I have just started working in a middle/high school library (together with the
elementary library I've worked in for 8 years----ahh, budget cuts) where the sixth
grade uses AR. The AR fiction books are labelled with a pink sticker on the spine.
It does help the sixth graders quickly pick out the AR books, however I've now seen
a number of times where students in the higher grades won't pick a book (no matter
what the reading level) with a pink sticker because "it's too babyish". Yikes! So
now when I try to encourage a student to try a book that I know is a great read, I
have to be aware that the student may not want to be seen with a pink-stickered
book. Very frustrating and sad.
Best,
Anne Paulson
Library Media Specialist
Lake Placid Elementary School
Lake Placid, NY
518-523-3640, ext. 4525
paulson@lakeplacidcsd.net
> Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2010 18:33:11 -0700
> From: shatz@VERIZON.NET
> Subject: Re: [LM_NET] ELEM: a bit miffed: leveled library?
> To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
>
> I do NOT believe in "leveling" the library by placing all the "level 1" books in
>one area, then shelving the "level 2" books, then the "level 3" books, etc. That
>is NOT a "library" - it is a "Program Facilitation Station!" Level the "book
>rooms" if you wish, but students need to know how a real library is organized, so
>when they go to the public library, or move to another school, (hopefully!) they
>will be able to feel comfortable and competent right away.
>
> That being said, if you use a reading program such as Reading Counts or
>Accelerated Reader, it is a great time-saver to have the books (discreetly)
>color-coded on the spine to help the kids find books that they will (hopefully) be
>successful reading and comprehending. Yes, I'm a great believer in "putting the
>right book in the right hands," and do it as often as I can, but not all of us
>have the LUXURY of time to do that for every student, every visit. I provide
>services for a school of over 600 K - 6 grade students in only 3.5 hours a day, 5
>days a week. I'm a classified employee and other than some student help and an
>occasional adult volunteer, I am the ONLY library "staff." When the primary
>classes come in, we have 30 minutes to check in 20-50 books, have a story or
>activity, then select and check out 20-50 books to classes of 20 - 25 students. In
>most cases, as those students leave, I have another class come right in - last
>year I had four primary classes back-to-back plus the other classes. By the end of
>the day, "my cart overfloweth!" even though many students help by selecting books
>from the cart from the class before.
>
> Our district (and many others here in California) does not employ teacher
>librarians at the elementary level, and has just had to lay them off or reduce
>their hours at the middle school and high schools, due to the extreme situation
>here in California - our state legislators are short about 20 BILLION dollars, so
>they haven't bothered to pass a budget! We are fortunate that our school library
>is still open this year; many across the state are closing.
>
> I am all in favor of promoting the love of reading and life-long reading (and do
>it whenever I can, with individual students and also special programming, like our
>state book nominees), but the REALITY in my community is that many of our students
>come from homes where parents are not modeling that, may have little or no ability
>to read English, may not be literate in their own language, and we MUST get
>students reading, comprehending, and becoming more fluent, whether they "love it"
>or not. Placing a color code on the spine of the book is the most time-efficient
>way to help students locate books at their level. For the students who are
>responsible enough to check out two, they choose one at their reading level and
>then have a "free choice" of a second (and upper graders can check out three
>items) book or magazine. Without the accountability of having a test to take on
>their level book, many would not finish reading their books (and some don't
>anyway).
>
> At the elementary level, most kids aren't bothered by what color level they're
>on, and usually everyone is so busy looking for books they aren't paying attention
>to anyone else, anyway. I can understand it might be much more embarrassing at the
>middle school or H.S. level if you're still a low reader at that point, but at my
>school, it's not really a big deal. I don't allow any teasing or disrespect toward
>others. It's much more frustrating if you've forgotten to bring back your book(s)
>since we don't allow more checkouts if you have over-dues.(We don't charge fines).
>
> Joanne Ladewig (A.K.A. "Library Lady")
> Library Media Tech
> Lawrence Elementary, GGUSD
> Garden Grove, California
> shatz@verizon.net
>
> Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it
>to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed
>on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our
>children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States
>where men were free.
> -Ronald Reagan 40th president of US (1911 - 2004)
>
> Comments are my own and may not represent the views of GGUSD
>
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