99.65%

Today I worked on taking down all the historical fiction and putting up our Novels in Verse for National Poetry Month. Sent off a couple of forwards, one from Salem Public Library and one from the state to celebrate Beverly Cleary who will celebrate her 100th birthday on April 12th! She is amazing! Had three classes come in to check out books today. Sent off the notice to finalize my math inventory. I'm only out 25 books as of today! Out of 7,300 (or so!) that came out to about 99.65% done! That's a great number! Took down all the Book Fair posters since the OnLine Fair ends tonight. Had testing in the library lab all day again. Tomorrow we only have about three classes in testing. Went to Mr. A's room and took some of the old Read 180 stuff that was in there. I think next year I need to purchase some decent tape/CD players for our reluctant readers to use. We've had quite the run on them this year. Took another great walk today during my lunch. So nice and sunny out! 

World View

I really like how this turned out! The hot pink string did the trick! Finished this up today and had several students looking at it. Not sure if in awe, or in a 'what in the world is that??' kind of way! Had four classes come in for math books. Three come in for science books. Two more classes came in to pick up new reading books. Had testing in the lab all day. The funny pink screen was just the plug in from the computer to the screen. That was silly. But my over fanning computer got some work done on it. Worked the classrooms today checking for the rest of the math books we're missing, but I didn't find any. Went through a box of stuff a teacher brought in to clean out and we had about 20 copies of The Red Pony. The barcodes were all crossed out and the school ID crossed out, but when I checked on that title, they were all still in there. So I decided to put on new barcodes and keep them, and go ahead and delete the ones I didn't have. So that was a nice clean up! Helped a student with our CD player. He had taken our The Giver book on audio CD and the player wouldn't play it. So we tried a different CD and it played it just fine. So we ended up just getting him a new book and Tape Cassette audio book. I'll have to check that Giver CD and see what I can do about it. I did clean up about 35 math books from the back back room, so now I'm only short about 119 books! Less than 2% of what we should have! That's exciting! I just need to check a couple more things and we'll be ready to finalize that. Asked for a book borrow for a student. Got two books in from holds and sent out notices to students and they came in and got them. Picked up all the rest of the immigration books we have to put back on the shelf tomorrow. Ran a report on the novels in verse that we have to put out for National Poetry month that starts on Friday. A great walk during my lunch time and another fabulously productive day in the library. Have I mentioned lately I love my job?? ;D

Quieter

Today was pretty quiet. I realized as I was putting together my windowboard that I had picked my favorite string colors, which were exactly the map colors and did not show up well at all! Back to the store and got some hot pink that will be much better! More visible at least! Sent out an email about our math inventory to see how everyone else was doing. Laminated tonight. Checked in and out. Got almost all the non-fiction shelved except the ones behind the tables set up for testing in the computer lab. Talked to Scholastic about the Book Fair. Got in a replacement book and got it all rebarcoded and ready for a student to pick up tomorrow. Checked out a class set of Roll of  Thunder, Hear My Cry for a teacher today. Just a pretty quiet day since the library was pretty much a 'ssshhhh!' zone because of testing in the lab. Tomorrow will be busy! Lots of classes coming in to pick up books! Got two carts all ready to go before I left tonight! Loved to get a good walk in during my lunch. So fabulous out today!

And We're Back!

A busy first day back in the library. I had to pay for a couple of items by staff since they hadn't gotten to me yet and they gave me checks later in the day to cover it. I rushed around getting the Scholastic stuff done, but hadn't quite closed everything out and the lady came to pick it up! I had just gotten an email saying it would be tomorrow! Oh well! I got it all packed up and realized after it left, that I still had the envelope and charge slips on my desk, so had to get the address and mail that off after work today. Glad I went by the Post Office, it was a bit of an extra charge since the envelope was so thick (I had placed the original envelope from Scholastic inside). Checked out two classes of math books and lots of books came in and out today. Took all the rest of the money to the bookkeeper to put in the safe. Our best fair yet! $1600! I was a bit surprised. Worked this afternoon with a student who needed to pay off his lost book having him find me missing items off the inventory and he did a great job. Spent all afternoon working for me and got it all paid. Down to just about 151 math items still to find! Not bad! Started to work on my next windowboard, a map up, then books on the table with string to show what country they're about! Where will your book take you?? I'm excited!!

Inventory Woes

Spent the day mostly working on my math inventory. But nothing seemed to work and I ended up printing out a 250 page report to find out what math books were the new ones, and which were the old ones and couldn't be inventoried because they were collected and sent to the recyclers over the summer. That report really helped indentify the books I still needed to inventory and calculators as well! That worked really well! Sold a bunch of stuff today with the book fair and got it all packed up when I left tonight. I think we did really well. Have a few math things that need to be found, but the most part is done for the year! I will hunt when we get back from Spring Break. Another 12 hour day, but so worth it! My lovely hubby even came by with a snack for me <3 awww! See you on the 28th!

The Longest Day

And tomorrow too! A regular school day with another half day tacked on for conferences. It was crazy busy in the library. Lots of kids in, testing in the computer lab, checking in and out books. A whirlwind day with lots of voting for Ms. N! She will win the books! Probably! She had some very determined students coming in voting all day. After the students left, I ended up pulling out the car trunk size mass of wire and cables in my office cabinet and sorting them all, coiling, and putting them in boxes or bags by type. I was so ashamed a week or so ago when one of our techs asked for a certain cable and I just dragged out this mess and he sorted through until he found what he needed. Now everything is neat and nice! It looks really good in there. Had more book fair sales today and tonight. Finished up numbering the rest of the math books! Can't believe they are finally all done and on the shelves. Over 5,000 of them I think it was! Got all the books checked in and a lot of lost books came in. One more 12 hour day to go! Then off for 10 days! Huzzah!

Atmosphere

Absolutely loved the atmosphere in the library during 6th period today. Some students working with IA's, some working in groups. A few students in getting books or checking out the book fair. It was just about perfect! We had three classes come in to look at the book fair today and they checked in and out a few books as well. Had three classes in the computer lab testing. I helped a bit this morning (remotely turning on the computers and logging them into the test site) and when the other lab wouldn't come up very quickly I mentioned that no one was in the library lab at the moment and the class ended up coming into there. Worked more on numbering math books, only one stack to go! Sent off some books to two schools. Gathered together one of each of the different textbooks we have to send to the pass room so students can work on their assignments even if they don't have their own book. ;)  Put away all the books that go on shelves behind where the techs put the extra computers. I had to pull out the tables very carefully, then scoot over to each section. I was glad to get that done. Made some more book fair sales today and had our rep come and see how things were going. I am missing books. I think they have gone walkabout! I hope they come home!

Till 2:30

Had to leave early today to take my mom to an appointment. Hung my big book fair sign up on my way in. Ended up helping get things ready for testing a time or two. Got window blinds open, book fair terminal set, computers on. Had a very slow day. Worked here and there on numbering the last of the math books. I did that during the testing so I could keep an eye on the individual students who were in using the library. Did a survey. Sent off some Code Talker books to Crossler. Checked in and out books. Pretty quiet really. I needed to leave at 2:30 today to take my mom to an appointment, so I got out the computer cart and hooked it all up, turned off lights and shut doors. I left just the main computer on and the main lights for my aide to turn off when she left and put a sign on the door I'd be back in the morning!

Racking Up

We had a lot of sales today and biggest surprise of all was that a couple of students had their own debit/credit cards to use to buy! Had students in after school as well to purchase books with parents and money in tow! Had Mrs. V come in with two classes to look at the fair and she is now way ahead in the voting for who gets the new books! Had three classes in today to practice testing and a ton of students in working on other things as well. A very busy day. Ms. R came in and loved almost all the books I pulled for her mental health unit and only took out 5 of what I had ready for her to look at. Had my aides take the cart to her. Had other aides finish up the last of the math books putting barcodes on them, so I started to number the ends. That is the last bunch so those will be done by the time we leave for spring break! Printed out my self evaluation from last year since I have to work on my new one for this year. Needed to remember what I said! Did some book numbering and looking up books to clean up some series. Had a Tamora Pierce series, that I thought, if I number these, maybe more students will read them. Had another series with nine books in it but we only have seven. The Amulet graphic novels just came out with the seventh one. Helped out one of the techs in the building today. Got him a bulb and a projector for a teacher. We noticed our phones in the library are kind of doing some wierd things. If the phone rings out at the main desk or my office, it also rings in the Instructional Coach's office! Too funny! I am tired and ready for the weekend - only four days next week with two 12 hour ones!

Lovely!

Isn't she lovely? Our school from the street! A beautiful afternoon to take a picture of our book fair sign with it! I have always brought it in when I left, but decided to see if it would help business if I left it up all night for people to see to remind them. I came in early to get the sign out and put out the carts and books. Got signs out then went back in the library to notice that the lovely college class must have decided to help me out by putting all the tables back that I had moved the day before! Luckily a teacher came in to make copies and helped me move them back! Then I had to pull out the carts from our spare room, and start putting all the books on the two tables I had for the extras. I almost got it all done before the students came down, so I was moving! Had sales today, yeah! And got back the $60 I had put in from my own account to get change going. Got all the rest of the new books out today. Pulled more of the mental illness books for our health teacher. Laminated the volcano movie posters the kids did for Mr. M (dinosaurs vs. volcanos - volcano wins - you can bet your Jurassic on it...)

Movin'

Had my morning boys help me move tables around today to get ready for the Book Fair. It was fun and nice to have some help. Pulled out my three big carts and let them stay open out there all day so students could come and see what we had. Finished unpacking all the trinkets. Set the historical fiction out on my display shelf so if students didn't do get something the other day, they could look there. Finished checking out the two last classes of math books for Mrs. K. Checked out three carts of dictionaries for the IB tests this afternoon. Put the computer cart out for the class tonight. Went to a meeting to discuss the way we can work with the counselors and see what other things we can do to help students adjust to life in middle school. It was a great meeting. Great day, great meeting! Book fair starts tomorrow!

Historical Fiction

Today was historical fiction day! I had five classes coming in to check some out! After I did my pic for my 'Beast Mode' statue, I ran off a report and started getting together historical fiction. Since our two front tables are now in the computer lab to hold extra laptops for testing, I pulled out a plastic portable table and put that up in the front of the library and put books all over it. Then I also had a cart there as well. I checked in and out four of those classes myself! I went through the shelves after every class and put out more books on the table since they looked at those first. Got our new phones today and the ring tone is crazy modernish! Surprised me the first time it rang! I also put together the extensions pages we were sent and got them all on one page (thank goodness!). One of our IA's came down to make copies, and I showed it to her and she was "I want one!" So I made a copy for her, then our office manager too. She was happy! Put up a windowboard for our Scholastic book fair and my preview books to be given away to a lucky teacher! The students can vote on who will get all 11 books! I found little flowers and stars to blow up and attach to the frame and on the window! Fun! Nearly forgot to get money for the book fair, so stopped by after work at the bank so we'd have change. Took down all the boxes from the book fair carts and started setting up the back room stuff - I just can't leave it out. Even got in some coloring books! Laminated today. I had to do this huge map of Oregon that just fit if I folded it down the length, then I had to trim and open it back up. It did turn out really well and Mr. G was very pleased with it. He's going to have kids show where they went over the weekend on the map. Very nice! Great day! Because you know, I'm a library beast!

Beast Mode Library Media Assistant

I am super honored to be the recipient of Leslie Middle Schools 'Beast Mode' staff award! I've gotten kudos before, but we have four special awards that really speak to someone who has gone way beyond the effort and today I received the Beast Mode award! Ms. N announced that she was so very grateful that I helped get her students books from all over the district as they were doing their non-fiction research reports. I had to contact a ton of schools, get the books in, then back up to her so they could do their report. It was a fantastic collaboration between her students, herself, the other Library Media Assistants who made sure they got books in the mail to me. Wow! I was so surprised and not expecting that at all! Back to the rest of the day! Got some more of the new books checked out today and checked out two classes of math books. Checked our projectors to see who was running and who wasn't that were piling up in my office. Helped carry tables for our tech to get our extra laptops hooked up for testing. Had two classes in to check out new library books. A teacher got an emergency call and so they put the study hall class in the library for a period today until the teacher got back. Covered new books. Tried to figure out what to do with the preview books I got from Scholastic. Raffle? For a teacher's room? Not sure yet what I'll do. The carts should arrive tomorrow and the sale starts on Thursday. Now I just need to be on the lookout for who I want to honor with 'Beast Mode' for the next staff meeting!

Halfling

One of my split days. I work just a half day. We had a meeting scheduled for three hours so I went in to work one, then off to the meeting. At work I cleaned up a couple of little things, covered and stripped some books, then off to Houck for our meeting. We had a 'what genre are you' opener, and it was funny that 5 of the 11 of us were fantasy! Yeah! Talked about what that meant and how it impacted our libraries. Then onto the Oregon State Library Standards. We had to do a 'one pager' on a standard and that was fun! Then onto the future of middle school libraries and we talked about the lack of funding and the lack of personnel to work with all our kids to make sure they are behaving with technology appropriately! We actually ended up talking the whole three hours! See you Monday!

Asking for It

Today I had a teacher come in to start their practice testing session and was so frustrated. He asked me questions and I didn't really know any of the answers. I knew about the portal, but after that, I was in a fog. It's not part of my experience or expertise. I tried to help, but I don't think I did much good. Luckily Mr. C and Ms. V helped out and he got it done. That's why it's practice! I had three classes of students in to check in and out books today. We did a lot of checking in and out today. We also got in a ton of other students because it's the three day weekend. I worked on doing some new labels. On the spine of the books the series title (like Sea of Trolls = SoT 1) to help kids realize a series. The Warriors books really need it! Got all our books put away today. Cleaned off the back workroom table. Did some laminating. After school we have our LEAP club. I usually don't have much to do with them, but today I helped out several students in the computer lab. One I helped with her citations, another I just helped with formatting. I did help a lot of students send off their projects on email to their teachers. It was a 'ask Mrs. W' day. Half day tomorrow!

Cat in the Hat

Or rather Library Media Assistant in Hat! Had a great time today highlighting Dr. Seuss! Had all my books out and about on the tables. Made a great announcement for this morning. Remembered I had some 'Cat in the Hat' hats up in my closet, so I wore one all day. I had fun when I could be out in the halls and the students were like "Nice hat Mrs. W!" Got the last official worksheet for the computer labs so I could plug in the teacher's. I sent a notice to Mrs. K today and she thanked me. Mr. G I reminded for tomorrow. I'll send out a notice the day before, just to remind them. Have our moving white board noted, signs for the doors. Had our first two classes in today to practice. Had two classes in to check out books. Got more of our new books out. Shelved all the 001's through the 600's today plus the 741's. They really needed it! Sent off 20 of our Peak books to Stephens for them to borrow. Checked in all the voice recorders Mrs. V used and had to pull the batteries since it'll be awhile before they are used again. A very, very nice day!

Crossing Out

Spent a lot of today crossing out all the Leslie stamps from the books I withdrew. I had a whole large three tier cart and then another shelf on a little one to take up to the teacher's lounge and leave there for them to look over and take for their classrooms. I think a lot of the books won't get taken, but some might. Then I'll put them out for the students. I had to demagnetize all of them too! Sent out an email on that. Had the counselors come from South High School to start getting the 8th graders ready to start high school next year. They were in the library all day. I think I could do their speech by heart.  I only had one class come in to get books and I shushed them all out, telling them to come in a bit at a time and quietly so the counselors could do their talk. They had started to come in very, very noisy! Started to prep the new books I got in. Putting strips in the hardbacks. Did a bit of laminating of book marks someone got from Powell's. All what to read....  kind of ones. Checked in all the old math books and they are in very sad shape. I should do something with them, just not sure what. Had the fire alarm go off about 3pm, so we all had to leave the building. It was a malfunction of some kind.