would be able to see all freshman at the beginning of the year but
it doesn't look like it is possible. Many of the students having second
semester English will already be using the library on a regular basis. Do
I then change the orientation and go into the fabulous resources we have a
little more? Anybody else in the same predicament?
------------------------------
Welcome to the club!
I'm in a 7-12 school, so my freshmen have been here a while, but I still do
an orientation with them. Actually, I have the odd-numbered grades come in
as part of their English class, so everyone gets at least a refresher every
other year.
During that time, usually a full 80-minute block, I give a quick tour of
the library, go over checkout policies, computer policies, and give a few
research tips. I tell them that they aren't expected to remember everything
I tell them then, but that it will come back to them when they start doing
real research.
When they do come back in for research I point them in the right direction
and try to work with those who are having troubles. By the time they come
in as juniors they should have a pretty good idea of how to use this library.
Since this will be my third year here, this will be the first time for the
freshmen and juniors to get the second dose of me. I'll know better in
August how that will work.
David Lininger (KB0ZKE), LMS
Hickory County R-1 Schools
Rt 1, Box 838
Urbana, MO 65767
mailto: tss003@mail.connect.more.net
--------------------------------------------------------
You might want to think about doing a teacher
orientation, stressing that as the new librarian,
there are some things you really want them to know.
Jill Brown, LMS
Nardin Academy
Buffalo, NY
buflib@yahoo.com
--------------------------------------------------------
Hi,
We will have 300 freshmen in the building in the fall. That is really a
challenge to schedule them into the IMC. I will be working with the
English and social studies departments to provide an orientation. Last
year I developed a Powerpoint Presentation of all the areas, staff and
major resources. I then showed that to the classes as they completed a
map of where these things were located on the map. That kept their
attention as I showed the slides they had to identify it on the map. I
also go to all homerooms for 15 minutes to talk about policies and
services. At that time I give out a brochure describing the resources of
the IMC. This year I want to use our new Web page to teach resources to
the students. I am not quit sure how I will cover basic Internet
information yet, but I feel that is important. I think going to the
homerooms works real well because they get to know me early in the
semester and then come in for classes. The challenge is finding the
time in the teachers busy curriculum to encourage them to bring the
classes in and to be able to cover topics successfully with 24-28 in a
class. Freshmen also give you no mercy and are still a little rambucious
from middle school, so it is a real challenge. These are some of my
ideas. I hope you will share with the list. I am still looking for ideas
and ways to implement an orientation too. I just feel a freshmen
orientation is so important to make them aware of the IMC services,
staff and resources so they do utilize the area.
Vonna Pitel
--
****************************************************************
Vonna Pitel
IMC Director/District Media Coordinator
Cedarburg High School
W68N611 Evergreen Blvd.
Cedarburg, WI 53012
262-376-6211
vjpitel@execpc.com
---------------------------------------------------------
I keep it simple and to the point. First, we go over the "guidelines" --
checkout rules, behavior expectations, location of items. Then we use the
LCD projector to give a presentation on how to use the library catalog and
to point out the other items we have running over the network. Then we
give the internet aup to anyone who is interested in having that. And, if
any time is left, we let them browse for a book.
Dr.Dana McDougald, Librarian
CSHS Library, A National Award-Winnning Library
Cedar Shoals H. S., A National Blue Ribbon School
1300 Cedar Shoals Dr.
Athens, Ga. 30605
dmcdouga@coe.uga.edu
-----------------------------------------------------------
Diane; when I was in a high school library I used the following for 9th
grade orientation;
After a very,very brief introduction to the library: rules, hours, etc.
students were given a worksheet; they could work in pairs(they like this);
they had to go around the library and answer the questiohns. Purpose: to
become familiar with the library, it's services and where things were
located. Therefore, I didn't mind if they "helped" each other. The purpose
was to familiarize them with the library. I did collect these and "correct"
them and most English teachers used the results as some form of grade. I
scheduled them according to their English classes. This worked really well
as 9th graders do not want to sit and listen to the librarian talk; they
won't remember anything anyway. Do not forget your self-contained special
ed. classes.
Examples of things they had to do:
Search for a title in the catalog and write the author.
Search for an author in the catalog and write title of one book by that
author
Go to various sections of the library and answer a question about that
section
Go to the circulation desk and have someone initial their paper to show they
were there; believe me some kids would not have know where to check out ther
books.
You can adapt this to your set-up; yes, it might get noisy but that was ok
with me as long as they were on task. I often used this lesson for my
observation; it showed the kids being involved and got my observation over
early in the year.
Diane Pozar
Monroeville, Pa.
--------------------------------------------------------------
My first suggestion is to talk to the teacher and find out what they
expect. I give a "quick" orientation to the Freshman English class BEFORE
the library opens (otherwise I open and then close again for a day) The
teacher just wants me to show the students what is located in the stacks,
how to check out magazines and books, how they receive permission to come
to the library and use the writing lab or internet computers,and my
expectations about their behavior. I try to encourage him to let the
students check out a book at this time -- and I have several on the tables,
and a small shelving unit that I use for "new books". He definately does
not want to give me more than 1 period that single day, so there is no
library skills involved.
Good luck.
Shirley
Teachers with class -- surf
Shirley Traylor (personal) vertical@netexpress.net
Riverdale Senior High Library
Port Byron, IL. (school) straylor@libby.rbls.lib.il.us
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I think initial frosh/new student orientation
should be welcome-oriented,
not a lot of rules and instruction.
We bring all frosh Eng classes in during Aug-Sept
and give them a quick tour of facilities, materials,
general policies, Dewey arrangement, specialties, etc.
It's more just to get them in the door,
see who and what and where we are
than for learning much.
I try to get teachers to allow them some general browsing
time while they're here.
Richard Librarian
-----------------------------------------------------------
The archives (see bottom below your signature) are a great place to find
info like this. I saved a number of suggestions from the past, they are:
((.) (.)) Linda Strauss lstrauss@myhost.com
---oOo-----(_)-----oOo-- Tottenville H.S. Library
peeking over the edge 100 Luten Ave, Staten Island, NY 10312
of technology (718) 356-2220 ext 2054
HIT: Library orientations for incoming freshman
before their first assignment. They get a "passport" to the library
through Social Studies classes (ties in with the global studies concept)
and they have to come in one their own time, and follow the passport
instructions, using each database. (Print out an article on Africa from
Newsbank...etc.) When they complete each task we stamp the passport. They
return it, completed, to the SS teacher for a 100% grade for the 1st
marking period. who can't use a 100 in their grade average? Then, it is
followed up with an assignment collaborated on by me and the teacher.
Teachers are impressed that kids can get right down to work. I feel this
method is pretty meaningful for the students.
--------------------------------
What we do for freshmen "orientation" is a BRIEF library orientation (incl.
"cook's tour" and "guidelines and expectations") within their language arts
classes. Along with this, we have the students do a library mosaic research
project. This is a project designed to teach them their way around the
library and its resources, including electronic, while being more fun than
a "real" research project by allowing students to pick a topic of their
choice, with just a little guidance. They then go to several specified
resources from which to draw a quote. Once they have acquired a quote from
each specified source, they write them in various spaces on a mosaic
template, a piece of paper on which spaces have been lined out in a puzzle
design. The students are to include pictures, drawings, color, etc., to fit
their topic and make their final presentation attractive while presenting
information about their topic. Along with this, they must have a source
card for each quote (to teach them about citing sources). Some of the
possible specified sources include: nonfiction books and Reference books
(they must use the electronic catalog to find these), Infotrac, SIRS, Facts
on File, magazines (both those found through Infotrac and those found using
the Reader's Guide--yes,
we still teach it and still think it is important to know). In the past, we
also included quotation books and newspapers (Newsbank, when we
subscribed). The nice thing about this project is its flexibility. It can
be adapted for a variety of subjects. The main thing for this to be useful
is to have it counted as a major grade, weighted fairly heavily. By the
way, we have not yet included the internet in the specified sources. Our
rationale for this is that they need to learn the resources of the library
and learn good research practices BEFORE they jump into the mire of the
net. We can teach internet use at other times for other projects.
--------------------------------------------------
I always did a scavenger hunt. I would put red numbers on everything--the
copier, reference, book return, biographies, etc. Then they had a sheet
they had to fill out. In order to do it, they had to walk around the entire
library and see where everything was located. I also did an orientation
videotape and showed it to all freshmen. We just shot it ourselves and it
saved me from saying the same thing over and over to 500 freshmen!
-------------------------------------------------
Diane Greenholt
South Western High School Librarian
South Western School District
greenholt@swsd.k12.pa.us
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