Comment: Book room

[Chris Finer <cfiner@NEWFOUND.K12.NH.US>]

Julie wrote:

<snip>

>1) Why take the time and energy to move books to a "book room" when one
>already exists?

>2) What is the logic of separating the collection of books in our school
>into 2 different physical areas?  Teachers who are looking for content area
>books will now have to go both to the "book room" and the library for
>materials on whatever they are teaching.

>3) What about my job to help teachers find appropriate materials?  If the
>collection is split up, I'm not going to be able to steer teachers towards
>materials in the "book room".

>4) What will the impact be on trying to build support for my fledgling
>flexible access program?  I'm concerned I may be seeing less of teachers
>since they'll be going to the "book room" instead of the library.

>5) The "book room" may very well be organized by levels, i.e. level 1 books
>here, level 2 books here, etc.  If someone is looking for books on plants at
>a variety of levels (to reach all the students at various reading levels in
>their class), will they be able to access the books they need without having
>to spend an inordinate amount of time picking through books to find what
>they need?

>6) With a manual checkout system and no one overseeing the room how will
>loss be dealt with?

>7) What is a library if not a "book room"??


>Leaders and other staff in the building seem to be strongly supportive of
>the "book room".  My position places me in direct opposition to them, which,
>as you know, is not a great place to be.  I'm not sure if this is a battle
>to fight, or if I should just wait a few years when hopefully everyone will
>be ready to move the books back up to the room off the library (assuming
>there is one, since who knows what it will be used for once most of the
>material is removed to the "book room"!)

I comment:

It does seem like a waste of effort and resources, but I cannot help but
recognize the potential for a controlled scientific experiment. Here's a
chance to demonstrate the value of a professionally organized and
professionally staffed "book room" vs. a closet. I'll bet that a couple of
years from now the 'good' books will be missing and the rest ignored, and
Julie's faculty will have firsthand knowledge of the value she brings to her
school.

Just two quick cents from the northeast, suffering from our third day of 80-
and 90-degree weather, this while the snow on the ground has not yet fully
melted...


Chris Finer
Newfound High School
Bristol, NH, USA

-- cfiner@newfound.k12.nh.us --

"The school nutures both teamwork and thorny individualism, at once the
readiness to serve and the readiness to resist, for nobody knows ahead of
time which the Good Citizen may have to do."  -- Paul Gagnon

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