Hi Colleagues,
Wow! What a popular topic this turned out to be. I posted the following
query this AM:
>I'm working on an article about library participation in those beginning of
>school year open houses in our schools. Now that they are past you, can
>you post about what you did in the library that day/night to encourage
>parents and/or families to stop by? Or what have you always done that
>works for you? Or what would you love to do but have not gotten up the
>energy for?
Loads of you responded. By far the most popular response was "Book Fair"
though there were a few of you who haven't had success with that idea--or
even thought it was a bad idea. There are also some really creative,
unusual ideas here--all levels. I am going to roll the ideas together with
my own to write the article. If you had a very unique idea, I've contacted
you to ask about quoting you directly. I'll hope to hear from you!
Thanks to everyone who responded! You are definitely a big cause of the
gratefulness I feel every day.
Best,
Toni
Open House - I go to the classes and explain the library program. Usually
have a hand-out or 2: the importance of reading aloud to primaries with a
list of suggested titles; research tips for parents; subscription database
info.
Back in the "old days" when the library was more centrally located, the
refreshments were served in and around the library. Best year was when we
had a mom who organized a "literary feast" and prepared foods with book
tie-ins. She displayed the books along with the food.!!!!
***
This year, we had an art show (Michigan has a "Governor's Traveling Art
Show" and this was the show in the library and heavily advertised in the
community) in cooperation with the art teacher (who has been a great
supporter of the library and reading). It still only brought two or
three people in. Our open house/PT conferences are held in our gym and
take so long (our teachers seem to talk for 15-20+ minutes with each parent
and in a HS setting...) that parents rarely make their way down to the
library. I have done a used book sale, put up flyers, displays,
etc., and had no one down, not even parents of the students who have me for
media literacy, so this was a success in that someone came down at all.
I am looking forward to having a new idea to try. Having student art might
get more people involved, though.
***
The school open house for me has never been that successful. Parents have 5
minutes to spend with their teachers and that is their main concern. I
have toyed with the idea of having a library open house some day, but I
doubt I will follow through on this.
***
Our Back to School Night is during the second week of school in September.
We have a book fair that week, where the kids come by in shifts with their
English classes to browse and shop. Then BTSN is on Thursday. We have
evening hours that night for parents and they come with lots of lists from
their children. Probably half our sales for the week come from that night.
We also offer informal sitting service for younger children. We don't
actually advertise this, but we have a small collection of children's books
and many of the little siblings wind up staying with us while parents visit
with teachers, which we encourage once they're here -- and word quickly
gets around. This is a great opportunity to meet parents, in the Library,
in an informal context, where we can talk about books and our program, what
their kids like to read, and what they would like and expect from us. This
year I had one parent ask me for two recommendations for her son, whom I
hadn't met yet. But I talked with her about what he liked to read and what
kind of kid he was. I pulled out six books for her to choose from and
described them all to her -- and she bought all six!
***
I have my fall book fair family night during open house. Parents come
early to browse. I stay open an extra 1/2 hour (at the end of open house)
to accommodate parents.
I also run a back to school contest to encourage students (and parents) to
stop by the Media Center/Library during orientation and open house. At the
end of September, I have a raffle for all who entered. I have used
different themes (Getting to know Mrs. C, Where in the World, HMS
trivia) to hook students and parents into stopping by!
***
I do different things -- I speak to the parents during the general
introductions at the beginning in the gym inviting them to the library, I
have a powerpoint presentation that I show on a screen by the door so that
parents walking by can see it and maybe be enticed to drop in, I put a
notice in the Sept. newsletter inviting them to drop by. There are always
refreshment in the cafeteria and I'm thinking of having refreshments next
year or asking the principal to move the refreshments
from the cafeteria to the library. I have a "Did You Know?" sheet about the
library and a sheet of database passwords for home use that I pass out. I
would like to create a brochure for next year.
***
My school population is composed of many students who live in poverty and
quite a few for whom English is their second language. It is my first year
in my position, and when I informally surveyed my classes, only about half
of the kids reported having public library cards. (Our public library
offers loads of services that are free and are perfect for this population.)
On Open House night, I had a public librarian here in the library to open
cards for children and parents. It was storming outside, but we still
opened 56 new cards. I had really talked it up. One mom came with a
broken leg, and a caseworker brought 2 students from the Children's
Home. A mom who spoke no English got her first library card with her son
translating the form for her. It was heartwarming. Since that time, it
has become the "cool" thing to go to the public libray on weekends, and
many more children have gotten cards.
***
I talk about the library's philosophy - and also give some fun facts
(number of DVDs, books, etc) I speak about services basically- inter
library loan, all reference books circulate, etc.
I show them our Interfaith Center for the study of the Holocaust and
Genocide - it is a room to the side of the library -
I ask for questions about anything concerning the school - Tell them they
can't leave if someone doesn't ask me a question.
Each department also has a raffle -- in past years we gave away Barnes &
Noble gift cards, CDs, etc. This year we did a DVD.
***
In a 7-12 building, I always have a book fair. That works to get parents
into IMC and to increase fair sales.
***
One year my son's school had someone from the County Library set up a table
outside the library to sign people up for public library cards. They also
handed out information on all of the databases and other services that are
available to everyone in the county, through the public library
system. The librarian was on hand to explain all of the services she
provided in the school library as well.
A friend of mine teaches in a small school and they incorporated report
card pick-up with Open House at the end of the first six weeks. The boxes
of report cards were set up in the back of the library, so everyone had to
go through it to get their child's report card. The library was very warm
and inviting and the parents got a good feel of what was available to their
children. This may not work in a larger school, but for a small school, I
think it's a great idea.
***
For years I have begged Scholastic to let me do a BOGO (buy one, get one
free) BOOK FAIR in the fall. Finally, my sales rep. went to bat for me, so
for the past 2 August Open Houses, we have had a BOGO fair in the
library. The PTO operates a pizza supper in the cafeteria (to eliminate
the need for parents to provide supper; they even subsidize it and so the
cost is quite little per person / family). I have the Fair operating in
the library, with a closed gap of time, to insure that all parents / kids
get to their classrooms on time. We only have books, none of the STUFF
that drives us nuts and diverts the kids' attention from good reading
materials. I continue to be astonished how enthusiastically our
not-very-prosperous community continues to support book fairs. Parents see
the "bargain" of the BOGO concept and the kids / staff is happy to have new
reading material. I try to have information from our public library set
out, whatever they give me for that year. In addition, I have information
out about Inspire, which is Indiana's on-line database. Computers are up
and running, to show off the on-line catalog and how to access INSPIRE. It
is a busy and very enjoyable evening in the library. I also have out a jar
into which people can contribute their excess change, which will go to our
library's account with the county community foundation.
On that night our school also welcomes other organizations (scouts, 4H,
sports teams, etc.) to come to set up booths in the hallways and give out
information explaining their programs. PTO sells school spirit clothing as
well.
All in all, it is a very good night at our school; extremely well attended.
***
I was able to have over 75 families come into our library during the last
P/C night by offering a free book from the book fair, (no cost to me) for
the winners of a drawing from the names of those who brought parents and
visited the library!
***
A lot of schools have their Book Fair during Open House -- but that is a
crazy time!! You will get people in the library, but you will not have
much time to talk to them.
What I do is I run my Birthday Book Club selection on Open House night. As
my new books come in, I hold them until Open House. I put a price of $10,
$12, $14, $16 on the books and display them on the library tables. (Some
schools use one price - $15) During library classes I talk up Birthday
Books and I send flyers home to parents. The student and parent select a
book to "donate" to the library in honor of the child's birthday. The book
belongs to the library but the birthday child is allowed to be the first
one to check out the book, there is a birthday bookplate put in the front
of the book, and the child's name and book title are announced on (or
close to) the student's birthday. Summer birthdays are announced on
another date - usually in Nov. - Dec. Usually I have 50 - 60 books
selected and make @ $500 every year. (and this is a small school - under
250 students, K-5)
***
During Back to School Night, we set up one of our mobile computer labs in
the library, and I helped the PTLO officers with an online interest
survey. While parents waited to use one of the 15 computers, I encouraged
them to look around the library and take information with them that I had
prepared. I had copies of our collection analysis report, and fact sheets
about school library programs and their importance in the school. I was
available to them to answer questions, and I had created a PowerPoint about
our library that looped on the LCD television in the fiction area.
***
I always make signs to post on either side of the entrance to the school
that announce the library is open. Then I borrow a cafeteria table (a bit
higher than my elementary school ones) and make a display of all the new
books I've either bought with PTO money, or that were donated as birthday
books. It's always an impressive display, and helps the parents seen some
tangible results for all that gift wrap and cookie dough they buy:) It's
always topped with a big "Thank you, parents, for your generosity!"
***
We had our Scholastic book fair that night. There were more people in here
than you could shake a stick at! The most people I've seen all year long.
***
In my regular classroom, I had an annual "New Year's Eve" party--kids came
in, designed a bookmark, learned their way around, drew pictures for my
first bulletin board (Postcards from Our Summer), etc. We celebrated with
party-type foods and white grape juice, hats, and New Year's
decorations. This could easily be adapted to the library (though I never
got a chance to do this) to introduce new books and library services.
There's a Happy New Year poem I used to use as well (it talks about that
Jan. is not the new year, it's in the late summer when shoes are new and
pencils are long and crayons still have their points!).
***
I packed 'em in at Open House by turning on my brand new
Smartboard. Grown-ups are always so amazed at how fearless kids are with
new technology.
We have two Open House nights, one for K-1, and the second for grades
2-3. I spent the first few weeks of school working on the OPAC with my
first graders. On the K-1 night, when kids brought their parents in, I had
the kids do the demo for me--clicking on pictures, choosing titles,
circling books that were "in" or "out." Kindergarteners sorted a set of
pictures: things to keep away from their books (pictures of dogs, puddles,
crayons) and things that are good for their books (backpacks, shelf
markers, etc.) They dragged the pictures into two columns, one topped with
a "smiley" face, the other with a frowning face.
On the 2nd and 3rd grade night, I put up a Smartboard game that showed a
couple dozen book covers. The kids sorted them into fiction
/non-fiction. This was a lesson the children were familiar with from the
previous spring.
I also did some shameless self-promotion by telling all the kids that I
would be sooooooo disappointed if they didn't bring their families in to
say hello. I asked the kids ahead of time to think about what they wanted
to show their parents WHEN (not IF) they come to the library.
One father came up to me and asked to see the "hurt books," because his
five-year old daughter wanted to show him each and every one of the damaged
books and explain what happened to it. "This shark book got left in the
rain. This bunny book got chewed by a dog..."
I also give away bookmarks and a brochure of parent tips on encouraging
children to read. This year, my principal came in to see why there was
such a crowd in the library. Next year...I'm thinking balloons at the
entrance and a coupon for a dollar off a Book Fair purchase.
***
Book Fair has been the most effective thing I've done.
***
Our school had the book fair in the library on open house night. This might
be nice for a school with a high turnout and a good book fair company.
Unfortunately we had a poor selection and not many parents. The library is
also in a bad location and there was no publicity. I am new here and was
not in charge of this event.
***
We did something a bit different this year- we had the Special Area
teachers open house on a different night- in conjunction with the PTA
welcome back Ice Cream Social. Parents had a lot more time to browse
without the "lure" of the classroom teachers. A good time was had by
all! (oh- and ice cream was limited to the cafeteria- no worries there!)
***
I have a book fair during that week. It's crazy on the night of open
house! The library is the most popular room on campus!
***
Lately, I have been putting out the decent content but
appearance-challenged weeded books as a give-away.
I advertise with a display board and attractive signs in the hallway, which
lead them to my door.
Then I welcome the visitors, give them doubled or tripled grocery bags and
tell the parents, guardians, and kids to take as many books or magazines,
and etc. as they want. No limits. By the end of the event, I usually have
no books left for me to fuss with. This year I had only one book not
chosen. I blessed the dumpster with it!
As they browse about, I have up-tempo music playing, and it's rather
festive, because as a rule, I decorate the Library anyway. People who know
this stop by and see what's up for this year...generally these folks
express appreciation through positive comments. It's always a conversation
starter!
I get to talk with folks if they wish, introducing myself to new members of
the school community, and invite all the adults to join the PTO! I take
names and numbers if I can, which I forward to the PTO Volunteer
Coordinator. I do keep copies for myself...planning ahead for the Book Fairs!
It is also a time to renew student relationships, and show off the NEW
titles, which are placed in an area quite separate from the give-away.
***
One year I prepared a family literacy packet for parents. If they came to
the library and picked up a folder during open house/pt conferences, they
got a chance on a drawing for a book from their respective homerooms. The
packet included booklists, websites, information about our state funded
data bases, bookmarks, information about the public library. Then the next
year I gave the packet out at 6th grade orientation, more parents there,
along with a copy of AMONG THE HIDDEN. I had gotten a grant to purchase the
books and items in the packet. All 6th graders read the book later in the
year. Now this book has become a regular classroom read for all 6th
graders. The teachers asked me to do it again this year at orientation but
I had to refuse because I now have to teach a block of language
arts!!!! Needless to say, much of my library program has been put on hold
for this school year. However, I can't help but feel a sense of
satisfaction when students request the other books in the series. After
all, that's what it's all about.
Toni Buzzeo, MA, MLIS <mailto:tonibuzzeo@tonibuzzeo.com>
Maine Library Media Specialist of the Year Emerita
Maine Association of School Libraries Board Member
Buxton, ME 04093
http://www.tonibuzzeo.com
Our Librarian Won't Tell Us ANYTHING! A Mrs. Skorupski Story, illustrated
by Sachiko Yoshikawa (Upstart 2006) BRAND NEW!!
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