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Here is my original post: "I am a new media specialist moving into a library with an outdated Reference and Nonfiction collection. The former media specialist only left me with about $1500 to spend until January. What I am finding is she spent most of her money on fiction materials buying 5-10 copies of award winners for a school with less than 500 students. This is great for language arts classes, but I am interested in making the library a place to do quality research across the content areas. I have a couple of questions on how I go about doing this. First of all, should I focus on spending the rest of this year's budget on nonfiction materials and hold off updating the reference collection? Secondly, what are the must haves for the reference collection in a middle school? And finally, once I buy the materials how do I get the staff to use them?" I received several responses. Most of you suggested I familiarize myself with the curriculum before purchasing anything, either by looking at the curriculum map or by talking to the teachers. Another popular suggestion was to ask the teachers for their opinions of what the library needed. Thanks to everyone that responded to my email! Here are the responses I received: When the new materials come in, have a morning coffee! (And if staff have not been using older stuff, feature that as well). Advertise as "something for everybody" even if you have to stretch to find materials for PE and art. Ask for time and/or space at all faculty and department meetings. Take prof books one time, mags another, and whatever seems appropriate. hit on those teachers that seem most approachable to have them talk up your materials and services. At many schools, multiple copies for LA classes do not come from the library budget. The best way to get the staff to use them and to know what to buy that will be used not just look great on the shelves is to go to your staff and ask them. Ask them how you can serve them. Ask them what is not currently in the collection that they would like to see there. Let them know that you are working, in essence, for them as well as with them and that you want to provide quality materials for assignments. I can just about promise you that they will thank you for it, and that it will be the beginning of a great relationship with them. That is what worked for me 10 years ago when I took over a k-12 media center much like what you're describing here. When I left this past July, I left a staff who knew that regardless of a $3,000 budget they had the materials that they needed. All they needed to do was let me know what the need was. One thing you may want to do is an introductory letter/survey saying that you are looking to purchase books for this year and next (when does your school year end, btw?), are there any books or topics that teachers think are lacking or need to be updated that they might want to use..then they could list topics or titles for you. That way you can get an idea of some of the curriculum/research topics that are focused on and maybe even get the collaborative ball rolling. Once the materials come in you could do a little showcase, invite the teachers in to have bagels & coffee or other snacks check out the new stuff that THEY recommended. When I did this so many teachers came up to me to talk about upcoming projects or things they had done in the past and I even scheduled some class visits at that time. The food was a HUGE hit and made me popular from day one. I would send out a wish list to the teachers. Ask them what subject areas they would like to see beefed up - ask for specifics - not just science but maybe books on planets or elements etc. It's the same as the kids having ownership - if the teachers feel that their needs count and are being met - they will come. Ask the teachers what materials they need to increase the test scores for the Leave No Child Behind Act. Look for curriculum mapping and see what is used there. Ask them. Buy for those that respond as they will be the ones that will use the materials anyway. The non-fiction area isn't used here at all, only fiction, and only fiction that has an AR test available. This is a MS/HS library. I buy for the HS level as they will use the materials for their research papers. Create interest in the non-fiction section. Have the kids recommend subjects they want books on and have a drawing or something. Winner gets to pick the subject. Congratulations on your new position! I am going to start by suggesting that you familiarize yourself with whatever electronic reference resources are available, if any, at your school. If you do not have an online encyclopedia available -- and by available I mean that the kids will have enough computer access to make good use of it -- I recommend that you buy the World Book encyclopedia. Our students use both the online and print versions all the time. So that's your must-have. Over the last several years I have worked on getting the encyclopedias used by introducing the 6th grade reading teachers and resource room teacher to an encyclopedia scavenger hunt (not ideal, but it was a place to start), getting time in their computer class to introduce them to world book online, and worming it in to any presentation I made on anything for which consulting World Book could possibly be relevant. It took a couple of years (this is the end of my third year), but I did actually start to see students consult it voluntarily. Have the kids pick them out. Create ownership! I divide up my budget purchasing lots of NF books to fit curriculum needs. I have purchased paperbacks for some little used topics. I try to update a little in every subject area every year. I use the Best Books lists to help. I also know which topics we have projects for every year. As to reference I have World book and New Book of Knowledge. I buy one set every five years, but not the same year. Thus the refernce area of the budget can be used for sets about mammals, space, music, etc. various years. I never buy duplicates unless by mistake. My duplicates are paperbacks. The students like these. I do let the teachers know what we have. If the state has learning standards that dictate which topics are taught for each course and grade level, I'd compare them to the collection make the weakest areas my top priority. As for reference, I'd start by making sure that I had the most up to date versions of an unabridged dictionary, thesaurus, world and U.S. atlases, and a desk reference. If there were any funds leftover, I'd wait until I met the students and teachers to decide what else had to be purchased. Use your best librarian instincts, and whatever you choose to buy will be the right thing. You have an interesting dilemma. My personal preference would be to get nonfiction books and work on reference later. My reason for purchasing nf as opposed to ref.,would be that you could reach more students and the reference books can only be used by a few students in the library and are very expensive I would also think about databases, as you can reach many more students. Don't get me wrong, I love books and reference material but I find that my student's continually Google. I have worked very hard on getting kids to use quality databases that have been reviewed etc. so that the info would be written at their age level and credible. I find that they will use the databases with the proper instruction and push. Probably your first move should be to get a good idea of the curriculum for your school. Find out what research projects have been done and are likely to be repeated. Also, make friends with the public library folks--if your collection is not up-to-date, chances are your kids have been using the public library. Your next stop should be Wilson's Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog. You may be able to consult that at a public library (or from another school in your district or area); if not, it may be the first thing you should buy with what you have left. It will provide highly recommended titles for that age group arranged by Dewey numbers, with subject indexes as well. It's the first place I go when I find that what my kids really need is not on the shelf. Every four years, a new clothbound volume is published covering some 4,500 recommended titles. Each year for the next three years, a paperback supplement is issued covering newly published titles. There is an online version as well, but I do not subscribe. http://www.hwwilson.com/print/mjhscat_faqs.htm Kelly Stanchfield Northridge Middle School Library Media Specialist 482 W 580 N Crawfordsville, IN 47933 Phone: (765) 364-1071 kstanchfield@nm.k12.in.us -------------------------------------------------------------------- Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law. You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book. 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