Re: [LM_NET] MS Orientation

[Michelle <rylor4@GMAIL.COM>]

I must have missed the original post. I do an orientation for my middle and
high schoolers telling them about the library, rules, and have them tour the
library with me and show them where everything is. 

A week or two later when the teacher has some time (we do a lot of testing
in the beginning of the year) they come back for a scavenger hunt. This
really tells me who was paying attention and who wasn't. I had 20 questions
last year but I think I'll cut back to 10 or so to make it shorter on time.
I also made 4 different "versions" so everyone would be spread out
throughout our small library. My bonus question is "Who is Melville Dewey?"
My favorite answer is "he's an author". 

Michelle

Michelle Levy, MLIS
Media Specialist
Eton Academy
1755 Melton 
Birmingham, MI 48009
rylor4@gmail.com (home)
mlevy@etonacademy.org (work)

-----Original Message-----
From: School Library Media & Network Communications
[mailto:LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Susan Ackerman Leibowitz
Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 10:41 PM
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: HIT: MS Orientation

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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