[CALIBK12] When to keep books back from younger students

[Beth Olshewsky]

Hi Susan,

If the books are truly On Reserve, you have a good leg to stand on as we
often need to put materials on Reserve for a limited period of time for
curricular classroom support when resources are scarce and a class is
working on a particular project.This situation might fall into that area,
and then you can indicate that the other volumes were checked out by
accident and should have remained on reserve for the targeted classroom
support. I would encourage you not to leave them On Reserve indefinitely,
and since last fall is a pretty extended reserve. Please consider your
position regarding these books in light of the the Library Bill of Rights
and AASL's Access to Resources and Services in the School Library Media
Program. In particular:

"V. A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged
because of origin, age, background, or views."

"School library media specialists resist efforts by individuals or groups
to define what is appropriate for all students or teachers to read, view,
hear, or access via electronic means.

Major barriers between students and resources include but are not limited
to imposing age or grade level restrictions on the use of resources;
limiting the use of interlibrary loan and access to electronic information;
charging fees for information in specific formats; requiring permission
from parents or teachers; establishing restricted shelves or closed
collections; and labeling. Policies, procedures, and rules related to the
use of resources and services support free and open access to information."

To continue to direct the resources to your target audience, you might want
to: check them out to grade level teachers and circulate them through the
classrooms, booktalk them to your group of 4/5 girls and encourage those
girls to put the books on hold so they receive the next copy when returned,
or put them on reserve again periodically for specific limited periods of
time in support of teacher(s) addressing this issue. Outside of the time
the books are on reserve because of curricular classroom support, I would
encourage you to allow interested students to check them out. As an
elementary student, it would seem unfair to me (and we all know that
elementary students are very into what is fair) that a book would not be
available to me because of scarcity when it's in the library, and I would
feel put out that I couldn't use it because of my grade or perceived
reading ability.

Any chance that you'll be able to purchase more copies if the series is
that popular and potentially helpful. I confess that I'm not familiar with
the books, but I'll check them out. Out of curiosity, do you think that you
are dealing with forbidden fruit attraction for students outside of your
reserve audience wanting to read them, or do you think it's genuine
interest.

Best of luck with your decisions,

Beth

Beth Olshewsky
bolshewsky at earthlink.net
District Teacher-Librarian
San Marino Unified School District
"Love does not dominate; it cultivates."
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


> [Original Message]
> From: Susan Scott <suscott at pausd.org>
> To: calibk12 <calibk12 at listproc.sjsu.edu>
> Date: 5/1/2008 5:47:42 PM
> Subject: [CALIBK12] When to keep books back from younger students
>
> Last fall there was a great deal of peer pressure and conflict going on 
> at my school among the 4/5 girls.  Kristin Lee, who has been a teacher 
> in the district and who has a daughter in 5th grade, and I went looking 
> for a fiction series that might serve to start conversations about how 
> to deal with each other.  We found the Beacon Street Girls series about 
> teenage girls.  They are recommended for readers 9 years and older.
>
> I purchased 7 items from the series and showed them to the 4/5 girls.  I 
> have been actively discouraging other grade girls from checking them 
> out, not necessarily because of the content, but because they are a 
> scarce resource with a target audience.
>
> Because I am not the only person who checks out books - I allow students 
> to man the circ computer during recess and during classes, and I have 
> volunteer parents who also check in and out - some of the younger girls 
> have found and checked out these books.  I, however, was not aware of 
> that, and have continued to reserve these items for the older girls-even 
> discouraging younger students from taking them.
>
> Now, a teacher's child, a second-grader, has asked to take one from the 
> series.  I told her that these were not for second graders and did not 
> check it out.  The mom is furious, and now the classroom teacher is 
> getting in on it.  You can read the teacher's note below.  I have 
> removed the child's name from the note.
>
> I have not replied to the teacher, but the parent took me to the 
> principal for a fun session.  Do you have any suggestions or support?
>
> Thanks, Susan
>
>
>
> Dear Susan,
>
> I need some help understanding the check-out policies for books at 
Ohlone.
>
> One of my students has tried twice to check out a  particular book.  
> It's my understanding from  that the first  time you told her that it 
> wasn't at her reading level.  Today I  witnessed her asking you again 
> and you told her, "those books are  only for the 5th grade girls."   and 
> I are both confused by this  statement.
>
> There are three of the books from that same series in our room right  
> now.  You checked-out these books to 's classmates, who are not  in 5th 
> grade.
>
> I have not been aware that there is a policy at Ohlone about certain  
> books being checked out to certain students.  Please send me  
> clarification so I will know how to respond to 's confusion and  hurt.  
> These encounters with you have been very embarrassing to   and she is 
> upset.
>
> Thank you!
> --Cindy
>
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