[CALIBK12] Hit: Monthly Report Ideas

Fri Sep 5 06:18:42 PDT 2008

Dear CALIBBERS,

Please forgive the delay with this posting. For some reason, my first  
attempt bounced and came back to me almost a week later! So... trying  
again....

Below are the responses with a lot of good ideas (in chronological  
order) I received to my TARGET inquiry about ideas for what to include  
in monthly status reports and tips on how to gather them easily. Two  
people sent me file attachments. I uploaded them to a wiki and am  
providing links in this email since I think that emails with  
attachments sometimes don't get thru CALIB.

One form I've used is a sign-in sheet for before and after school  
usage by patrons.  I have one in English and Spanish.  There is a  
space for student name, parent name, and date.  This helps keep track  
of the number of patrons using the library other than during class time.

I also do a newsletter each month which I distribute to all staff to  
advise them of the library program, upcoming reading contest, useful  
websites, Scrabble Club times, etc.  This really helps to promote the  
library and make the administration see the value of the program.   
Last year I also showed the principal our home page on his computer so  
he'd see the links that are available for students and staff.  This  
seemed to impress him and make him feel that the library program was  
useful for the entire school.  Hope this helps.

Melody Hubbard
Webster Elementary
Long Beach

Hi Jane.....You might want to specifically check with someone you know  
in LAUSD......we used to have an excellent Monthly Report form that  
has spaces to record EVERYTHING anyone would ever want to know: how  
many classes, how many books checked out, how many lessons taught,  
what subject areas, how many meetings with specific teachers, how many  
kids on passes, etc. (I could go on and on.)

At first I thought it was annoying, but eventually when I got into  
keeping and recording the statistics of stuff as it happened, filling  
out the form monthly was a snap. Actually, I used to just use the  
actual form as a worksheet, and just put tally marks in the proper  
areas whenever stuff happened -- then I would put the actual figures  
in the final monthly form......and it gave a great picture of  
everything that actually goes on in a school library on a daily basis.

ss
Sandy Schuckett
California School Library Assn.
Liaison to CTA
2312 Claremont Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90027
323-665-9811
aq061 at lafn.org

I followed up on Sandy's suggestion and asked Roza Besser for the  
template. Here's a link to a page where I uploaded her "tweaked"  
version of the original template.

Jane, if you have a security gate at the door, does it provide a count?

Also, we use sign-in sheets for kids on a pass during classtime.  That  
can be counted.

If you do textbooks (hope you don't), class checkout times can be  
documented, maybe number of circulations, depending on your s/w.

Instructional time, training of volunteers, classroom visits, library  
orientations

Supervision hours daily (before & after school, lunchtimes)

How you use your unscheduled time: prof. dev, website updates, lesson  
plan prep, collection dev (weeding & ordering)

You might consider documenting funding sources (site, district, state,  
donations, PTSA, Foundations, etc.) & how funds are spent, quantities  
received

I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with.  We tried to do  
something similar in Poway Unified and got bogged down in the  
different ways we did things.  Our school sites are all very different  
communities (I know first hand because I work at 2). I know the  
feeling about bean counting and being too busy to keep track.  I think  
if you work off a scheduling sheet that lists "the beans", it should  
be easy to tally daily and compile later for monthly reports.  Maybe  
come up with all the things to track and let the spreadsheet wizards  
(I've got one working for me) draft some templates.  Good Luck!

Susan Sheldon
Teacher Librarian
Bernardo Heights Middle School
Mesa Verde Middle School
Poway Unified
susansheldon at cox.net

Jane, Here are some items

- # student classes by subject (English, History)
- # student activities (book club, library club, poetry jam, other)
- Name of courses offered to faculty (such as "Classroom Learning 2.0"
or other new tutorials-to-be-announced)
- # faculty requests for library visit/collaborative lessons

My local community college has a bunch of measurements, including:
- # reference questions
- type of reference questions (Library Databases, Internet, online
catalog, course reserves)

Hope this was helpful.
- Jackie
**********************
Jackie Siminitus, MLS
AT&T Regional Library Director
795 Folsom Street, Room 400, San Francisco, CA 94107
415-644-7112 : jacquelyn.siminitus at att.com
AT&T Blue Web'n Library, www.kn.att.com/wired/bluewebn/
http://2CoolTools.blogspot.com; http://Advocate4Libraries.blogspot.com

Does you system allow you to keep count of all in-house books used but  
not checked out? This is an important statistic.
I was in a smallish library and told everyone to leave their books  
where they were reading them. I'd collect them and scan them as  
checked out for the day.

Find a way to get everyone to sign in when they come.  It takes time,  
but it's an important statistic.  It's one I didn't think to do and  
wish I had.

Joan Kramer

Do you use the in-library circulation option on your automation system?
This is a great way to boost circulation numbers and impress
administrators about the usage of the library!

I encourage the students that I teach at Fresno Pacific to always submit
a short monthly report to their principals.

Sandra G. Yoon
Coordinator, Library Media Services
Instructional Support Services
Bakersfield City School District
1300 Baker St.
Bakersfield, CA  93305
661-631-4808
fax 661-631-4804
yoons at bcsd.com
President, California School Library Association

Hi Jane: Attached (here's the link to the file)  is my chart for  
classroom visits to the library. I used it to "wow" the board during  
my 1st year as LMT here last year. I also included circ stats. My goal  
is to increase circulation this year by 50%! I look forward to your  
hit list!

(I'm attaching her great chart. It is impressive! - JL)

Mrs. Darla Brown, LMT, M.Ed.
Teacher Librarian
Garces Memorial High School
"Home of Athletes and Scholars"
661-327-2578 x133
dbrown at garces.org

Finally, Sarah Bossler reminded me that Dr. Loertscher has a software  
program for tracking time. I did some hunting and think I found it at  
LMC Source. Here's the URL: http://www.lmcsource.com/isell3/product.php?id=61 
. It's an Excel template and was written by Nancy A.S. Miller. If  
anyone can share experience using it, I'd appreciate it, and will post  
another HIT message about it.

Many thanks to everyone for your suggestions!

Best wishes,

Jane Lofton
Teacher Librarian
Lindero Canyon Middle School
Agoura Hills, CA
jane at lofton.com or jlofton at lvusd.org

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