Thanks to everyone for all of their invaluable information in this area.
Below are the answers I received. I really appreciate all of the time and
thought you put into your responses.
--
Louise Colette Leonard, B.A., M.L.I.S.
Library Director
Martin J. Gottlieb Day School
Jacksonville Jewish Center
Jacksonville, FL
www.mjgds.org
louise.leonard@mjgds.org
"First of all- an unstaffed library is not a library- it is a storage
facility for books and media and technology" --Lisa Von Drasek, Children's
Librarian
My teachers can barely squeeze 30 min a week for library and 30 min a week
for computer because of the required curriculum schedules. although they
would love to have another slot in the library, i don't think their
schedules would allow it!
How about just extending the amount of time? I have 45 min classes which
are great - 30 mins for lessons, 15 for book "looking"
I will guarantee that if you schedule them twice, they will need check out
time both times. Just a heads up. The teachers will love you :)
I would do 20 and 40, if you have that choice. 30 minutes seems like a lot
for checkout. Personally I prefer a large chunk of time instead of two
small ones, because of the inevitable lost instruction time during
transitions.
**************
Oh I would love a second time with my students during the week. We
currently have 30 minute classes which usually only leaves about 15 minutes
of instruction time. I would use that second time to re-visit your story,
do a reader theater or other activity that would support your lesson and
then have check out time. Great idea!
*****************************
Must be nice, I see the kids once a month for 30 min. (I have three
schools).
*****************************
At my school, library time is in with an elective schedule, so each week the
Friday schedule changes. I can see a different class every Friday. Because
of this I have to have check outs during the regular schedule. On Friday, I
do "Drop Everything and Read" with my 2-4 and I do puzzles and other things
with my K-1. If I could have it my way, I would much rather have my classes
for longer periods of time and see every class once a week. Then save the
special stuff for special occasions when the classes had good behavior or
something like that.
This is also my first year, so I am still figuring these things out. Good
luck!
I have my kinder 3 times a week: once they come for some type of technology
lesson with a fast check out (i.e. I have preselected books and placed them
on a cart for quick check out so we can spend more time on the lesson); once
a week for a fast check out (again books are on a cart that have been
preselected--really nice kinder type books of fiction and nonfiction); and
once a week for a 45 minute block for storytime/lesson/puppet show and this
time they can go to the shelves for self-selection. It works well!
***********************
I have each class twice a week. I do 25 minutes in the morning (class
time) and 40 minutes in the afternoon to cover teacher prep (checkout).
Depending on how long my lesson is I sometimes switch the classes
around. I think it is very beneficial to do it this way. However, it
will take away lots of time for you to do your library stuff.
**********************
0 minutes for checkout is a long time. What will the kids who can not check
out do? What will the ones who find a book in three seconds flat do?
I have my classes for 40 minutes. It's a perfect amount of time, in my
opinion.
***************************
I don''t know if this would work for you but I schedule each of my classes
for one hour a week. With the K-2 the teachers split the class into two
groups and they come for half an hour each. That gives the teacher half an
hour to do small group instruction in the classroom. I usually read to them
or have a short lesson for 15 minutes and then they have checkout. For
grades 3-6 the whole class comes for the whole hour. I do library lessons
for half an hour, then they have about 15 minutes for checkout and 15
minutes of silent reading. They love the silent reading time and it gives
the slower ones a little more time to choose books. It's made a huge
difference in my not feeling so rushed and I've noticed the students love
being able to spend more time looking for books and reading. It's increased
my circulation in the upper grades quite a bit. Before they just didn't
have time to browse for books when I was trying to teach a lesson, too.
I have 40 minute K-5 classes and I give 10 minutes for check-out. Some
of the younger grades need some extra check-out time, but I think 30
minutes is an awful long time to look for books. You would probably need
centers or activities for those that finish early. Some students renew
books and it takes 1 minute. 29 minutes of unstructured time for a 5th
grader at my school would lead to trouble. We have special ed.
Students, and some are physically unable to sit still reading quietly
for long lengths of time. On the other hand, it would be nice to have
an entire class just dedicated to your lessons. Something to consider.
**************************
I have K-4 and we have library once a week for an hour. The first 30 or so
minutes I teach skills and read aloud. The last 30 minutes they complete an
assignment, take AR tests, and check out books. It works great this way.
****************************************
If you have a circulation aide, I would just go to open checkout - let them
check out a new book every day!
*******************************************
I would ask for an aide. However, we don’t have the numbers to even have a
full-time librarian. I just got lucky when they hired me!
********************************
Thiry minutes for book selection may be too long. I have kindergarten twice
a week, once for a 1/2 lesson, and once for 15 minutes for book selection
and it works well. All my other classes I have for 40-50 mnutes so they
split the lesson and selection time. I usually allow 10-15 minutes for
selection and they have enough time.
************************************************
We have 45 minutes a week for 1st and 2nd. A few years ago we had 15 minutes
one day for book selection and 30 minutes another day for library lesson.
Pros:
I liked having a 30 minute block for teaching. I liked that the teachers
stayed for the 15 minute book selection. They helped with crowd control and
with finding books.
All our book selections for 1st and 2nd were before 10:30 and since I had a
shared aide with another library, I got her in the early morning and she was
there to help with returns and checkouts.
Cons: The kids/parents often were confused about which of the two days was
their borrowing day.
A couple of years ago we switched to 45 minutes on the same day. 15 minutes
with the teacher for book selection and 30 minutes library lesson (teacher
prep).
Pros: I still get 30 minutes to teach and the classroom teacher is still
there to help during book selection.
I think it's less confusing this way.
Cons: Some kids take forever to select books and it cuts into lesson time.
If this happens often, I switch things around and do lesson first and have
book selection at the end.
Hope this gives you some food for thought.
PS. Kindergarten comes for 30 minutes - 1/2 book selection and 1/2
story/lesson.
*************************************************
I did this at my old school and it was great. I felt like I could do a
lesson without worrying about giving them time to check out. Then when they
came in for the second time, they checked out books and read or did AR
quizes. This year at a new school each class has had only thirty minutes
and it is rush rush. I feel like my lessons aren't comprehensive enough or
I go until they have only five minutes to checkout which is rushed because
the next class in coming in the door.
Next year, my principal is scheduling 3-5 for an hour each. This is to help
teachers with grade level meetings, but it is going to be better for me.
************************************
I have that schedule with my K-2 students and did have it that way with 3-6
when I first started here, but found that 30 minutes for checkout was too
long for the older grades. Now I have 3-6 for 30 minutes 2 times per week
and we work on skills for 15-20 minutes then checkout for 10-15 minutes. It
works well for me and we cover more topics than we did when I only covered
skills once per week. I would struggle to get it all done in just 1 30
minute visit per week.
*******************************
If you have more time, you can do more projecty things, technology, etc.
which takes some of the spotlight off you and on the students/their work.
For me, this is less draining.
********************************
My teachers can barely squeeze 30 min a week for library and 30 min a week
for computer because of the required curriculum schedules. although they
would love to have another slot in the library, i don't think their
schedules would allow it!!!!
**********************************
OK--I have done this at this present school for the past few years and I
must say if you can swing it in your schedule it is GREAT!
Like you, I never seemed to have enough time to do everything I
wanted so when I moved to this school I asked if it was possible to do it
this way and all of the teachers but one agreed. This one teacher insisted
that she still wanted only one class of 45 minutes and it has not been
helpful but it does give me a new appreciation for the other teachers who
have cooperated with me.
You can just do your lesson without watching the clock and making
sure that the kids have enough time for checkout. You don't have the
teachers thinking you are doing nothing there other than "reading books" and
when the students are working on a project, it is the perfect time to do
some cooperative learning with the teachers. Plus the teachers appreciate
having one more planning period per week (in our school the teachers are not
required to come to the library with their classes since they are quite
small with about 10 kids in each class).
In addition, the kids appreciate knowing that there is so much
more to a library than just a bunch of stacks of books. They learn about
research and how to find the books they want and how there are different
kinds of books. They learn that the librarian is not just there as a keeper
of the books but as a resource person.
I know that there are amazing librarians out there who can do
everything in 30 minutes a week and I wish I were one of them, but I'm not.
I also know there are librarians out there who are running to and fro from
school to school and classroom back to the library (and actually I have been
one of those librarians also) and it just isn't possible to have this kind
of schedule but if you can do it, then as I said I really can't think of any
down side to it.
************************
Here in upstate NY at a suburban K-5 school I had a few of my 4th and 5th
grade teachers sign up for an extra library time this year and I love it.
We are 3-4 deep at each grade level... so about 450-475 kids. I have K-2
for 30 mins, 3rd for 40 mins, and 4th and 5th for 45 mins. The additional
time is a separate day and 20-25 mins. I teach research/information
skills in mini lessons that are then applied in a research project during
the 45 min class and then booktalk and read-aloud on the alternate book
exchange day. However, library is all day everyday in my school. Kids
visit daily throughout the day. Unfortunately, we are losing our
clerks....so no more open library next year. The extra library visit will
be crucial next year.
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