Thanks for the info!
Responses:
**I shelve them in a separate section in the fiction area; I do not shelve
the books with them as not all kids want both. It also forces them to find
the book! I circulate them for two weeks just like the books and I will
renew them. We have a Reading Is Fame, remedial reading program and all
the teachers encourage their kids to use the playaways AND the books to
improve their reading fluency and they love them. I do not require
parental signatures to borrow and I treat them as I do a book if they are
lost which means the student and/or parents will be responsible for
replacement. I've been using them for over a year and have not lost one
yet!
**We have about 110 Playaway titles. They are quite popular. In fact, there are
times when all 110 are checked out. We shelve the empty boxes in their own section.
The actual devices we keep in small plastic bags that hang from 2 A-Frame racks
behind the circ desk. We purchase these from Demco. We placed title and call
numbers on the bags. Follett sends you extras with your Playaways. We drop the
devices in facing one direction with the lanyards hanging out of the bags for quick
retrieval. It works great for us. Good luck.
No, we don't send notices to or request permission from parents. I do frequently
mention to kids that these are quite expensive so they want to be extra careful
with them. I do not check out the earbuds. you can either sell them (Follet charges
about .89 each, or ask kids to provide their own).
**Yes, I require a letter be signed. I can share that with you if you
would like. I circulate them in the video cases they come in. I keep
them on a shelf near the check out desk to prevent theft. It has worked
well. They do not fly off the shelf but are steadily checked out.
**I am in a 7-8 grade building and we have Playaways. I remove the Playaway from
the plastic case and keep it under the counter. The empty case is stored on a
special display along side the book (our teachers require that the student read
along in the book). The student brings up the case and we check out the earbuds,
book and Playaway. We place the Playaway and earbuds in a little square plastic
floppy disk envelope. We have adhered small round Velcro dots to the envelope
flaps. This can be tucked into a pocket or backpack and is easy for the student to
carry.
**We keep our actual playaways behind the desk. We keep the cases on the shelf with
our other audio books. The student brings the case to the check-out desk and we put
the playaway in the case and check it out to them. We don't inform parents of the
cost. Some of our reference books are more expensive than the playaways. We keep
our playaways in zippered plastic food storage bags (cheaper than the plastic bags
from a library catalog), with a label in the corner so we can see at a glance which
one it is. We started by keeping a copy of the book with the playaway, but it makes
it difficult for students who see that a books is "in" on the computer, and we have
to realize it's one of the playaway books. We are changing that and putting the
books on the regular shelf. You've probably heard this from other people, but we
take the ear buds out of the case for hygienic reasons. Most kids have their own
earphones anyway. We keep the new ear buds, and sell them for $1.00 if anyone wants
to buy them.
**I created a contract for parents so that they would know the expense if they are
lost.
Students check them out for two weeks, just like a library book. They
can use their own earbuds, or purchase a pair from the library for
$1.50. We do not supply them, which would require cleaning them. I think
it is a healthier option if they use their own. They have the option of
checking out the print version with the Playaway so they can read along
if they want to. They are flying off the shelf. . . boys mostly.
**We've been using playaways for about a year and a half now. We get
playaways for $15-35 which I consider about the same cost as a book.
(Our flat library replacement fee is $68). The additional expense for us
comes from the earbuds. I just can't bring myself to clean those things,
and instead have used fundraising money, and some marketing money to
purchase 'free earbuds to the first 100 people who check these out'. We
use rechargable batteries, and simply open the box and go through a
checklist before checking it back in. We did purchase two am/fm adapters
to listen to playaways in cars- which has been very popular with the
TEACHERS. I've seen several teachers 'read' a few more books and
actually shake-up their usually yearly curriculum.
**I placed the Playaways in hanging bags behind the circulation desk and shelved
the empty cases with the audio books (the empty case signified its availability). I
talked to the classes about the Playaways (cost, responsibility, how they work,
etc.) but I did not send home a parent signature form. We did not have any problems
at the middle school level.
The Playaways circulated the same amount of time as books (2 weeks) and could be
renewed once. I did not give out the earbuds. Most students have their own and I
didn't want them back after used.
Price list for replacement/purchased items (prices comparable to Titlewave):
Earbuds $1
Battery cover $1
Battery $1
Lanyard $2
Amanda Galliton
Librarian
Zundy Leadership Academy
Wichita Falls ISD, Wichita Falls, TX
agalliton@wfisd.net
--------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
To change your LM_NET status, you send a message to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu
In the message write EITHER:
1) SIGNOFF LM_NET
2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL
3) SET LM_NET MAIL
4) SET LM_NET DIGEST
* LM_NET Help & Information: http://lmnet.wordpress.com/
* LM_NET Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/
* EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://lm-net.info/join.html
* LM_NET Supporters: http://lmnet.wordpress.com/category/links/el-announce/
--------------------------------------------------------------------
LM_NET
Mailing List Home