The first three weeks of school have been quite a whirlwind, but a fun one!! I might be a little tired, but I am beyond happy that the library is "hopping!!" Meeting with every class within the first four days was a feat! Orientations went well with all students. Students have learned where things were shifted on the shelves, the expectations of the library, how to treat books, and my favorite lesson so far-- how to pick "Just Right" books. I used "Goldie Socks and the Three Libearians" to anchor this lesson, and the kids loved it! I've also worked with fifth graders doing some small groups working with genres. I received my new 'pond' rug for my sitting area, along with new shelving for teacher materials in the a/v room, too. Things are coming along! My morning news seems to be a hit, and my news teams are doing beyond fabulous work! If you are able to stop in the lobby in the morning about 8:40, it's worth watching! We are well underway with our Public Library Card Drive! Over 140 students have either brought in their cards or received one in just a week! More than 80 applications came in today for them alone! Today was the first delivery of official cards. So exciting! I'm very proud of the work my assistant, Mrs. Mesa, and I have been doing to diligently keep track of all the information! My teachers are supporting this endeavor, too! I'm so happy they have embraced this as a key to helping our students' literacy. Ms. Heather from the Joint-Use Library has been a partner in getting cards into our students' hands as well. Thank you! Next week, Thursday, September 25, I am hosting Back to School Reading Night at RoFo! Please come out and join us! (6:30-8pm) I will have a very short informational session for parents on how to squeeze in reading time away from school with schedules seeming overflowing for kids these days, as well as how to access our online resources from home. The kids will have some story time with some special readers and some time to read with a friend or family member as well. To help fund some technology resources, we are having home-based businesses set up in our lobby, who are willing to donate some of their proceeds to the library. This will be great for parents to do some early holiday shopping! (Just a thought!). And there will be Krispy Kreme Doughnuts for sale too! So I hope my next post won't be so long coming, but as you can tell, we've been busy bees in the RoFo Library! I worked today in the library with my little helper (my daughter). There were things I felt I left 'not done' on Friday that would make me feel better knowing they were done...I'm just a tad overly obsessed, if you haven't figured that out already! I am super duper happy that my hubby FINALLY came and made my gutter shelves!! I think they look so cool! (Another Pinterest idea...). See the picture below! I weeded the magazines and got them placed...we don't have traditional magazine/periodical shelving (or even library furniture for that matter!). I put up my READ letters above that area, too. The hubby didn't get to my computer table-- so I decided to at least get the computers somewhat back in order. He took more measurements today, so I'm hopeful that they will come soon! I went to put up my SEARCH pennant, and the 'a' was missing. Searched all over --found it in the backseat of the car as I got home! I seem to have the morning news under control, but I can't for the life of me figure out why I can hear sounds in my headphones but not through my broadcast. I made a neat scrolling picture/info broadcast for the morning to welcome everyone back to play on the lobby TV--but once again, can't get my music to broadcast, but can hear it on the computer. Anyone have any idea what I am doing wrong? Tips appreciated!! Home to relax a tad before the big day tomorrow! Hope everyone has a great year! Wow! What a great official work week with teachers and staff at RoFo! Lots was done in the library!! It couldn't have been accomplished without some great help! Thank you to my fabulous assistant, Mrs. Mesa -- what a Godsend you are! We have taken staff pictures with our favorite books for display outside of each classroom, and most of those were posted before I left tonight! I had a phenomenal speaker at the VBCPS LMS meeting-- Library Girl!! Love her! What an informational session she gave! My supervisor, Joan, came by for a visit to check on me, and I am so thankful for a support line downtown! I had a 'Library Picnic' for teachers, just introducing the changes I've made and what I'd like to see the library play a part in this year as well as how I can help meet the needs of our students. I think it went really well! I painted a circle tree in the lobby with hopes of having it welcome the kids back to the 'Forest.' It turned out even better than I thought! Our enthusiastic PTA gave us a tasty lunch on Thursday, right after our Sneak Peek with students. It was great to meet the folks who stopped in the library! I did have some technical difficulties in the news room-- all the cords were unplugged, and it was a feat to get them all back in place. Soooo grateful for the audio/visual support 'guy' from downtown...he came to he rescue! Part of the news team came in today for a test run... What a wonderful team!! They did a fabulous job for the first time, and I am hopeful they will do the same on the first day! I need some relaxation this weekend, and I am looking forward to it...enjoy the long weekend, everyone! Check out some of the picture updates... http:\\librarianinthe forest.com\ google95b7220c67c3099b.html I do not stake claim to this as my original idea -- I "borrowed" it from a Pinterest pin and altered it to fit what I could do... Don't you just love Pinterest?! I had my handy brother make me some vinyl words to fit in the "squares" that were all around the circulation desk in our school colors, green and blue. They turned out beautifully! (Thank you, bro!) What do you think? I taught my first professional development class last week on Tellagami and Padlet. The first day was quite a learning experience to say the least. Having been in the classroom, I knew I'd run into some type of glitches technologically, especially being in a new place. Technology never seems to work the same in every place. Lesson learned quickly from my Tuesday class! I redid a few things based on my experience from Tuesday to make Wednesday run a lot smoother. Thank goodness for reflection. If you are interested in either the Tellagami app or the Padlet online application, please feel free to download my instructions for each and how you can use them in the classroom. I hope you can find something useful! They are both great to use!
It has been a super looonnnnggggg week in the library! A ton of work has been done, and I am so thankful for my friends that have come to help me get this far! (Melanie and Crystal - saying thanks is not enough!). Curtains are done and up, and my Woodland animal silhouettes were made, painted and up as well! Check out some of the pictures! I think I started a painting 'bug' -- Mr. Furlich (my principal) liked the green trim and decided the lobby could use a little make over in that sense. I helped paint the main doors, the display cases, outside the office and now, the trim is complete around the library too! It looks so wonderful! I even think I might have encouraged a teacher who will be painting a wall in their room as well! Fiction books are now fully shifted around, the reference section has been weeded, and the easys are in progress. You can see where we had to stop on the shelves to the right in the picture. I hope to finish that up Monday. I'm working on my Professional Development class now... I'll be teaching about some apps on the iPad and then another tool that teachers can use that is online. I'll share my files here so you can use them too! My kids from last year liked using the apps, so I hope my class will help others utilize these cool tools that my students enjoyed. Be sure to check back once I'm finished so you can get the apps info!! Goodness! I've been busy in the library! The office has been painted and organized, more books weeded, the professional library is moved off the main library floor and assembled into three piles (weed, teachers, recirculation into main collection) and shelves are free now for the shift of the fiction and easy sections. I had a great friend come to help me today (thanks, Amy!) to start the shift of books. We made some progress! We made it to the R's in the fiction section, working backwards, of course. Trying to figure the exact placement of the shelves was a hoot. Neither of us are super good at measurement, so we must have moved those shelf holders more than I care to say! I finished up 3 sections of the first shelving unit...only needs to be relabeled on the actual shelves. See the picture of that work! I'm plowing through...decorating is coming up--I am holding a Professional Development class at the beginning of August in the library, and my goal is to have all the shifting and decorating done by then. I've got my work cut out for me, but I'm up for the challenge! I hope everyone is enjoying a good book, as I have been awfully tired when I get home from working in the library, I am not getting the books read from my 'pile' that I made though the last semesters of grad school. 'When summer comes, I'll have the time...' I said. Busy, busy, busy.... So I hope y'all are enjoying a great read for me til I can. |