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Dear Netters: Here is my hit for my request for advice and guidance on what's really important in the high school library. Unfortunately, our tech guys came in yesterday and messed around with my computer and managed to wipe out over half the responses I received before I could get them into the document I was compiling for the hit. So, if you don't see your response here, I would be very grateful if you would send it again. There were so many good ideas and I hadn't even had time to really sit and study them all. Thanks for all your help. Marian Royal Librarian Socorro High School Socorro, NM mroyal@socorro.k12.nm.us I went from teaching 1st grade to a 9-12 High school library that hadn't had a librarian for 3 years. I was petrified, though I'd worked in public libraries all my life. And I have learned a couple of things over the last 15 months. SMILE GREET them by name or even just say hi, they're looking for someone to accept them LISTEN ( I told my principal that was what he left out of the job description) if you take a minute or two to listen to them they will grow to love and respect you. CARE...let them know you care if they're gone or in a ball game or contest, they love it if you ask about it. The books and collection will work for you, and if you can RECOMMEND books or authors and talk about reading it's great. I found what some kids liked and I've worked toward that are, winning them one or two at a time. You're fortunate to have had someone in there already, so ask questions, I didn't have that luxury. Teachers are your hardest sell, they tend to be so departmentalized that they forget to use the library for its intended use. I have to keep REMINDING them I'm here and I can help. It's getting better. This probably isn't one you will use in your "hit" but wanted to share from a personal experience. My change was good and I hope yours is too. I would take a tour with the retiring Librarian to see how things have been done. You have to start there and then change things gradually. You can see how things are checked out and if there are fines or books on hold. You need to note if there are computers and databases. How are books cataloged? I had an aide who could catalog anything and some people prefer using Marcive or pre cataloged books. When I moved I found that there are lots of different books and lots of reference questions. More research is done at hs but the students still need assistance. Check your new budget and see if there is money to spend I have taken a serious interest in attracting boys to the Library with magazines and graphic novels. Got time for one more? You'll find these are the same kids in big bodies. They need to listen, understand, and love them. The biggest and scariest will be your best buddy. Learn their names. Everyone. All 6,000 if necessary. Get an annual and do your homework. Good luck and have fun!!!! My advice would be to start reading current YA literature asap. The reference materials will need to be purchased in response to specific needs in that school and in response to its curiculum. for now, start looking at graphic novels and science fiction/fantasy. As in elem school, this is what boys who read, read. If you have read the high interest stuff, you will come across as a librarian who can recommend a good book. Incidentally, some of the so called elem. picture books will also fly in HS. If you have an ELL population, Curious George is always very popular. I don't know why; I just know it's true. Things like The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and all his others are also popular. have been a HS Librarian for the last 20 years. The job is exciting and rewarding. The best part of it is making the students successful. That is true servanthood and what I love about my job. Reference research is the most important part of my job. I subscribe to quite a few online databases to be able to answer most reference and homework assignments. I work with students in a class format and also one on one. I train them how to do the searches and find exactly what they need. Below are the online databases I use. I hope ths helps. Internet Databases 2004-2005 Bookmark as favorites for Homework & Term paper Help! @School & Home http://go.grolier.com - Encyclopedia Americana; Grolier Multi-media Encyclopedia; New Book of Knowledge; New Book of Popular Science; Lands and People; America the Beautiful http://ars.sirs.com - SIRS research: Full text articles of social, health, political, and global issues. http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/ - Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL): - Full text magazines and newspaper articles http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/knox94674 - Discovering Collection: In-depth reference content for the core curriculum areas of Literature, (Authors, Poets, Critical Reviews) History, Biographies, and Science Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center: On-line information found in Opposing Viewpoint Books Series, on current up to the minute social issues. Access viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full text magazine and newspaper articles. http://hwwilsonweb.com - Reader's Guide Full Text Select: Full-text magazine articles from 143 magazines, as far back as 1994. http://www.2facts.com - Issues and Controversies: 300 controversial topics in the news since 1995. http://onlineedition.culturegrams.com - Culturegrams: Countries of the world and their cultures. www.nettrekker.com - Nettrekker: High quality educationally relevant K-12 on-line resources http://elibrary.bigchalk.com: - BigChalk: K-12 resources searchable by age or grade level. http://school.eb.com - Encyclopedia Britannica Online http://search.epnet.com - Religion and Philosophy Collection - Religion and philosophy articles Primary On-line Package; Searchasaurus -Animals http:///www.worldgeography.abc-clio.com/home World Geography: Country Profiles Creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for both students and staff is absolutely your most important job. You will need to have a few common sense rules that are enforced firmly and fairly. I love high school students. It is so much fun watching them go from children to young adults. Every day is new and different. There are many students who are different and the library is a refuge for them. They feel safe there. You will become very close to these students over the years. Hopefully the high school has a tradition of collaboration. Our school does. We have only 325 students - but there are so many research projects that we are averaging 200 students in the library per day. So - we are busy. I truly hope that you have a high school that has not become too wrapped up in test scores, because that can really interfere with teacher's willingness to put in the time necessary to provide students with research opportunities. If I had time to do only one thing in my first year in a high school it would be to collaboroate with one influential teacher on one major research project. I would offer to assist with the grading process. I teach research skills, including introducing research databases and web evaluation. I have assignments due to me and I grade the final works cited lists that are turned into me. The teachers truly appreciate my willingness not only to teach the students but also measuring the results. The word soon spreads. The librarian is a "can do" person and the library can be a valuable extention of the classroom. Indeed, it can be a learning laboratory for the school. If I could choose only one online research database, it would be Gale's Opposing Viewpoints with Student Resource Center. If I could not afford these 2 mutually searchable Gale databases, I would choose The Student REsource Center. Altough it is not cover-to-cover periodical content - it does have an uncanny ability to choose the articles most pertinent to high school projects and it also includes online articles from reference books. I am putting more money into "leisure reading" materials these days. So much high quality information is available via online databases - that I feel I can spend more on fiction and also true life narratives and non-fiction books about teenage interests such as sports and music, art etc. I hope you enjoy your new job as much as I do!! I've been a 7-12 librarian for 6 years, and I think the most important thing is to BE THERE. The adage is true: "no one cares how much you know until they know how much you care." This applies to teachers as well as students. No one cares that your bulletin boards are changed every season, if you're so irritable that they hate to approach you. They'll _admire_ the bulletin boards, but from a distance. A very looooooong distance. Teachers are usually awash in paperwork and need someone to help, not to add to the pile. The more you know about project ideas, learning styles, rubrics, assessment, resources, etc, the more they will like seeing you approach, AND seek you out. Sometimes they ask (AFTER they learn to trust you), but librarians must perfect the art of diplomatic suggestions--right time, right motivation. Anything that makes the teacher's day easier, or makes the teacher look great--is fully appreciated. Students are usually confused, excited, bored, risk-takers...you name it. They need people to LISTEN to them and take them seriously Some have parents/friends who do this, but many do not, and they need to know that they are heard, and to be praised and challenged (must be sincere--they see through facades with an uncanny keenness). And they need space on those days that they're just tired or irritable. They need the lib/infocenter to be THEIR space. And they need a strong fiction collection--THEN they'll read. If you listen to their suggestions, they'll respect you even more. They need timely and non-conspicuous resources on high-pressure topics like sex, divorce, grief, STDs, suicide, psychological disorders, college, exams, scholarships, etc. NEVER make light of a student's interests or questions. You may be their only "safe" person. I've found it's not so much the resources people want as it is reliability--who are you to them? what do you stand for? Will you see them through a problem? Are you a leader? A helpful task to guide your planning would be to write a mission statement for your lib program. Everything you do builds this mission. Mine is: "The mission of the Shenango High School Information Center Program is: 1. to develop information literate students and staff; 2. to foster reading enjoyment; and 3. to help teachers teach. I try to publish a newsletter 4x/year...the more good PR, the better. Be visible, be flexible, be a leader. You'll have strengths and interests, and you well know that the pile of work never diminishes...keep people and your mission foremost, and let the little stuff go. "Major on majors." You'll be great! PS--You may wish to peruse Patrick Jones' book: Connecting Young Adults and Libraries--2nd ed. Also, go to the LM_Net archives and check the "Tips for first year media specialists" (or similar title) -------------------------------------------------------------------- All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law. To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL 3) SET LM_NET MAIL 4) SET LM_NET DIGEST * Allow for confirmation. 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