Today's Member of the Week is Kris Haines. Kris works at Endeavour Intermediate School in Milton, WA. She has been a school librarian for 1 year.
We asked Kris 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?
I love working with all the different grades and reading books with them -- it's like the best part of the day. And I love it when I get to help them find the next great read -- nothing thrills me more than hearing, "I don't know what get," and then I search with them to find a good book. Smiles all around! Additionally, I get super excited to have new books in our library and to share them with my students. There is just nothing like a brand new book in the hands of kids.
Name one children's book that you couldn't live without in your library.
The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors by Drew Daywalt and books by Sharon Creech
Tell us why you decided to join the Elementary Librarian Community. What's your favorite thing about it?
While I did my training for school librarianship several years ago and then enjoyed the role of being a classroom teacher, this is my first year as the school librarian. I always knew I would pursue my passion for libraries and children's books, but I want to be connected to other librarians in a collaborative way. Thus, that is my favorite thing about Elementary Librarian Community, being able to hear and see the great work that others are doing in their libraries.
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?
Just do it! If you are passionate about books, reading, and working with children, then this is the job for you! Get connected to other librarians, both within your district and online as the collaboration and support with others is priceless. And, don't be afraid to try something new -- if it gets kids reading, then it is worth it and a success.
Developing lessons with the resources, or in some cases, lack of resources (like how is that the one book I want to use is not in the library?!?! Ha!) is often the most time consuming aspect my days. Being in my first year, I do not have a past experience of ideas to draw on. Secondly, my schedule is fixed, and I have had to learn to teach lessons in about 15 minutes. Thus, time is sometimes challenging.