Questions:
1. How do you schedule the library's computer labs?
2. Do you have librarian meetings with the county? If so, how often?
3. I noticed that you still use due date slips in the back of the books...why?
Answers:
1. The library's computer labs are scheduled on a first come first serve basis. We keep track of which class is scheduled for which computer lab and when, with a calendar. My library assistant uploads the calendar onto the library website monthly, but checks the schedule daily to see if updates need to be made. On days when the computer labs are not being utilized by classes, students will come with library passes to work on research or assignments in the lab.
2. Yes, we have countywide librarian meetings; they like for us to meet once per month. Usually during the school day, in fact, we will be having one this afternoon at 1:00 PM. You should come with me, and see what a Bradley Librarian meeting is all about.
3. Probably the best reason why we still use due date slips is ease of use. I know that many librarians are using printed receipts nowadays, but in my opinion, those receipts are easily lost, and then you forget when the book is due. HA! I probably have a dozen of those receipts in my purse from the public library! The due date slips are nice! The students who check out books only have to look in the back of the book to see when the book is due, instead of having to keep track of a printed receipt. It also helps a lot when I am weeding. I literally have a printed record in the back of the book showing me how often or how recently a book has been checked out. To some these are relics of the past, but we like them!
Reflection
Today was a busy day! My first day of teaching and that was stressful! When you are used to teaching elementary school students, high school students seem huge and terrifying! Thankfully, the librarian was right there with me, and she knew the kids, so there were no discipline issues. But NERVOUS MUCH??? When we were discussing the features of Tennessee Electronic Library, and I was showing students some of the features like the citation tools, I was glad that the students seemed so engaged, wanting to ask questions, but later my teenaged daughter said, "MOM, we do that to student teachers all the time: ask questions to get them off track!" In any event, they seemed especially interested in the citation tool, because in the words of one student, "It's one less thing we have to do!" I am not sure the group activity went as well as I would have hoped. As I circulated the room there were some groups where it seemed that only one person was doing the work and the rest were off task, so it got a little bit rowdy, and then we ran out of time before I was able to hear every group's paragraph, but overall it went better than I expected.
In the afternoon I went to the librarian meeting with the librarian. I thought it was nice having it during the day. The librarian meetings in my district are always after school. They spent a good part of the meeting talking about ways to "Breath new life into the accelerated reading program," because apparently there are rumors that they may lose some funding for that. A guest speaker came to invite us all to attend The Children's Book Festival at the University of Southern Mississippi on April 5-7. Kate DiCamillo will be there to receive the "Southern Miss Medallion." I would love to go, but sadly I have a book fair to oversee in my own library that week. Oh well! Maybe next year.
No comments:
Post a Comment