New to the library? This workshop is for you! BCTLA Conference- October 23, 2015 Presented by Emiline Downs

What would you most like to learn about during this session?

Physical Space Collection Development Things to consider…. Planning

Physical Space ● Health & Safety ● Use & Flow ● Visual Appeal

Health & Safety Will books fall on students because they are too high or packed too tightly? How well can you see the students? (sight lines) Is there mold/dust present that could trigger allergies?

“ How you see your library being used and the kind of program you want to have will influence some of the decisions you make about your library space. Does your space flow? overcrowded? Emergency exit route clear? Areas: story corner, tables/chairs, computers, shelving Collection: Sublocations? Genrification? Use & Flow

Add a splash of colour with bulletin board paper, borders, posters, baskets, furniture, 3-D objects, etc. Make your signs & shelf labels easy to read from a distance. (Check the fire regulations)

● Routines ● Lessons ● Promotion Planning

Who signs books in/out? binder, library cards, folders, pocket chart, planners, name tags What to do if they forget their books? saving system, magazine/bins Who shelves the books? students, monitors, t-l (this also influences the setup of your stacks) Routines

Work smarter not harder ●Don’t reinvent the wheel ●Put your lesson plans, overviews, and timetables on the computer so you can easily make changes if you want to use them another year ●If it takes way longer to plan/prep a lesson then it does to implement it, reconsider doing it ●Ask for help (parents, students, colleagues) ●Use the bits of time that come up to work on a small project: fix a book, shelf read, pull resources for a teacher, etc.

I have also done printmaking and cartooning with grade 4.

Promotion Special Events D.E.A.R., We love to read month, flashlight reading, dress as your fav. story character, door decorating contest, read across Canada, invite guests in to read, author/illustrator presentation Communication -send a memo/ to staff outlining how you can support them & their students -include a blurb in school newsletters about what is happening in the library -invite principal in to see an activity or give stats -tell teachers what you are doing with their class Online presence website, blog, wiki

● Weeding ● Repairs ● Ordering Collection

M - misleading (factually inaccurate) U - ugly (beyond repair) S - superseded (newer edition or better title) T - trivial (no merit) Y - your collection has no use for it (irrelevant) Weeding ●Consider focusing on a particular part of the collection and set a goal (eg. weed one shelf per week) ●Be cautious about what you put out for classroom teachers to take ●Be cautious about how much you box up at once (talk to principal) ●Find out the proper district disposal procedures for books, videos, etc. *Use the “Track as weeded” setting in Destiny when deleting from catalogue Save the title page if you want to replace a book

Repairs Is it worth fixing? ● value, out-of-print, popularity ● type of binding ● How long would it take? ● How tricky to fix? Tools: book tape, flexible glue (eg. BindArt), long stick/brush, elastics, bulldog clips, wax paper, utility knife Guinness: tend to separate- be proactive and slice it open and add glue/tape before circulating

Ordering Find out the ordering procedures for your school/district ●Go to the bookstore to see what is new, ask their staff for recommendations ●Buy replacements for old/worn copies ●Find out from the students/teachers what they would like added ●Look at awards programs and/or book reviews ●Look through catalogues ●Use a tracking sheet for expenses *Do not wait until the last minute to order, especially if ordering online. Sometimes books get backordered and take months to come in, which can mess up your budget.

Baby Steps It is easy to become overwhelmed. Set small, attainable goals.

Someone to turn to... Does your district have a Library Helping Teacher? Is there a formal mentorship program? If not, try to make contact with another t-l at a nearby school.

Thanks! Any questions? You can find me at

Credits Special thanks to all the people who made and released these awesome resources for free: ◎ Presentation template by SlidesCarnival SlidesCarnival