Today's Member of the Week is Janice Barnes. Janice works at 28th Street Elementary School in Gulfport, MS. She has been a school librarian for 8 years.
We asked Janice some questions about her experience as a school librarian and we would like to share them with you.
What's your favorite thing about your job as a school librarian?
As a school librarian, I have the joy of providing books that match a student's interest. Recently, a second grader, who loved nonfiction books, was apprehensive about reading chapter books. After a short talk, we discovered a chapter book series that was a great companion to the nonfiction books. The next day he informed me that he loved the chapter book, and he was almost finished. Needless to say, he now checks out nonfiction titles and chapter books.
Name one children's book that you couldn't live without in your library.
One book that I couldn't live without in our library is "Love You Forever" by Robert Munsch.
Tell us why you decided to join the Elementary Librarian Community. What's your favorite thing about it?
I joined the Elementary Librarian Community because of the resources provided. I can easily adapt the lessons for my students.
What's the biggest challenge you're currently facing when it comes to your school library?
If you could give one piece of advice to a brand new school librarian (or someone considering becoming a school librarian), what would it be?
As a new librarian, I was so grateful to have a mentor within the district. She was always available to answer any questions that I had, and she shared a wealth of knowledge about being a librarian. Make sure you have a mentor.
Some of my students check out 5 or more books at time, and they read them before the end of the school day. Therefore, my biggest challenge is getting even more books for my eager readers.