Library Stories

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I’m going through the patron records for our 8th graders who are leaving for high school, and remembered…

The young man who came in every day for manga in 6th grade, until he lost a book and couldn’t check out any more until he paid for it, which he didn’t. This seemed to be part of the worsening of his attitude about school. This year I instituted a new policy: students still had to pay for lost or damaged books, but if they paid me at least $1.00 each time they wanted to check out, I’d let them check out one book each time. This young man started doing that, and after finally paying the book off, came in every day to get more manga. When he brought back his last books this year, he said that he wanted to make sure he returned them so other students could check them out. Eureka! He gets the whole idea of a lending library now! When I told our reading specialist this story, she said that was the first positive thing she’d ever heard about this student.

Almost every name brings a face to mind. I love being able to greet students by name when they come in, and some of them get a big kick out of it. Others are suspicious–“Why do you know my name?!?” I tell them it’s because I’m working on it.

Hello, Summer! Goodbye, Old School Year!

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Taking a page from Scott Merrick’s book (http://scottmerrick.blogspot.com/), this will be a reflection on the past year–out of necessity in my case, since I didn’t post anything all year. Here are some highlights:

ALICE Training – This is where I got stuck on this blog process, before school even started. I was so unnerved after we did this simulated active-shooter training that I didn’t know what to say. We had live gunfire (with blanks, of course) and announcements about where the “shooter” had been, and we were to make our own decisions about whether to evacuate, barricade, or fight back. We got hands-on training in the latter two. The training, organized by our local police department, was very effective. As a friend pointed out, our first priority should be to get the  hell out with our students.

Snow Days – We had an amazingly winterish winter! Snow days started in December, including one where it was just too cold for kids to stand at the bus stops. Between snow and the book fair, the library was only open for checkout for 7 days in December.

Library Guild – Once again, I had grand plans that didn’t come to fruition. We didn’t get started until mid-November, and only 7-10 kids showed up for the meetings. They had a snack for the first 20-30 minutes, then they were supposed to straighten the shelves for 15-20 minutes, then play board games for the rest of the time. Because there were so few students, I didn’t assign shelf sections this year. Most of them spent the work time standing around and talking, in spite of anything I said. I’m not going to do a Library Guild next year, as I can see it’s not working the way I had hoped it would. I don’t think I’ll do a club at all; if anything, it would be a Game Club. If I could get another teacher interested, it would be easier to stay enthusiastic.

Recognition – I realized that I’m not likely to ever be named Educator of the Year at my school because I don’t have a team to vote for me. This is a common problem for instructional support teachers; also, the pod architecture in this building encourages the grade levels to act as closed groups. I need to do a better job of publicizing what I do in the library, not just for me, but so the teachers and upper admin know what good it does to have a librarian in this school. Since our district is using Google, I’m planning to share my library calendar with the staff and put on it what I’m working on.

Virtual Worlds – For the past two years, I’ve used Second Life at school to attend meetings of education groups. I thought my administrators were supportive of this, since we’ve discussed how my virtual world activities contribute to the profession as a whole. Apparently they were unaware, and I was told (on my rezday, ironically) that I can no longer access Second Life at school. I accept this, but it’s naturally very disappointing. I’ve noticed that attendance has been down at the Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable now that I’m not doing announcements before the meetings. I think our district, like many, doesn’t realize that use of virtual worlds is included in our state Standards of Learning:

Technology Communication Tools
C/T 9-12.15 Communicate effectively with others (e.g., peers, teachers, experts) in
collaborative learning situations.
A. Use technology tools for individual and collaborative writing,
communication, and publishing activities.
• Use various technology resources to develop, revise, and assess written and media-based reports and projects, integrating technologies as appropriate.
• Independently collaborate with others using digital communication tools.
• Use digital communication tools to communicate with specific audiences.
B. Participate in communications among different cultures.
• Contribute during a distance-based communication project that includes
individuals from different cultures by leveraging the differences of those cultures to develop solutions to common issues.
C. Participate in online courses, social and learning networks, and virtual worlds.
• Manage goals for learning in an online course.
• Participate in activities that involve social and learning networks and virtual worlds.

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/computer_technology/2012/stds_comptech_9-12.pdf (Thank you to Bill Schmachtenberg for pointing this out.)

Stats – Circulation was down 21% this year. That’s appallingly different from what I expected at the beginning, since the library wasn’t closed for instruction at all once orientations were done. When I added things up, though, we were actually open for 18 fewer days than we were last year. Also, when I think about it, I heard teachers and students say many times that they were reading on their eReaders instead (phones, tablets, etc.), since we implemented BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) fully this year. The high school librarian and I have talked about buying more eBooks for our libraries, and I think now is the time.

Collection – The collection is in better shape this year than it ever has been. I’m especially proud of our fiction collection, which is full of popular and worthwhile books, and is expanding beyond its space. I just finished moving, weeding, and dusting that whole section so I could fit all of the books in. I’m just starting to work on my official project for this year, renovating the sports section (796). My SMART goals for this year are based on that, since data shows that it’s the most heavily-used nonfiction part of this library.

Student Request Program – Students can request books for the library, and I try to buy those books whenever possible. This year I kept track of fulfilled requests: 101, not counting the books the students selected from the book fair for the library. The best part of this program is the looks on kids’ faces when the get to check out the book that they requested–that makes all of this worthwhile.

Well, that’s a mish-mosh, but those are some of the things I’ve been thinking about. Feel free to leave comments in response!

Further Adventures in Virtual Worlds

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My professional connections have gotten deeper and more numerous over the past year. I thought about saying “my *virtual* professional connections”, but although the meeting places are virtual, the people and the connections are real. In many cases they extend into other social media, and into physical life (PL, also known as RL for Real Life).

I still attend the same meetings that I did last year, with the addition of ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries), an ALA affiliate. These meetings and groups still do not contribute directly to my job, but I feel certain that my passion for virtual world education will lead somewhere, eventually. At the very least, they boost my morale and satisfaction with my current, somewhat challenging, job.

My roles in these groups have changed over the year. I got frustrated with trying to find information about the various meetings, so I wound up doing publicity inworld, and on social media, for all of these groups. For Virtual Pioneers, I co-host the biweekly Meet & Greets, and help corral people on tours. I’m a VSTE Facilitator, helping to plan events. I’m the Producer for the ISTE SIGVE Speaker Series. I helped start the Cultural Community Hub. I’m Transcript Editor for VWER, and I help with transcripts for NonProfit Commons. I also helped with streaming sessions for the OpenSim Community Conference last fall (http://conference.opensimulator.org/2013/). My husband feels like even when I’m home, I’m never home!

I make friends wherever I go in SL, at least one a day.The result of all of these connections is that when someone is telling me about their project, I can usually think of someone else who might be able to help them, resulting in more connections within the education community.

I’m giving a lecture tomorrow at the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference (http://vwbpe.org), about Professional Education Connections in Virtual Worlds. Last year I could barely attend; I’m hoping this goes well.

Goodbye, Summer! Hello, New School Year!

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This morning dawned crisp and clear, a harbinger of fall days to come. I went back to work on Monday, and I have this week, before the teachers come back, to get a head start on the new year.

This summer was full of social media and online professional development. In June, although I couldn’t go to San Antonio, I participated in the ISTE 2013 Conference SIGVE Playground. (ISTE = International Society for Technology in Education; SIGVE = Special Interest Group on Virtual Environments:  http://sigve.iste.wikispaces.net/SIGVE+Virtual+Environments+Playground+ISTE+2013.) I helped out inworld for the Second Life portion, as Gord Holden did a presentation for the attendees. Later I was asked to take on Gridjumper’s role as Producer for the SIGVE Speaker Series (http://sigve.weebly.com/13-14-speakers.html). I’m looking forward to working with our speakers and guests, some of whom have no virtual world experience.

In addition to my usual round of meetings, and an Internet-free vacation in the North Woods, I managed to attend the beginning and ending sessions of the VWBPE Conference (VWBPE = Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education: http://www.vwbpe.org/) I’m now taking part in the post-conference MOOC (http://vwbpe.kamedia-interactive.com/), which explores some of the virtual worlds in more detail. Next year’s VWBPE Conference is April 9-12, 2014, and I’m hoping to participate more fully.

Now, for library goals for this year. I hesitate to put these in print, for fear of failing, but I think most of us know that without failing there is no learning. So…

This year I want to focus on staff development, rather than direct student instruction. I can do that without closing the library much, since I can work with grade level planning blocks. I’m hoping to collaborate with our ITRT (Instructional Technology Resource Teacher) on monthly tech training, plus do short bits at staff meetings and grade level meetings. I hope to help teachers (and their students) learn about EasyBib, online research databases, the Destiny library catalog (including interactive functions), and Edmodo (or whatever equivalent thing we’re using).

I’m hoping to continue the after-school Library Guild. This year I’m going to start out assigning shelf sections and incorporating badges. We might be able to use Edmodo for this, too. I still haven’t learned to play Minecraft, but I’m looking into the possibility of using this with the Guild, too.

This might be the year that I establish a Library Council of teachers, parents, students, and administrators. I really need to become part of a group, rather than a department of one. If we can meet quarterly, we could at least make a start. I’d like to use the AASL framework that Chris Flench shared a couple of years ago; hopefully I can find my notes!

We have a change in administration, as our former principal was promoted to a district position. I’m feeling positive about this, as our new principal is our former assistant principal, with whom I’ve worked well for years. Our new AP used to be a teacher here, and we’ve collaborated on teaching together. I’m meeting with the principal on Friday to talk about goals, and learn more about how the library program can support our school and district goals.

Now–on to processing the rest of the new books that came in last year! Huzzah for the new year!

 

Reflections on This School Year

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Last Friday was the last day of school for the students, and yesterday was the last teacher workday. In my district, the librarians are lucky enough to be paid for 10 extra workdays, so we don’t have to volunteer our time to get necessary library tasks done. My last day is Friday–the light at the end of the tunnel!

At the end of last year, I talked with my administrators about focusing on library circulation rather than teaching research units. Last year the library was closed every other week, for most of the year, so I could do research instruction. This year the library has been open for most of the year. I thought circulation would zoom up, but it was a 10% increase, mostly making up the 8% that it went down last year. Average daily circulation actually fell, by 14%. I’ve felt chained to the desk most of the time, because even when classes aren’t here, students trickle in on passes in a steady stream. The pace has been much more reasonable, though.

Because I’m being evaluated this year (and because I am mostly evaluated as a teacher, not a librarian), I did work with one teacher on part of a research unit. Using our recollections of previous units, we decided that I would focus on two parts: Asking Questions, and Notetaking. We scheduled two days, with one in between. The day before the students came in, the teacher had them write questions about their biography subject, to be used as a baseline assessment to show student progress. The next day, I instructed the students on writing good questions, and they repeated the assignment. Our plan was to have them take notes independently the next day, then I would teach about notetaking the following day. It took the students longer to do the initial notetaking than we had planned on, so when they were ready for instruction, I was already having classes in for checkout and couldn’t do much.

I was surprised when I crunched the numbers for the two assignments’ pre- and post-assessments. Overall, 70% of the students showed at least a 10% improvement on the first assignment, and 92% showed at least a 10% improvement on the second assignment. Possible reasons: 1) the instruction that I did less direct instruction and more coaching on resulted in greater gains, or 2) students didn’t want to re-write their previous questions on the second Question assignment. Next time I’ll try to make sure I assess the first Question assignment and then have them add to it for the second one.

I’m planning to have another book fair next year. My husband helped for the whole thing, and commented that the kids seemed to be really enthusiastic. We have an amazing community of readers, and I want to make it even better. I also hope to have a Library Guild again, with some re-structuring. We had 22 kids here on the last day–amazing!

May Update

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I’m starting to feel like a librarian again, and not just a clerk. The help of the sub, although too intermittent to allow for instruction, has helped me get into the office and work on the books. I also have had the help of a grad student who is studying to be a Young Adult librarian; she’s getting some hands-on practice in modifying title and copy records in the catalog.

My friend Jimbo helped me prioritize all of those things that overwhelmed me. Here’s my list:
1. Grade the dang papers
2. Get the professional development hours squared away
3. Get the Library Guild to shelve books
4. Get the book fair books processed and in the hands of students
5. Tweak the cataloging on the new books

It took me a couple of weeks, but I got the papers graded. I need to go back and crunch the data to show student process, but the legwork is done. I need to finish adding up my professional development hours. The shelving has been taken care of by the wonderful sub and my adult volunteers, and the Guild has been straightening the shelves each week. The book fair books are all done, and I’m partway through the first box of the 14 boxes of new books. Because they come fully processed, there’s not much to be done, and I go through those fairly quickly when I have time to concentrate on them. Because I can’t switch back and forth between the Catalog and Circulation tabs without losing my work, I switch back and forth between the circ desk computer and my office computer. Having someone at the circ desk makes it possible to get these books done.

It’s been a month since I unpacked those 14 boxes of books. The end of the school year is fast approaching, and although I’m definitely making progress, I don’t know if I’m going to get them all put out before circulation stops for the year, probably at the end of May. At any rate, I’m on my way to putting good books in the hands of our students.

Serendipity!

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This morning, the custodian brought up 15 boxes of new books. Although I’ve been working on grading every chance I get, I needed to get these checked in so the bookkeeper can pay the bills.

Also this morning, the permanent sub told me that she’s working in the library all day today! I’ve been training her to do circulation, so she ran the desk while I worked on unpacking and checking in the new books. It was an ideal training situation because I’m right here if she needs help, but I can be in the other room, away from interruptions. She’s also making a serious dent in shelving the full carts of books that have accumulated.

Serendipity: 15 boxes of books checked in before 11:00 am! This is the first time I’ve been able to sit in my office and concentrate on something since…well, I can’t remember. While I was downstairs delivering the packing lists to the bookkeeper, I told the principal how much I appreciated the sub’s help, and how much I was able to get done. Success!

I need to get a grip…

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Yesterday I noticed that my new book order is in–10 boxes of new books for our students! Good news! Now I just need to get them into circulation.

This used to be part of my annual goals, for Learning/Work Environment : As the public face of the library, regularly smile at students and staff. I think I need to reinstate that; it doesn’t come so naturally any more. I’m completely overwhelmed with everything I need to do at the moment, but I’m taking a few minutes for reflection here. I’ve already snapped at a few people this morning for no good reason, and I need to get a grip. Consider this your inside look at the job of a solo school librarian.

My primary task each day is checking books in and out for the classes and individual students who come into the library. That takes priority over everything except fire and bleeding (knock wood!). Today I have six 6th-grade classes scheduled to come in for checkout, plus the dozens of students who come in on passes.

Both book carts are full of books to be shelved. They’re sorted by numbered books vs fiction, but that’s it. I’ve started shelving fiction, up to H, and those shelves are straightened with books displayed on top. I got the Library Guild to do some actual straightening on Monday, so the shelves don’t look quite as trashed as they usually do. I do have two volunteers who come in to help with shelving, and two substitute teachers who help with that occasionally. Thanks to them, I rarely have to shelve books, which really helps. Unfortunately, everything else requires training, which isn’t time-effective with occasional workers.

I’m running out of space in the back office for books that need to be mended. I fix things on the fly when I can, but the rest I check out to Mending and put in the back til later. Right now there are 198 books checked out to Mending. There’s also half a cart full of books that have been weeded, but need processing to be discarded.

I also have a cart full of new books from the book fair that we had in November. The Library Guild (student after-school club) stamped them and put bar codes on, but I need to import and edit a MARC record and a copy record for each one. I also need to put plastic covers on dust jackets for 16 of them.

I finally got my book orders done before the deadline at the end of February, hence the 10 boxes of new books downstairs. I don’t even know where to put the boxes. Although I order them fully processed, I’ll need to check them in on the packing list, stamp each one, check the MARC records, add the cost to the copy records, check the call numbers and change the spine labels if necessary.

After I get all that done, maybe I can print up some more genre bookmarks and create a book list for Hi-Lo books (high-interest, low reading level).

Oh! I forgot–I still need to work on the student data upon which my 5-year evaluation partially rests. I also need to sort through my professional development options to make sure I meet my state recertification deadline this June.

Of course, I still feel lucky to have my job; others haven’t been. I also have good friends who help me sort things out, and a wonderful husband who will come in to help out. It’s just a little overwhelming sometimes. Thanks for listening 🙂

 

Professional Virtual World Adventures

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Last summer I took a class with the NorthTIER consortium on Virtual Worlds and Games in Education, taught by Laura Briggs. My initial goal was to learn to use Second Life to attend VSTE meetings and professional development sessions online. I learned so much more–my professional and personal worlds have been expanded exponentially.

When I started using Second Life (SL), I had a steep learning cliff to conquer. It took me a week to learn how to move my avatar around effectively, and a month before I learned how to change my clothes. I persisted because the people I met there were so helpful and welcoming that I wanted to participate in the communities that I found.

As you know, my job as a solo school librarian is extremely isolating. I am a team of one, in a building of 800+ people. My district is kind enough to let me run SL in school, making it possible to attend inworld meetings during the day, and to network with people on my few occasions for downtime. I am able, from my computer here, to have meaningful professional interchanges with people all over the world.

Currently I am a member of 18 different educational groups in Second Life. I attend Virtual Pioneers meetings on Sunday nights; VSTE meetings on Monday nights; ISTE office hours on Tuesday nights; ISTE meetings and socials, plus VSTE planning meetings, on Wednesday nights; VWER meetings on Thursdays after school; and BIO-SE and Nonprofit Commons meetings on Fridays during school. Because the latter two are conducted in chat rather than voice, I can follow along even when I have classes coming in to check out books. I consider myself a liaison between all of the groups, and I do lots of cross-postings of meeting notifications among all of them. I like being able to connect people together, and help create community. I’ve been enriched so much–it’s a virtual world, but the people are real.

Running a Book Fair as a Solo Librarian

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One of my biggest challenges is running a book fair. I resisted for over a year after my assistant’s position was eliminated, but my principal really wanted us to have one. At the middle school level there isn’t much parent participation. Running the cash register is complicated, so I really need to train people who can come in for extended periods of time. I’ve asked our teachers to volunteer during their planning times, but the response for that has been limited. The only reason I was able to stay open at all last spring was the willingness of my husband to work a full-time week at the book fair. (I know!!) He worked almost as much this year, but I was able to get a few more people to sign up.

This time, the Library Guild helped some. I sent an email to the parents inviting them to come in with their child, as a team, to volunteer for our family event. Two families responded, and another family just showed up to help. The parents liked working with their children, and the kids liked feeling useful.

Of course, the real snafu was Superstorm Sandy–we were closed for 3 out of the 6 book fair days. Still, we made more than half as much money as we made last time. The real downfall was that half of the students didn’t get to come to the book fair at all, which I felt badly about. I packed up the fair on Wednesday then left for the Virginia Association of School Librarians’ conference (VaASL)–what a week!