Re: [LM_NET] rephrasing of Books in classroom

[Shonda Brisco <sbrisco@GMAIL.COM>]

I would suggest that the easiest way to handle this would be to write
a "Usage Policy" and make it available to all of your teachers at the
beginning of the school year.  Be sure to have the policy approved (as
you would your Selection Policy---if the length of usage is not
already included in this policy) and then provide teachers with a copy
of the policy at the beginning of the school year.  Explain that while
the library provides resources that can be used for longer periods of
time, that ALL students and teachers have the right to access these
materials throughout the year.

The policy should address the issue of library books used in the
classroom for projects and the length of time that each class /
teacher will be given to use those materials.  Once the materials have
reached their due-dates, the materials should be returned to the
library. Let the teachers know that once the due-date is over, the
materials should be returned to the library or you will retrieve them
for use by others.

Of course, all of this will require some positive reinforcement or
incentives to encourage the teachers to share those items---we've all
had those teachers who believe that they are the ONLY ones teaching a
specific topic and feel that they have the sole rights to those
materials within the library.  Maybe you can encourage those teachers
who participate in sharing the resources the opportunity to help you
select new titles to add to the collection and allow them the ability
to use the new titles first. You could select "e-books" on the
subject---which would require the use of computers to access the
materials BUT would keep those books in your collection for use by
everyone without the problem of a few "hoarding books" in their
classrooms.  You might also look for opportunities to write grants to
add new titles to the collection and selectively choose which
materials might be "deselected" from the collection to be given to the
classroom teacher.  You can also provide bibliographic lists of the
materials to the teachers so that they can purchase their own titles
(and be sure to include the total cost of that specific collection to
the list so they will see the value of the materials to the library).

While all of this seems "book grabbing" seems childish (to
librarians), fighting for library books seems to be a serious problem
with some teachers.  I am constantly amazed at the number of items
that teachers "sneak" back into the library at the end of the year or
the reluctant grumbling of teachers who insist that the penguin video
tapes belong to them, so once inventory is finished these tapes should
be returned to them---even though the library barcode is prominently
displayed on the covers.  However, creative solutions can be found if
you are willing to look at the situation from their point of view.

~Shonda



On 6/17/07, Carol Van Brocklin <crucena@mozcom.com> wrote:
> Good morning all:
>      OK--first of all Thanks for all who have already responded in the
> less than an hour since I posted this.
>      I would like to clarify a couple of things.
>
>      First of all, I did ask these teachers to return books through the
> year. Some of them have come back, but usually only if I physically
> go to the classroom and get it myself. Others are "needed" for
> various reasons and unless I hound them, I don't see them again. It
> really is one of those "pick your battles" scenerios.
>      This is not to say that these teachers are nasty or even new to the
> job. The two main offenders have been teachers for years and claim
> that this is the way they have always been able to do things in the
> past. Since this is my first year at this school I don't know what
> happened before and just have to go with what I have done in my
> schools in the past.
>       Because we have had 2 different directors this school year (long
> story) I have not gotten a lot of help from that end.
>       The main reason I posted the hit was to find out if this is really
> something that is common now in the United States and I just wasn't
> aware of it.
>
> Again==Thanks for all the responses.
>
> Carol Van Brocklin
> Librarian
> Faith Academy-Davao
> Davao City, Philippines
>
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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

Resources for Texas School Librarians:
http://txschoollibrarians.ning.com/
http://txschoollibrarians.wikispaces.com/

"Digital Resources" columnist
School Library Journal

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