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Some time ago I promised to post any hits I received to my request for advice for a new elementary media specialist. Below are the answers I received. Thanks to everyone who responded. Angela Williams Media Specialist McKissick Elementary School Easley, SC spartangirl68@yahoo.com If at all possible, try to contact the person at your new site and ask to spend a day or two with her "learning the ropes." Hopefully you can see how she manages check-in/out, etc. It may be very different from H.S. By this time of year, she may already be in "return only" mode, but perhaps she could still show you the automation system (if different from yours) - how to do inventory, printing up bills for lost books, subscription info, things like that. Find out if she has policies and procedures written down. If not, ask if you can interview her and jot down what her normal policy is (for late books, etc.). What things does the library always do every year? What committees, programs, etc. are you expected to help with or run? Does the library annually close down for book fairs, Santa Secret shops, other school activity or fundraising events? If this school is in your current district, ordering may be standardized throughout. Ask if this is so, or if she orders independently, with whom, etc. You may find she works with a different group of vendors and reps than you have. Ask her to leave you their business cards if she has them. Treat her to lunch -off campus if possible so she can talk freely. It's a great way to get a "heads up" on which teachers (or parent volunteers) are ones you'll want to make inroads with immediately and which ones may require "special handling." Six months later you may look back and find you were in complete agreement with her or just the opposite! When I first started many years ago, the principal advised me not to change anything the first year. I've found that kids are pretty adaptable to change - it's teachers you have the most problem with. So take it slowly and try to keep things on an even keel and make changes gradually. Have fun and enjoy yourself and the kids! Best wishes, Joanne Ladewig, Library Media Technician (a.k.a. "Library Lady") Lawrence Elementary School, GGUSD Garden Grove, CA USA shatz@verizon.net I'd love to read some of the other ideas your receive. Here are a couple I thought of just off the top of my head: 1. Have procedures for checkouts and checkins, magazine signouts, reading incentives, library aides, parent helpers, etc. in place and stick to them. 2. New books - designate with a sticker or colored tape and put in a particular place. The children love to be the first one to take out a book. 3. "Get in their faces" = talk again and again with the teachers about collaboration, communicate with the school family about new books or special events in the library, communicate with the principal often about the importance of libraries, get outside the library and greet and participate in the children's lives. 4. Wear goofy hats, play games that build up skills, have special breakfasts or lunches to mark achievements, advertise, and advertise. 5. Read to each grade even for a short portion of the class time. Enjoy, Lisa M. Askey Elementary Librarian Phil-Mont Christian Academy Dresher, PA. 19025 ENJOY your summer. You're going to need your energy. I just survived my first year. I know that a fellow LM_Netter, Alice Yucht, will respond to your query. She has an EXCELLENT website that I have used religiously. <www.aliceinfo.org/> I recommend that you bookmark that site. She has a wonderful template for a brochure that you could have ready for the first day orientation at school. It's a great introduction of yourself and the services that you will be able to provide. Don't go in expecting to change a lot. This really upsets people. Make changes slowly and gradually. Inform the staff of the changes at staff meetings and with memos. You will be surprised at the leadership role and how much power is in your hands. However, remember how you use that power can make you or break you. Be willing to ask the staff what they would like from the media center, be willing to listen (even if you know there's no way under the sun that you will do as suggested), and be willing to try new things. Be a risk taker. I didn't think I was doing such a great job, but I got my first eval and received top marks in all areas. I also compared circulation statistics. I more than doubled the circulation. The average books circulated through our media center for the last 10 years was about 3700 - 4100 books. I circulated 9100. This is not really because of anything that I did. It was my new principal who supported me from Day 1. She moved the movement class from the library (long story, don't ask), and she took me off of the rotation with the PE, art, music/movement, etc. Teachers had a scheduled time to come in each week with their class. It was understood that this was not a Teacher Prep. The teacher or the assistant was to stay with the class and we would work together. Lovely situation. Janice Janice M. Askew Media Coordinator T. S. Cooper Elem. 237 NC Hwy. 32 South Sunbury, NC 27979 jma0525@earthlink.net Okay, here's the best I've got after 8 years as an elementary school librarian. The book ordering, fine letters, blah, blah, blah, will all come. This is what I've found to be the most important: -- Love the kids. -- Act silly sometimes or at least once a day. -- Remind the kids why they should love to read about 1 million times! -- Make the library a safe haven for the most unloveable child in your building. He/she will need you more than you'll ever know. -- Meet w/other elementary librarians and pick their brains - frequently. -- Make sure the kids know not all books have an AR quiz. -- When other responsibilities are heaped on your head, remember your focus is to the children you see every day. Everything else will get done eventually, or not. -- Have FUN! Have a great year. Kelly Kelly Smith, Librarian School Technology Specialist J. W. Wiseman Elementary 922 South Broadway Portland, TN 37148 (615) 325-8580 The best advice I can give you is to think back when you were in elementary school. The students love to be read aloud to and they love for you to make sounds and to be animated. My students can't wait for me to dress in the Cat and the Hat costume. They even ask me every year if I am going to be the Cat and the Hat again! It is a tradition at our school. They love for you to joke and laugh with them. This age group has such a sense of humor. They will move close to you to hear the story and they marvel at the pictures. We have some great discussions and I am amazed at how much they learn and how much they observe in their world. This is the starting place where you can turn them on to books and help them become life long readers and learners. Basically, you are working with little angels. Good luck at your new school. Donna Nowak/Library Media Specialist/Kilmer Elementary/Colorado Springs I love elementary as well. If you haven't worked in an elementary School before it might be helpful to get copies of the following books: Best Books for Children: Preschool Through Grade 6 Seventh Edition by John T. Gillespie A To Zoo: Subject Access to Children's Picture Books, Sixth Edition by Carolyn W. Lima, John A. Lima These books will give you ideas of what to buy, what to read to the kids and how to fill teachers needs as well. Good luck, Jo Josephine Dervan, Library Media Specialist Strathmore Elementary School Aberdeen, NJ rderva@infionline.net He who has a garden and a library, wants for nothing- Cicero Suggestion: Make a flexible schedule and stick to it. Carol Johnson Instructional Technology Consultant College of Technology and Computer Science East Carolina University Science & Tech. Building Room 239 Greenville, NC 27858-4353 252-328-9632 FAX 252-328-4250 Angela Williams spartangirl68@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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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