My original Request:
Does anyone have, or can we jointly build, a
checklist of things that we do before the library
opens each year? I'm thinking of things like:
1. update your patron database and delete withdrawn students
2. update the teachers in your patron database, deleting those who moved on
3. check in the magazine that arrived over
the summer and put out the most recent copy of each
4. process any books that arrived over the summer
5. set up the first display / bulletin board of the year
6. check your supplies, making a list of those things you need more of
7. check for any curriculum changes that will impact your collection
You get the idea. Please send your "gotta get
done before we open" tasks to me (not the list)
and I will compile them in a HIT in a few days.
We've had several similar lists over the years
for: things to do at the end of the year; things
to do if you are retiring/leaving; things to do
when you are new. But I can't find a list of
those dull, technical things we all have to do to get off to a good start.
And the resulting responses produced:
Library Beginning -The - Year Checklist
1. Automation System:
1.1. Update circulation system's calendar
1.2. Add new faculty, remove faculty no longer employed
1.3. Delete graduated students from database (and AR, if you use it)
1.4. Delete withdrawn students.
1.5. Add new students and prepare patron ID cards
for them (also add to AR and assign passwords)
1.6. Promote students and create new classes for AR and STAR if you use them.
1.7. Verify class lists with the office or classroom teachers
1.8. Print patron barcodes and attach to ID
cards, personalized shelf markers, etc.
1.9. Check overdue materials list.
1.10. Send out overdue notices.
1.11. Update your AR or Reading Counts program
users, if you are responsible for it.
2. Mail:
2.1. Sort through and respond to all summer mail
2.2. Read and respond to email messages from the summer
2.3. Process catalogs (file the new and withdraw the old)
2.4. Check in magazines and set-up back-file organization for the new year
2.5. Date, lavel, and file all magazines except the most current
2.6. Put current magazines in protective covers and display
3. Calendar:
3.1. Scheduling monthly Media/Technology Committee meetings
3.2. Set up your calendar/plan book (dating pages
and writing in anything that is scheduled).
3.3. If you have scheduled classes, set up your
schedule and post it. Prepare seating charts for classes
3.4. Contact teachers about library orientation
for the groups that needs orientation in the school
4. Library Materials:
4.1. Contact a nearby large newspaper regarding
papers for Newspapers in Education Program
4.2. Contact your local paper and begin subscription
4.3. Prepare routing lists for periodicals
4.4. Assist faculty in ordering materials from
the District (or Regional) Media Collection
4.5. Assist faculty in using the school library web page
4.6. Check-in, process and catalog any materials received over the summer.
4.7. Check-in library books returned over the
summer and change records to show they are no longer missing.
4.8. Change the status of books that were paid for over the summer.
4.9. Place last year’s lost books on a reorder list
4.10. Delete weeded books from database
4.11. Repair damaged books located during inventory.
4.12. Check-out equipment to individual teachers.
4.13. Check-out grade level or departmental materials for the year.
4.14. Process any special requests from staff.
4.15. Pull seasonal, special interest, and holiday books.
4.16. Publicize the use of Library databases.
4.17. Publicize the services of the public library.
4.18. Develop a list of new materials for teachers.
4.19. Update the Serials list.
4.20. Create a Back-To-School newsletter for parents/students.
5. Staff:
5.1. Schedule and plan new teacher orientation.
5.2. Plan staff development for teachers. Place
activities for the year on the school calendar.
5.3. Create teachers' Library Info Packets
(Welcome back newsletter, copyright info,
services the library offers, our hours, contact
info, changes from last year, new materials,
explanations of library procedures--checkout
times, passes, etc., media request forms, video
request forms, etc, Star, AR, Reading Counts instructions)
5.4. Send the URL of school board policy to teachers
5.5. Learn the names and interests of the new staff members.
5.6. Visit any new teachers to your building to
welcome them and give them a brochure of services you provide etc.
5.7. Meet with new teachers to show how to check
out audio-visuals and offer any help.
5.8. Show new teachers how to use equipment.
5.9. Check to see which teachers are taking
college courses. Introduce them to your
Professional Materials Collection and online databases.
5.10. Update phone lists.
5.11. Solicit student and parent volunteers.
5.12. Train volunteers as needed.
6. Equipment / Technology:
6.1. Test all A-V equipment, TVs, & other
classroom equipment to see that it still works,
all parts are still there, spare bulbs, etc.
6.2. Check for completion of summer repair jobs.
6.3. Clean all A-V carts (may also be a spring
project if stuff comes back early enough).
6.4. Set-up overheads & other equipment on carts
and prepare it to be checked out to teachers.
6.5. Distribute any equipment that was collected
at the end of the year for repairs, cleaning or storage.
6.6. Try to remember the "safe place" you put
the remotes so you would be able to find them again.
6.7. Check/update library computers (if not tech's job)
6.8. Check that all computers are working and
that the OPAC is working on them.
6.9. Check that the data projector is working.
6.10. Update your library website to reflect changes in the new year.
6.11. Check-out equipment for staff development meetings.
7. Curriculum:
7.1. Review and formulate instructional goals for the year.
7.2. Meet with each department, team, and/or
grade level for long-term planning.
7.3. Collaborate with teachers individually or in
small groups to plan lessons, unit, and library scheduling.
7.4. Develop an instructional outline for
reviewing the curriculum for the first semester.
7.5. Organize teaching materials for instruction.
8. Planning:
8.1. Attend staff leadership team meetings.
8.2. Attend Library Services meetings.
8.3. Plan reading incentive/motivation activities for year.
8.4. Prepare for back-to-school night.
8.5. Schedule your book fair or other fund raiser.
8.6. Make lesson plans for at least the first two weeks!
8.7. Plan book talks for library orientation
8.8. Plan for the observance of Teen Read Week.
8.9. Plan for the observance of Banned Books Week.
8.10. Plan student orientation activities.
8.11. Plan orientation for library volunteers, students aides, etc.
8.12. Gather orientation materials.
8.13. Develop circulation and other media procedures.
8.14. Prepare emergency sub plans.
8.15. Plan for fall observation.
8.16. Register for your state conference if it is in the fall.
8.17. Create/update list of larger projects that
need to be worked on during the year.
8.18. Pick a new project for the new year! Don't
put this off--it won't happen. Most of us are so
overworked that we find it hard to fit in
anything extra, but we need to try to focus on
one NEW project each year, whether that's a book
club, hosting a faculty tea, putting on a puppet
play, organizing the bulletin board materials,
initiating Family Night in the library, beginning a library newsletter, etc.
9. Budget / Ordering:
9.1. Update and check activity fund balance and
confirm with school secretary/bookkeeper.
9.2. Determine status of any outstanding Purchase Orders
9.3. Confirm budgets for the new school year.
9.4. Set up folders for each budget account.
9.5. Make orders for anything that has to start
at a certain time, like periodicals.
9.6. Place orders for Newspapers
9.7. Make a trip to the local bookstore to pick
up some brand new must have titles for the start
of the year - the ones that can't wait until your first book order.
9.8. Order supplies – overhead bulbs, videotapes,
office supplies, computer paper, barcodes, processing supplies, etc.
9.9. Join professional organizations.
10. Facility:
10.1. Arrange furniture, put things back after
cleaning, summer school, staff development meetings, etc.
10.2. Do a bit of redecorating or rearranging in
the library so there's something new and fresh
for the students to see when they come in.
10.3. Buy something new for your desk that lifts
your spirits. New beginnings require a renewed enthusiasm.
10.4. Decorate library with posters, banners, plants, etc.
10.5. Laminate signs, posters, calendars, etc.
10.6. Create bulletin boards, displays, and signs for beginning of school.
10.7. Set up new books display.
10.8. Select a number of books to display, cover
out, in both fiction & non-fiction.
District documents recommended by LM_NET members:
Round Rock ISD, Round Rock, Texas
(http://www.roundrockisd.org) has a great B.O.Y.
checklist. Go to their website and type in
"library" in the search box on the top right,
choose the first item in the list that comes up
(Library Services Site Index), select
“Administration, Library”, then select “Beginning
of the Year Responsibilities”.
Anne Arundel County Public Schools. “Monthly
Planning Checklist for Library Media Specialists, 2007-08 School Year”.
Thank you to the following LM_NETTers who contributed ideas to this list:
Amy Louthan, Roseann Oden, Joy Branham, David
Lininger, Cynthia Bischoff, Anne Oelke, Virginia
Martin, Anita Bearman, Voni Rivas, Janice Bryant,
Mary Melaugh, Nikki Valentine, and Janelle Langford.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Melissa Davis phone: 281-689-6343
Librarian, Splendora Junior High fax: 281-689-8445
Library Coordinator, Splendora
ISD work: mbdavis@splendoraisd.org
Splendora, Tx 77372 home: mbdavis50@suddenlink.net
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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