Includes the STUDENT LIBRARIAN HANDBOOK LIBRARY MANUAL for Primary Schools Tested and proven ways to set up, operate, and maintain a great lending library at your school! l Choose and Prepare Your Library Space l Organize, Level, and Color-Code the Books l Create Library Rules and a Checkout System l Choose a Library Team and Student Librarians l Prepare the Students, Teachers, and Parents Explore. Discover. Learn. Grow. A world of knowledge awaits your students in stimulate children’s curiosity about books the library. Bringing a vibrant lending library and to encourage students to read. One of the to life in your school is one of the most aca- best ways of supporting literacy is to set up demically powerful, life-changing gifts you can a school library with a wide variety of infor- give to your students. Hands Across the Sea is dedicated to creating sustainable lending borrow. While a few books will get lost along libraries in Eastern Caribbean schools, and mation and fiction books that students can reading habits are better students and thus that can be easily managed and maintained. betterthe way, citizens. the benefits of encouraging regular we wantThis manual to help offersyou create a step-by-step a first-class method library We encourage you to set up a simple for creating and running a color-coded library composition book or index card checkout system for your primary school. The sug- system (computers are expensive and require gestions are the result of assisting over 375 upgrades and repairs). The most important Hands Wish Lists projects with their libraries measure of a successful library is that children and are designed to require minimal funding are borrowing the books and reading them. to set up and minimal time to maintain. We want your library to work for you and your Libraries support the school’s work of students. Hands Across the Sea is here to sup- literacy and education. They also complement port and encourage your work in raising the the Child Friendly Schools Initiative and the literacy levels of your students. book report requirements for the CPEA or Grade 6 primary school exit assessment. A school’s library is useful for young children Harriet and Tom (“T. L.”) Linskey Co-Founders, Hands Across the Sea because it encourages the formation of good www.handsacrossthesea.net reading habits. It is crucial for teachers to +1 617 320 3601 2 Library Manual Contents SECTION CONTENT PAGE 1 Central Library or Classroom Library? How to Form Your Library Team . page 4 2 How to Choose and Prepare Your Library Space . page 6 3 How to Organize the Book Collection (color-coding and bookshelves) . page 8 4 Create Your Checkout System and Borrowing Policies . page 14 5 Organize the Operation of the Library . page 16 6 Teacher Orientation to the Library . page 18 7 Student Orientation to the Library . page 19 8 Parent Orientation to the Library . page 20 9 Sweet Inspiration: Make It Your Library . page 21 Student Librarian Handbook Contents SECTION CONTENT PAGE SECTION CONTENT PAGE 1 We Are Student Librarians . .page 25 5 Student Librarian Rewards . page 30 2 Tasks & Responsibilities . page 26 6 Promoting the Library . page 31 3 Job Application (sample) . page 28 7 Managing the Program . page 32 4 Keeping the Library Open . page 29 Thank You, Friends! This manual was originally compiled and written by Ina Howe, RPCV, Marcy Carrell, Elizabeth Neason, Sara Lightner and the staff of the MA. This second edition was revised by Jane Babbitt, Hannah U.S. Peace Corps in the Eastern Caribbean who encourage and Knecht, and Harriet and Tom Linskey. Thanks to the U.S. Peace support our efforts. Thanks also to Hands Across the Sea’s donors, Corps Volunteers who contributed to this manual: Camille Aragon, board of directors, advisory board, and the passionate and dedicat- Norma-Jean Arey, Allegra Asplundh-Smith, Katherine Bowyer, Aman- ed school principals, teachers, and librarians who work with us to da Dombach, Ted Fischer, Alyssa Galeema, Aria Grabowski, Beth give Caribbean children access to new amazing books and lending Hansen, Stephanie Kistner, Brian Longin, Julie Mills, Desteni Monai, libraries. Finally, we are grateful to our on-island Hands Across the Molly Okuneff. Erin Sozanski, Dana Underwood, and Tom Wieland. Sea Literacy Links for providing support, coaching, mentoring, and Hands extends a special thanks to Margo Jeanchild, Jill Hearne, Student Librarian training to primary schools across the region. 3 Central or Classroom Library? 1 How to Form a Library Team Central Library or Classroom Library? Hands Across the Sea believes strongly in the power of a central school library. While some haven in the pages of a great book. teachers will have classroom libraries, these •at Thehome, books be comfortable, can be shared and by even every find student a safe can be challenging for individual teachers to and teacher in the school. Some students may maintain and manage year after year. be reading below grade level, but they will be and while one teacher may have a source for suits their abilities in a central library. For appropriate It’s also difficult books, another to access teacher great new may books, have able to find a fiction or nonfiction book that too few or inappropriate books for her class- chapter book series they can dig into or more room library. fluent readers a central library offers various Classroom space in city schools can be information to explore the world. very tight, and there may be no room for a •advanced In a school nonfiction with spacious books fullclassrooms, of facts and a reading corner and classroom library in a teacher can always select a range of books crowded school. Some advantages to having a from the central library and borrow them for a central school library are: week or two for her classroom reading corner. • The entire school community can be in- When the students have read the books, they volved in creating and maintaining a dedicated can be swapped for fresh ones. space for a library. Teachers, students, par- • The library provides opportunities for stu- ents, librarians and government employment dent leadership. You may pick your most re- scheme workers can all share the load. sponsible students to become Student Librari- • ans, or perhaps you encourage those students the walls, a literacy mural, and enticing books who are causing trouble to step up, improve with A “reading covers facing corner” out floor on the mat, shelves fresh paintcreates on their behavior, and help their fellow students a child-friendly space where students can feel by serving in the school library. 4 Central or Classroom Library? How to Form a Library Team 1 How and Why to Form a Library Team Attempting to run a library singlehandedlyis an Create Your Library Team all-consuming undertaking—especially when A way to set up your Library Team, which has it comes to getting students and staff involved. worked successfully with other schools, is to Forming a Library Team of enthusiastic and include the teacher-librarian (or government eager members can spread the work and employment scheme worker) as secretary; the decision-making, which will foster the long- head teacher, literacy coordinator or reme- term sustainability of the library. Library Team dial reading teacher (or HOD of English in a members can tap their leadership and creative secondary school) as chairperson; one other skills to create an atmosphere of ownership teacher and maybe a few students. Students and encourage everyone to use the library. can be asked to vote for representatives or The Role of the Library Team responsible pupils can be appointed by the A Library Team is an excellent way to make Library Team. the library popular in your school. Because The teacher-librarian is an important your committee members have helped to committee member to help advise the com- make decisions about mittee and suggest ways the project, other staff to improve the library. He and students are likely or she should, wherever to be inspired by their possible, arrange a visit to enthusiasm. The Library a successful school library. Team will make man- Discuss the different kinds agement decisions about of people the library will library hours, borrowing serve and how you can practices, rules, wheth- involve them in the Library er there will be fees for Team. Write job descrip- - methodology. lateThe or lost Library books Team and canthe bookcreate classification a Student accordingtions for Library to the guidelines.Team officers. The Write Library guide Team Librarian program to share the work load shouldlines for meet committee regularly, action. perhaps Select once the a officers month, and foster responsibility for and pride in the or at the start and end of every school term. school library. The Library Team also deter- While the Library Team will be in charge, mines which books should be removed from make sure students, parents and staff can the collection, either because their content is share their ideas about the library in other inappropriate or because they are old, dam- ways. This can be done through student li- aged, or cannot be repaired. The Library Team brarians, a library club and a suggestions box. must also decide which books and materials Don’t forget to reach out to Hands Across the must stay permanently in the library and Sea and your local Literacy Links to share should not be loaned out. These may include best practices that have worked well for your encyclopedias, and books (such as vintage school. Your Literacy Link can brainstorm with West Indian titles) that the committee wants your team about other schools’ library activi- to give special care.