Mail and other things I didn't know about

Today's post is for brand new librarians and admittedly not a life-changing topic, but one I would have appreciated knowing about as a newbie.

I was hired as a librarian very early in my MLS coursework, and I knew nothing.  Seriously nothing. 

I thought that several years' teaching experience and being a reader were probably all the preparation I needed.  But when the bell rang on the first day of school and I went into the library, I realized that enthusiasm didn't equal knowledge or experience. 

Hopefully you're not in that boat, but if so, please ask questions!  Get a mentor. Observe good librarians.  Read. Go to conferences and professional development sessions.  Ask more questions.  Read more good stuff.

But I digress, as usual. 

That first day I was greeted to a giant stack of mail.  Catalogs, magazines, and a myriad of envelopes and packages.  And I was so green that I had no clue as to what was important and what wasn't.

These tips may help.

1.  Go through the mail one time only.
2.  Separate it into stacks:  catalogs, journals, periodicals, packages, interoffice mailers, and the rest.
3.  Go through one stack at a time, beginning with what looks like junk first. 
4.  Keep one copy of major library supply catalogs such as Highsmith and Demco. 
     Place these in a labeled magazine file.  When you get the newer catalog, recycle the previous one.
5.  Personally, I recycle all catalogs for books and AV materials.  I'm going to order from reviews and using
     an online ordering tool, so I rarely need the other catalogs for anything.  And if you discover you do,
     trust me, the next one will come SOON.
6.  Recycle mail that looks like junk.  If it doesn't look like a bill or isn't personally addressed, you probably
     don't need it.
7.  Now you're down to packages, interoffice mail, and journals.  These will need your personal attention,
     but the stack should be more manageable now!

Above all, remember that everybody was new once.  Don't be embarrassed to ask (LOTS) of questions, even ones that feel dumb.  You probably knew how to deal with the mail before this blog entry.  See how much ahead of the game you already are?!

Suggestions, please?

Time for your suggestions, please! What topics would you like to see on Shelf Consumed?

Selection basics, part 4 OR graphic novels

Graphic novels are hugely popular, especially with two disparate groups of readers, very able readers or struggling readers.  Consider the following rationale for graphic novels:

• Graphic novels may enable readers to process & comprehend material from a nontraditional format of text
• Graphic novels may promote visual literacy
• Graphic novels may be a bridge to literacy and reading development
• Graphic novels may give confidence and a positive reading experience to struggling and reluctant readers
• Graphic novels may be enjoyable and lead to independent reading

Our selection guidelines ask that librarians seek published, professional reviews if possible. Because of the proliferation of the genre, traditional reviews are not always available.

Publishers of manga often use a rating system.  While these do not take the place of reviews, we have opted to include these ratings in our guidelines as an attempt to establish some consistency in selection. 

If a favorable review isn't available, librarians may consider graphic novels with the following publisher ratings:

*E (everyone) or A (all ages) for elementary, middle school, and/or high school libraries
*Y (youth, ages 10+) and T (teens, ages 13+) for middle school and/or high school libraries
*T+ or OT (teens, ages 16+) for high school libraries
*M (mature, 18+) and AD (adult) do not follow selection guidelines and may not be purchased

For further reading, check out Jason Thompson's The Complete Guide to Manga.

Selection basics, part 3 OR what if I can't find reviews?

This food metaphor I have going for selection is torturing me today, so I'm switching to a picture of shoes.  Much better.

Yesterday we talked the tiniest bit about using reviews to select books.  Published, professional reviews are usually available for the majority of books published traditionally except nonfiction series and graphic novels.

Our selection guidelines specify that librarians should first search for reviews in Booklist, BCCB, Horn Book, LMC, SLJ, or VOYA, as applicable. An absence of reviews (with a few exceptions as listed previously) likely speaks volumes.

But what happens if you need to purchase some new books about weather or arctic animals or countries of the world?

If a favorable review does not exist in one of the journals previously listed, our librarians may purchase materials at their professional discretion after thoughtfully weighing the factors listed below.  In all cases, librarians should err on the side of caution when considering any material for which no reviews exist in these six journals.

Criteria for consideration includes the following:

• Publisher's reputation
• Needs of the curriculum
• Author's reputation
• Endorsement by a professional association
• The need for a balanced and diverse collection
• Inclusion in a retrospective collection tool (such as Wilson's Children's, Jr. High, or Sr. High Catalog, as applicable

More to come on graphic novels...

Selection basics, part 2

Selecting books can be overwhelming at times, especially for new librarians.  So many books!  So little money!  Which ones to choose?

A good starting point is to consider some guidelines for selection.  Our district has written selection guidelines, a few of which I'll include below...

1.  Individual materials should be purchased with the entire collection in mind.
2.  It is recognized that every book in the library will not be relevant for every student.
3.  Material selection should be guided by published, professional reviews (More on this later...).
4.  Minimum best practice dicates that books considered be favorably reviewed in at least one journal.
5.  The review must include at least one grade level served by the purchasing campus.

We want our librarians to consider reviews from traditional, professional sources. As such, we have narrowed the sources that may be considered to Booklist, Bulletin of the Center of Children's Books, Horn Book, Library Media Connection, School Library Journal, and Voice of Youth Advocates.  These journals have much more credibility than Joe Reader who posts reviews online!

I'll feature these in a separate post.  In the meantime, have a cupcake! 

Walk on, baby...

Horn Book is a respected review source, but I love it for its features.  Dr. Betty Carter, an HB reviewer, tipped me off to "What Makes a Good Graduation Gift" in the May/June 2010 issue (shown below). 

As a result, I am in love with Marla Frazee's wonderful book, Walk On! : A Guide for Babies of All Ages.

While certainly good for a graduation gift, Frazee's adorable baby would also provide a bright note for a friend who is going through a rough patch, as one of our librarians noted.

Walk On! is perfect for the baby in us all, "Remember to breathe" ; "Go and and cry if it helps" ; and "Don't look down at your feet. Look toward where you want to go." Delightful advice on any day.

Keeping a reader's list

As you're reading, I hope that you'll consider keeping a Reader's List.  A reader's list is just that--a list of the titles and authors of every book you read. 

I wish I would have started my Reader's List as a child, or even the first year I became a librarian.  I didn't think to start it until my first year on the Lone Star committee, but even so, I love my list.  It would rank up there with the Top Five Things I'd Save in a Fire.  I tell my boys it's my legacy and have asked them not give it to Goodwill when I'm dead.  They, of course, roll their eyes.

When I started my Reader's List, I didn't think about my legacy, so for years I simply used little red notebooks that I'd get at the dollar store.  I fell in love with a leather journal and recopied ten years of titles into the new book.  After I'd finished, I found the beautiful brown journal with the alphabet on the front and recopied the titles yet again.  Now I don't look at new journals.

Here are a few tips to get you started...

1.  List only the title and author of each book read.
2.  Ditch the temptation to give a rating, write a summary, or keep track of the genre.
3.  At the top of each page, list the month and year.
4.  Number the books you read chronologically from 1 to infinity. 
     Don't start over each month or year.  This way you'll always know your running total.
5.  Personally, I use the exact same type of pen every time.  Black roller ball, medium ink.
      (But you're probably more well adjusted than I am).
6.  Feel free to mix adult titles in with the zillions of children's or YA books you read.
7.  Remember to include audiobooks on your list.  Audiobooks are books too!

Ask Me What to Read...

I'm going to go out on a limb and assert that there has never been a more important time for librarians to be reader's advisors.  And yes, that's another post for another day.

For today, I'll just say that the first step in being a good reader's advisor is to read.  Yes, READ.  Did you just slap yourself on the side of the head and mutter, "Duh?"  Good for you.  Because sadly, many librarians and teachers attempt reader's advisory every day without having actually read very many books.  And kids can spot these imposters a mile away.

Kid:  Do you know a really scary book I can read?
Imposter: Well, I've heard that new vampire book is scary.
Kid: Have you read it?
Imposter: No, but it's been checked out a bunch of times, so it must be good.

Since you're not one of THOSE librarians, you will undoubtedly be reading a lot of children's or YA books.  You'll be keeping a list of what you read.  You'll know authors.  You'll read many different genres. 

But since there are so, so many books and so, so little time, how do you choose WHICH books to read?

A few ideas may help you narrow your selections.

1.  Using an online ordering tool, do a collection development search.  Narrow search results to books published in the current year only with 2 or 3 starred reviews.  Print the list and read what sounds good or what you think your kids might like.
2.  Use the summer to read the books on the next year's Texas 2 x 2, Bluebonnet, Lone Star, or Tayshas list, for example.
3.  In January most review journals will highlight the best books of the year or editors' choices.  Copy these pages and read what sounds best.
4.  Read the first book of that hot new series, but don't feel like you have to read every book in the series unless you absolutely love them. 
5.  Ask kids to help keep you in the know when they spot new books online or in the bookstore.

Ranganathan's Laws Say it All...

I'm back to library school mode today for a piece that I think is essential in shaping a library philosophy that centers around the needs of its users (aka students and staff).

In 1963, noted library scholar S.R. Ranganathan published the Five Laws of Library Science.  These laws are as follows:

1.  Books are for use.

2.  Every reader his book.

3.  Every book its reader.
4.  Save the time of the reader.
5.  The library is a growing organism.

From time to time, library scholars have attempted to revise Ranganathan's laws.  Surely we can't use the anachronistic pronoun he!  Everyone knows that the library has more than books! Certainly we must substitute the word media!  What about...? What about...?

Of course our libraries serve all students with all formats of materials.  We have digital collections and a virtual presence.  We are about information literacy AND books and reading.

But, aaargh!  Don't mess with Ranganathan.

I contend that his laws are perfect.  They are short and simple, they're beautifully written, and the embedded philosophy is one of meeting the needs of all users.

And if you really apply the spirit of Ranganathan's laws, I think you'll have a pretty fantastic library that prepares students to be readers and learners in the 21st century.

Cool tools for libraries...rain gutter bookshelves

Whew!  Yesterday's post on concerns about books was sooo heavy that we need something light and fun today, hence rain gutter bookshelves.

Consider adding some face-out shelving in a corner of your library, in the story area, or behind the circulation desk.  Rain gutters make great inexpensive shelves that allow you to display books with the covers facing out. 

Research shows that book covers are a major factor in how books kids choose books for pleasure reading.  Why not give them a chance to SEE those covers instead of just the spines of books?

The photo is from my house in the room we redid for our two grandsons. Plastic rain guttering is widely available, inexpensive, and easy to install (Trust me on this one--we're not too handy at my house).

I can't take credit for the idea.  I first heard about it from read aloud guru Jim Trelease, author of The Read-Aloud Handbook.  Hopefully you know about the greatness of this book, but if not, that's another post for another day!

Concerns about books...

You look up to see a parent walking through the doors of the library with a much-sticky-noted book in hand.  Your stomach drops because you know the purpose of the visit.  Yep.  Looks like you have a potential book challenge on your hands.  What do you do?

We learn all the right things to say when someone is concerned about a book in library school, but what we often don't know is how emotional it can feel.  Conflict is uncomfortable.  Librarians are pleasers, so it feels icky when we're placed in a situation that feels confrontational.

Advance preparation on your part and a bit of advice may help...

1.  Read reviews.
2.  Be familiar with the selection policy and guidelines of the district.
3.  Select books that meet the selection policy and guidelines of the district.
4.  Talk with your principal before issues arise to make sure he/she is supportive of the selection process.
5.  Practice what you'll say if a person has concerns about a book. 
6.  If a person is concerned, de-personalize the issue internally.  It's about a book, not about you.
7.  Don't offer action unless action is requested.  Many times listening or offering to help the student
     select another book is enough.
8.  If action is requested, let the person know you'll need a few days to read the book and check reviews.
9.  Even if asked directly, don't offer a personal opinion.
     Concerned person, "Do YOU think this book is appropriate?"
     You, "This book meets selection guidelines because it has two positive reviews for gr. 5-8."
10. Apprise your principal of the concern.

Below are guidelines we use when dealing with concerns...

Guidelines for Dealing with Concerns about Library Materials

When dealing with concerns about library materials, the goal is to resolve the issue informally.

If a concern is raised...

First the librarian should meet with the concerned person and do the following:

• Listen to concerns in a calm, attentive way.
• Respond with such phrases such as, "I understand," or "I appreciate your concern."
• Explain how books are selected for the library using professional reviews when possible.  Be brief.
• Offer to help the student select another book that would meet his/her needs.
• Take your cue from the concerned party.  If no action is requested, offer none.
• Offer to get back in touch in a few days in further action is requested.  Let the person know that you will read the book in its entirety and look up professional reviews.
• Contact the person following these actions to let him/her know whether the book meets district selection policy and guidelines based on reviews.
• Avoid value judgements such as the book is "appropriate" or "inappropriate" for the grade level(s).  Instead, state whether the book meets selection guidelines or not.
• Avoid personal opinion.
• Offer to arrange a meeting with the principal if the book meets guidelines for inclusion and the person's concerns are still not addressed.

If needed, the principal should meet with the person and do the following:

• Talk with the librarian to be apprised of the situation.
• Include the librarian in the meeting if possible.
• Repeat the same steps in the same manner as above.
• Offer no action if none is requested.
• Recognize that the school library provides full access of books and periodicals to its respective students.  Attempts to resolve concerns by restricting access compromise this philosophy.
• Provide a "Request for Reconsideration of Instructional Materials" form if all attempts fail to resolve the complaint informally.
• Let the concerned person know that he/she must read the book in its entirety before submitting the completed request for reconsideration form.
• Contact the library coordinator at any time for questions/support in this process.

Informal resolution means that the book will remain on the shelf with unrestricted access without the action of a reconsideration committee.

The following are not acceptable ways of resolving the concern:

• Moving the book to a special section of the library, the professional collection, or keeping the book in the librarian or counselor's office
• Checking the book out indefinitely to prevent access
• Setting up special sections of the library limited to users by age or grade designation
• Restricting access of the book to certain students or grade levels
• Requiring parent permission to check out the book
• Labeling the book in any way
• Rating the book with a system such as a movie rating
• Altering the book in any way such as removing words, pages, illustrations, or obscuring them 

Cool tools for libraries...prezi

Are your presentations boring?  Library orientations drool-inducing?  Booktalks not getting results?  Need to jazz up that research mini lesson? 

Try prezi... And if you do, please share your ideas for use here!

I'd like to make Cool Tools for Libraries a semi-regular post.  If you have a cool tool, please comment on the blog, Tweet, or send an email.  Thanks, library friends.

Voices of Readers:How We Come to Love Books (Carlsen & Sherrill)

One of the best books on creating readers is Voices of Readers: How We Come to Love Books.  It was published in 1988 and is out of print, but you can read it on ERIC, and it's well worth the purchase price if you can find a used copy online.

G. Robert Carlsen is a former professor for preservice English teachers.  Each semester of his thirty year career, Carlsen's first assignment was to ask students to write a reading autobiography.  The prompts were simple.  "What did they remember about learning how to read?  Who, if anyone, had been important in developing their attitudes toward reading?  When and where did they read" (Introduction, x).

Carlsen saved every paper, and toward the end of his career, these autobiographies numbered in the thousands.  Anne Sherrill, a doctoral student, assisted Carlsen in rereading each, cataloging the responses, and documenting patterns of experiences that were either instrumental or detrimental in creating readers.

Voices of Readers is the delightful result.  The book is packed with anecdotes of covert reading under the covers, warm memories of parents and teachers reading aloud, and frustration of being forced to read certain books at school. As you read it, you'll recognize yourself and your own journey as a reader.

Carlsen remarks on his surprise in the similarity of the students' experiences in becoming readers.  After all, his career spanned the mid 1950s to the mid 1980s and included universities in Iowa, Colorado, Texas, Hawaii, and Tennessee.  Maybe the love of reading is inborn, Carlsen muses.  But if not, he continues, "The voices in this book...give us hints of how to go about developing and encouraging readers..." (Introduction xi).

One of the great pieces of the book is the two-page chart, "Experiences Likely to Create Readers" which categorizes these experiences by age (p. 152-153).

For example, in the 12-14 year old age group, Carlsen lists the following as likely to create readers:

• Setting aside time for reading
• Having a teacher show interest in the individual's reading
• Having teachers read aloud
• Being exposed to a variety of reading fare
• Receiving help from librarians (!) 
• Owning books
• Sharing books with friends
• Participating in reader-centered discussions of literature
• Generating nontraditional book reports
• Being allowed freedom of choice in reading fare

If we affirm that creating readers is high on our list of really important stuff, then Voices of Readers is a critical piece in the canon of our professional reading. 

Many thanks to NCTE for permission to use this work here.

Carlsen, G. Robert and Anne Sherrill.  1988.  Voices of Readers: How We Come to Love Books.  Urbana: IL:  National Council of Teachers of English.

Copyright 1988 by the National Council of Teachers of English. Reprinted with permission.

Selection basics

As a new librarian, I often bemoaned the fact that I couldn't "see" the books before I bought them.  I wanted some sort of giant warehouse with every book available on display.  Then I could simply take a big cart and walk up and down the aisles, sampling books like chocolate until I found the "good" ones.  Selection didn't get easier until I paid attention to good old MLS basics. 

Read reviews.
Know your journals.
Pay attention to grade designations.
Consider the curriculum and the needs of students and staff.
Know the difference between selection and censorship.