Extreme Makeover, Library Edition!

If I thought that the local graffit artists wouldn't destroy it, I would really look into doing something like the libraries below. Wouldn't that be cool? You should definitely take a look.

Cardiff (Wales) Public Library and Kansas City (MO) Public Library

Library Discovery Day: You need to advocate!

Today I invited all of my administrators to come visit my library and to learn what I know about it. I had pulled together a short PowerPoint (because long ones are dreadful).

We talked about the age and size of the collection.

We talked about the technology.

We talked about the good things and the bad things.

What I wanted to convey was information. My take is that even administrators often do not know how much has been allocated for the library. If you looked at our School Site Plan, you would know why. It is quite long with many budget items.

Without revealing how much is presently budgeted for books, I can say that it is a small amount. They were surprised at how small an amount.

I got an email later in the day and it appears that the effort was well worth it.

Advocacy works.

"Give me a reason to go to the library"

If you read one opinion column written by a student about libraries, this would be the one to read. I am pleased beyond measure that a high school student is interested enough in the library to write an opinion column in a newspaper.

While I do not agree with all of Ms. Drusch's points, I like that she is addressing the readability of what sits in our libraries. Some of it is no longer a "good read." It doesn't mean that it shouldn't be there, but it does mean that we need to update what we have in our collections.

I also like her idea of placing new literature in places where students can readily find it. This could be a display or a special temporary section of a library. Students, like many of us, appreciate what is new.

However, her idea to allow food and drinks is doomed to disaster. We have enough problems just with the items that come in without permission. While Drusch seems quite mature, this is not true for all middle and high school students. The general rule is that these students do not throw away their garbage.

My question to Ms. Drusch: Which books have you recommended to your librarian to buy?

Writing grants for books

I applied for a grant from the National Education Association (NEA) last week. If I end up getting the grant, it would fund a $1000 worth of books.

One reason why I decided to take on this particular one is that there was enough work involved in it for relatively little money that it likely scares off many library folks. This particular one required the usual information, but also required you to submit a list of the books you would buy if given the cash.

Given the size and age of my collection, this actually wasn't difficult. We have less than 12,000 books and other media. We have had very little in the way of funding for the last few years. For those who don't know, 12,000 is not a great number for a school with 750 students. Particularly when you factor in the age of my collection (average age of books = 1994).

So what did I do? I selected all of the ALA award winners for 2007 as well as some other award winners. While not terribly scientific, we need new and engaging literature and we have purchased none of them up to this point.

I do know that there are LMTs who don't write grants. I consider this vital to my work because I know I won't get enough funding for the number of books that I would like to purchase. And I am at a school with a very supportive administrative staff!

Also, I am a brand-new LMT, so I am still excited with all of this stuff.

Not Your Mother's Librarian begins

I am a Library Media Teacher. A brand-new Library Media Teacher. An LMT.

Your mother would call me a librarian. Mine does. She has an image in her mind of the kind, old gray-haired lady at Central High School in Duluth, Minnesota. You remember her. I do. Or at least I remember the Covina, California version.

For the most part, those ladies of old (and the vast, vast, vast majority were ladies, and I am no lady!) checked out books, shelved books, decorated the library, and provided a place for students to get books. They did a great job.

I have someone who does that for me. In my middle school library in Fresno, California, I have a full-time library tech. She checks out books, catalogs books, shelves books, works with computers, and much more. I think she's my mother's librarian!

I do some of what she does, to be sure, but I also write grants, develop a technology plan, select books for purchase, teach library orientantion and library research to the entire school, and, in our case, develop a brand-new library program.

Most decidedly not your mother's librarian.