[LM_NET] HIT: High School Back to School Grant Ideas

[Vicki Builta <vickicb2001@YAHOO.COM>]

Thanks to those who responded.  I received some great
ideas! Here they are:

If your state has its own book award program, I'd get
those books.  The
five hundred dollars probably won't be enough, but any
help is good.

Or how about, "New Year, New Media Specilist, New
Library?"  Spend the
money on sprucing up the place; new art, plants, maybe
a rug.  Put your
personal touch to the place.

How about a book club?  A coffe bar for the library?


We did an "Aliens in the Library" theme for freshman
orientation to the library at the first of the year
last year. I collaborated with the freshman English
teacher and she brought her classes in for four
consecutive days. I made spaceships and hung them from
the ceiling and my high school aides put together two
life-sized aliens to sit at the tables. (We used alien
Halloween masks and men's suits stuffed with
newspaper.) I ordered alien stuff from Oriental
trading and gave it to them as prizes throughout the
week. We covered the computer catalog and Dewey
Decimal system the first day and the online databases
the other three days.

I got a minigrant ($1500) last year to purchase audio
versions of everything we read in English
classses(grades 9-12), with the justification that
some kids are auditory learners, some with other
challenges, etc.  Several titles just weren't
available anywhere (Catcher in the Rye), but we got
great response from the kids ("I can borrow Scarlet
Letter on CD?!") and I am now adding CD's (and maybe
MP3?) as teachers add to the curriculum.

I have been a h.s. librarian for over 20 years.  Teens
like a variety 
of
things, depending where their reading level is...and
their sex.

Music books like the newest version of the Rolling
Stone Ency. of Rock 
is
a good bet if you don't already have a copy and you
can supplement it 
with
newer music books on individual musicians that are
popular with your
students.

Graphic novels are popular with teens too.

Our girls like love stories by Joni Picoult and
Nicholas Sparks.  
Steven
King is very popular with boys especially, but many
girls too.

THIN books are always popular.  If author reports are
required in your
curriculum, you might want to check out some series of
biographies and
include sports figures, musicians, and historical
figures.  Gary 
Paulsen
is popular because his books are packed with action,
often have a moral
ethic and they're thin too.

Updating your globes and atlases is something that is
expensive from 
your
regular budget, and a grant could handle it nicely.

Girls like books on hair and I have been surprised by
the number of 
boys
who come in for love poetry...romance is not dead.


ANother approach is to buy books that were turned into
movies.  Kids 
tend
to relate to these.  I hope they actually read the
books.  Many do and
sometimes come in to discuss the difference between
them.

Animae is popular too.


Seed money for a book club is looked upon favorably,
if you would want 
to
sponsor one.  You could use the $ to purchase books of
the students'
choice.

IF you partner with another teacher to support a
curricular area, or
purchase fiction / historical fiction that might be
assigned...it might
help you get the funds.



VCB

Vicki Builta
Library Media Specialist
Anderson High School 
4610 S. Madison Ave.
Anderson, IN 46013
vickicb2001@yahoo.com
765-641-2037
765-641-2041 (fax)
www.ahslibrary.net

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