Self Check-out

Self check-out at the public library, at the grocery store: it works pretty well these days. So why not give it a try in your school library?

Kids feel a stronger sense of ownership when they scan a barcode and check the screen at each beep. Instead of handing over their book to someone else to take care of, they know they are responsible for their items.

Here is a photo of the lower grade check-out station. The computer is logged into Follett Destiny with a special user, "Self CO" that only allows simple transactions. Students are blocked if they have overdue materials or when they reach their 5 item limit. A librarian can override and continue check-out for the student.

Each class in first and second grade has a personally decorated shelf marker with name and a patron  barcode sticker. Once the books are checked out, the shelf marker goes back in the color-coded container.

Students have learned to use the date stamp without changing the date, even though it's tempting.

Our 3-5th grade students have their name and barcode on a separate page of the class book. Even though they know their library patron number by heart, scanning it instead of typing it prevents errors.

When a student is asked about an overdue book, we've noticed something new: instead of a blank stare and "I don't have that book," he or she is more likely to remember the transaction. Who knew that personal responsibility is such a pleasure to teach?

"New Adult" Fiction

There's been a lot of talk on Twitter about "New Adult" books. Novels about first jobs, life outside high school and beyond college are gaining popularity and their own marketing niche. And I just realized ---we were all new adults once.

Somewhere near grown-up, I imagined earning a degree in Library Science. I wondered what being a librarian was all about. I'd met quite a few (cool, diverse, tattooed) librarians, but wanted to get even more of a picture about normal library life. And it's funny, but movie and t.v. portrayals of librarians are not so realistic. Katharine Hepburn and Parker Posey aside, I was looking for some role models.

And that's when I turned to fiction. Looking through the OPAC, I searched for stories about life in the stacks, or in school libraries, or academia. And didn't find too much, I'm afraid. I was new to library studies; I wasn't such a great searcher. And there was no such thing as crowd sourcing on social media back then. Or even blogs. But I wanted to read it---not just cozy mysteries or kids' stories. I guess I was looking for New Adult fiction about starting a career. I wanted to put on the costume and wear it by reading a character’s version of the life. Or get a peek in the fiction window of a fun-loving children’s services specialist instead of a chick-lit designer shoe-wearing journalist. 

Honestly, I didn't get what I was looking for from Stones from the River; there was more to inspire me in strange libraries found in graphic novels. I kind of knew "Sandman" and Garth Nix characters didn't have realistic libraries, but still got something out of those books.

Nevertheless, here's my new insight; not all quests for information require non-fiction to fulfill that need. If a topic is of interest, a reader may enjoy narrative description and stories as well as facts. It’s even a learning experience in itself to determine whether a book is accurate and reliable in depicting the subject at hand. There are truths in fiction that you would never get from the facts. Non-fiction can create understanding, and fiction can create empathy; two important ways to know the world.

Just like I wanted to read a novel about exciting, young, fashionable, well-paid, new NYC librarians. 

That would have been, well…very enlightening and accurate indeed.

Merchandising

The question was a total stumper. I was negotiating my first interview for a full-time librarian trainee job. I thought I was doing well until the library director asked me "Can you see any disadvantages to merchandising?"

I had no idea what that meant. My mind flashed to clothing stores, windows, um, ...nothing. Whew, I had to admit in an interview that I didn't know.

Now that I have a few "holiday" displays under my belt, and a couple for "Women's History Month", I can see that indeed I do find some disadvantages to pulling out special book selections and propping them on an end-cap for extra visibility. Who knows where they are? What are some ways to track them? And communicate it to my colleagues? How many places do I need to check for a Hanukkah-themed folktale before I concede that it is lost? 

I just read a Tweet that reminded me of this.

It said: "Checking one last spot before finding the book they desperately need is the best! (Saturday librarian hashtag)".

Can't we all appreciate that feeling of success?

I remember how as a librarian working on Saturday, sometimes you have to check multiple places to find a book that should be "in." It could be on a cart to-be-shelved, or mis-filed on the shelf, or hidden by pranksters. Or on a special display!

Since we stopped using Dewey and converted to an intuitive subject-based categorization system, we've brought materials together from all over the library where they are most likely to be wanted and used by our students. We've identified them by call # in the catalog, so when I can't remember to think like a child, I can still look up the right location.

I like having our "Traditions" books all together with celebrations, holidays, how to throw a Halloween party, the best birthday stories---all labeled and with a simple whole-word descriptor like "Birthdays." I don't need to pull out the Hanukkah stories for a display once a year so they can be noticed.

How does a child choose?

We've been trying to draw out a flowchart that shows how children make decisions while choosing a book. One of the benefits of our system is that many books on a topic can be shelved together, even if they are fiction and non-fiction. A child can search for an interesting topic (trucks! dogs! machines!) and then find facts and stories all there on the shelf to choose from. I think it makes for a richer reading experience, more choices, and supports teachers who are looking for literature connections.

(Please click below for a larger view.)

Our young students are taking a different path to choosing a book. 

What are your pathways through the library? Are there too many hurdles? Share on our discussion board at metisinnovations.com.