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Here are more HIT's for Lots of talking during library check out time. Cindra Boring Librarian Madisonville Primary School Madisonville, TN cbtn@bellsouth.net Here is my original email: This is my second year as a librarian in a primary school. I can keep the children's attention during lessons, but as soon as book checkout begins, they begin talking too loudly. I tell them to stop, and they stop for a few seconds then start back in again. I've had them sit at the desks with their heads down for a few minutes, but they begin again as soon as they start looking for books again. I've even given them tickets to have recess time taken away from them. Nothing seems to work. I can hardly wait until the children find their books and check them out so they will quiet down. I usually have to check the books out and help the children find books at the same time. It is just difficult doing two things at once, plus watching all the other children while I am helping one child or checking out books for another. What do the rest of you do to maintain quiet in the library during check out time? I don't mind whispering, but it gets so loud that I can't hear the children's names so that I can check out their books. To top it off there is a wall air conditioner running behind the circulation desk. I keep turning it on and off so that I can hear and try to keep it cool in the library. I'm not hard of hearing. In fact my hearing is very sensitive, which probably makes the problem worse for me. It's like fingernails on a black board. I would think it was just me, but teachers who visit the library have also told them to quiet down. Any suggestions, please. Probably there are some out there who have no problems with this. So please be kind and tell me how you do it. Cindra Boring Librarian Madisonville Primary School Madisonville, TN cbtn@bellsouth.net Here are more hits: When the kids in the library can't use self-control, they get one warning. The second one is accompanied by the instruction, go on back to class (without books, if s/he hasn't checked out yet) and tell your teacher you can't return today, because you can't behave. I don't get paid for crowd control. Betty Winslow, Media Center Director BGCA Bowling Green, OH bgcalib@wcnet.org Hi Cindy, I am also plagued by a too-loud HVAC unit in the library, and one thing that I've found that works (sometimes) is playing quiet music - if the kids can't hear the music, then they're talking too loud. Hope this helps! Erin L. Glover, Librarian James Buchanan Middle School Mercersburg, PA erin.glover@tus.k12.pa.us During check-out time I usually have my students either do a coloring-sheet, word-find, or cross-word puzzle related to the story that we just read. This way there is something to focus their attention on and I do allow them to work in groups. Occasionally, I will have to tell them to use their library voice, but I couldn't imagine how loud it would be if they had nothing to do but wait. Kathleen Guinnane School Library Media Specialist Belle Chasse Academy Belle Chasse, Louisiana lv2rdbks@excite.com I don't mind if you sit here, as long as I cannot hear you ALWAYS works for me. Learned this technique in an effective communication workshop. Dear Cindy, I am assuming that you have the whole class up at once looking for books. That would be fine if the noise level were acceptable, but obviously it is not. I would suggest that you let them get up 1 table at a time and give them, say 5 minutes to find books and check them out. They would have to sit down when their time is up because you would then go on to the next table, etc. When every table has been called, then have JUST the students who didn't find anything to get up then. The others who are waiting for their table to be called, could be given a word search or something to color(depending on the grade level) to keep them occupied. The ones who are checked out should (hopefully) be reading quietly. I used to have a problem with the"forgettors" wandering around aimlessly because they couldn't borrow. You could have a "forgettors table" with assorted books and magazines on it where they would have to sit or they could just do the word search or coloring paper. If you wanted, they could get up with the last table and look for a book to save for next time. Don't worry, everyone has had this problem at one time or another in the elementary level! Eleanor Jordan, Librarian K-4 Retired June 2005. East Hanover, NJ 07936 ejordan76@msn.com Wow! I could have written this question! My kindergarten classes drive me insane with their talking. I, too, have tried stickers, threats, "give me five", but the volume always returns. This year I tried a double change. I give a certificate for a classroom reward that they can redeem in their classroom and today it was a pretty good incentive. You REALLY need to have the support of their classroom teacher. But I think what made the biggest difference was my routine change. I checked in their books upon their arrival and appointed someone to start the "Quiet Water" (quiet game) game. While they did that, I called groups of 3 or 4 that had returned their books to check out, then put their books in their library bags and set them aside. I sent all of the books back in one stack to the teacher at the end of library. After everyone had checked out a book, I began storytime and we had a quick follow-up coloring activity. During the coloring activity, I was able to walk around them, closely monitoring their chatting and giving rewards to those who didn't need reminding. As I gave the certificates, I made a big deal about it and the others just fell right into it. It's just so hard to keep them disciplined when we only have them once a week and have so many things to do while we have them! Good luck! (wish me the same!) Mary Jo Enders, librarian Children's University Arlington, TX 76017 chapelst-mj@charter.net Please post a HIT if you get responses. After 15 years with a full time clerk who would check out books while I was in the stacks with the kids, administration cut that position out last year. I spent the whole year yelling from the circulation desk which simply escalated the chatter. I started this year with "silent check out." Not even a whisper do I allow. Time out (just a couple of minutes) for offenders. When th It's worked! Also, check out time is less because they're not being distracted by conversations. I do not think this is the ideal solution and would like a better one but I could not take another year of yelling. Hi Cindy, I work in a middle school now, but last year I did my internship in an elementary school media center. The media specialist always kept music playing in the media center. It was a general rule that if you could not hear the music, you were being too loud. This worked very well for her. Then, if the problem continued she would ask them to leave, but this very rarely ever happened. During checkout, if students did not bring their book back she had them sit on the floor and play the "quiet game." This kept the students who could not check out books that day from talking and distracting the other students. After the students selected a book, she had them either sit and read or play the quiet game with the rest of the students. I also found and still find that it is much more difficult to keep control of the classes that have teachers with poor classroom management. But there isn't much we can do about this. Hope this helps, Kristen -------------------------------------------------------------------- Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law. 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