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Thank you all very much for responding. It was comforting to know that many
of you out there feel the same pressures. I especialy appreciate the
practical advice - things that are common-sense but just don't come to me
until I take some time to breathe!
*********************
*********************
It is an age old problem. You are not the only one. You have to decide
what is most important. For me, that's easy, kids first always. You HAVE
to adopt the attitude that you can't do it all, even with an aide. It is
not possible. I know that is hard, but life is way too short for to live
like you are right now. Do what you can do, close the door and go home. I
posted a similar request last year or the year before and I posted a hit on
time management tips. Look in the archives and see if you can find it.
*****************
I'm in a similar situation this year. I've had an assistant until
this year (and will be getting a temporary, part time one soon, I hope). I
have been closing the library to other classes when I am working with a
class. Here's my rationale: I cannot focus on both instruction with a class
AND supervision of drop in students. Also, the teacher who signed up to
bring their class and his/her students deserve my best. If I'm divided,
that's not possible. And yes, I'm taking a planning period every day. I've
always done this, but my assistant could supervise while I was not available
to students, so we never had to close.
Good luck. I know this is tough but nothing changes until you take a stand.
It's not good for kids to have only the librarian and no assistant. Keep
saying that and someday it will change.... At least that's what I believe.
*****************
Welcome to the world of the library! It is a never-ending process and you
will NEVER catch up. It's taken me a long time to resign myself to this
fact, but to keep yourself sane, you need to be realistic at some point and
not try to do it all or you will burn out. That's not good for anyone!
Few suggestions: Schedule some work time for YOURSELF (just like you
schedule classes) and do not allow check out or research during that time.
It's OKAY to have the library closed for short periods of time during the
day. If you could make it the same time every day and have that posted, all
the better and make sure your patrons know that they are welcome at any
other time than your work period.
Send your email out to the teachers in your school that you sent to us.
I think it explains your dilemma quite nicely.
Enlist teacher help for book check out. At first, it might seem like a
pain, but if you could "inservice" teachers in groups of 5 or 6 on the
basics of checkout, you could save yourself some time.
SEND YOUR EMAIL TO YOUR SUPERVISOR! Invite that person to come in and
assist. Give them the opportunity to do all that you do in one day and
simply explain to them your urgent need for an aide! BE VOCAL. The "squeaky
wheel gets the grease" you know.
Last, but not least, know that you are not alone! You DO need to look
out for yourself, however, and make your needs known to others. I still
feel that there is the stereotyped idea out there that librarians do nothing
all day but read books and eat bonbons! Egad!
BEST OF LUCK TO YOU!
**********************
if they don't get you a para you should ask for planning time, an hour a day
is probably less than what the teachers have, I didn't have a para for 2
months and it drove me nuts
**********************
When I am with a class, the library is not open for open checkout. I
feel each class is entitled to their 30 minutes. Students have to learn
time management so they can check out during the open times. I, too,
felt very overwhelmed at the beginning of the year, with too much to do,
and not enough time to do it. I have some wonderful parent volunteers
(have you thought of getting a couple of these to help shelf books?), and
now I am caught up and enjoying work again!!
********************
By law, every teacher here gets a "prep" period, including the librarian.
Maybe you should check your contract and see if you could lock your door at
least one period per day.
*********************
Although I do not have a library to call my own, I have sat in on the county
meetings. One suggestion that the supervisor gave the librarians was to
include planning time when designing their schedules. I understand that you
want to make the library as accessible as possible, but you need planning
time as well. Should the teachers be required to stay with their class the
whole day to provide them with the most instruction time as possible? (Talk
about a revolt!!) If I were you, I would look at how much time teachers are
given for planning and set aside that much time for yourself. The
supervisor also suggested changing you planning time each day so that it is
not the same time every day.
*********************
Can you get any volunteers - either student or parent to help with checking
out books? I have been able to use 8th graders, who need service hours, to
handle circulation and processing and shelf reading. Of course, I am in a
private school and that might make a difference. I sometimes attend PTO (or
PTA) meetings and have found some parent volunteers. Alternatively, I have
collaborated with the president of the PTO, and she has found some parent
helpers. Without them, I would have been swamped like you. Good luck!
*********************
Exactly how I feel!!! Only I'm at the elementary level. This year, we are
part of the classroom schedule, rather than having a flexible schedule.
That means I see all 650 students for 4 days in a 6 day schedule. The other
two days are "free"--in other words I spend most of my time catching up and
planning lessons. I have no aide, although I do have volunteers. In
addition, we have had no computers since the beginning of the school year
while technology installed new fiber optic cable all over the district.
That meant no library system--manual checkout with no OPAC. We're all
losing it!
Our school finally came up on the computer last week and today is the first
day I've had to familiarize myself with my new upgraded Follett system (this
happened simultaneous to coming up). I still won't be able to check out on
the system tomorrow because I'm just now entering students into patron
management. I don't know what I'm going to do when I finally get my 2001-02
budget to spend (not 'till Dec. and must be spent by Mar.1) Then I'll have
to order my books and do everything else.
Another librarian and I were discussing this problem this morning and came
to the conclusion that perhaps we're being too conscientious about lesson
plans??? I far prefer teaching library skills, but how do we effectively
combine teaching and library admin?
PLease keep us posted about what others say!
***********************
Would you be able to train a couple of student aides to take care of the
book exchange? If you can get a couple of volunteers who are highly
responsible, train them, and then eventually they can become your trainers
for future volunteers. Especially if you provide them with a written
procedure for student aides. I realize at this time you are probably
thinking, but I don't have the time to train anyone. But the freed time and
additional access to your library would be well worth the training sessions
down the line. Also there have been postings in the past for descriptions
for aides that you could probably access in the archives.
***********************
Look at your contract. You are given a prep period.
Go to your principal and explain you need one. If you
don't get anywhere that way, go through the union.
They are breaking hte contract if they don't give you
one.
*********************
Yes, you need a prep period. Block out time every day (it doesn't have to
be
the same period). A union president once told me that all librarians need
to
take a prep period every day - if they don't then several years down the
line
when the union is negotiating its contract the administration through
default
can demonstrate that librarians don't need prep and all librarians in the
district will be forced to work all day without any relief. My teachers
are
very supportive that I only teach five periods a day like they do (it also
reminds teachers that you are a teacher deserving a prep). Occasionally I
will
teach six periods in a day and the teachers I'm helping out during my prep
think I'm a saint (it builds good will when I do this).
Re-evaluate what you personally can do in a single day without and aide,
then
talk with your principal about scaling back services until an aide is hired
(it's best to do a few things well, then to do a lot of tasks poorly).
Talk
with your department chairs about why you need to scale back and why you
need a
prep period (you need them on your side). Lastly, DON'T FEEL GUILTY about
not
being a superwomen. You can't do it alone. The sooner your district
understands this the sooner you'll get the help you need. If the district
won't help then find a district that supports librarians with classified
staffing.
***********************
I worked at a middle school before I came here, and I know how you feel. I
ended up having student library aides--2 per period, plus any student who
wanted could be a volunteer. I trained them to do all of the shelving,
checking in and out, and various other duties. This gave me more time to
actually be out with the students, answering their questions and assisting
them.
As far as the paperwork goes, you never catch up. Just do what is
absolutely essential and get to the rest when you can. With really good
student aides, which are out there, you can do some work in your office
during the day. Just don't get bogged down in all the busywork librarians
seem to find.
Have you tried electronic ordering? Some librarians find that really useful
and timesaving.
You could also talk with your PTA about the need for parent volunteers.
Sign people up, have a training session, and see how they do. I didn't have
much luck at my middle school, but it's worth a shot.
You might also develop a detailed job description of what you actually do,
and present it to your principal with a request for at least a part-time
aide.
Do y'all have the green thumb program there? Sr Citizens come in and work
for you several days a week. That might be another option.
Hope this helps! Just remember--you're there for the children, not for the
paperwork! :)
***********************
The first part of the year is ALWAYS hectic. Once you get the reference
skills classes taken care of, then when a teacher brings in their class your
part is to say:
what are we working on?
What is the final product?
What are our best sources for this class?
Where are those sources located?
Any questions?
Okay, lets go.
Then, you can do two and three things at once. You can be helping a class
working on a research project while helping students with book returns.
The first couple of weeks, post your schedule. Let the other teachers know
when you'll be busy teaching reference skills and they can limit the number
of students they are sending. I also, put the teacher who's brought their
class in for the reference lesson to work running the checkout station. So
that I can be working with their class. Nobody's ever declined the request.
Remember to delegate. I would also request student aides. They can run the
checkout station. They can help with shelving the fiction items and if you
get a great one, they can even shelve the non-fiction. Make sure your
administration bops over every now and then. I've even been known to go get
them to see what's happening in the library.
Nobody that I know of takes a plan period. You can't take the same one
every day because that means one period you aren't available. Which isn't
fair to the teachers that have classes that period of the day. You would
have to rotate it, and who wants to keep track of that?
I run my library setup and computer lab classes through the science
department. We just decide when to do it, and then get them all out of the
way. Works great for us. We probably don't do a really good job of letting
the other departments know. Our computer lab and library sign ups are done
via our web page. Everybody has a log on name and password and they can see
what is happening in the library/labs. If we are full, then they need to
take care of library stuff at another time, or request through the teacher's
already using the facilities if they can come also. Then it's not me saying
no or yes. It's the teacher's who've already signed up.
Do not ever dread coming to work. Figure out ways to make it manageable for
you. Use the teachers to your advantage. Ask the teacher's that are
running classes through the library for new books to bring everybody over at
once, and have that teacher run the checkout station. Then they can leave
and go back to what they need to do in the classroom. I have one, that
brings her class over the last 15-20 minutes of the class, its a set time
then and the students are released to their next class from the library. No
stragglers.
I write down questions and tell the students to come back at lunch and I'll
have an answer for them. Then when I get a minute I search the question.
Most of the time, they don't come back. You'll learn who really wants an
answer and who just wants you to do their research. Also, save ordering
books for lean times. You'll go some days without anybody in the library.
I have a file that I throw requests in, from anybody who'll take the time to
make one. I'm forever asking students for book titles. I toss out the big
Follett catalog and tell them to highlight titles. (I don't necessarily
order from them, but it has a great title listing.) I do a lot of my
ordering on-line from Mackin.com, they have free processing and Marc
records. So, that can save you time in the long run if you don't have to
create all your MARC records for an order.
Good luck, we are working with the best ages, enjoy it and them.
***************************
Our middle school library of 740 kids has a full time librarian and
secretary but we still recruit and train about 80 student volunteers. They
work the circ desk, shelve books, help classmates on the computer, and do
odd jobs like processing new books. The training takes about 2 periods and
the adults are available if there are questions. Also, during book
exchange, teachers keep the bulk of the class in the room and send small
groups for book exchange of 3-5 kids at once. You're not a superhero! How
could you possible do everything by yourself? Let teachers know when you
can take more kids, like when your work is getting caught up. You'll never
get it all done unless you cut back somewhere. Remember that a classroom
teacher would NEVER take in two other classes while trying to do
instruction. They will accept your decision to limit the number of students
you are responsible for at one time. Keep your chin up! It's a great job
once you get it under control.
***************************
Are skills classes a must? Often if there is no follow up work in the
classroom, these skills are never used and are forgotten. You can only do
what your admin considers important; you can't do everything. Are you
getting paid for before and after school times? If your admin really
thought this was important, you would get something. As long as you are
willing to be super woman--guess what?--you'll be expected to be one. Are
you on a teacher's contract? Are your hours different from the other
teachers? Do you take lunch as long as the other teachers, duty free? Do
you take prep time? If you expect to be treated the same as a teacher and
not feel as frazzled, cut down. You shouldn't be doing two peoples' jobs,
even if it's until there is a second person.
(HIT poster's response:
yes, I feel it is necessary to do the research skills - information
literacy is an important part of what we do. Also, these classes are on
inclusion - mainstreamed and ESL students - I feel that I must get in there
with them and get hands-on. How can the teacher know - that's what I'm
supposed to know -the information sources. The skills are integrated into
the curricular needs of the moment - you're right - it wouldn't make sense
otherwise. In this case, the social studies project is the context. I am
only teaching the skills needed for the students to be able to work
independently when they come in on their own. I am on an administrator's
contract so I am expected to work 40 hours a week - a few more than the
teachers. I also get paid for working three weeks extra in the summer. I
do have a duty-free lunch as long as the teachers. The only prep time I
have taken was on Friday afternoons but I will start doing a 90-minute
period every day (now that I just found out that the assistant is on her
way) during the prep period of the teacher who has scheduled research that
day. I think a class period a day would be more appropriate than saving it
all up.
**********************
At 04:24 AM 10/22/2001 -0500, you wrote:
> I am trying to teach information literacy skills to a research class
Are you assigned to teach these classes on a schedule that has every
homeroom class getting a class in the one or two week rotation? If so,
time should be given during these periods for book exchange, even if you
get an aide. Teachers should not be dumping their kids off in the library
when you are teaching. Unless you have a schedule as I did last year that
has you teaching 5-6 periods a day and only seeing half the school, the
teacher of the other classes should feel free to bring their kids to the
library for book exchange under their own supervision. You should meet
with them and they should be trained to work the circulation system and
assist their children. Otherwise, whole classes should not be coming to
the media center outside of their scheduled time. This doesn't mean you
won't get a book for a class messenger who has been sent for a "just in
time" moment, but under no circumstances should you have to deal with 2-3
classes in the library while you are on your own. This should not even
happen if and when you get an aide. Your aide is there to help you with
check out, shelving books and other administrative tasks. She may be able
to handle kids on a one-to-one basis, but she is not paid to supervise
whole classes. You should still be open before and after school for those
kids who need to have access to more books, just as good teachers are
available to provide a little extra help to students.
>I have found myself locking the doors so that I can concentrate on the
>research classes.
>I hate to do this because I want to have an accessible
>library.
There is a difference between having an accessible library and being taken
advantage of. Your research classes should also provide the kids with time
for independent practice. A class period should be divided approximately
in thirds: direct instruction, practice and circulation. You should ask
teachers not to send individual information requests to the library during
the first ten minutes of a period. While you will still be available for
help during the skills practice time the kids should learn to ask their
"partners" if you are busy with an individual request.
>However, I have begun to dread coming to work because I feel that
>I can't catch up.
No wonder with 3 classes a period.
>I am open for 30
>minutes before and after school.
As stated above this is a very good thing to do.
>I can't catch up on my administrative
>tasks (researching and ordering books, etc.)
This goes with the territory, but you should have at least one period a day
without scheduled classes.
>because of the students
>requesting help with computers or other research questions.
This means that your library is being well used.
> Am I trying to
>accommodate too much?
Yes and no, yes if you are allowing teachers to leave you alone with more
than one class in the LMC, no if you don't expect to have to do several
hours of administrative work outside of the scheduled work day. Especially
if you are expected to be "prep time" for more than 3-4 teachers in a day.
>Is there just a point where I'm going to have to not
>be as accessible?
If you are fortunate enough to be on a flexible schedule ( was talking
about fixed schedules above) you should not be trying to handle more than 3
research projects at a time and these should be team taught with the
classroom teachers.
>Also, should I drop the book exchange classes so I can
>teach the information skills classes until I get an aide?
If you are on a fixed schedule of "prep time" coverage for the homeroom
teachers you should be doing both with a class at their scheduled time. If
you are on flexible schedule you should work with teachers so that you are
not the only adult in the library during any class time. You and the other
teachers should be ready willing and able to cover for each other. When I
had a half and half schedule, there were times when to be able to teach the
research lesson to the upper grades who were on flex at the time it would
fit into their schedule, the classroom teacher would have to take my
kindergarten story time.
> I think I need to
>take a planning period every day. Does anybody else do this?
You are a teacher just like any other in your school. I am sure that you
are contractually entitled to one duty free period a day. Most of us allow
individual kids sent for requests to disturb us but NO CLASSES. Most
librarians on flex schedules in middle schools also do their best to have
at least one period a day to meet with a team to do cooperative
planning. Until you get an aide this will mean either inviting the team to
meet at your place or closing the library while you are out.
Hope this helps, before you get burnt out.
*********************
I am an elementary librarian, but last year I had to do library classes in
order to provide planning time for classroom teachers. My day was scheduled
from 8:15 to 2:30 (our entire day) with only an hour free. I closed the
library at that time for my lunch. I hated to do this, but there was no
other way to find time to eat and catch up on a few administrative chores.
I did stay behind, and am still trying to catch up now. Fortunately I have
an open library now and don't do scheduled classes.
***********************
Thanks again to all! I really appreciate it. If I get any more replies,
I'll post a Part II.
Carol Valdez, Librarian
Salvador Garcia Middle School
499 Pena Dr.
Laredo, TX 78046
956.724.4113
fax: 956.724.6566
cvaldez@united.isd.tenet.edu
http://www.united.isd.tenet.edu/middle/sgm/
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