[CALIBK12] book swap

[pamanddoug]

Dear Judy,

I hope that you receive this response in time to help you plan an
end-of-the-year book swap.

We have had an annual book exchange at Chapman Hills Elementary for the past
four or five years.  It is held in the library at lunchtime soon after
winter break.  Books may be dropped off in the library each morning before
school, giving me a chance to examine and sort the books.  A student is
given a ticket (from a roll of carnival tickets) for each book that they
turn in.  The books must be gently used and in good condition.  The event is
looked forward to each year.  Parents love it, too.  Their children get rid
of books that they aren¹t using and come home with books that they are
interested in.  (The only problem tends to be that they turn in more books
that are easy to read, books that they have outgrown...so I have to
supplement the book exchange with other more mature books that I am given
throughout the year.)  I publicize this even in the school newsletter that
goes home, and I send out a printed form that students are supposed to turn
in with their books, including the student¹s name, their teacher, and the
number of books that they are turning in.  If I get overloaded in the
morning, I send their tickets to their classroom in white sealed envelopes
marked with the student names.

I don¹t encourage any parents to help their students select books.
(Although this probably won¹t apply to more independent middle school
pupils.)  It is a student-centered choice.  I have learned that a few
parents would just love to drop by and help their child select books based
on the $ value.  Only parents of kindergarten students may help their
children select books.  This is also due to the fact that the K students
don¹t have a lunch hour, as they are getting out of school early.  Thus,
their parents come with them.

I give up my lunchtime during the week of the book exchange to run things.
(I am found in the library at lunchtimes on most days anyway.)   Actually, I
enjoy the event very much.

I do recommend the ticket format, because it seems more like ³shopping² to
our elementary students.  If a student turns in a great number of books
(50), I mark 10 tickets as ³first day² in black marking pen, and I leave the
rest blank.  The reason for this is so that the one individual doesn¹t clean
me out of all the ³good² books on the first day.  However, books continue to
be turned in all week, so the selection changes daily. The ticket format
helps to regulate fairness in the trading process  Sometimes children share
their tickets with a friend, so the event gathers a good crowd and becomes a
social activity.   A lot of students select the baby books for younger
siblings and for cousins and friends, and they still manage to find some
titles that they will personally enjoy.  Everyone seems pretty happy with
this format.

Pam Carrie
Chapman Hills Elementary
Orange Unified School District


On 3/18/09 9:20 AM, "Judy Egan" <judy.egan at oside.k12.ca.us> wrote:

> I am thinking of holding a book swap at the end of the school year in the
> library.  The idea is for teachers and students to bring in any books they are
> finished reading and would like to pass on to someone else.  My idea is to
> have a section of adult reading as well as books appropriate for my
> middle-schoolers. Does anyone have experience/pointers they are willing to
> share?  Thanks.
> 
> Judy Egan
> 
> Library Media Technician
> 
> Cesar Chavez Middle School
> 
> 202 Oleander Dr.
> 
> Oceanside, CA 92057
> 
> 760-966-4900
> 
> "When in doubt, go to the library"
> 
> --Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
> 
> 
> 
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