Library Idea of the Week
January 24, 2005
Cathy Belben, Librarian, Burlington-Edison High School

Do you toot? Years ago, I attended Nancy Graf’s presentation on promoting your own library, and one of the suggestions was to communicate regularly with your administrators about what’s happening in your library. Busy as they are, many administrators visit the library infrequently, and it’s our job to keep reminding them about the great educational events that happen in our learning space.  I send my administrators a “Library Happenings” list at the end of every month so that they know what I’ve been up to.  Here's the January 2005 edition:

NEW 

ü      Put together new student packets to hand out to new enrollees (contain a pencil, library info sheet, a free book, etc)

ü      Collaborated with Roger Kinney to design a one-day career research lesson for info tech

ü      Wrote a letter recommending Blythe for the U of W info science school

ü      Wrote article for www.smartwriters.com about importance of recommending books to adults and colleagues

ü      Wrote library newsletter for staff for Winter 2005

ü      Designed new booktalking lesson to train kids to be better browser and hopefully spend time more effectively when searching for books in the library

ü      Signed up to be on Beth’s reading committee

ü      Hosted poet Kurtis Lamkin on January 24

ü      Hosted Buck Compton on January 7

ü      Attend Breaking Ranks II on January 18

ü      Generated list of library/classroom/reading across the curriculum ideas; distributed to teachers for 2^nd semester

ü      Created page of Washington/Oregon/Idaho links for Hance’s class

ü      Evaluated career books selection; added 20 new career books to collection

ONGOING

ü      Continued re-labeling all fiction books for easier accessibility

ü      Continued updating library web site; Jeff Brandenburg will add link to his page

ü      Battled evil

ü      Collaborated with Patty Jensen to do more booktalks for ELL I and II students

ü      Posted list of new non-fiction and fiction books in library and staff room

ü      Participated in Washington Library Media Association quarterly board meeting

ü      Continued to fulfill responsibilities as WLMA Senior Levels Chair—hired authors for 2005 WLMA conference

ü      Continued work as mentor to FHHS teacher/library student Lisa Salisbury

ON THE HORIZON

ü      As soon as we’re done re-labeling the fiction, we’ll begin process of shifting entire non-fiction collection; using the newly moved large shelving unit and making more space for non-fiction to grow

ü      Hosting presentation from Living Voices this spring

ü      Helping Gudgel with new class on sports literature

ü      Begin planning for National Physical Fitness Month activities in May