TARGET: HELP! Evening hours/elementary

["Deborah A. Monck" <monckstr@sunline.net>]

I turn to my wonderful colleagues for help...

I have just come back from a pre-school meeting with my principal who
has informed me that I will have a fixed schedule and Media will be put
back on the "specials wheel"... I have provided a very successful
full-flex program for the past 10 years with outstanding circulation,
collaboration, curriculum-integrated skills, team-teaching, etc. etc.
Due to budget cuts, lower student enrollment, and the loss of several
teacher and aide positions, administration has to go back to using the
media center as a contractual break for the teachers. :-(

My mind is reeling and my concern for the students and their access to
the center for recreational reading and independent research were my
main issue.  My principal has suggested opening the media center one
evening a week for several hours, having one of the office secretary's
trained on the automated program to be there to run it, and allowing
students with parents come in for checkout.  We have approx. 700 K-5
students, an "open-concept" school where the media center is in the
middle with seven classroom "pods" extending out from it (all with
separate entrances!)  I'm envisioning a nightmare...

Does anyone out there offer evening hours in their elementary library?
With no media specialist there?  Anyone have any
thoughts/advise/comments on this?  I am beside myself at the loss of a
wonderful program and am having trouble formulating thoughts on IF this
would work... please, any advise pro or con will be appreciated!

TIA,
Debbie Monck
monckstr@sunline.net

--
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
FOR THE LOVE OF KIDS'N'BOOKS
Deborah A. Monck, Media Specialist
Meadow Park Elementary School
Port Charlotte, FL 33952
monckstr@sunline.net

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=
All postings to LM_NET are protected under copyright law.
To quit LM_NET (or set-reset NOMAIL or DIGEST), send email to:
listserv@listserv.syr.edu   In the message write EITHER:
1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL or 3) SET LM_NET DIGEST
4) SET LM_NET MAIL  * Please allow for confirmation from Listserv.
For LM_NET Help see: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/
Archives: http://askeric.org/Virtual/Listserv_Archives/LM_NET.html
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=