[CALIBK12] Query: Split library positions

[cmorgan at srcs.org]

I worked 50% at 2 high schools for thirteen years.  During some of those
years, I had good budgets, all that state money, so I kept busy selecting
materials and bringing the ancient collections up to date. That was when we
converted to an automated system (Dynex)  and barcoded everything, then a
few years later shifted to  Follett. Then we remodeled both schools, and I
weeded out many thousands of books, and moved the libraries into temporary
facilities, then moved both libraries back in to the new space.  Obviously
95% of my time was working  with  the collections and the facilities, not
the kids and teachers-I hardly knew them. The teaching side of my job was
almost non-existent.  Now, with three years of full time work here at SRHS,
it is a different world. The teachers are seeing for the first time what  a
librarian is, and how I  can help make their teaching efforts much more
effective by providing the materials and instruction to support them.  I
have excellent relationships with kids and I can see the results-so can
they.  


But that doesn't answer your question-how did I make it work? I accepted it,
and worked with what I had.  I trained my clerks well, and one of them (but
not the other) maintained good discipline and structure in my absence (the
other one let them eat lunch and generally use the library as a lounge-on my
days in the library, I was the meanie-not fun). I dreaded returning on
Monday morning, having been gone for so long that the place was  a wreck. In
retrospect, I would have laid down  the laws   about that and stuck to my
guns, but I  my spiritus were pretty low by that time.   I could not use
volunteers because I wasn't there to work with them, and they couldn't give
me student assistants  for the same reason. 

For a while I worked Monday, Tuesday, and half of Wed. at one school, then
moved to the other. Then I started Monday, Tue. and alternate Wed. at one
school,  the reverse at the other. That was better. 

I could not be a truly effective teacher librarian, so I went for the
"librarian" part, and was successful at creating  very good collections,
well cataloged,  and am seeing that pay off now,  as I am able to put those
materials in to the hands of the kids.  Circulation has way more than
doubled at this library since I have been full time, but it's mostly the
same books, now being well used, as I  have had tiny budgets since the state
money dried up. I invested mostly in books that would not become outdated
(i.e. decade series, literature,  rather than science) so they will be
useful until they wear out.  I think it was better to have 2 high schools
than what you describe, one middle and one high, because at least was the
same  curriculum and lots of the same material, including online.  

Splitting schools is far from ideal but better than not having any librarian
on staff. The district and schools needed me more than they knew they did,
and I did far,  far more than they  ever recognized or appreciated, but I
did not do it for the administration or the district, I did it for the
children and for the long-term value of these libraries.   

Good luck and best wishes,

Christine 

Christine Morgan MLIS

 

Teacher Librarian

San Rafael High School

San Rafael CA 94901

(415)485-2354

 

  _____  

From: calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu
[mailto:calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu] On Behalf Of Dagmar Rea
Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2008 2:40 PM
To: calibk12 at lists.sjsu.edu
Subject: [CALIBK12] Query: Split library positions

 

We need your help!

 

Our district is looking at splitting the 4 remaining high school librarians
between two schools each:  one middle school and one high school.  This
option is in lieu of the prior plan to send us all back into the classroom
part-time.  Each site has at least one full-time library tech. in place.

 

Our question is, if you are currently split between two schools, how do you
make it work?  How is your time split, and what do we need to know for this
to be successful?  We are hoping this will only be temporary, but want to be
proactive about the situation.

 

Any advice on how to make a split between two schools successful is needed
and appreciated.  I know how busy we all are this time of year...

 

Thank you!

 

Dagmar Rea, Teacher Librarian

Hemet High School

Hemet, CA

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