Re: [LM_NET] Best Thing You Did This Year

[Shonda Brisco <sbrisco@GMAIL.COM>]

Nicole's statement should be sent to every administrator, legislator,
parent, and library supporter....look at the effort made to begin a
wonderful program, the process that started a world of opportunity,
the ideas for new projects.... and then read the bottom line:

"Unfortunately my library media position has been cut and I will not
be here next year at all."

I'm certain that if a football coach came into a school, whipped the
team into shape, brought in a whole crowd of supporters that grew each
week under the "Friday Night Lights", took the team to their first
state play-off, and placed in the top three in the state that NO
administrator, school board, or executive committee would STOP the
momentum built by the coach.

Why does this insanity continue?

~Shonda


On 6/8/07, Nicole Meintz <MeinN@coldwater.k12.mi.us> wrote:
> Hi everyone!
> The best thing I did this year... I did a lot of good things this year.  I hope 
>no one minds if I brag about it.
>
> It's my first year in the media center and I, along with my clerk, cleaned and 
>straightened, to put it simply.  This included moving the fiction section out from 
>behind the circulation desk and over in an open area near the nonfiction.  I threw 
>out all of the 4 broken overhead projectors, 2 outdated tvs, three broken film 
>strip projectors (yes FILM STRIP, that's not a typo!).  I moved four random 
>computers out from a blind spot and put them in front of the circulation desk, 
>cleaned out the library's work room (full of pitchers, serving trays, 
>elementary-type posters, and other random items) and set it up so students who 
>need to work quietly can do so in that room.  (It's right beside the circ desk and 
>has a window- they're not unsupervised).
>
>  I went to the PTO with the idea of a book drive, in the end it brought in over 
>700 books (including many new teacher-requested titles) and $2,600 in cash, which 
>is over twice the amount of my book budget this year.
>
> We relabeled the book club books (but did not intershelve them-- I wanted to 
>start a roving book club that we would share between schools, and carry on 
>discussions via a blog.)
>
> And I relabeled the audio books and teacher books and organized them so teachers 
>could use them (they were kind of a mish-mashy mess before).
>
> I also worked with teachers and got many of them to trust me and even work with 
>me, and raised their expectations of what a media specialist is here to do.  I was 
>also a member of the technology committee and helped institute a staff evaluation 
>and training program based on Doug Johnson's model in Mankato (thanks again, Doug!)
>
> Cool things I was going to do next year...
> Bring in  iPod Shuffle audio books.
> Begin the roving book club/blog project (in this county and the next).
> Update the outdated biography section with the book drive funds.
> Collaborate more  with teachers to integrate information literacy skills with 
>classroom curriculum.
> Continue to be a creative and productive member of the school staff and 
>technology committee.
>
> Unfortunately my library media position has been cut and I will not be here next 
>year at all.  I'm now in job hunting mode.  :)
>
> Thank you all so much for all the advice and different points of view you shared. 
> I appreciate your input so much.
>
> I hope everyone has a wonderful summer!
>
>
> Nicole Meintz, Library Media Specialist
> Legg Middle School
> Coldwater, MI
> meinn@coldwater.k12.mi.us
>
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-- 
Shonda Brisco, MLIS
Library Media / Technology Specialist
Digital Bookends wiki / blog:
http://digitalbookends.pbwiki.com
http://shonda.edublogs.org/
sbrisco@gmail.com

"Digital Resources" columnist
School Library Journal

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