I think you were on the right track when you approached a co-worker. You need to
get the teachers to "buy in" to the library and it's program, but it won't happen
overnight. Recruit a willing teacher, maybe someone who has a couple of small
Special Ed classes and ask if you can collaborate on a project together. Help
him/her pick a topic, etc. and you will have an audience, once the teacher commits
to a schedule for this project. I've had a lot of success with this method and I
feel that it helps the students become more comfortable and familiar with their
library.
-----
When I was the librarian at a yeshiva, I redefined the borders of the
library. The books in the bet midrash became library books and part
of the library. Everyone was in the library every day. When other
schools talk about the small percentage of the students and faculty
who use the library, I smiled because 100% of everyone was in part of
the library for up to 4 hours. Also one of the sifre torah in the
bet midrash belonged to the library collection.
I also gave teachers some reference books for a classroom collection, making every
classroom part of the library. All the areas of learning in the school were parts
of the
library. Let the teachers take reference books into the classrooms. Go visit
classrooms.
Now there still was a struggle to get them to the main library and
getting them to learn how to use library resources, but getting them
into the library was not the problem.
-----
I just finished a blog post/comment on this very thing over on Librarianship101.
The URL for the page is http://librarianship101.ning.com/. I'll paste the whole
post here for you in case it might be of some help. Hope you can join us over at
L101 as well.
****
My best opportunities to promote reading are outside of formal instruction. I make
sure to buy the latest award winning (and just plain interesting) fiction, and
display it prominently.
When my students were first into Twilight I made three separate trips to Walmart to
buy additional copies out of my own money so we'd have enough copies to go around.
Once I showed them I could provide the Twilight series they come back looking for
similar books and from there I gradually lead them through other vampire books and
then on to the best books such as those by Laurie Halse Anderson to get them
completely hooked.
When students realize they can find great books in the library they make comments
to other students, and even bring other students with them to the library to show
them what they'd recommend.
I do include a reading component in my library skills instruction for 9th graders.
They can select any book they want (and I always have up my best displays at these
times), and that often helps them to realize what all is available to them.
I also bought some Manga for my library because I had some students who really
wanted to read Manga. It's questionable content for many libraries, but I knew the
community standards in my area would allow it. Those have been a great hook to draw
students into reading "real" books from the library.
I am very flexible about overdue books and don't charge fines, which I know
wouldn't work for most schools. If I can see from the record that a student has
obviously just neglected to turn in a book I will go to them personally and nag
them to return it, but if I can see that they are just not done with it yet, I
don't fuss about due dates. I also check books out for 3 weeks at a time instead of
2 since I know students don't have a lot of time to read once they've done their
homework, extra-curricular activities, and so on.
Many of my displays during the year are theme based. Halloween displays of scary
books are second most popular to the new books displays, but I also do love stories
for the time around Valentine's Day, nonfiction books on hunting around hunting
season, etc. Other displays might have themes like "Best Authors", "Student Faves",
or "Seriously Into Reading Series". And some displays are just set up to look shiny
and attractive without any particular theme.
****
One thing I forgot to mention in the post that I'll add here is that I re-cataloged
all of the novels from the 800's section into the fiction section. The students
find them much easier to read when they're "just" fiction books. LOL
-----
As far as teachers are concerned, whenever I get a large shipment of new books, I
host a Books and Bagels for staff. I display the books according to currucular
links, use tableclothes, balloons, food, anything that makes the library festive. I
try to do this on a staff development day so teachers can explore without pressure
of classes. This gets the teachers in and lets them see the new materials. I let
them check out anything and all and talk to them to arrange library time. Not sure
if that will increase kids use, but it might be worth a try.
-----
I was in the same boat a few years ago and have seen things turn around. It all
started when we were having some renovation done and couldn't allow kids in. I had
all this time to spare. So, I started going around to the computer lab, the study
halls, ISS room, the home ec kitchen, and teacher's classrooms. I sat in on Trivial
Pursuit, helped in the lab and just chatted with teachers & kids.
It seemed purely social at first, but when we reopened, I had all these new
'friends' and fun things led to instruction. My hot chocolate day started a regular
request for booktalks. My limited AV & computer troubleshooting got me an inservice
class. The more teachers and kids got to know "me" (not necessarily my library) -
the more my library was used. With 680 students, last year my library had 495 class
visits and circulated 6500 books/media.
-----
When your kids get to college they will not be able to go to google to do their
research. As frustrating as it mights be you and the teachers must get together and
collaborate on research projects that are age appropriate. They do not have to be
full blown research projects but over time should add up to include all aspects of
the research process. If your school makes study halls unbearable(silent, work
centers), and the library open and accessible, Kids will come to the library, and
once they start coming they will use the resources, and if the books are good, they
will read them. But you and the teachers cant let them dictate how they will find
information, because it wont work in real life.
-----
I am in a similarly frustrating situation and new to a high school library.
Teachers have not taken up any of my suggestions for collaborating and when I have
asked for their input on purchasing resources, I get flat answers like "they just
use the internet."
At the same time, the administrators are amazed at how much the library is getting
used compared to recent years. It's disappointing that it is used so little for
research, but I am seeing a lot of use by students playing chess (it has become a
very "cool" thing to do lately, and the chessboards are in use almost all day
long--students come in and play during their open periods).
I have tried to build off of student interest, so I have purchased more games,
which I am tying into the curriculum and learning standards. I have rearranged the
library space to attract more attention to the nonfiction books, and integrated
more book displays and signage within the stacks to draw them in. I purchased a
selection of playaways, and expanded the graphic novels/ nonfiction section. These
things have caught their attention. I have completely revamped the wall space to
reflect constantly changing displays, including student art. I set up a computer
in the entryway for catalog access, and run book trailers on it before and after
school, and during lunch. The library is getting more attention, simply because I
have stirred things up, and there are always new things to look at.
Lots of kids use it, though I regret not enough for research purposes. But I am
hoping to win them over in that regard little by little as they begin to see the
library, and myself, as something relevant to their learning experience.
-----
Best advice I can give is talk to your fellow teachers and explain what you can do
for them, also set up time to talk to classes and explain to the students how you
as the librarian can help them and some of the interesting things available.
Basya Karp, Librarian
Shulamith High School and Shulamith School For Girls
Brooklyn, New York
basyak10@hotmail.com
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