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Brand New Librarian...Help!

Posted by Erin Graff on August 30, 2013 at 4:14am

Hi everyone,

I'm a brand new media specialist serving grades 6-11 in a relatively new charter school.  My background is youth services in a public library.  This is the first year the school has a library for older grades, and I've been tasked with getting it up and running.  I would welcome any suggestions from other middle and high school librarians...especially anyone who has had to build a library from scratch!  What kinds of classes do you teach and what services do you offer to teachers?  These students are so much older and taller than ones I'm used to working with.  Thanks!

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Replies

  • Cindie Gaither August 29, 2014 at 4:25pm
    We are off to another year! How is everyone doing?
  • Erin Graff January 17, 2014 at 3:38am

    Also, can anyone point me in the direction of this Common Sense Media Curriculum?

    • ccotta > Erin Graff January 17, 2014 at 3:12pm

      HERE is the Common Sense curriculum.

      • Erin Graff > ccotta January 18, 2014 at 1:59am

        Thank you!!!!

    • ccotta > Erin Graff January 17, 2014 at 8:36am

      I will send you some things.

  • Erin Graff January 17, 2014 at 3:33am

    Wow!  I've been really slack in checking this...setting up a new library is a lot harder than I thought it would be.  The school year is halfway over and I still have no books or computers in here.  And I was just informed that starting next Tuesday I'll have 13 middle school students in a class I need to teach about library science.  I have absolutely nothing planned because I have been focusing on ordering books and weeding through the donations people have been sending me.  Help please!  

    My email is erin_graff80@yahoo.com.  If anyone has any lesson plan outlines they would be willing to share I'd appreciate it!  Thanks!

  • Cindie Gaither October 11, 2013 at 4:33pm

    Hi Erin, I am in my first year also. I sent you a friend request if you would like to bump along the road together. I am at the high school level and rebuilding a program that had been drastically reduced over the past eight years.  

    • Jen Thomas > Cindie Gaither October 23, 2013 at 1:18am

      Hi Erin,

      I am in the exact same situation as Cindie (new solo librarian for the first time) in a high school.  I am trying to build a program that has been drastically reduced.  I would love to collaborate with both of you so we can work through the challenges (and successes, because we WILL have them!) together.  In my previous school I also taught an Info/Digital Literacy course to all freshmen all year long (through English).  I used Common Sense Media and embellished it here and there.  Right now I am working on building a library website because, well, there isn't one and we all know the virtual 24/7 presence is crucial.  I am new to this site...is there a way we can create a group or is email the best for more one on one collaboration?  I noticed Cindie mentioned a friend request....

      Jen

      • Cindie Gaither > Jen Thomas November 20, 2013 at 6:37pm

        Jen, 

        I sent you a friend invite. 

        Cindie

  • ccotta September 17, 2013 at 3:50am

    Hi Erin, it sounds like you have a huge but exciting task in front of you! I think you'll have to prioritize and get the best books for your kids as soon as possible. I make displays (both digital and physical) to showcase what we offer. I offer ebooks and print.  As for classes, I teach a weekly library class to both of our 6th grade classes.  I also teach a Digital Literacy class for 8th grade (they rotate through electives for 9 weeks at a time). For my high school students, I work closely with teachers during their research units, so that I can teach students information literacy skills (search techniques, databases, website evaluation, etc.)

    I also try to offer teachers resources for their units, whether it be digital cameras, flip video cameras, reading resource lists for their class tied to our automation system (Follett's Destiny). I am now working with a few teachers to pick out and purchase ebooks through Follett. I don't want to buy them unless I know it supports the curriculum.

    Best of luck!

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