Hello all. This year will be my first full year at an elementary school library.
I was there for the last half of last school year. When I ran the final circ
reports, there was a large number of "lost" books. Our library serves over 900
students and around 40 teachers, K-5, and there is no aide, though we do have some
wonderful parent volunteers--but not consistently. We do not have a security
system. We are on a fixed/flex schedule and check-out is pretty chaotic--with
students coming in for 40-min. lessons every other 7 days and a 15-min. check-out
on the 7 days that they don't have lessons--so I see everyone every 7 days, with
half for lessons, half for check-out only. Check-out is done with a notebook that
has the class list and barcode printed for each student in the class. Considering
how many books came in that had NOT been checked out, I suspect that a lot of our
"lost" books were simply not checked out--not b/c of stealing, but b/c it got
forgotten in the sh!
uffle.
What I'm thinking about trying is the check-out procedure where I print barcodes
for each student on labels and put those labels on cards, separated by classes.
When I interned, one of the librarians did this and it served multiple purposes.
Books were returned that a.m. and any student who hadn't returned any books did not
have a card set out--they knew that meant that they'd not returned their books. If
their card was out it meant they could check out. As the class was leaving, the
only cards left on the desk would be ones for students who were either absent or
who hadn't checked their books out. This requires a little more organization on
the front end, but it's the only thing I can come up with that might help with
this.
So, I come to you guys to see if you have any suggestions before I totally revamp
our check-out procedures. How do YOU do check-out AND have you found a way to help
reduce these kinds of losses? The biggest problem area was with picture books
(i.e., our E section).
--
Ronda Y. Foust, Librarian
Hardin Valley Elementary School
Knoxville, TN
http://hveslibrary.wikispaces.com/
http://thebookdragon.blogspot.com/
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