I started this blog back in 2011 when I was a younger, fresh-faced, librarian. A few things have changed since then, but one thing that hasn't is that I still love my job. I've moved on from middle school and have been at Burbank High School since the fall of 2016. While I enjoyed my time at middle school - especially with the Scrabble club I developed, I absolutely love being at the high school. I tried to get Scrabble going there, but it just never took off. Instead, I have a Harry Potter club, go figure.
So why blog again? We are now a month into lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic and I guess I just needed something else to do. It's not that I don't have enough to do, it's really just another distraction. I still have another 300+ devices that I need to enter and check out in the library catalog, I have a presentation on resume writing that I'm doing next week, and I'm still the go-to person for tech issues. I know that being forced to stay home has been difficult for most people - especially those who are more extroverted, but I'm completely okay with it. Of course, I've only been fully home for just over a week now. I was dealing with the distribution of devices for the first three weeks. As an introvert, I'm perfectly fine not having face to face interactions. In fact, I find that I'm being quite productive without all the distractions that I normally deal with. Sure, I do miss the students and seeing my colleagues, but I'm not going crazy because of the lack of interaction. Before all of this, I was not a fan of online meetings, but I've come around to the idea and most aren't that bad.
Well, I guess I better get back to work. I have a few ideas for new blog posts so stay tuned.
Friday, April 17, 2020
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Scrabble - OMG!
I know I haven't written in forever. My job keeps me on my toes most days! Last year I started a Scrabble club at my school. It was fairly successful with about 25 active students. We had a lot of fun and I was able to receive a grant that has allowed me to purchase more boards, new tiles, and dictionaries. I started up the club again this year and it has simply exploded. Today alone, I had 66 students come to a meeting. I have a lot of new ideas that I'm incorporating this year. I just hope I find time to keep up with it all. One of the counselors approached me today and asked it I was interested in having a Scrabble class for next year. Once we talked about the logistics, I told her that I was interested. I would be able to hand-pick the class. I could really focus on a lot of vocabulary development and potentially groom students to be more competitive. It would be a lot of work. I would have to create a curriculum for it. It would take time out of my day. When I'm gone, we'd have to figure out a substitute situation. But I think it might be cool to give it a try. Now I just have to figure out how to deal with the 66 that are participating right now!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
A need to clone myself
I love that the library has become the "happening" place in the mornings. Most mornings I have 25-30 students in here. Many are playing Scrabble, others are looking for books, working on library club projects, or just hanging out. My problem is that there is only ONE of me and I'm constantly pulled in several directions. The Scrabble players want help playing the game. Other students need help finding a book or want to check out a book. Some students are working on art projects (decorating their own Scrabble racks or creating book art) and often need assistance with supplies. On top of all that, I have to act as the doorman because the outside doors to the building stay locked until the 1st bell rings so I constantly have to let students in the building and deny entry to those who only want to use the bathroom or avoid the gym. Luckily it's only about 45 minutes in the morning, but by the time the bell rings (and after I've checked out a dozen books at the last minute), I'm relieved that I can just sit at my desk for a few minutes during the announcements.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
What do I do all day?
That was a questioned asked of me by a student today. My answer was that today I was processing new books that arrived and that I always have something to do. His response was that it sounds boring. I would have to disagree though. I happen to love my job. I love the fact that I always have something to do and it often changes. I rarely, if ever, have down time in my library. If I did, I would probably read. So what is that I do all day?
Check books in and out. Sometimes it's just one or two students in here, while at other times it might be an entire class. Regardless, one of my main jobs is to check books in and out to students as needed.
Shelve books. Having an assistant would really help with this endeavor. Luckily I have a volunteer that comes once a week on Mondays and handles most of my shelving for me.
Print and distribute overdue notices. When I do have a moment where I'm not doing a million other things, I try to get overdue notices out to students. Printing the notices is relatively simple, but then I have to cut them apart and put them in piles for teachers to distribute. Sometimes I cut corners by just sending out a PDF file to teachers and ask them to let their students know that they need to return books. Unfortunately, that method isn't as effective in getting books back.
Place orders for books and other materials. Even though sometimes the budget is limited, I do have to spend time working on orders which takes more time than one might think. Luckily in the past couple of years, we have had some budget increases which in turn means it takes more time to place an order. Often we have specifications to follow in terms of ordering materials so that plays a part in choosing materials. I can easily spend $500 in a day, but spending $5000 takes me a week or two.
Process new books/magazines. Magazines don't take very long to process once they're in my system. Any magazines that gets checked out regularly, gets barcodes added. New books, however, takes considerably more time. Once an order comes in, I write the acquisition date, the vendor, PO number, the fund, cost of the book, call number, and barcode number in every single book. After that, I also have to stamp the book in several locations. Once that is done, I upload the Marc records into the system so that they are ready to check out.
Library orientation & lessons. At the beginning of the year, I usually meet with all the ELA classes and go over information on using the library. At other times during the year, I will also do other presentations such as working on dictionary skills or help classes with research projects.
Make book recommendations. Being able to make recommendations means that I have to know my collection pretty well. It also means I should read more than I do. Imagine me not having enough time to read with everything else I have to do! Right now I'm trying to get my students to make some of the recommendations by creating an animoto project.
Manage textbooks. This could be a separate blog all by itself. Textbooks take up a considerable amount of time at the beginning and end of the year. Luckily it's a little easier with the TipWeb program we use, but it's still a huge headache.
Troubleshoot and resolve technology issues. Since I'm the Campus Technology Rep, most people come to me to fix technology related issues first. I can usually deal with small issues like not having the monitor plugged in,setting up printers, and replacing LCD projector bulbs, but when I can't fix it, I submit help desk requests.
Update the school website. Now that I have the basics of our districts web design program down, it doesn't take me long to do updates on the website. I do wish, that I had more time to really work on it's organization and revamp the design - but maybe some day.
Run the Scrabble club. This was something I started this year and I thought I might have a dozen kids that wanted to learn to play Scrabble. Now I have 45 members enrolled with about 30 active players. Running the club means I often go from table to table as they play making suggestions and helping students figure their best plays. During official meetings I go over strategy and after playing each day, I record their points and averages in an excel spreadsheet. I post the results and students earn their own racks when they achieve 500 points.
Library Club. As if I didn't have enough to do, I also started a library club this year. I wanted it to go beyond a typical book club because I wanted to do more than just read and discuss books. So far students have created book marks, written a request letter to their favorite celebrity, and they are currently creating animoto book reviews. Up next will be book art creations and maybe a reader's theater presentation if we have time to get it in.
Create lessons. Sometimes teachers come to me with the idea that they want to do a research project so I will often sit down and help them create a lesson. I have also created lessons on the spur of the moment when I don't get any advanced notice. Eventually I intend to put lessons online so teachers can access them as they wish.
Fixed Assets. Unfortunately, this task also fall to me. Technically the administrative assistant is supposed to help, but she is as busy, if not busier than I am. Last year it took me three weeks to find and count everything on the campus. Hopefully this year, it will take less time.
Testing. Like any other educator in the state, we having testing going on several times a year. I'm always involved in some way.
Subbing. Unfortunately there are times that we have several teachers absent and subs that don't show. Luckily it is rare, but there are times that I have to act as a sub when there are not enough available.
Monitor hallways & bathrooms. I'm always out in the hall during passing periods monitoring the students.
Set up equipment for presentations. When we have PTA meetings or other presentations, I'm the one that sets up the equipment necessary such as a projector, screen, and laptop. It is helpful when I get advanced notice, but there are times it is a last minute set up.
Deliver dictionaries for testing. This is self-explanatory, but can be tedious during testing.
Staff training/surveys. Sometimes I'm able to train staff on library resources at faculty meetings. At some point I would like to offer more training sessions to staff on various technology and research tools, I just haven't found a way to work it into my schedule yet. I'm also responsible for make sure that district required staff and student surveys are completed. I also have to complete surveys and some online training which sometimes takes an entire afternoon.
Digital Citizenship lessons. This takes about 2 weeks to prepare and teach at the beginning of each school year. I have to do this lesson with every student on campus and I cannot take them out of core classes which makes the process more difficult. Luckily, I'm figuring out ways to make it more efficient, but it still just takes time.
Go to meetings. I have LMS meetings monthly. On top of that I have meetings for UIL, Campus Technology Representatives, Textbooks, and PBIS. I also attend other functions such as the Library Round Up, TLA convention, and training sessions. This takes me off campus a few times each month.
Print & laminate posters. The poster maker and laminator are in the library so I'm often asked to do this for teachers. Most have learned the process by now, but sometimes they can't get here so I take care of it. When I'm swamped with other things, it's not a priority, but I don't mind usually as it doesn't take long.
Discard technology and other equipment. I have a conference room full of equipment I need to get rid of. It has not been a priority to deal with it, but at some point, I will work on all the paperwork required to get it off campus. Of course that doesn't mean it will be picked up right away, but at least I can hope.
Manage student behavior as needed. Last year, it seemed every time I walked in the hallway during the spring semester I had to deal with a student misbehaving. I even had to break up my first fight last year. It's not the best part of the job, but sometimes you just have to deal with the unpleasant tasks. I wish I could say that all the students here are well behaved, but the fact that they are middle school aged, I think that's enough to know that there's always going to be discipline issues.
UIL coordinator and coach. This could also be another blog post entirely, but as UIL coordinator, I work to get other faculty to volunteer as a coach, chaperone, or competition judge. I coordinate the travel and food arrangements. I also coach several of the events. (Last year it was seven.) As a coach, I work with students on their events and help them prepare for competition. On top of that, I also volunteered to run the speaking events at the tournament since I have experience in running speech tournaments.
These are just a few of the responsibilities that I handle as the librarian. It doesn't include little things that crop up each day. Some days it can be overwhelming, but most of the time I'm just busy which is a good thing. Sometimes when I need the down time, I read a little or work on a creative project. I would love to spend more time with other activities such as book talks, collaborative lessons with teachers, and reading. I do love my job and I'm thankful that I finally am working in a field that is truly my calling.
Check books in and out. Sometimes it's just one or two students in here, while at other times it might be an entire class. Regardless, one of my main jobs is to check books in and out to students as needed.
Shelve books. Having an assistant would really help with this endeavor. Luckily I have a volunteer that comes once a week on Mondays and handles most of my shelving for me.
Print and distribute overdue notices. When I do have a moment where I'm not doing a million other things, I try to get overdue notices out to students. Printing the notices is relatively simple, but then I have to cut them apart and put them in piles for teachers to distribute. Sometimes I cut corners by just sending out a PDF file to teachers and ask them to let their students know that they need to return books. Unfortunately, that method isn't as effective in getting books back.
Place orders for books and other materials. Even though sometimes the budget is limited, I do have to spend time working on orders which takes more time than one might think. Luckily in the past couple of years, we have had some budget increases which in turn means it takes more time to place an order. Often we have specifications to follow in terms of ordering materials so that plays a part in choosing materials. I can easily spend $500 in a day, but spending $5000 takes me a week or two.
Process new books/magazines. Magazines don't take very long to process once they're in my system. Any magazines that gets checked out regularly, gets barcodes added. New books, however, takes considerably more time. Once an order comes in, I write the acquisition date, the vendor, PO number, the fund, cost of the book, call number, and barcode number in every single book. After that, I also have to stamp the book in several locations. Once that is done, I upload the Marc records into the system so that they are ready to check out.
Library orientation & lessons. At the beginning of the year, I usually meet with all the ELA classes and go over information on using the library. At other times during the year, I will also do other presentations such as working on dictionary skills or help classes with research projects.
Make book recommendations. Being able to make recommendations means that I have to know my collection pretty well. It also means I should read more than I do. Imagine me not having enough time to read with everything else I have to do! Right now I'm trying to get my students to make some of the recommendations by creating an animoto project.
Manage textbooks. This could be a separate blog all by itself. Textbooks take up a considerable amount of time at the beginning and end of the year. Luckily it's a little easier with the TipWeb program we use, but it's still a huge headache.
Troubleshoot and resolve technology issues. Since I'm the Campus Technology Rep, most people come to me to fix technology related issues first. I can usually deal with small issues like not having the monitor plugged in,setting up printers, and replacing LCD projector bulbs, but when I can't fix it, I submit help desk requests.
Update the school website. Now that I have the basics of our districts web design program down, it doesn't take me long to do updates on the website. I do wish, that I had more time to really work on it's organization and revamp the design - but maybe some day.
Run the Scrabble club. This was something I started this year and I thought I might have a dozen kids that wanted to learn to play Scrabble. Now I have 45 members enrolled with about 30 active players. Running the club means I often go from table to table as they play making suggestions and helping students figure their best plays. During official meetings I go over strategy and after playing each day, I record their points and averages in an excel spreadsheet. I post the results and students earn their own racks when they achieve 500 points.
Library Club. As if I didn't have enough to do, I also started a library club this year. I wanted it to go beyond a typical book club because I wanted to do more than just read and discuss books. So far students have created book marks, written a request letter to their favorite celebrity, and they are currently creating animoto book reviews. Up next will be book art creations and maybe a reader's theater presentation if we have time to get it in.
Create lessons. Sometimes teachers come to me with the idea that they want to do a research project so I will often sit down and help them create a lesson. I have also created lessons on the spur of the moment when I don't get any advanced notice. Eventually I intend to put lessons online so teachers can access them as they wish.
Fixed Assets. Unfortunately, this task also fall to me. Technically the administrative assistant is supposed to help, but she is as busy, if not busier than I am. Last year it took me three weeks to find and count everything on the campus. Hopefully this year, it will take less time.
Testing. Like any other educator in the state, we having testing going on several times a year. I'm always involved in some way.
Subbing. Unfortunately there are times that we have several teachers absent and subs that don't show. Luckily it is rare, but there are times that I have to act as a sub when there are not enough available.
Monitor hallways & bathrooms. I'm always out in the hall during passing periods monitoring the students.
Set up equipment for presentations. When we have PTA meetings or other presentations, I'm the one that sets up the equipment necessary such as a projector, screen, and laptop. It is helpful when I get advanced notice, but there are times it is a last minute set up.
Deliver dictionaries for testing. This is self-explanatory, but can be tedious during testing.
Staff training/surveys. Sometimes I'm able to train staff on library resources at faculty meetings. At some point I would like to offer more training sessions to staff on various technology and research tools, I just haven't found a way to work it into my schedule yet. I'm also responsible for make sure that district required staff and student surveys are completed. I also have to complete surveys and some online training which sometimes takes an entire afternoon.
Digital Citizenship lessons. This takes about 2 weeks to prepare and teach at the beginning of each school year. I have to do this lesson with every student on campus and I cannot take them out of core classes which makes the process more difficult. Luckily, I'm figuring out ways to make it more efficient, but it still just takes time.
Go to meetings. I have LMS meetings monthly. On top of that I have meetings for UIL, Campus Technology Representatives, Textbooks, and PBIS. I also attend other functions such as the Library Round Up, TLA convention, and training sessions. This takes me off campus a few times each month.
Print & laminate posters. The poster maker and laminator are in the library so I'm often asked to do this for teachers. Most have learned the process by now, but sometimes they can't get here so I take care of it. When I'm swamped with other things, it's not a priority, but I don't mind usually as it doesn't take long.
Discard technology and other equipment. I have a conference room full of equipment I need to get rid of. It has not been a priority to deal with it, but at some point, I will work on all the paperwork required to get it off campus. Of course that doesn't mean it will be picked up right away, but at least I can hope.
Manage student behavior as needed. Last year, it seemed every time I walked in the hallway during the spring semester I had to deal with a student misbehaving. I even had to break up my first fight last year. It's not the best part of the job, but sometimes you just have to deal with the unpleasant tasks. I wish I could say that all the students here are well behaved, but the fact that they are middle school aged, I think that's enough to know that there's always going to be discipline issues.
UIL coordinator and coach. This could also be another blog post entirely, but as UIL coordinator, I work to get other faculty to volunteer as a coach, chaperone, or competition judge. I coordinate the travel and food arrangements. I also coach several of the events. (Last year it was seven.) As a coach, I work with students on their events and help them prepare for competition. On top of that, I also volunteered to run the speaking events at the tournament since I have experience in running speech tournaments.
These are just a few of the responsibilities that I handle as the librarian. It doesn't include little things that crop up each day. Some days it can be overwhelming, but most of the time I'm just busy which is a good thing. Sometimes when I need the down time, I read a little or work on a creative project. I would love to spend more time with other activities such as book talks, collaborative lessons with teachers, and reading. I do love my job and I'm thankful that I finally am working in a field that is truly my calling.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Workplace Distraction
There are a lot of reasons why I love being a librarian. For one, I'm always busy with something. It's never the same thing day after day. If I'm bored with something I'm doing, I put it on hold and do something else. I love being surrounded by books as well. But at the same time, it does distract me from my work. I just got in a huge order of books and I'm processing them. This involves writing inside every book information about the order and other important details. The problem is that I find myself getting caught with looking at the books for an extended period of time. In fact I ordered a book for myself over the Christmas break that I didn't realize I had also ordered for my library. So it may take me a little longer to get the books on the shelves, but at least I know a little about some of the new books that I can make recommendations on them to students. Yeah, that's my excuse for looking at the Guiness Book of World Records for 30 minutes yesterday!
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
A Clean Desk
I don't know about anyone else, but it seems impossible for me to keep my desk clean. Now my "desk" is really the front counter of the circulation desk. I do have an office and we really shouldn't go there as to it's condition. I rarely use it because without a library aide, I need to be stationed out front most of the time. I've visited other libraries and they always have a neat, clean circulation area. Of course the times I've visited have been for meetings so perhaps they tend to be like me and just clean it for "company." That's how I operate at home sometimes. I have a party or dinner with guests to make sure that I get my house clean. But back to the desk - sometimes I get productive and get it nice and clean and it stays that way for maybe 15 minutes. It seems the piles always build up in no time. Stacks of magazines that need to be processed, piles of papers that need to be filed or tossed, catalogs, scissors, labels, it just seems to reproduce "stuff" on it's own. I guess it's because I'm always busy and I'm always multi-tasking. When I have a clean area, I feel like I can get more done, but alas, that rarely seems to happen. So my goal before Christmas break is to clean my desk and have it nice and neat so that when I come back I can be productive for all of 15 minutes until it becomes a disaster again!
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Finally Reading
You would think as a librarian, I would have all sorts of time to read some of the exciting new titles in the young adult genre, but sadly, I have to admit that last year, I didn't get a chance to read much of anything. Though I never have time to actually read during school, I have recently made the time to read some of the new books we've gotten in. The first book I read was "The Future of Us" by Jay Asher and and Carolyn Mackler. I really liked Jay's book "13 Reasons Why" so I was looking forward to reading this one. I liked the premise of the story - two teens in the early 90's just finding their way to an online world suddenly discover their future selves on Facebook. They realize that little things they do have an effect on their futures as their future facebook statuses update. Overall the book was interesting though I found my own personal flaws with some of the writing. I do think any teen that understands facebook would still enjoy the book. I have also discovered a new triology series by Ally Condie. The first book is called "Matched" and it is almost like a cross between "The Giver" and "The Hunger Games" with its dystopian society. The first book was an enjoyable read so now I'm on to the second book. The 3rd will be published sometime in November so I will need to add it to one of my order lists.
Though I think in general I'm a pretty good librarian. I'm great at organizing, technology, and research. I think I did well with my big orders last year as I'm noticing a lot of those new books getting checked out. I am getting to know the collection fairly well as I've updated it and am starting a large weeding project. I think my biggest weakness is in knowing the current literature in order to make recommendations. Unlike elementary level books, much of the books in my collection take more time to read. Though I'm a fast reader, I find that I typically don't take the time to read as much as I should. So my goal for this year is to read at least two new books a month. I think that is somewhat reasonable and gives me a place to go. But I also need to make sure I go beyond those books that appeal to the female population. I'm also going to get my library club involved in reading and making recommendations as well.
Though I think in general I'm a pretty good librarian. I'm great at organizing, technology, and research. I think I did well with my big orders last year as I'm noticing a lot of those new books getting checked out. I am getting to know the collection fairly well as I've updated it and am starting a large weeding project. I think my biggest weakness is in knowing the current literature in order to make recommendations. Unlike elementary level books, much of the books in my collection take more time to read. Though I'm a fast reader, I find that I typically don't take the time to read as much as I should. So my goal for this year is to read at least two new books a month. I think that is somewhat reasonable and gives me a place to go. But I also need to make sure I go beyond those books that appeal to the female population. I'm also going to get my library club involved in reading and making recommendations as well.
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