[LM_NET] Tips for new librarians

[Darlene Yasick <lib027yas@SBCGLOBAL.NET>]

Finally caught up on my email. I put this together for a presentation after my 
first year. Much of what is here came from posts on LMNET, advice from my wonderful 
mentor and just things I learned. Hope it is useful. I checked the website 
suggested and it is still up and also has interviewing help and test taking ( 
PRaxis etc) on the site.


Tips for the first year

1.      Get to know the secretaries and custodians. They will be enormous help in 
navigating the everyday ins and outs of your school. (They know where the bodies 
are buried and also where the cartridges for the printers are buried.)

2.      Get to know your staff and let them know who you are. Ask for time at an 
early staff meeting to introduce yourself and explain what you can do for the staff 
and students. (Keep it short, you can convert them later.) 

3.      Have coffee and chocolate readily available. (We have a first Friday coffee 
each month in the media center. I display new books and get a chance to talk to 
people who aren’t using the facility)

4.      Make an ally of your principal. Be available to help him out whenever 
possible. Keep him informed of the good things that are going on and how valuable 
you can be to staff and students. (I always remember that in my building he 
controls the budget!)

5.      Be as helpful to staff as possible. Try to help with all requests. This 
does not mean allowing them to be unreasonable. If you have to say no, give a 
reason and an alternate suggestion if possible.  Smile!

6.      Get to know your collection. Shelve books for awhile so you can see what is 
there.

7.      Get to know the curriculum. Get a copy of the school’s curriculum if 
possible, check out major units and see what you have to support it.

8.      Be nice to the tech person if you have one—or to yourself if you are it. 
People seem more willing to help if you treat them kindly. Remember that they have 
many people who considered their problems emergencies too. Don’t stop them in the 
hall to ask for things, they’ll forget just like we do when people corner us in 
the hall.

9.      Ask questions
•     Ask teachers what materials they would like to see you purchase
•     Ask teachers what units they are planning
•     Ask students what they need and what they would like to read for pleasure

10      Learn names. Get a copy of an old yearbook and match faces with names.

11      Network, network, network. 
•     Media specialists are the best when it comes to sharing 
information—it’s in our nature. Have a question or a problem? Check with other 
LMS’ or your REMC. 
•     Make use of REMC staff, they are an invaluable help.
•     Use the MAME website or other MAME resources ( or your state librarian’s 
association)
•     Check out LM_NET on the Web ( http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net)
Join the listserv and get your questions or concerns answered by over 14,000 media 
specialists. Or, check their archive for answers to questions that have been posed 
by others.  There is a gold mine of information here. 

12      Don’t make changes just to show that a new person is in charge. Go slowly 
and when you do make changes, a clear rationale will help others to buy into what 
you are trying to accomplish.

13      Toot your own horn! The media center and the media specialist can be the 
most undervalued assets in the educational process. Let people know what you can do 
and are doing. If you don’t tell them no one will!

14      Have a sign up sheet for classes coming in . Ask teachers what they will be 
researching.

Check out these other helpful resources:

New Librarian’s Web Page www.morgan.k12.ga.us/mchs/newlms/index.html

From LM_NET archives http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net.   (you can search by date and 
thread)

10/26/99 from Ruie Chehak:  Time Management
6/3/99 from Joy Henrickson ( 4 posts):  Survival
7/6/00 from Tiffani DeL’Eveille: New Elementary Specialist Questions.
   

Darlene Yasick
Media Specialist Retired
Hopkins (MI) High School
lib027yas@global.net

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