First of all--- I hope you nominated your principal for a library's administrator
award (most administrators wouldn't think twice about librarians who spend their
lunchtime at the computer, in the shelves, and with the classes with a cup of soup
in one hand and a book in the other trying to multi-task!) Your principal was
considerate AND correct in her observation!
Second, I agree with Diane....get out of the library (if you can---I know some of
you can't...sometimes I can't either)....and mingle with the other professionals!
When they see you, it sparks their thoughts---or you can help to "spark" their
thoughts through your conversations! Be involved but don't drown in the
profession. Take time to get out of the library---even if it just means running
through the cafeteria, grabbing a sandwich, and stopping to speak with ONE teacher
each day!!
Make it a goal...ONE teacher a DAY! Talk to ONE....and make it during your lunch
time....talk up the library, the resources, THEIR projects, their classes,...let
them "unload" on you---they will give you BIG hints about what isn't working and
you might be able to fix it with a library visit!
Think ONE TEACHER A DAY....share your lunch and share your knowledge!
~Shonda
Shonda Brisco, MLIS
US / Technology Librarian
Fort Worth Country Day School
Fort Worth, TX
"Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible and suddenly you are doing
the impossible."
~St. Francis of Assisi
sbrisco@fwcds.org
http://www.fwcds.org/campus/libraries/default.asp
>>> Diane Lungaro <dianelu@YAHOO.COM> 01/04/06 12:40 PM >>>
While I don't have any specific food suggestions for my fellow listserv members, I
STRONGLY feel that I have a piece of advice to pass on. When I started in my first
position as a school librarian, the previous librarian had left more than a year
before. The long term sub really didn't do much, by her own admission, other than
provide teachers their prep by showing videos to the students. Needless to say,
the "library work" just piled up and piled up. The library was not automated, so
by the time I started, there were 6 shoe boxes of card catalog cards just waiting
to be filed ! And that was only 1 task that needed to be accomplished. One day my
principal, a very kind, supportive, and encouraging woman, caught me eating lunch
at my desk while writing lesson plans. She sat me down and had a long discussion
with me. What it boiled down to was this: she recognized what kind of shape the
library was in and what I was doing to change it for the better. We had a full
hour!
for
lunch and so my prinicpal INSISTED (and made me promise) that I take at least 1/2
an hour lunch AWAY FROM THE LIBRARY ! She had numerous reasons for this, some of
which included: networking/meeting the staff, unwinding from a long morning, let my
hair down and relaxing, and getting to recharge my "work" battery for the long
afternoon. One cannot walk into a position that has over a year's worth of backlog
to catch up on, along with the current day to day lessons, plans, etc. and expect
to be able to get out from that mountain immediately. Took alot of time to make
the mess, need to take the time to clean it up.
Anyhow, I didn't mean to ramble on, but to this day, while I no longer work in a
district that has a full hour for lunch, I make sure I leave my room for 30 minutes
and go socialize and eat with my coworkers. I strongly believe that it makes me a
better librarian and educator ! I hope that those of you that eat at your desks
can take this advice and make some changes to your routine.
Diane
Diane Lungaro, librarian
dianelu@yahoo.com
Sussex Middle School
Sussex-Wantage Regional Schools District
Sussex, NJ 07461
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