[LM_NET] shelving AR books

[Kathy Graves <kgraves@SNOWCREST.NET>]

Just because we think the students all know something about each other 
doesn't, in my opinion, mean that we shouldn't  hold ourselves, our 
practices and services to higher standards.  I abhor the level dots on 
the AR book spines and think that we can do better with providing 
state-of-the industry libraries and systems to our students.

Kathy Graves
IMC Director/County Schools Librarian
Siskiyou County Office of Education
609 South Gold St.
Yreka, CA 96098


>
> Our elementary library puts colored tape on the books to indicate 
> levels. I just put a red dot on books that I have verified we have 
> quizzes for. Since the MS kids use both libraries, the fifth-graders 
> come in here looking for their color, and are quite surprised to find 
> that I don't indicate colors. I do put a typed label on the spine with 
> the Lexile and point numbers, but you would have to be pretty close to 
> the book to read it.
>
> I'm not sure that the privacy issue is as much of a problem as some 
> people think it is. Our ~900 K-12 graders all know each other pretty 
> well, so they already know who is a good reader and who is not. If 
> someone is really interested in knowing the exact level of another 
> student they will simply ask that student what their level is, and 
> almost always will get an answer.
>
> -- 
> David Lininger, kb0zke,
> MS/HS librarian
> Hickory County R-1 Schools
> Urbana, MO 65767
> 417-993-4226
> tss003 at tnp dot more dot net

> Anne Hinchcliff wrote:
>
>> I've been following this thread and have to agree with those who 
>> insist we are here to teach students to use all libraries--the one 
>> they walk into at College won't be arranged by AR levels. I think the 
>> thing that bothers me even more than the shelving issue is the fact 
>> that library staff are labeling the books with the "dots" that 
>> indicate a reading level on the outside of the book. What about 
>> privacy issues? Do we want a fifth grader walking around with a book 
>> that clearly shows everyone he is reading at only a second grade 
>> level? Don't we have a responsibility to protect our student's 
>> privacy? I don't have a problem with AR if it is used to get kids 
>> reading, but when it becomes the only focus of a visit to the library 
>> I think the students are missing out on all of the other wonderful 
>> things we have to offer. Just my two cents.
>>

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