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I want to thank everyone for their responses. I believe you all saved my career, sanity, and life. WHAT WAS I THINKING????? My original post asked whether I should invest in a few classroom sets of paperback novels for the teachers in my school district (I am the YA librarian at a public library). I received quite a mixed bag of opinion (most negative), but read for yourself. By the way, I have decided to NOT go forward with this due to: 1. the fear of investing a lot of $$ and having the titles challenged by parents. 2. the local school board may just decide that they no longer need to fund this if I am. 3. If I do this for the public school, I will have to do it for all 10 private schools, as well as the three Cleveland private schools just over the border where many Euclidians send their kids. Also, do teachers who live in Euclid but teach elsewhere get access to the sets? I believe that I will try another tactic (manipulative, evil and devious creature that I am). The Clevnet system will not send me 30 copies of a single title on the teacher's card. BUT, what if I have the teacher compile a list of the students' names & library card numbers? She can call me with the title she wants, and I can find out if the required number of copies are available. If there are enough, she can come in with the list and I can place a unique hold for each kid. If the system is a few short, I can order a few to make up the difference. How about it? Do you think it might work?? *****Anyway, The Hit starts here****** It is the district's responsibility to purchase textbooks -- and multi-copies of curriculum materials (like novels) come under that heading. My predecessor spent more of her library budget on perhaps four or five classrooms than in her four libraries that she administered. When I assumed the position the principals came to me wanting the library to purchase classroom sets of dictionaries, encyclopedias, novels, almanacs and even atlases! Would you purchase instructional videos for the school? You are obviously a nice, kind hearted person. As a former public library board member, a few school districts asked our regional library to take over the school libraries. (They wanted the public library to move into the school so they would not have to pay the librarian's salary, provide a materials budget, etc.). ************* Our classroom teachers would love us to buy the books, unfortunately that would cut deeply into our book budget. Their department has funds for the books. I'm afraid that if the library starts providing class sets of reading material, next we'll be asked to purchase textbooks -- something I don't want to do (the loss of time and money would be too great). ************ I think our teachers would love it and definitely use them! *********** as school librarian, have bought and do buy classroom sets for the teachers at my school. In other elelmentary schools in the system, classroom teachers were given budget money with which to purchase sets. Why not your school system's money? ********** I have library classroom sets (35) of PBs. In fact, tomorrow I will go to the Scholastic Warehouse and spend part of the vouchers on this also. I am working closely with my teachers on what books do they want to have as classroom sets. We have ordered s complete set of guided reading books for the K-2 areas. We have about 30 sets for the 3-5 areas. I have also complete classroom sets of the supporting science pbs for our science adoption. My teachers want about another 15 sets of books. I have copies of these books also on the shelves. Each book is barcoded for tracking of where it is. I have these sets in a special area. Whenever I purchase Battle of the Books sets I keep in mind which titles to purchase so that I can add to the sets. ************** I'm not a teacher (as you can see), but your idea sounds GREAT to me! I'll bet a lot of LM_NET people would like to read your responses!! Sounds like a good way of working together with the schools!! ************** Dawn, I'm not at a Public Library, but I do carry 30 copies of 10 different titles as requested by my teachers. The students just come in to check them out for an extended check out period. Just like they would textbooks. Some of the schools in my county do buy novels sets with their textbook monies. I just happen to have both the LMC and textbooks under my charge. The only problem I see is that if the teachers check the books out and the students are neglectful (who them?) and fold, spindle, or mutilate...not to mention lose those books then the teacher would be responsible. ***************** Teachers should not have to purchase sets of books but it should not be the role of the public library to provide educational material to the school. I can imagine how the Cleveland Public Library balked at sending that many books to the school. I feel your role is to support the local curriculum and your patrons but not to supply the materials they should be responsible for. ***************** Concerns: How would you decide what titles to buy? How many grade levels would you purchase for? How to you ensure that the books are getting to all of the people who would like to use them? How do you make sure that teachers new to a district know they are available? How do you ensure that the materials are approved by local school boards so that a school challenge doesn't become your own? As far as the advantages: My teeny tiny budget can't accomodate classroom sets and accreditation teams wouldn't count the titles as titles in my library (beyond 5). It encourages teacher use of the public library and hopefully would also promote collaboration between you both. Have you considered broaching the topic with your local librarians? ********** As a teacher-librarian and a classroom teacher, I don't think the public library should be providing classroom novel sets - I'd prefer to have you come to school and booktalk anytime - I'd prefer teachers not to use classroom sets of novels (how about meeting the students' needs and interests in literature circles instead?) - I'd prefer you to spend the money on items that will support the curriculum rather than items that ARE the curriculum - I really value the cooperation between our public librarians and the schools - I don't want the school board to have more excuses to cut back school library budgets. Thanks for the thought, though. ********** I feel that if it's related to curriculum, teachers should have to pay for this. I don't feel that I should purchase class sets for our teachers (I'm in a school). I feel that we need to have a variety of books, not just megaglops of one title. ********* Do not do this. If you do it for a couple teachers then all the teachers in your district will want the same. Your children's department will also be hit up to provide the service. It happened to my public library here. Also, there were problems coordinating who got to use the books. Teachers who live in the district but teach in other districts also wanted access to the books. Books got ruined and were unavailable for the teachers who had specifically requested the titles. If you do this, you will regret it. You will never be forgiven for a kind act. ********* Dawn Sardes YA Librarian Euclid Public Library Euclid, OH dmsardes@aol.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-= All postings to LM_NET are protected under copyright law. 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