Adventures in My School Library 
| Adventures in my School Library |
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By Maria P. D’Orsi Welcome, summer!! I know it’s here because the air conditioning is now off in my school building. It is assumed that staff and faculty, along with all the students, have gone home to enjoy a much-needed vacation and that the custodians and secretaries who are here all summer do not sweat. Bah, humbug! I’m still here!! Why? Because I get very little done when school is in session…other than teaching, that is. I love the quiet library of vacation weeks and summer break almost as much as I love the busy, multifunctional, frenetic pace of school days. I envy the school librarians who are paid to work for several extra weeks after school lets out. It pains me to stop all circulation while school is very much in session in order to be done on the last day. Well, despite my best effort, I was not done. So here I am…sweating! I am amused when non-teaching friends who call me to go out and have some of this “summer fun” are surprised when they hear that I am still working. Granted, I did not arrive this morning until I finished the ENTIRE pot of coffee. And, I cannot stay beyond 3:00 PM because summer hours are now in place. But it reminds me once again that only another dedicated school library teacher/media specialist/librarian will understand what I’m doing here…and why. My community built beautiful new school libraries (my building opened in 2003) when we qualified for new construction grant money. Since there wasn’t an elementary or middle school library program in place (only the one in our high school, which had to be there for the high school to be credentialed) not only were the buildings new but so also were all new school library staff. As a result, we six librarians (who all work alone – no surprise there) have not only been busy building our collections but also our programs. As we finish year four we are in pretty good shape I would say, but the student bodies of more than 600 students in each building require a lot of work! In my library the last few weeks have been a flurry of activity, and I am as proud as I am relieved that all the hard work and collaborating ad nauseum is paying off - this library is functioning more and more like the hub of the school. The teachers have discovered what you all know, that we are not trying to make more work for them but rather be their teaching partners. The more some teachers have “used me” the more others jump on board. During the last month students were busy signing in and out to use computers, do research, complete and display final projects, etcetera, etcetera, and it was exhilarating to behold. Even my ever-supportive principal was thrilled. This year was an exciting ride as we watched the program blossom. Finally we came down to the last few days. The projects are finished and it’s two days left- then one more day. After sending many notices and stopping teachers in the corridors in an effort to track down missing paraphernalia there’s still plenty of A.V. equipment unaccounted for, plus closing technology support (who knew backing up personal files could cause so much consternation!), and those late and lost books that we all deal with at the end. You know. As I sit at my computer right now (five days after school closed) I am looking at a sea of equipment, some returned and some retrieved…overheads, listening centers, cassette and CD players, TV/VCR/DVD players, video cameras, book binding machines, etc. Many teachers do not understand why I ask for it to be sent back to the library…there’re only going to sign it out in September again anyway. I feel like responding much like my Dad would have when asked an irritating question…”because I said so!” But instead I model the picture of patience and tell everyone that I make sure the equipment is cleaned (I know they don’t have time, but the dust!!), checked for missing pieces, cords and burned out bulbs, and restored as near as possible to its original condition. Then I order what I need to get started in the fall, record that the items still exist, and hunt down what did not get sent back. This is where all the good will I built up with the custodial staff pays off…they will wash down the equipment, although it is not technically part of their job, because I feed them and give them gifts. “Shameless self-promotion” as Kathy Lowe would say. I do whatever I can to build library goodwill. Joe Angelo, former President of both the MSLMA and Cambridge College’s Library Teacher program, would agree. He truly believes in the power of food! The next project for the (unpaid) summer is to redo my filing system. I think this is sort of like redoing picture albums…a project that desperately needs to be done but remains on the to-do list in perpetuity. I still haven’t decided if it is better to keep lesson plans in binders or in files. As a result I have both. Please, if you have an opinion on this let me know. I like the files because I can easily add student work without having to punch holes. Binders are easier to work with and can be moved around with out spilling out the contents or other dangers associated with loose pages. Binders or files…binders or files… If there’s time I’d like to move my state and country books sets. If there’s time I’d like to relocate the laptop cart and dedicated printer. If there’s time I’d like to move a couple of freestanding cases and expand the series section. If there’s time I’d like to see if my desk is made of wood or if my memory fails me, because it’s been so long since my desk has been cleared off. I love my job and I hope you love yours too. It keeps me working even when I’m not being paid, thinking about the library even when I’m not in the building. At the end of year four I can honestly say that I am right where I belong and considering that I am not a youngster, but a seasoned second career library teacher with a huge school loan (which will be paid 5 years after I retire as I said in a previous article), it’s a relief that this is not just a job but more a labor of love. Little Gem: You all know how stories can lead to interesting discussion. One story got my first graders talking about their parents’ ancestry. One child said her mom was Haitian, another said her entire family was Italian. One little boy said his father was half and half…half Irish and half human. Got a little gem to share? A comment? Email me at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it See you next issue! |
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