We were out of school three days last week due to weather and sickness, so I went to work on Thursday to unpack my library book order (and work on many other things). It's nice to have some time to work with no students, but it sure is quiet! Those days may be the only time it's ever quiet in my library. I thought I'd share some of the ... Continue Reading...
Surviving Without a Library Assistant
I'm not sure when it was decided that school libraries no longer needed library assistants. I think in some areas, it's a budget issue. In others, money got reallocated to other programs (probably more directly related to testing). Some people might even say that librarians are lucky to have jobs at all with all the budget cuts around the nation, ... Continue Reading...
Why I Won't Ditch Dewey
A while back, someone asked for advice on switching from the Dewey Decimal Classification System to more of a bookstore layout. Apparently, it was quite a hot-button issue because the original poster got a wide range of responses. Many of those responses were directed toward the entire list, and I have to say it got a little ugly. Needless to say, ... Continue Reading...
Librarian Tip: Improve Communication with Parents
One of the greatest challenges I've faced in my time as a librarian is coming up with creative ways to keep in touch with the parents of my students. Research has proven time and time again that family involvement is essential for school success, but it's often difficult to communicate with parents effectively since I only see my students a couple ... Continue Reading...
Behavior Management in the Library
How do you encourage good behavior in the library? As elementary librarians, we have the added challenge of keeping order in multiple classrooms. I've worked at several different schools during my education career, and I can tell you that this has never been an easy task. It's especially difficult if the librarian before you had different rules and ... Continue Reading...
Confession: My students check out their own books
Yes, it's true. My students check out their own books. It's not a perfect system, but it's one of the little things that makes my life a lot easier. Now before you hit the back button, shuddering in fear at the thought of doing this, let me explain why I do it (and why it's really not so bad). Libraries Way Back When... Years ago, when I was a ... Continue Reading...
