Hi all;
I have received four requests for a HIT of the replies to my query of "How do you
collaborate with the public librarians in your area?" Here are the 8 replies
compiled below.
*For elementary students....
Encouraging students to join and complete PL Summer Reading Programs.
Encouraging and facilitating students getting PL borrowing cards.
*I work in a K-4 school. These are the things I do to ensure a bridge between our
school and the local public library:
a.. I work with the teachers to set up library visits for them (I also set up the
transportation part of it so that it makes it even easier for them)
b.. The library comes to our school at the end of the year and visits with each
class to talk about the summer reading club.
c.. I give out applications to all students that do not have them. I bring them
personally to the library and hand the library card to the student
d.. This year the librarians came from the library to my school each Monday
morning and we collaborated on a Junior Great Book Series Club with select third
graders.This really helped the students expand their critical thinking and
conversation skills.
e.. I review the Library's website with the teachers each year and highlight all
of the services the library uses.
*I've actually written a book on how school and public libraries can work together
to collaborate on all types of endeavors, from traditional summer reading and class
visits to assisting with student behavior in the public libraries after school. The
book is called Library Partnerships: Making Connections Between School and Public
Libraries and is published by Information Today, Inc., 2009. <by Tasha Squires>
There are so many things you can work together on from Wiki's to podcasts to
YouTube Film Festivals. The sky really is the limit.
*We have a partnership with our public schools here in Howard County, Maryland.
It's called an A+ Partnership. Each library is assigned a group of schools to
support. We go out all through the school year and present book-related programs
in the classroom and in the media center. We have a catalog of programs that the
teachers/media specialists choose from including Character Counts, Chesapeake
Choices, Books Galore (book promotions for Grades 3-5), FairyTales, Multicultural
Tales program, and many more.
Each children's instructional/information specialist (that's what we're called
now in the children's dept. of the public library) is assigned a school to be
liaison with. I am assigned to an elementary school of about 1100 students. I'll
go out to the Kindergarten Orientation on this Thursday evening and then I'll speak
at the Back to school nights in September.
I've gone out to do training for the teachers, to do the summer book promotions
for all grades, to do book promotions just before the winter holiday break, to read
aloud at Reading Nights and Read Across America programs; to present a character
oriented book promotions talk for a Girls Night Out for mothers and daughters.
I've done book promotions for Title One family nights.
We also work with our public schools in teams of two to create our summer reading
lists. Example: a public librarian would pair off with a media specialist from
the school to develop the summer reading list for Grades K-1. A different pair
would create the 2-3 list and another pair would create the 4-5 list.
We also have a Library Link program through which a teacher can contact us and
ask for up to 50 books on a topic at a specific grade level. Public school
teachers get a special library card which allows them extra time for keeping the
books out in the classroom.
We also host kindergarten visits year round in the library and give tours and do
story times for the children when they visit us. Students are encouraged to get
their own library cards and we have them ready for them on the day of their visit
if their parents fill out the application form in advance.
*I have a great relationship with the teen librarian in the town my school is
located in. She and I have worked together on a library card drive where she came
in to talk to classes about the benefits of using the public library and the
services they offer, she has come in to talk about the public library summer
reading program and booktalk some new titles.
We did a great collaborative project in the spring - our state library association
sponsored an online chat with a teen author. Before the chat, we held a book
discussion/pizza party. The public library supplied the books and we supplied the
pizza. She has also lent us titles to use for a read-a-thon that was held.
Additionally she works with our middle school librarian and I believe she went to
the middle school to book talk for the library's summer reading program as well as
booktalk the titles on the middle school summer reading list.
I've worked in districts where there was no collaboration with the public library
and I have to say it has been great working with her. She is so enthusiastic and
without her help I wouldn't be able to promote books as much or as well as I do.
Congratulations on the grant and good luck with your new collaboration! Please post
a hit!
*Last year I did a "library card sign-up" drive with the afterschool program we run
out of my office to promote the homework helpline offered by our local public
library. It is an online "live homework help" service offered through a grant, and
the library asked for my help in promoting it.
I sent library card applications around to each school with the site coordinators
and bags of "smarties" to hand out to kids who brought back a completed form, and
put a link to the site on my webpage. It was a great way to get kids to sign up for
library cards and it gave me a chance to work a bit with the ladies at the main
public library here in our town.
*I help promote any elementary-age programs our branch library Children's Librarian
runs (she gives me a big poster for my door, and copies of flyers or bookmarks to
hand out). She comes at the end of school to promote their summer reading program.
Her Friends of the Library buy extra copies of the upper grade level books for the
California Young Readers Medal (our state book award program) and loan them to me
for the time our students are participating, so we have enough to circulate among
our students before the deadline. Last year we had over 70 students in 5th & 6th
grade participate. During Kinder Round-Up Days, she brings flyers for our office
staff to give out to parents of young children.
* The YA librarian and I try to do a little more each year. Here are some
examples:
-joint book discussions - she has come to school and I have gone there
-summer reading: I create the list but get lots of suggestions from her; this year
she visited the school near the end of the year and met with kids visiting the
library during SSR to let them know about upcoming summer programs, put a name to a
face, etc.
-I advertise her programming - and have a student volunteer who acts as public
library rep - makes announcements, etc.
-we are having an author visit arranged by her at our school this fall; author of
one of our summer reading titles; then will have a joint book discussion afterwards
-I facilitate the scheduling and planning of library visits, helping the teachers
to complete a public library-generated form about what they want from the visit,
etc. I try to attend when I can; we can walk to the public library
-I do a banned books unit or presentation (it varies) with 8th grade and then we
follow it with a visit to the public library, during which they get an additional
BBW presentation (done by the YA librarian and colleagues) and also check out a
banned or challenged book if they haven't found one at our school library
-this year she plans to have a coffee clatch for teachers to let them know more
about what is available at the public library
-I arrange with the reference dept to put books on reserve when we are doing
research projects; some teachers give extra credit to students who visit the public
library and fill out a form afterwards
-in April, YA Lib. runs a Poetry in the Margins night, where students perform/read
their poetry; I encourage teachers to have students write their poems; I collect
them and practice with students if they want
-we send 400+ books to the public library for the summer; she creates a display for
them; we also sent a flip video camcorder this summer for students to check out on
reserve for a performance option for an assignment
Thanks to all of you who have replied with your ideas--Nancy, Debbie, Tasha, Barb,
Nicole, Anne, Joanne, and Sarah. I have met with my public librarian and gone over
these ideas and brainstormed together. I am ordering the Squires' book too, as
suggested. We have had a good relationship over the years and hope to expand that
effort. LM people are the GREATEST!
Darlene J. Forsythe, Librarian, K-12
Galeton Area School District
Galeton, PA 16922
dforsythe@zitomedia.net
"We don't own the knowledge-- we just know how to locate it!"
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