I would definitely point up the safety issue of that many unsupervised
students being permitted to choose where they wish to be. How do you do any
research help, let alone get any of your other work done with that many
students in the library all the time?
I don't know if a videotape would be a good idea. I think I would prefer
to ask the administration to come in and observe for themselves how crowded
and uncomfortable it is and how you are unable to get any constructive
activities accomplished. Then I would sit down and consider the following:
Do you have any guidelines for library behavior? consequences of
disregarding that behavior? any guidelines at all for the behavior during
these free periods?
One thing I would do as soon as I could, is send anyone not in a scheduled
class to the cafeteria while a class is in the library. No exceptions. It is
a disservice to the scheduled class as you cannot possibly be effective at
helping them when you and they are so distracted by the others.
I would also start to enforce a rule of how many you will permit in the
library at one time, come up with an comfortable figure and any over that
must go to the cafeteria. It is a shame to have to deny access, I know, but
you must also be able to maintain control and have a comfortable working
environment.
Toni Koontz
Media Specialist
akoontz@cdeducation.org
St. Charles Preparatory School
Columbus OH
Carpe Diem
-----Original Message-----
From: School Library Media & Network Communications
[mailto:LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU]On Behalf Of Sarah Katz
Sent: Thursday, May 02, 2002 9:55 AM
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: HELP: Library used as study hall
Do any of you out there have a similar problem?
In our high school of 1,000 students (and growing), many students have
"free periods" on their schedule. Because we are in a relatively small
building, the students are told to either go to the library (monitored by
me and one aide) or go to the cafeteria, which is monitored by a security
guard. No one wants to go to the cafeteria, so about 100-150 students end
up in the library every period. Usually there is a class in the library,
adding about 30 students to the total. Obviously we do not have enough
seats for all these kids, so kids are camping out on the floor between the
stacks and basically all over. It is a complete and utter zoo in here, not
conducive to studying, researching, or even thinking!
My question to you all is how can I approach my adminstration about this? I
was thinking about video taping a typical period in the library to show
them how awful it is to use the library as a study hall. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Sarah Katz
Library Media Specialist
Fox Lane High School
PO Box 390
Bedford, NY 10506
skatz@bedford.k12.ny.us
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