So I am ready to begin week 2 as the ________________ at my school. This is a multiple choice question. Here are your choices:
A. Media Specialist
B. Teacher-Librarian
C. Information Specialist
D. Textbook Manager
E. Li-berry Lady
I am all of those things. I’m also a equipment supplier, secretary to the network manager, and custodian.
Last week was my first week during school as the library media specialist (which is what my school calls me.) I did a LOT of stuff.
I visited all our portables and then delivered TV’s to the ones that didn’t have one. I helped our network manager give everyone their equipment. I barcoded and added to our library management system over 700 textbooks, and delivered some of those textbooks. I vacuumed the floors, laminated miles of stuff, and changed the laminating film (which always requires lots of prayers). I processed some new books for our media center and those should be ready to go shortly. I took a picture for a volunteer, took some stuff to the Black Hole, (the portable where we put stuff that needs to go away) and tried to find places for some stuff that just keeps appearing. Here’s some things I have learned:
1. Many people think of our media center as the dumping grounds. Anything they don’t want or don’t know what to do with ends up in here – so I can figure out what to do with it. Some people don’t even label stuff, so that printer that just appeared with a sign “media center” I have no clue what that means. Does it work? Does it not work? Does it need to go away? Who knows?? Those boxes of books that just appeared on the circulation desk? Where did those come from? And what am I supposed to do with them?
2. There’s been no consistency in the way we catalogued things in our media center. Some things have bar codes, some just have SAP numbers. Some books have bar codes on the left side, some on the right. Some at the top, some in the middle. . . I don’t know how to fix that, except just do it all the same way from now on.
3. Right now, it’s a little lonely and I know this will change. I’m used to having students all day – and so far that’s not the case. Again, I know it will change, but right now, I’m a little lonely.
4. Getting to read new books first is pretty cool.
5. I get why they say that the library is the most expensive room in a school. . .
6. Some people want every piece of technology that a school has, even if they have no idea (or even the desire) to use it. I actually had someone ask me for something and then later, ask me what it was. For REAL!
7. I have figured out our magazine order and ordered our newspapers (both online and digital!)
9. I have a quote for books from a book company.
10. I got to do this:
He wanted a book desperately. Our Art teacher sent me an email asking when he could get a book. He came to the media center, I asked him what he was looking for and we found it. We realized later, it wasn’t quite what he wanted (this book was all about drawing manga GIRLS and he wants to learn how to draw manga EVERYTHING) so we had to switch it out. I promised him when I took the picture that no one would see it except me, so I had to hide hide his face, sort of. . .
