FRES School Library News 2 Day
December 16, 2015
Warm Winter Wishes from the Library!
Updating the FRES Library Collection
We are constantly striving to improve the services in the library and one way to improve the vitality of the collection is to remove the dead weight. If a book is older than our student population or it hasn’t been checked out of the library since their birth, then it is not adding value to our collection and taking up valuable real estate on our shelves. Weeding our collection periodically keeps it healthy and our readers happy!
In removing these books from the collection, we are making room for new materials, making the shelves easier to navigate, and replacing outdated information with the latest current information. Weeding isn’t always about ridding the shelves—sometimes it’s about getting fresh new copies of the exact same titles. If there is something on the shelf that you use every year, is directly aligned to the curriculum, or you feel is a mistake (as we all make them) just let me know. There are several ways to handle this including purchasing a bright, new, and shiny copy; interlibrary loaning it when you need it; or maybe (just maybe) there is a newer resource that would meet your classroom needs better that could replace the discarded resource. I am here to work with you and support the students’ learning and love of reading; if you want to see it in the collection, just ask!!
The discarded library book cart will be located in the Mail Room for 1 week. It contains books that are no longer adding value to our program for various reasons. You are welcome to take any of these books to add to your classroom collection or home library. (Please note that they cannot be sold.) I encourage you to be cautious when adding them to your collection or handing them to students though, as there is a reason they were removed from the library collection.
Criteria used to select these purges:
· Last checkout date was over 10 years ago
· age of item is older than our student population
· minimal number of checkouts (less than 2 check outs in the last ten years)
· looks: rips, smells, and stains
Possible reasons these books have been removed from our library collection.
· Out of date materials can be dangerous; any kind of misinformation can do serious harm.
· Out of date materials often have poor text features. Today's high quality, non-fiction texts are rich with features that not only help kids understand the content, but they also help them understand how language and design can be used to increase understanding. Older texts simply weren't written that way and often no longer serve the needs of today's learners.
· Readers DO judge a book by its cover. An important part of our job is to connect readers with materials that make them want to read MORE!
· Books reflect the times in which they were written. Some older texts may contain language or plot lines rooted in stereotypes or prejudices that might have been perfectly acceptable at the time they were written, but that are now recognized as offensive. Not only do we have to make sure that our non-fiction texts reflect equitable and up to date view points, we need to make sure that our fiction collections afford every child in the school the opportunity to see themselves depicted in fair and accurate ways.
· An old, irrelevant and out of date collection sends the message that the FRES library is all of those things too. Our collections are a reflection of what we value and are about.
· Collection Development
The curriculum has changed recently leaving us with many books that no longer compliment the curricular content and in need of room to hold new materials that better support the learning and interests of the students. Please feel free to send me recommendations and requests; titles and topics alike!
Much of this information was taken from Library Girl’s October 1, 2013 post to her website found at http://www.librarygirl.net/2013/10/keeping-your-library-collection.html
November Statistics
Days the school library was open: 13
- (Reflects closures for the book fair, 1/2 days, & assemblies)
*Total number students using the library: 1118
*Average number of students per day: 80
*Average number of students per cycle: 373
Total number of items circulated: 4212
Number of titles requested to be held for students: 133
Books Interlibrary Loaned (ILL) out to other schools: 55
Books Interlibrary Loaned to our school from other schools: 33
*These statistics refer to 'unscheduled' students using the library.
Curriculum Connection
November
- Alphabetical order to the third letter
- Decimals to the hundredths' place
- Locating identified books in the library indepedently
To build up a library is to create a life. It’s never just a random collection of books. –Carlos María Domínguez
Computers in the library
To use the Surfaces in the library, students must be self-sufficient in logging on, performing the assigned task, and time management to be successful using these computers. Detailed directions and screen shots are hanging in the library to prompt and guide students to be successful independently in using the Surfaces. Those students who cannot display these characteristics and/or FRES' Star Qualities will be sent back to the classroom. Please send a blue pass with the students, listing all of their names, and remind them to stop at the Circulation Desk to check in.
Computer Availability for Students
Day 1: 10:25 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. to 2:55 p.m.
Day 2: 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:50 p.m. to 2:55 p.m.
Day 3: 1:50 p.m. to 2:20 p.m.
Day 4: 10:25 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:50 p.m. to 2:20 p.m.
Day 5: 10:25 a.m. to 12:35 p.m. and 2:25 p.m. to 2:55 p.m.
Day 6: 10:25 a.m. to 12:35 p.m.
School Library Hours
Circulation: M-F 9:00 a.m. -3:15 p.m.
24/7 resources availability through our website at http://www.bcsd.org