A recent incident in my area brought to mind one very important Useful
Skill Not Taught in Library School. How to Align Yourself with the
Faculty: The Importance of Not Fraternizing with Minors. Maybe it's not
a skill per se, but in this case, the repercussions could have
permanently negative consequences on a young man's career and
reputation.
Deb Waugh
Library Media Specialist/Technology Facilitator
Graham High School
Bluefield, Virginia
dwaugh@tazewell.k12.va.us
debwaugh@frontiernet.net
-----Original Message-----
From: School Library Media & Network Communications
[mailto:LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Maria Johnson
Sent: Monday, November 25, 2002 7:59 PM
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: HIT: Topics for Workshop of Useful Skills not taught in Library
A recent thread about book care/repair inspired me to post a request
for
ideas for a workshop built around "Fun and Useful Things not Taught in
Library School." Thank you again to all who responded! Here is the hit:
How about How to Deal with Book Vendors?
I must admit, I worked reference throughout library school (that is my
specialization), so I wasn't familiar with school libraries. When I sat
down with my Follett rep for the very first time and he gave me a
three-page
list of how did I want my books marked and how were my MARC records
encoded,
I was dumbfounded. I had to look in the Athena manual regarding MARC,
and I
finally got a clue as to how I wanted my books marked.
It was very imtimidating for a first-timer! Fortunately, that was last
year, so now I can "walk the walk and talk the talk." :)
*************
Unjamming copy machines
Giving directions to: water fountain, bathroom, pencil
sharpener
Removing graffiti (colorful words)
Removing gum (pressed into furniture)
Removing grafitti left in gum (colorful words made of gum
and pressed into furniture)
Dodging phone calls from salesmen (politely but efficiently)
Lunch duty, bus duty, hallway duty
****************************************************
Maybe how to make copies? Or how to figure out why the machine isn't
working. At our school, I'm the trouble-shooter for the photocopier,
which is in the library. (Years ago, when I first became a librarian,
the first thing the principal told me to do was make a schedule for
class visits for the year, and the second was to copy it on the ditto
machine. I had no idea how! In another school, I was the first one
called for help with the Risograph. Although it was not housed in the
library, teachers had their first introduction to that contraption in
the library, so somehow I was thought to be the "expert.")
Helping busy people in ways that are not, strictly speaking, our
department can give us an entree with teachers so we can push the
things that *are* our job.
Another thought: my library administration class did not teach me
about using adult or student volunteers. Perhaps some pointers there
would be good.
Advice on how to do playground duty? I've known teachers who brought
out a chair and graded papers while supposedly "supervising" a hundred
children.
**************************************************************
"How not to have a stroke when you find 10 keyboards drip drying in the
sink
after the assistant "washed" them"
"How to deal with equipment and help teachers who try to put a CD-Rom
in
the A drive while still teaching a full load of classes"
"How to work as a librarian, clerk, social worker, teacher, babysitter,
computer wiz, etc, all at the same time"
The two best things that I came away from the master's degree program
with
were the understanding that you need to plan and document changes even
though you never have time to do it and a basic understanding of
computer
skills (and that was just because I took all of my classes online via
distance learning) so I think it's a shame that so much of the
"old-timey"
stuff such as book repair, equipment maintenance and repair, and
customer
service skills are so sorely neglected in library school.
*****************************************************
One thing I didn't get in Lib. School was how to order books. I learned
about different vendors and different bindings from other librarians. A
demonstration of Follett's Titlewave would be an essential part of such
a
topic.
************************************
Basic trouble-shooting and preventive maintenance for a-v equipment
Basic maintenance of office equipment (photocopiers, fax machines, other
types of duplicating equipment (I have to do this for all copying
equipment
in my school and simply learned it by trial and error plus looking over
the
service man's shoulder and asking questions.)
Basic computer troubleshooting, repair and maintenance
Effective bulletin boards and displays, sources for inexpensive or free
items for these
******************************************************************
For those still not automated - ways to keep circulation cards by class,
by
date due, depends on how you intend to have the books carded when they
are
returned. I keep mine by class and have the aide or teacher card the
books
when a whole class returns at once but this would not work in a HS
setting.
Shelving tips - most of us have very little time to shelve books and
work
out "quick and dirty" methods that work in our libraries - I shelve Easy
books by the first letter in the authors name only - I do not even try
to
keep "good" shelf order. On the same topic - ways to help students
reshelve
during browsing - using shelf markers or some other method.
For the elementary set - short finger plays to to use to keep students
attention during the time they are waiting to line up when the teacher
is
late.
Attention getting methods for when the class becomes too noisy.
Ways to keep track of teacher requests for books not in the collection
to
consider at order time.
Non-sexist ways to line up - those with tie shoes, those with slip on
shoes
or for the kinder set who are still learning their colors - those who
are
wearing red, those who are wearing green
*****************************************************
How to download MARC records from LC, SUNLINK, etc.
Care of living things - plants, aquariums, "shelf
pets".
We often inherit these or have people who want to
donate. For those of us without a green thumb it
can be challenge.
AV equipment maintenance and repair. Many of us get
this job by default and we have to learn "on the fly".
Cleaning supplies. Unless you have a top-notch
cleaning crew, there are many jobs that don't get done
or don't get done well. What products are available
for what tasks would be great.
(When I was in another state we wanted to do a
conference session on this topic, but the organization
was afraid of offending the library school people!!!!)
I am working on this type of workshop right now and have decided that in
addition to book repair something on cables and connectors
For instance connecting your TV to computer, or multiple TVs to 1
VCR/DVD
player. Also, recognizing what all those different cables ends go to.
I am also planning weeding criteria for different areas - I have been
surprised the number of people who haven't heard of SUNLINK :-)
***************************************
The following reply is from Doug Johnson, who encouraged me to think
outside
of the toolbox:
- how to work collaboratively with teachers
- how to develop a long-range plan and short term objectives for
the media program'
- how to develop a good working relationship with your
administrators
- how develop an objective-based budget
- how to develop ownership of the library program by parents and
the community
- how to design an effective public relations/advocacy program
- how to influence legislators
- how set reasonable policies
- how recognize, develop and use one's leadership skills
**************************
Thanks again,
Maria
Maria Johnson
Project Coordinator
Otsego Northern Catskills BOCES
Stamford, NY 12167
Phone: 607-652-2018; Fax: 607-652-1216
mariamanzanojohnson@hotmail.com
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