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I had more requests to post a hit than actual replies.  Many thanks to all of you!
 
Best -- Susan
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Here's the original query:
 
Hi 'netters!
Does anyone have a quick library orientation guide for incoming middle school 
students?  
Thanks in advance.
 
Happy summer -- Susan
 
Susan Ackerman Leibowitz
Library Media Specialist
Fox Lane Middle School
Route 172/Fox Lane Campus
Bedford, New York 10506
Tel: 914.241.6140 Fax: 914.241.6083
sackermanleibowitz0622@bcsdny.org
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From Juanita Jameson:  
I am in a middle school which has 7 and 8 graders.  Last year I wanted to do 
something other than a powerpoint presentation.  I also wanted it to be fast paced. 
 Here is what I did.  I wrote key words, i.e. my name, my paras name, circulation, 
due date, fiction, etc. on colored paper and waded them up into snowballs.  I used 
the same color paper for items that were logically suited to go together.  When the 
students came in I tossed the snowballs into the air and challenged them to catch 
one.  I didn't have enough for each student.  I had them stand in a circle in color 
groups and take turns opening their snowball.  We started with the one with our 
names and went around the sircle with the student reading the paper.  They got 
first try at what the term meant.  If a student wasn't paying attention and started 
to toss or play with their snowball then another student could "steal" it.  This 
kept the students who didn't have a snowball paying attention also.  It turned out 
to be a lot of fun.  I had to make new snowballs about every second class but that 
was easy to do.  I made sure the teacher joined the fun and became part of the 
circle.  I inend to repeat this activity with the incoming 7th graders this year.
I hope this helps you out.
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From Mary Melaugh:
Hi Susan,
I'm not sure if this is what you were looking for, but this is what I do for
my Orientation.

Orientation is scheduled as soon as the students' names are entered in the
online Library catalog system. They come with their 6th grade English class.

Greet at door. Ask students to sit at the horseshoe shaped tables and start
filling out the summer reading worksheets there.

Welcome! Introduce myself.

At the tables, have a short discussion asking if anyone read something
really great over the summer. Remind students that one of the best ways to
get ideas for something they'd like to read is from each other. (This is a
chance to reinforce a culture of reading at our school right from the
start.)

Hand out small cutouts and have students put the name of a book, author, or
subject they read about during the summer. Tell them we'll be putting them
on the bulletin board in the hallway when we get up for our tour. Note:
Everyone MUST fill out the form. For the handful each year that insist they
don't read books, I give them a wide leeway. It has to be something they
read, but they can put down road signs, magazines, cheat codes. (This is to
indicate that I will enforce a minimum standard that students must meet, but
also that the Library is a flexible place that can accommodate a variety of
personalities.)

Library overview 

All the teachers are here for you - for you to succeed and to enjoy your
time at the Marshall. Because I care about each of you, I am here to helpyou. So I 
will not allow you to do anything that will interfere with your
success when you are here. 

Go over rules: Checking out books. Ask students how many books and for how
long they could take them out in their elementary schools. (in our schools
1-2 books for 1 - 2 weeks) Tell them that now they are in middle school,
they can take out up to 5 books, for 3 weeks, able to renew, overdue
notices, responsibility to take care of books taken out. Mention placing
holds on books.

Discuss Stats (900 students, 7000+ books)  and process to take out books.

Explain about grants and donations as one source of our books

Marshall Library - is YOUR library, paid for by parents' taxes. ALWAYS ask
if you want something the library doesn't have.

We all stand up to tour the library

Students staple their summer reading cutouts to the bulletin board

We go to Circulation desk, Catalog computer, Returns box, Table with
staplers, tape, etc.
Walk through sections - Non-fiction, Biographies, Fiction, Computers,
Reference, (they sit back down when we get to Reference) Reference - for use
only in the Library and why (content and cost to replace if something
happened to it).  Point out Magazines, Books on Tape (show a Playaway and
describe how it works)

Tell students that all books in the library are available to circulate,
except Reference and books on carts that are being held for projects.


Last few minutes, allow students free time to look around and take out
books.
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From Nancy Fontana:
I had a stack of random books piled on the tables where the students sat & had each 
student pick a book that they might like to check out one day.  I did a quick 
review of the basic parts of the book (spine, title page, cover, author, label--I 
call it the book's address & explain what each row of the label means-ex: 
F=fiction, MEY=Meyers, etc.), then I show the students where each section is 
located in the library & we talk about what can be found there. Afterwards, I had 
the students take their book from the table and go stand next to the shelf where 
that book might "live."  If they got the right location, they got a raffle ticket.  
At the end of the visit, each raffle ticket went into a basket.  As the students 
left, I drew one winner for a Back to School prize (a small pencil case with 3 
pencils, a highlighter, an eraser, and a piece of candy).  This whole activity took 
about 20 minutes.  The librarians go into much greater detail in September, so I 
didn't want to steal their thunder.  I teach English during the year but am in the 
Master's degree program for Library, so I am the summer school librarian so I can 
keep my skills fresh and build my resume for next year.
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From Donna Rayburn:
Have you played with Prezi? I am thinking about making one for my incoming 6th 
graders. Just google Prezi and you will find it. It is free!
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From Dr. Michael Bell:
1.  I hope that many of you will consider introducing the Infotopia Safe
Search Engine to your students during orientation.  The url is
http://www.infotopia.info .

2.  To get an idea of what other middle school librarians have included in
their orientations, why don't you download and view some librarian-created
PowerPoint presentations on the subject?
      If you will type in to the Google search box this:   'inurl:k12
inurl:ppt middle school library orientation'      (without the
single quotes) you will get over 250 possible presentations for
download.

Hope this is helpful & have a good year!

 

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