Re: [LM_NET] Placement of Series Books

[Bonnie Martiny <bmartiny@EARTHLINK.NET>]

        Thanks for continuing this discussion. It has really made me think and
has spurred me to be more determined to keep in mind my main goal
(especially for 5th graders who move up from our school to middle school)
is to guide students to be more skilled in finding information and to
redirect them  to use the tools & skills  that they have been taught so
they can be more independent in a library.
        That being said I fully agree with Mariya as well. I teach K-5 students
and I really do teach them to use the card catalog, we do lessons on Dewey
and who he was and why we organize books in libraries using his system etc.
etc. and they do skill based hands on activities so they can learn to use
the skills of finding books they want using the catalog but believe it or
not the following year some still need a review and  have forgotten the
difference between the tems "bar code" and "call number" and ask for
assistance to find a book in the very short time frame they have to
actually choose a book. After a library lesson that has usually been
interupted several times by recess and pull out programs who use
"non-essential" library time to do interventions, counseling it is hard for
them to do more than just pick randomly. With little funding and a lot of
district money having gone to our high school libraries. All three got
major renovations, new facitities and resources as well as at least 25
computers in each library where there are 3 librarians and whole classes
come with their teachers which I think are all VERY GOOD THINGS!  But, I
have only 5 computers in my library that the students use to search our
online card catalog. ( My school is the smallest in the district with 260
students, funding based on numbers and my library is so small these 5
barely fit) In 30 minutes 20 -25 students have a hard time getting a turn.
I must assist them. Having very little open time for students to be sent
outside of the fixed time makes the task difficult but I promise you
elementary librarians are doing our best to instill the skills and try to
encourage students to be independent as possible without walking out of the
library empty handed or with just anything grabbed off of the shelf. The
worst times for me are when a student walks out dissappointed because they
did not have time to find what they WANTED to read and I was too busy to
get to them. I do not have assistance. I do have students who help others
and  I will skip my lunch or planning time to get them to come back if
their time and lessons allow. However,  I really do like my job and would
not trade seeing the look on a kindergarter's face the first time they walk
into my library for a new building. Wouldn't it be nice if we could all
take some time during the school year to visit each other's libraries, elem
to middle middle to high etc.(Professional development days ?) .  I'm sure
it would be eye opening and a good way for us to help each other better
perpare students to be lifelong users and lovers of libraies.

Bonnie Martiny
Media Specialist
St Charles Elem
Thibodaux LA
bmartiny@earthlink.net



> [Original Message]
> From: Diane Mentzer <dmentzerLMS@COMCAST.NET>
> To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
> Date: 7/7/2005 10:10:13 AM
> Subject: Re: Placement of Series Books
>
> I too would like to thank Mariya. She put all of my thought into words
> much nicer and politely than I would have. I agree with all of the items
> she listed as ways for secondary LMS to understand what elementary LMS
> do. I also think some of these are things that a Library Media
> supervisor, director or other administrator should do too. Thanks again

> Diane Mentzer - NBCT
> (Library Media Specialist / Tech Coordinator / Webmaster)
> Bester Elementary School
> Hagerstown, MD
> http://www.wcboe.k12.md.us
> mentzdia@wcboe.k12.md.us
> dmentzerLMS@comcast.net
>
> To learn to read is basic, To LOVE to read is the plus!
> **************************************************************
> "Show me a computer expert that gives a damn, and I'll show you a
librarian."
> Patricia Wilson Berger
> ##############################################################
> National Board Certified Teachers Promote...
> Better Teaching, Better Learning, Better Schools.
>
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