Laura Gardner

Dartmouth Middle School Librarian

MSLA Southeast Area Director

DOWN AND DIRTY TRICKS FOR STAYING SANE IN AN INSANELY

BUSY LIBRARY

Poll everywhere: https://pollev.com/lauragardner731

During today's presentation please put any questions or ideas from your library on this Padlet:

http://padlet.com/lauragardner1/lm4k87a6bmmw

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS!

We still have over 1/3 of the year to go!

CIRCULATION

WELCOME TO MY LIBRARY!

WELCOME TO MY LIBRARY!

WELCOME TO MY LIBRARY!

…is open!

…is LOUD

…listens

THE LIBRARY…

The library is…

http://dartmouthmiddlelibrary.weebly.com/tutorials.html

Screencast o'matic is my favorite tool, but I want to use Blendspace more.

ONLINE TUTORIALS

ADULT VOLUNTEERS

The nitty gritty• Require a commitment• Be flexible• Look for adults other

than parents!• Find out their personal

interests• Cultivate relationships • Communicate• Let them know you LOVE

them

ADULT VOLUNTEERS

What they do• Circulation• Reshelve • Read and reorder shelves• Process holds• Decorate• Create displays• Help students with

technology• Delete old books• Edit records in the

catalog

Painting a welcome banner for our author visit

STUDENT VOLUNTEERS

Deleting old reference books

The nitty gritty• Before, during and after

school• Make it fun! Find out

student interests and capitalize on them

• Require a student application to make sure you get the right students for the right reasons

• Have a list of routine tasks to avoid down time

• Check their grades 3x a year

• Keep a running list of tasks that could be done

STUDENT VOLUNTEERS

What they do• Circulation• Reshelve fiction (train!)• Deliver holds around school• Plug in technology• Download apps• Test out apps• Decorate• Create displays• Help students with

technology• Delete old books

• Requires a short essay "why do you want to be a library assistant?"

• Two teacher recommendations needed• Usually get around 50 applications!• Find the full application here: http://goo.gl/JSSuYr

STUDENT APPLICATION

SAMPLE APPLICATION

SAMPLE APPLICATION

SAMPLE APPLICATION

STUDENT VOLUNTEERS

Circulation

Processing (and then delivering) holds!

Google spreadsheet for online scheduling. We have one for iPads, one for the library and one for comp labs.

Thanks, Pamela Vallee from Lunenbueg!

ONLINE SIGN UPS

The library is…

LOUD!

Monthly reports should include

• Circulation statistics• Collaboration with

teachers• Social media statistics • Ebook usage statistics• Print, digital and tech

purchases• Professional development

led• Professional development

participation• Successes!

LET ADMINS KNOW!

Make it POP!Annual report on Piktochart : https://magic.piktochart.com/output/2210231-dms-library-annual-report-2013-2

• Students follow me• Good way for me to check

if their accounts are private

• I DON’T follow back

• Mostly parent, teacher, former student

interaction• Pages app separates personal and professional

Instagram Facebook

DMS LIBRARY SOCIAL MEDIA

• Blog once a week!• The weebly app is

great!

Library Skills Homework for Class 2School website: http://dartmouthps.dms.schoolfusion.us Click on Library Look at all the

links!

Do ONE of the following: Leave a suggestion on the online suggestion box Have someone in your family “Like” Dartmouth Middle School Library on Facebook Have someone in your family “Follow” dmslibrary366 on Instagram Log on School Fusion (school website) and leave a comment on the Library Blog

(student ID and password) Log on your school Gmail and send Ms. G a note(Gmail username and password) Log on the online library catalog to place a hold on a book or write a book review

(student ID and password)

If you are confused about the advanced tech tasks, check out the Online Tutorials.

Student ID: ____________________ Password: ________________

Your school Gmail account: firstnamelastnameYOG@dartmouthschools.org

6th graders will graduate high school in 2021. (ex: johnsmith2021@dartmouthschools.org)

HOW I GET FOLLOWERS

Open House Flyer

• Consistency is important! I post M, W, F• Make a reminder!

• FB is blocked at school so I turn off my Wi-Fi• Boost a post on FB for $5 occasionally to get more

followers• Use hashtags!

• #dmslovestoread #dmsbookfair #bookfaircountdown #dmschalkboardwall

GENERAL TIPS

SUGGESTIONS FOR POSTS…

START A CONVERSATION

CELEBRATE STUDENTS

This is from the summer!

ENGAGE KIDS

We now have 4 green screens!

ENGAGE PARENTS

All the books were gone by the end of the day!

PROMOTE THE BOOK FAIR

PROMOTE RESOURCES

PROMOTE BOOKS!

PROMOTE SERVICE

PROMOTE SUMMER CHECKOUT

JUST FOR FUN…

SHARE WHAT’S NEW

SHARE WHAT'S NEW

TEASER

SHARE BIG NEWS

SHARE BIG NEWS

The library…LISTENS!

One green screen in September became four by January. My office is now a studio!

GO WITH TRENDS

Annual student survey is always very useful! Administered during 6th grade library skills using Surveymonkey (I get a monthly

membership for one month a year)

GIVE STUDENTS WHAT THEY WANT…WITHIN REASON

BIOGRAPHY GENRES

Took 2 days to label; still in process of changing in circulation system

Deleted or re –catalogued reference books and out graphic novels in their place.

HIGHLIGHT COLLECTION FAVES

Saves TONS of time!

LABEL BOOK SERIES

• Be flexible• Meet teachers where they are• Be willing to do the minimum

or the maximum• Build trust slowly• Eat lunch!

TEACHER COLLABORATION

KEEP VOLUNTEERS HAPPY!

Questions and ideas are on this Padlet:

http://padlet.com/lauragardner1/lm4k87a6bmmw

QUESTIONS? IDEAS?

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IMAGE SOURCES