I know Ron was ranting, and not necessarily seeking answers, but we do a summer
book fair (around our summer reading lists) at a local Barnes & Noble. It has a
totally different "flavor" from our in-school book fair, and I know it won't be the
solution for everyone. I don't work by B&N, by the way, but they have really
worked with us to make our summer bookfair a success.
The way it works at a B&N Book Fair is that almost anything purchased on a certain
day (or weekend) by a person having the Book Fair code (our school prints vouchers
with the code on them, and also links the voucher to our website for a couple of
weeks) is credited to the sponsoring organization. Anyone, anywhere in the US can
shop using the code, so it means distant relatives can also participate if they
have a B&N nearby. At the end of the time period, all the coded purchases are
added up, and the school receives a check for a percentage of what was spent. It
can be anywhere from 10-25% of the total amount, with the lower amounts if you want
cash versus a B&N gift card. We were able to earn $2,500 (as a gift card to B&N,
which is still a good deal because we get a library discount). Since it is held
totally off campus (ours was a summer weekend soon after school was out) this might
address your principal's issues. B&N orders all our Summer Reading books so
parents can do "one stop shopping." And then, as most of us know, once you're in a
book store, if other purchases (books, CDs, DVDs, cards) just happen to be made,
they also count towards to total spent.
It has been a nice addition for us, and other than the fact that the librarians
donate our time to "hang out" in shifts at the store on the day of the Book Fair,
it isn't a lot of work. I would not want this to replace our on-campus book fair,
but I think it's a great addition to it.
Ms. Maggie Knapp, Librarian
Middle School/Upper School Library
Trinity Valley School
7500 Dutch Branch Road
Fort Worth, TX 76132
tel: 817-321-0100 x410
fax: 817-321-0105
knappm@trinityvalleyschool.org
________________________________________
From: School Library Media & Network Communications [LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On
Behalf Of librarychickie [yasumani@VERIZON.NET]
Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 9:27 AM
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Re: RANT:Anti-Scholastic movement in my district
Although I doubt the monopoly issue would demand us to stop using scholastic, I
agree with the parent.
I also agree it is a pure waste of instructional time and would prefer it be
treated as an elective afterschool event.
The only reason we are forced to use book fairs or any fundraising mechanism is
because we as parents, teachers and a community refuse to fund schools properly. A
wide range of corporations (scholastic included) benefit enormously from this fact.
I am disgusted with our children being used for corporate gain. I am required to
hold scholastic fairs but I am continually disgusted with the junk they sell and
the profit they make off of my lower middle income students.
From: "Ron Wagner"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 2:30 PM
Subject: RANT:Anti-Scholastic movement in my district
> In our 2500+ student district, one parent complained that Scholastic has a
> "monopoly" on book orders and wanted the distribution of book club
> materials stopped. Our district lawyer agreed, and took it one step
> further: We can no longer have book fairs that are open during
> "instructional time" because we do not want to allow a company to sell
> things to kids while they should be learning. We'd have to have it open
> only during recesses or after school. With our 675+ kids, that would not
> work, so we stand to lose hundreds of dollars of book money for
> classrooms.
>
> Has anyone else even heard of this?
>
>
>
>
>
> Ron Wagner
> Teacher-Librarian
> Felida Elementary School
> Vancouver, WA
> ron.wagner@vansd.org
>
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"Only the educated are free." - Epictetus - Greek-born, Roman slave/philosopher (55
AD - 135 AD)
Kristina Politis Fallon, LMS
Robert Morris School
South Bound Brook NJ
yasumani@verizon.net
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