Thank you to all who responded to my question about a beginning of the year
faculty survey. I wondered if anyone could share a start of year survey or
questionaire that they use with the staff to see what they would like to see
in their school library? Below are the responses.
Kelly Moore
J.E. Benson School
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
kellmoor@goldern.net
******************
I am a new librarian myself.
Attached is the library survey I used this year.
Tracy Deer
Kennedy Library Media Center
2005 – 2006 Library Survey
What are your opinions regarding the Student Collection?
Please mark all that you feel apply
 Content is adequate, but books are physically in poor shape
 The collection covers a wide variety of subjects, but too many
books
are out of date and not useful.
 Selection lacks diversity.
 Collection is great. Keep on the same track.
Please answer the following Yes or No. If your answer is no, please offer
suggestions for improvement.
Are the books in the library well matched to the current curriculum?
Are the books in the library appealing to the students?
Does the current collection promote reading for pleasure?
Overall
What format or subject areas need to be increased?
Are there any specific titles you would like to put on your wish list?
What are your opinions regarding the Teacher Resource Room?
Please mark all that you feel apply
 Content is adequate, but material is physically in poor shape
 The collection covers a wide variety of subjects, but too many
books
are out of date and not useful.
 The collection covers a wide variety of subjects, but the veteran
teachers are bored with it and would like new material.
 Selection lacks diversity.
 Collection is great. Keep on the same track.
Please answer the following Yes or No. If your answer is no, please offer
suggestions for improvement.
Is the material well matched to the current curriculum?
Do you find the material helpful?
Overall
What format or subject areas need to be increased?
Are there any specific titles or props/charts, etc. you would like to put on
your wish list?
********
I have teachers send
in a pacing guide for the year (actually the principal requires it and I just
get a copy). That way I have a ballpark idea of what and when they are
teaching. A also try to attend as many grade level meetings as possible.
Finally, I ask them to put a copy of their parent newsletter in my mailbox.
********
You'll never get curriculum or fill in sheets back.
I've tried it in several schools. I haunt them with
my clipboard before and after school and at lunch and
visit classrooms unannounced and ask what they are
working on. If I can get a hint or two, I swamp them
with resources. If the kids come in looking for
something I don't know about for an assignment I go as
soon as possible to the teacher and ask for a copy of
it. It doesn't take long for them to include you in
advance planning that way. Keep track of what they do
each month so at the end of the year you can present
them with a curriculum map and ask for suggestions and
changes then. Ask if they send home any kind of
monthly lesson plan to parents and if you can have a
copy of it. If you have any new or student teachers
in the building, go after them first for
collaboration. They WANT the help and have some great
ideas to share with you.
I keep a running wish list at all times for both
students and teachers, make sure that I order from it,
and make sure that when the books come in, the
teachers or students who requested them get first
dibs. I keep it on the check out desk and make sure
they all know where it is.
As far as authors go, we had Mark Crilley last year
who lives in the Detroit area. I don't remember how
much it cost but the kids LOVED him.
Cheryl Youse, MLS
************
I'm attaching a survey I just created after reading over the ideas I found
in the archive. Hope this helps :)
Kathaleen Bartlett
LIBRARY FACULTY SURVEY
Teacher’s Name and Class/Section: ________________________________________
IN ORDER TO DO THE VERY BEST JOB I CAN TO MAKE YOUR LIBRARY WORK FOR YOU, I
NEED YOUR OPINIONS. COMPLETE ONLY THE SECTIONS YOU WANT. PLEASE PUT
RESPONSES IN PRIORITY ORDER WITH #1 BEING THE HIGHEST. THANKS FOR YOUR
FEEDBACK!
Ж What topics/themes/concepts would you like me to incorporate into library
lessons?
1. ________________________
2. ________________________
3. ________________________
Ж List nonfiction materials you would like to see more of in the library.
1. ________________________
2. ________________________
3. ________________________
Ж What fiction materials you would like to see more of in the library?
1. ________________________
2. ________________________
3. ________________________
Ж What professional materials you would like to see more of in the library?
(Please put them in priority order with #1 being the highest priority.)
1. ________________________
2. ________________________
3. ________________________
Ж What other resources you would like to see more of in the library (i.e.,
videos, magazines, online services)?
1. ________________________
2. ________________________
3. ________________________
Ж What services provided by the library and the librarian have you found to
be
helpful?
Ж What recommendations do you have for changes which would be of benefit to
you and your students?
Ж Please add any other useful comments below:
************
Make up a list of questions you
would like answered. Sometimes you will get an idea from your first
visitors. If you are new to the school and the faculty they might have even
more questions about you than you have about them.
Below is an example of what I found in archives more of a handbook than a
survey. One survey I found was really more of an evaluation.
Bob King
Since I've already gotten several requests for a list
of what I include in
my survival packets, I thought I'd post it to the
list.
Here is the list:
Introductory letter
Dewey Decimal bookmark or other cool bookmark
A punched-out Ellison shape w/attached list of shapes
available at various
locations and use information [I include ours as well
as two local libraries
that allow us to use theirs]
A list of available teacher resources (magazines,
titles from book shelf,
etc.)
A list of student and teacher magazines BGCA
subscribes to
A list of study guides available through the library
A teacher magazine routing slip
A research project sheet
A teacher book reserve form
A teacher survey
Information about local public and university library
use
List of equipment that can be borrowed from library
(long stapler, chart
easel, step ladder, footstools, globe, map)
Information about original art in library
Library use procedure manual - teachers
Library use procedure manual - students
Library map
Mrs. Winslow's library laws
Renewal slip master
Video tape list
Audio tape/CD list
Caught You Being Good slip
(occasionally, I also stick in small gag gifts,
hand-outs of interesting
information, workshops I'll be teaching that year and
where, and other
one-time-only items.)
******************************
You're welcome to take a look at mine. Click on the
link below.
http://knowles.leanderisd.org/library/knowles_library/handbook.htm
******************************
LIBRARY: Working Together With YOU!
You are instrumental in making your student's library
session
successful!
Here are some ideas that will be helpful when planning
a research
assignment:
Create an assignment that requires your students to
use the library.
Have students select/discuss their topics in advance
so that they have
a
purpose in mind before they arrive in the library.
Be specific about what your want your
student to learn and
how
they are to apply that knowledge to an assignment.
Creating an effective library research assignment:
a. Schedule a time to come in with Marlene or
Amy.
b. Read through the name list for those who
have Internet
contracts
turned in. Those who do not should be reminded again.
We have extra
contracts for this.
a. Assume minimal library knowledge for the
students! Many
will
need help as they utilize the computer and find books.
(We have taught
them...some have forgotten...)
b. Verify that the library has materials to
support the
assignment.
We will pull books prior to your class coming in so
that these are
available. These will then be placed on a cart so
that they cannot be
checked out until you are through with your
assignment.
c. Define which sites are permitted for your
assignment. Do
you
have specific web sites, do you want them to only
search through EBSCO
(the
huge state magazine/periodical database) or a search
engine like Yahoo!
or
Google or Teoma? We have 12 computers on the Internet
with 6 more
eventually. None will print at this time but the work
order is in! (2
weeks???)
What makes an assignment effective?
a. Tie a specific topic that correlates with
the curriculum to
research
b. Communicate to the students your
expectations
c. Discuss with either Marlene or Amy about
types of resources
available and allow us to present this info to the
students.
d. Work alongside Marlene and Amy as students
select, evaluate
and
develop critical thinking skills.
WE ASK THAT YOU...
Not leave the library unless you have quick business
in the Student
Office/etc. Your students need you there to help
answer their
questions and
we need you there for crowd control!
Noise level: You know what works best with your
students. However, if a student is distracting, we
may step in and ask them to settle down.
SNAPS (did you see Legally Blond II)
to the following teachers who have already used the
library or have
scheduled
a research project thus far!!
Fugua, Hargraves, Lloyd, Richardson, Smith, Griffith,
Hanna J., Milam,
Blackstock, Holt, Hughes, Pettijohn, Ayers, Cindy
Moore, and Lewis.
******************************
Since, I am retired........., I can easily give advice
on this.........
Actually, I had exactly the same problem, as I suspect
MANY if not MOST librarians do across the country,
esp. in the elementary grades.
I do think the direct, personal approach may work
better than a handbook.
Have you tried getting the teachers to stay in the
library to help with various projects that are tied to
what they are teaching in the classroom?
Have you discussed this problem with your principal?
What is his/her attitude regarding this? And can s/he
be convinced that s/he needs to REQUIRE the teachers
to stay during the library period?
A handbook given out to the teachers at the beginning
of the school year when they are also handed scads of
other new materials may just end up in the circular
file or in a drawer, unread.
If you actually get some good, specific, workable
advice from someone who has turned a situation like
the one you describe around (Not me!), please share
their wisdom in a HIT as I am sure everyone will
appreciate learning how librarians who have been
successful in transforming the climate of the
classroom visit to the library, when the teachers view
the library time as a free period.
If you discover any workable secrets, please let us
know what they are.
Good luck!
******************************
This is what I give new teachers, in a pocket folder
at an
orientation-breakfast in the library at the beginning
of the
year---before kids come. I insisted once that new
teachers need this so
the first year I had everyone come and I think it has
helped a little.
Here is a list, and I'll attach a few things at the
bottom.
A welcome letter (adapted from one on Doug Johnson's
website)
a photocopy of our library web pages
map of the library
rules for signing up a class to use the library
AV check-out procedures
list of professional journals that get routed to
whomever wants them
list of student periodicals
directions for checking out a book (we have
self-check-out)
list of our video collection by subject
a brochure of the library
bookmark with remote access codes to our databases
fun quiz of some sort or a funky bookmark
*****************************
I have put handbooks online and in print format; I'm
not sure which
worked better. The teachers still came and asked
questions that were
answered in it! Here are some things we included:
a list of equipment
trainings we could provide
services we could provide and when
rules for students
rules for teachers
various procedures (scheduling whole classes, small
groups, etc...)
hours
We also made up a goofy list of misconceptions about
the media center
and media specialists. (Sadly, many of them came from
the teachers.
One guy thought we opened from 8-12 and then reopened
in the evening from
4-6.)
Mari Ferguson, Librarian
TJES
Bismarck, ND
*****
It might be helpful if you could meet with each grade level first and
explain what you are asking for. Then if they are willing pass out the
survey. Make sure they know it is for the improvement of the lmc program and
to meet the needs of the students and teachers. Pass out cookies or food at
the meeting. (do not do anything to imply that the former lms was not
effective...make sure they know funding is an issue etc.) After you have
collected your data, share it with the grade levels.
Good luck,
Jean
******
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