February 24 (School Library)
Although I only put in three hours of work today, those three hours felt like a microcosm of everything a school librarian has to experience on a typical day - student demands, teacher demands, computer issues, textbook issues, audiovisual demands, and circulation desk processing! I simultaneously processed textbooks for a new student while juggling the requests of multiple students who were researching science careers for a class assignment. I see the teachers relying more and more on the donated HP notebooks, probably due to the fact that the new common core standards have kicked in. I'm encouraged to see that students are still using the reference material in conjunction with Internet resources. I think this speaks to the faculty's dedication towards teaching students appropriate research skills and I commend them!!!
I learned a new feature in Follett Destiny system that I was oblivious too before now. Thankfully the teacher librarian and myself were able to chat for a few minutes so I could get up to speed. Items can be checked out not only by patron but by class list as well. This is helpful when a teacher requests 52 copies of a novel like the Diary of Ann Frank pronto and the principal requires that every book be checked out individually to each student.
I was also encouraged to hear that the teacher librarian likes the way in which I'm relabeling the books with new call numbers and genre labels. It's apparently helping both students and teachers find the material they need more quickly.
The only issue that came up today which caught me off guard was discussion of the acquisition of new reading material for the library. Up until this point I had not been put in a position to evaluate the content of books for their appropriateness in a middle school library collection - that decision had been made by the principal/vice principal and previous librarians. Today it was brought to my attention that a book called "The Things a Brother Knows" by Dana Reinhardt was purchased by the PTSO and donated to the library. http://www.amazon.com/Things-Brother-Knows-Dana-Reinhardt/dp/0375844562 The book was sent to the district's library/textbook services department for processing but the head tech services librarian there took a second look. The call was made that this book is not appropriate for a middle school library collection. Amazon.com quotes the School Library Journal as saying this book is suitable for Grade 8 and up. However, I understand that the middle school must weigh concerns over parental challenges to library material and self-censorship. I've found these websites regarding the issue informative http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=Dealing_with_Challenges&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=11111. and http://www.librarystudentjournal.org/index.php/lsj/article/view/150/279.
Tsakopoulos Library Galleria, Sacramento Public Library Central Branch
Tsakopoulos Library Galleria, Sacramento Public Library, Central Branch
Monday, February 24, 2014
Sunday, February 23, 2014
School References/Notebooks/Photographic Forensics
February 18 & 19th (School Library)
Monday (Feb. 17th) was a school holiday. The highlights for Tuesday and Wednesday's work in the library were being asked to put together a reference cart for a teacher whose class will be working on a science career assignment. Yes, this middle school does not have a reference section and a darn good one I might add! Many in education feel that schools should go totally digital with references; however I big to differ. I think students gain a lot of valuable insight into research techniques by going through print reference sources. There are more than encyclopedias and atlases in the collection. At one point the school's former librarian invested heavily in acquiring series of books on subjects such as careers, constitutional amendments, biographical material, etc.. We've found that the best way for the students to access this material is to prepare subject appropriate carts ahead of time.
The other highlight was the opportunity to assist students with an English literature assignment. This was my first experience in assisting faculty with the use of the HP notebook laptops that were donated to the school last year. These notebooks are not the most state-of-the-art but it does give the students the opportunity to use digital technology for their assignments. Many of the students at this school do not have access to computers at home and rarely visit the public library. I am eager to learn more about how to help students fully utilize the digital resources in the library. Up to this point, I feel the administration has been reluctant to allow me to take part in the management/administration of the HP notebooks although they are stored in the library's multimedia/audiovisual room.
Feb. 20th (Sacramento Room/Special Collections)
Today I've started processing a small collection of photographic images, including two glass negatives, a daguerreotype, and a few large black&white prints. The Photograph Accession Register for all digital images in the Sacramento Room collection requires specific information such as title, donor, publication date, a physical description, and summary of the historical context of the photo. I'm essentially doing the detective work on this images by pinpointing the details as best as I can surmise from clues such as the condition of the photograph, age, accompanying handwritten notes, etc. My understanding is that a cataloguer for the library will enter this information as metadata tagged to the photograph's accession number/call number. All of the images will be digitized and uploaded into the Sacramento Room's digital collections database, available at http://cdm16362.contentdm.oclc.org/.
According to the Sacramento Room's website, the Sacramento Room Digitization Project was launched in October 2010 with the intention of showcasing, in digital form, several choice images from the Sacramento Public Library’s Sacramento Room. Over 3,000 photographs, postcards and menus formed the original Sacramento Digital Collections which – from beginning to end – took over a year to compile, scan, and describe. In the summer of 2013, Sacramento Public Library established an ongoing relationship with the Capital Campus Public History Program at Sacramento State University. A student intern from the graduate-level public history program assists with all aspects of the digitization project. My role in this digitization project is as a volunteer in evaluating the historical content of the images and ensuring detailed notes are available.
My second bachelor's degree is in history from Sacramento State, while earning my degree I served an internship at the Center for Sacramento History. I'm enjoying experiencing special collections/archives from a public library perspective now as a library science student.
Monday (Feb. 17th) was a school holiday. The highlights for Tuesday and Wednesday's work in the library were being asked to put together a reference cart for a teacher whose class will be working on a science career assignment. Yes, this middle school does not have a reference section and a darn good one I might add! Many in education feel that schools should go totally digital with references; however I big to differ. I think students gain a lot of valuable insight into research techniques by going through print reference sources. There are more than encyclopedias and atlases in the collection. At one point the school's former librarian invested heavily in acquiring series of books on subjects such as careers, constitutional amendments, biographical material, etc.. We've found that the best way for the students to access this material is to prepare subject appropriate carts ahead of time.
The other highlight was the opportunity to assist students with an English literature assignment. This was my first experience in assisting faculty with the use of the HP notebook laptops that were donated to the school last year. These notebooks are not the most state-of-the-art but it does give the students the opportunity to use digital technology for their assignments. Many of the students at this school do not have access to computers at home and rarely visit the public library. I am eager to learn more about how to help students fully utilize the digital resources in the library. Up to this point, I feel the administration has been reluctant to allow me to take part in the management/administration of the HP notebooks although they are stored in the library's multimedia/audiovisual room.
Feb. 20th (Sacramento Room/Special Collections)
Today I've started processing a small collection of photographic images, including two glass negatives, a daguerreotype, and a few large black&white prints. The Photograph Accession Register for all digital images in the Sacramento Room collection requires specific information such as title, donor, publication date, a physical description, and summary of the historical context of the photo. I'm essentially doing the detective work on this images by pinpointing the details as best as I can surmise from clues such as the condition of the photograph, age, accompanying handwritten notes, etc. My understanding is that a cataloguer for the library will enter this information as metadata tagged to the photograph's accession number/call number. All of the images will be digitized and uploaded into the Sacramento Room's digital collections database, available at http://cdm16362.contentdm.oclc.org/.
According to the Sacramento Room's website, the Sacramento Room Digitization Project was launched in October 2010 with the intention of showcasing, in digital form, several choice images from the Sacramento Public Library’s Sacramento Room. Over 3,000 photographs, postcards and menus formed the original Sacramento Digital Collections which – from beginning to end – took over a year to compile, scan, and describe. In the summer of 2013, Sacramento Public Library established an ongoing relationship with the Capital Campus Public History Program at Sacramento State University. A student intern from the graduate-level public history program assists with all aspects of the digitization project. My role in this digitization project is as a volunteer in evaluating the historical content of the images and ensuring detailed notes are available.
My second bachelor's degree is in history from Sacramento State, while earning my degree I served an internship at the Center for Sacramento History. I'm enjoying experiencing special collections/archives from a public library perspective now as a library science student.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Archives Fun
February 13th (Sacramento History Room):
Today I started my first day as a volunteer intern for the Sacramento Room inside the Central Library, see http://www.saclibrary.org/Locations/Sacramento-Room/. This internship will provide training with processing, preserving, and cataloging special collections records. My direct supervisor for this internship is Amanda Graham, Archivist for the Sacramento Public Library. My specific duties will include processing a small collection of photographs, entering the metadata in a photograph accession register, and rehousing them in appropriate preservation material if necessary. I may also process a manuscript collection and have an opportunity to learn more about Encoded Archival Description (EAD).
I spent three hours today reading over documents of archival processing and photographic preservation from the UC Libraries system and the National Park Service. I also perused the catalog records for photographs in the Sacramento Public Library's OPAC and descriptions in the Photographs Accession Register.
In 2005 I had a completed an internship for my history degree at the Center for Sacramento History/SAMCC. Although I learned much about archival processing techniques in that position I can see that a lot has changed over the last nine years and that I will need to get up to speed on a whole new way of processing archives. There are new digital tools and technology that archivists use to process metadata. In addition there is a new approach towards processing archives called the "More Product, Less Process" (MPLP) philosophy. This philosophy advocates reducing the backlog of unprocessed special collections by using the minimum of amount processing work to make the collections accessible to the public. Public access to holdings and efficiency are priorities. Since the Sacramento Room is an archives within the Sacramento Public Library system - the emphasis is on making the special collections items immediately accessible the public as much as possible.
I have an interest in pursuing archival studies as a concentration for my MLIS studies at San Jose State University beginning in the fall 2014. This position is great stepping stone towards that objective.
Today I started my first day as a volunteer intern for the Sacramento Room inside the Central Library, see http://www.saclibrary.org/Locations/Sacramento-Room/. This internship will provide training with processing, preserving, and cataloging special collections records. My direct supervisor for this internship is Amanda Graham, Archivist for the Sacramento Public Library. My specific duties will include processing a small collection of photographs, entering the metadata in a photograph accession register, and rehousing them in appropriate preservation material if necessary. I may also process a manuscript collection and have an opportunity to learn more about Encoded Archival Description (EAD).
I spent three hours today reading over documents of archival processing and photographic preservation from the UC Libraries system and the National Park Service. I also perused the catalog records for photographs in the Sacramento Public Library's OPAC and descriptions in the Photographs Accession Register.
In 2005 I had a completed an internship for my history degree at the Center for Sacramento History/SAMCC. Although I learned much about archival processing techniques in that position I can see that a lot has changed over the last nine years and that I will need to get up to speed on a whole new way of processing archives. There are new digital tools and technology that archivists use to process metadata. In addition there is a new approach towards processing archives called the "More Product, Less Process" (MPLP) philosophy. This philosophy advocates reducing the backlog of unprocessed special collections by using the minimum of amount processing work to make the collections accessible to the public. Public access to holdings and efficiency are priorities. Since the Sacramento Room is an archives within the Sacramento Public Library system - the emphasis is on making the special collections items immediately accessible the public as much as possible.
I have an interest in pursuing archival studies as a concentration for my MLIS studies at San Jose State University beginning in the fall 2014. This position is great stepping stone towards that objective.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
School Library Dilemmas
February 11-12th (School Library):
This work week started on a Tuesday on account of the school holiday on Feb. 10th. For some reason, we've had several new 7th grade students transfer to the school this week - which meant checking out stacks of textbooks for each students per their class schedule. Here I was proud of myself that I had written out all four objectives for my paid position this semester - only to quickly realize that finding time to accomplish these objectives will be difficult as we get close to the end of school year. The first reason behind this has to do with teacher rush to get in class novel assignments and textbooks checked in before mid May. The second has to do with not having full dialogue with the certified teacher librarian on site.
On the up side, I have been able to spend considerable time repairing damaged fiction books while relabeling with new call number and genre stickers. I've noticed over the last few weeks that the new genre labels have coincided with an increase in student checkouts of fiction books, particularly the graphic novels and new paperbacks. Re-wrapping the book covers is also boosting the overall look of the collection. Sadly, the school does not have the funds to keep a fresh supply of new paperbacks in the collection every year. However, I spent a little time at the Scholastic Books warehouse in Natomas in December to pick up a few new paperbacks here and there. The library has also benefited from special donations of books from the PTSO.
I have had a request from a history teacher to make 30 copies of Copper Sun by Sharon Draper available to students for a class reading assignment. Again perhaps the PTSO may be able to help. Last year I was bombarded by 8th graders desperate for a copy of the book because all the local public library branches were out - if I'd had a little more heads up I might have been able to scrounge a few more copies from used book sales. Working in a school library, particularly at a middle or high school, requires being in tune with the curriculum in the classroom. If you're not constantly networking/corresponding with the teachers, you're not doing your job. This year I'm trying to see if we can avoid last year's inconveniences.
I'm thinking that the assignment of Copper Sun may be in line with Common Core Standards adopted by California schools this spring. I found this related article interesting http://www.slj.com/2014/02/standards/common-core/librarians-on-the-common-core-cautious-optimism/. I think that Common Core will be good overall for the school librarian profession as there will be greater need for students to develop critical research skills and Internet literacy outside the classroom. I attended a common core workshop on Jack London literature back in October 2013. Although there will be greater emphasis on non-fiction material in language arts studies, there's thankfully still a place for historical fiction novels in the curriculum. As a trained historian, I take comfort in this.
Again as a library tech, my rights to edit item notes, address fines, or weed items in the Destiny system is very limited or nonexistent. Only the certified librarians have full access to all of the cataloging and inventory features in the online catalog. This is somewhat frustrating but I continue to think of ways to be creative with the resources that I have. I'm expected to perform most of the same tasks as the school librarian during the days I'm working at the school.
This work week started on a Tuesday on account of the school holiday on Feb. 10th. For some reason, we've had several new 7th grade students transfer to the school this week - which meant checking out stacks of textbooks for each students per their class schedule. Here I was proud of myself that I had written out all four objectives for my paid position this semester - only to quickly realize that finding time to accomplish these objectives will be difficult as we get close to the end of school year. The first reason behind this has to do with teacher rush to get in class novel assignments and textbooks checked in before mid May. The second has to do with not having full dialogue with the certified teacher librarian on site.
On the up side, I have been able to spend considerable time repairing damaged fiction books while relabeling with new call number and genre stickers. I've noticed over the last few weeks that the new genre labels have coincided with an increase in student checkouts of fiction books, particularly the graphic novels and new paperbacks. Re-wrapping the book covers is also boosting the overall look of the collection. Sadly, the school does not have the funds to keep a fresh supply of new paperbacks in the collection every year. However, I spent a little time at the Scholastic Books warehouse in Natomas in December to pick up a few new paperbacks here and there. The library has also benefited from special donations of books from the PTSO.
I have had a request from a history teacher to make 30 copies of Copper Sun by Sharon Draper available to students for a class reading assignment. Again perhaps the PTSO may be able to help. Last year I was bombarded by 8th graders desperate for a copy of the book because all the local public library branches were out - if I'd had a little more heads up I might have been able to scrounge a few more copies from used book sales. Working in a school library, particularly at a middle or high school, requires being in tune with the curriculum in the classroom. If you're not constantly networking/corresponding with the teachers, you're not doing your job. This year I'm trying to see if we can avoid last year's inconveniences.I'm thinking that the assignment of Copper Sun may be in line with Common Core Standards adopted by California schools this spring. I found this related article interesting http://www.slj.com/2014/02/standards/common-core/librarians-on-the-common-core-cautious-optimism/. I think that Common Core will be good overall for the school librarian profession as there will be greater need for students to develop critical research skills and Internet literacy outside the classroom. I attended a common core workshop on Jack London literature back in October 2013. Although there will be greater emphasis on non-fiction material in language arts studies, there's thankfully still a place for historical fiction novels in the curriculum. As a trained historian, I take comfort in this.
Again as a library tech, my rights to edit item notes, address fines, or weed items in the Destiny system is very limited or nonexistent. Only the certified librarians have full access to all of the cataloging and inventory features in the online catalog. This is somewhat frustrating but I continue to think of ways to be creative with the resources that I have. I'm expected to perform most of the same tasks as the school librarian during the days I'm working at the school.
Saturday, February 8, 2014
"What's a Classic?"
February 5th (School Library)
Today I worked 4.5 hours in the library but things were so busy that I barely had enough time to choke down a decent lunch. When I arrived, I realized I had forgotten about an English teacher's 2nd period class that was coming in to browse the fiction collection for a good read. I had several requests for recommendations - this took me pleasantly by surprise. I was told that one student really liked Gary Paulsen's The Hatchet and was looking for something similar that was challenging to read - I came up with The Transall Saga.
I could be imagining things but it feels like the teachers are more comfortable this year with having their students utilize the library for general class reading assignments beyond the classics, biographies, or history/constitutional amendment research. It tells me that the faculty have a little more confidence in the collection this year and my ability to help students navigate the stacks. However I think the library has also been made "more legitimate" by the rehiring of a credentialed certified teacher librarian on a half-time basis. It might also have to do with the fact of simple accessibility - the library doors are open M-F now from at least 9:30am-2pm. Predictability of hours and familiarity with staff go a long way in making a library functional within a school environment.
A few hours later, just before lunch, I had a young woman walk in and blindly me ask me "What's a classic?" This caught me off guard so I decided to probe a little. "Is this for a class? Do you need it for an assignment?". "Yes!" she says eagerly, "My English teacher wants me to pick a classic. I need a classic. Can you help me?"
OK, so I had to think about this a little - here's a 8th grade student who clearly doesn't know what the word "classic" means in the library/literary world. Sadly, I think in the age where student digital literacy is being emphasized, traditional education in print literature is suffering. The backroom stacks of our library is filled with classic novel sets - To Kill a Mockingbird, Treasure Island, The Hounds of Baskerville, to name a few. Somehow this particular student was yet been given an education of how these works define classic literature. This surprises me as surely she's already been assigned a classic novel in any number of courses - Language Arts, History, Social Sciences.
Yet she has a decent grasp of "genre" so I start from there. What types of book do you like to read? Historical fiction? Mysteries? Sci-fi? "Sci-fi, umm yeah, I like sci-fi," she says indecisively. "OK well who's your favorite sci-fi author?" "Well, I liked The Hunger Games series". So I'm running through my mental list of who's who in the sci-fi literary world - Asimov, Le Guinn, Tolkien - "Well have you read The Hobbit?" "Yeah I have, well wait I think so - I just need a classic though. Can you recommend any?" Sigh - let's take a different tactic, I'm not a sci-fi reader but maybe just recommending any classic will steer her in the right direction - "well I have some favorite classics of my own, how about these?" I pulled Watership Down and The Good Earth off the shelf. She examines the Pearl Buck book - "oh yeah, this looks good" she says, "where is this set?" "In China." "Oh yeah that's great because my teacher said it had to be multicultural classic. Thanks!" Of course, I should have known, uggh.
I'm understanding that as a school library tech, I possibly have a greater role in educating these kids about literature. Concepts like genre and classic seem to be lost on majority of young adults. I'd like to start a literary circle but am told that only the certified teacher librarian is authorized to supervise these. So in the meantime I'm looking for a way to reclassify/reorganize the collection to make it easier for students to understand what it is they're looking for. The genre label identification project, I'm thinking, would be a good way to measure progress towards helping students find what they're looking for. A seems like many school library teachers are moving towards shelving books by genre rather. Again the board http://www.pinterest.com/lauraholton/genre-shelving/ has some interesting ideas.
I may also have to develop some other strategies, like say recommended book lists, to assist both the teachers and students in their assignments.
Today I worked 4.5 hours in the library but things were so busy that I barely had enough time to choke down a decent lunch. When I arrived, I realized I had forgotten about an English teacher's 2nd period class that was coming in to browse the fiction collection for a good read. I had several requests for recommendations - this took me pleasantly by surprise. I was told that one student really liked Gary Paulsen's The Hatchet and was looking for something similar that was challenging to read - I came up with The Transall Saga. I could be imagining things but it feels like the teachers are more comfortable this year with having their students utilize the library for general class reading assignments beyond the classics, biographies, or history/constitutional amendment research. It tells me that the faculty have a little more confidence in the collection this year and my ability to help students navigate the stacks. However I think the library has also been made "more legitimate" by the rehiring of a credentialed certified teacher librarian on a half-time basis. It might also have to do with the fact of simple accessibility - the library doors are open M-F now from at least 9:30am-2pm. Predictability of hours and familiarity with staff go a long way in making a library functional within a school environment.
A few hours later, just before lunch, I had a young woman walk in and blindly me ask me "What's a classic?" This caught me off guard so I decided to probe a little. "Is this for a class? Do you need it for an assignment?". "Yes!" she says eagerly, "My English teacher wants me to pick a classic. I need a classic. Can you help me?"
OK, so I had to think about this a little - here's a 8th grade student who clearly doesn't know what the word "classic" means in the library/literary world. Sadly, I think in the age where student digital literacy is being emphasized, traditional education in print literature is suffering. The backroom stacks of our library is filled with classic novel sets - To Kill a Mockingbird, Treasure Island, The Hounds of Baskerville, to name a few. Somehow this particular student was yet been given an education of how these works define classic literature. This surprises me as surely she's already been assigned a classic novel in any number of courses - Language Arts, History, Social Sciences.
Yet she has a decent grasp of "genre" so I start from there. What types of book do you like to read? Historical fiction? Mysteries? Sci-fi? "Sci-fi, umm yeah, I like sci-fi," she says indecisively. "OK well who's your favorite sci-fi author?" "Well, I liked The Hunger Games series". So I'm running through my mental list of who's who in the sci-fi literary world - Asimov, Le Guinn, Tolkien - "Well have you read The Hobbit?" "Yeah I have, well wait I think so - I just need a classic though. Can you recommend any?" Sigh - let's take a different tactic, I'm not a sci-fi reader but maybe just recommending any classic will steer her in the right direction - "well I have some favorite classics of my own, how about these?" I pulled Watership Down and The Good Earth off the shelf. She examines the Pearl Buck book - "oh yeah, this looks good" she says, "where is this set?" "In China." "Oh yeah that's great because my teacher said it had to be multicultural classic. Thanks!" Of course, I should have known, uggh.I'm understanding that as a school library tech, I possibly have a greater role in educating these kids about literature. Concepts like genre and classic seem to be lost on majority of young adults. I'd like to start a literary circle but am told that only the certified teacher librarian is authorized to supervise these. So in the meantime I'm looking for a way to reclassify/reorganize the collection to make it easier for students to understand what it is they're looking for. The genre label identification project, I'm thinking, would be a good way to measure progress towards helping students find what they're looking for. A seems like many school library teachers are moving towards shelving books by genre rather. Again the board http://www.pinterest.com/lauraholton/genre-shelving/ has some interesting ideas.
I may also have to develop some other strategies, like say recommended book lists, to assist both the teachers and students in their assignments.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Schedule Changes, Class Novels, Library Fines!
February 3rd and 4th (School Library)
The last two days at work have been particularly challenging. Yesterday, February 3rd, I began a new work schedule due to changes in personal family arrangements. I arrive at the library at 9:15am and work until 12:15pm, so I only work a total of three hours on Mondays. This was confusing to both the teachers and the students yesterday (Feb. 3rd). It's a disadvantage to first period teachers who would like to have a librarian available in the morning for their students to check out class texts, etc.. Yet it's an advantage to the students because it now means that the library is open during the lunch hour on Mondays in addition to other weekdays. However because my work hours cannot overlap with those of the certified librarian's on Mondays, it also means I need to close up the library just before the end of the lunch hour. I can see it will be difficult to monitor/police activity of the students in the library on Mondays because of this disconnect.
Today (Feb. 4th), every class period hour from 9:16 am through 1:15pm was booked straight by teachers seeking to get their students class text novels. I juggled these checkouts with the usual student and teacher requests for individual library items. The checkout of class novels comes in waves - right now the popular titles are Animal Farm, The Crucible, and The Outsiders. The school's policy is that every student check out their own individual class novel as part of their textbooks.
With the absence of a full-time librarian at the school, the faculty are challenged with timing the beginning of their reading assignments with the availability of the class novel sets and availability of the part-time library tech (myself) or the certified teacher librarian on Thursdays and Fridays. Class novel sets are stored in the backroom stacks separate from the library's fiction and nonfiction collection. It's tempting for the teachers to browse the backroom stacks (while a librarian is not around) to pull the books they need that day to start their assignments. However, they have been honoring the checkout policy by bringing the students in during a scheduled class period checkout time. It's the only way to hold the students accountable for the school's property.
In the process of checking out class novels to the students I am discovering that many copies of certain titles are in extremely poor/unusable condition. For example, paperback copies of To Kill a Mockingbird and The Crucible are worn thin to the point they are falling apart and pages are missing. As a library technician, I do not have the authority/rights in the Destiny system to "weed" out poor quality copies. However I am setting aside these books in hopes that the certified librarian and principal will get an idea of just how many copies should be replaced with hardback/Everbind copies should funds become available. Follett and Everbind publishers make hardback copies of popular classic novels specifically for school readers. They last so much longer and are much more appealing to read because of their durability and larger text fonts. The drawback is that they do require more storage space because of their extra thickness.Another challenge with the class period checkouts is the issue of library fines. If students have any outstanding textbooks or library fines, then technically I cannot check out new material to them until these outstanding issues/fines are resolved. The teachers who bring in their classes to check out class novels are not aware of every individual student who might have outstanding fines - so this presents a problem in their curriculum if a particular student cannot check out a textbook because a fine was not resolved. One 8th grade student currently has a fine of $230 on their record due to textbooks that were not returned during their 7th grade school year - the student reported that the parent would be writing a check for the amount at the end of the 2013/2014 year .
Again as a library tech, I cannot override a fine to allow a student to check out a new item. In order to minimize disruption to the class assignment, my solution has been conditional checkouts of new items to students with a grace period for returning textbooks or paying fines. I feel I need to be flexible with the system because the education of the students is priority. If I had been inflexible today then at least 10 students from the teacher's class would not have received their assigned reading novels due to outstanding fines. This situation was not acceptable to the teacher.
Still library fines become a serious issue towards the end of the year - particularly for graduating 8th graders. I'd rather be reminding the students now to return books or pay a fine than waiting until the end of the year when I will need to call the parents. It's a fine line between being firm with the students for lost material/fines and being flexible for the sake of school curriculum.
"Multiculturalism" as a book genre
January 27, 28, 29th (School Library)
During this week I continued to fix the barcodes on the textbooks. However the highlight of the week has been trying to assist students from a history teacher's class find books with a multicultural fiction slant for a reading assignment. The initial challenge was in trying to assess what the students were looking for exactly. The teacher sent in one student on Tuesday to ask if the library would be available to find multicultural books - from there I had to do some sleuthing. For what class? For what type of assignment? Could the multicultural stories take place inside the United States or did they have to be geographically located elsewhere? What was the reading level of the students - 7th or 8th grade? Was there a page requirement (some teachers specify that the books have to be 200 or more pages)? Did the book have to be a classic (e.g. "The Good Earth") or specifically by a multicultural author?
What defines multicultural fiction? Well I like Judith Mercado's answer, see http://judithmercadoauthor.blogspot.com/2009/09/what-does-multicultural-fiction-mean.html. "Multicultural" I would agree is an American construct. I've only found one DEMCO subject classification sticker with a "multicultural" label. It seems a bit racially defined, leaving out gray areas of general minority group (cultural, religious, social) experiences throughout the world.
As more students from the class trickled in I began to see the bigger picture. The teacher was organizing literature circles for students to explain their reading of fictional stories that took place in other countries - the fiction could be classic or modern. They were asked to find the "purple dot" marked books in library. It's important to note that the previous librarian identified "multicultural" fiction books in the collection with a purple dot label. However the "multicultural" designation does not distinguish between stories that take place in the United States versus outside the country's borders. Books identified as "multicultural" include those about Native American life in the U.S., the Japanese American experience, and so on. The faculty and students are obviously still used to identifying certain types of fiction books by the dots - and I've learned that "multicultural" is a genre that is particularly important to the curriculum for this school. In this case the DEMCO genre label sticker might work, so I've decided to invest a little personal money in getting more stickers.
This particular incident/multicultural book assignment a great opportunity to teach students how to locate books in the library. I could tell that most students were initially reluctant to ask me for help. So rather than repeat myself umpteen times with every new student that came in, I requested that the teacher send all the majority of students in at once so I could give them a brief lesson in how to find a book that was appropriate to the assignment. I find that most teens/young adults still want you to locate material for them; however it's important to empower students with the knowledge to find the information for themselves first. The quick assembly of a recommended or example multicultural book selection list seemed to help direct the kids in their quest for the perfect book. The find of the day (my opinion) was "The Whale Rider" set in New Zealand!
During this week I continued to fix the barcodes on the textbooks. However the highlight of the week has been trying to assist students from a history teacher's class find books with a multicultural fiction slant for a reading assignment. The initial challenge was in trying to assess what the students were looking for exactly. The teacher sent in one student on Tuesday to ask if the library would be available to find multicultural books - from there I had to do some sleuthing. For what class? For what type of assignment? Could the multicultural stories take place inside the United States or did they have to be geographically located elsewhere? What was the reading level of the students - 7th or 8th grade? Was there a page requirement (some teachers specify that the books have to be 200 or more pages)? Did the book have to be a classic (e.g. "The Good Earth") or specifically by a multicultural author?
What defines multicultural fiction? Well I like Judith Mercado's answer, see http://judithmercadoauthor.blogspot.com/2009/09/what-does-multicultural-fiction-mean.html. "Multicultural" I would agree is an American construct. I've only found one DEMCO subject classification sticker with a "multicultural" label. It seems a bit racially defined, leaving out gray areas of general minority group (cultural, religious, social) experiences throughout the world. As more students from the class trickled in I began to see the bigger picture. The teacher was organizing literature circles for students to explain their reading of fictional stories that took place in other countries - the fiction could be classic or modern. They were asked to find the "purple dot" marked books in library. It's important to note that the previous librarian identified "multicultural" fiction books in the collection with a purple dot label. However the "multicultural" designation does not distinguish between stories that take place in the United States versus outside the country's borders. Books identified as "multicultural" include those about Native American life in the U.S., the Japanese American experience, and so on. The faculty and students are obviously still used to identifying certain types of fiction books by the dots - and I've learned that "multicultural" is a genre that is particularly important to the curriculum for this school. In this case the DEMCO genre label sticker might work, so I've decided to invest a little personal money in getting more stickers.
This particular incident/multicultural book assignment a great opportunity to teach students how to locate books in the library. I could tell that most students were initially reluctant to ask me for help. So rather than repeat myself umpteen times with every new student that came in, I requested that the teacher send all the majority of students in at once so I could give them a brief lesson in how to find a book that was appropriate to the assignment. I find that most teens/young adults still want you to locate material for them; however it's important to empower students with the knowledge to find the information for themselves first. The quick assembly of a recommended or example multicultural book selection list seemed to help direct the kids in their quest for the perfect book. The find of the day (my opinion) was "The Whale Rider" set in New Zealand!
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