Showing posts with label library organizing.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label library organizing.. Show all posts

Thursday, March 15, 2018

How The Organized Librarian originated

   How did I begin thinking of and writing about The Organized Librarian?  I started as I briefly outlined ib my book (The Organized Librarian) When I was several years into my job as an elementary librarian at the elementary level. AT the time I was” dancing as fast as I could” and very frustrating. I had 700 students, a large library, and a huge collection. My help (library assistants) was came and went for each change of period. Sometimes I had no help, and the library schedule was just overwhelming!

  So I took a deep breath and began to organize my work spaces.  I started with my back room because that was the worst!  Then I did my circulation area. Finally I worked on organizing my curriculum / lessons.  And I began writing every down, and keeping track of what I was doing, and what I needed to do. When that was finished, I wrote the book and compiled all that I had done. After that I started my blog.

Friday, March 3, 2017

Get ready for tomorrow @ your Library

   No matter if you are in a school or public library , here is an easy  way to prepare  for getting more done   the next work day. At the end of each day, I  stop what ever I am doing  before my quitting time.

   If I am working on a specific project, and it is not completed I put the materials needed in  a file marked with the project name.  I place this file in my to do basket or my file sorter although I am trying to figure out which is the best thing for that.  

  If I have more than one project , then I will have two folders. I really try  not to have more than two things going on at once. The exception is if I have a monthly /yearly project  which then I will already have a file going,

  The other thing that also helps me if cleaning/ organizing my desk and whatever tools I have used that day.So I will leave with a clean desk and my projects for tomorrow.  

  Finally I will  put in my plan book or my planner, the items  that I need to work on the following day. So when I come in the next day , I know just what to do. I usually ask myself- "What is the most  important thing I must accomplish tomorrow. ( For more information  on  making each day effective see  my ebook- The Organized Librarian- tab is at the top for details)

Friday, April 26, 2013

Organizing Your Office - Part 5

   Note Books for  Organizing


     I am a big fan of using three ring binders for organizing papers and materials needed on a day to day basis.  Every years I devised a plan book that goes along with y schedule for the year.. It is put in my main notebook which I use every day/ In this same notebook I keep a variety of papers and other items that I refer to on a daily basis.

    Another note book has records for ILL ( Inter library loans) and magazine/periodical records.  A large note book - which will soon be divided into two notebooks- is the common core standards.  In another note book I have my library curriculum for the different grade levels that I teach. A project I would like to do is put all lessons and worksheets for each grade level into a three ring binder, probably by grade level

    A current  large project is the yearly budget and the work  that goes with it.  This is in another labeled  binder. I keep handy the last years binder  to refer to.

     All my binders are labeled on the spine and of course on the front. I use tab dividers when I need too to keep all papers in the proper subject/ topic area. My binders are next to my work/circulation desk.  They can be pulled out and items found at a moments notice.  This binder system keeps me organized and my desk neat!







Monday, March 11, 2013

Organization in the library

       Libraries are naturally organized- mainly the books and resources. The key to  successful  and seamless library programs / tasks is  the organization of everything else.  If you are organized them you will have more time and get more done.  So lets get started!

      You  may have paper, catalog, files , and you may be  overloaded with these types of items floating around your library and office . Do you have stacks of folders? The best way to attack them is to set aside time each day to go through and decided what to do with all of those files, papers, catalogs,  and items lying around.

     Start with three folders or baskets or bins. Mark each one with : TO DO NOW, TO DO LATER,
TO FILE .  Take some file folders.. Also take a trash/ recycling bin.

     Bring  with you a pen, and sticky notes.  As you look at each item/ paper/ file  decide where it should go. Make an immediate decision. Scan though it .  At this time, you can place a sticky note  for the item to be placed in a specific file,

     If you glance at a catalog and see something you might purchase at a later date, mark it with a sticky note  and file it in a folder marked : Possible Purchase.    I also keep a catalog file( noted in The Organized Librarian  ) of catalogs that I refer to on a yearly basis.

    Put each item in the bin/basket/file  if you intend to keep the item .  If it is not needed put in the trash or recycling bin.  If you take 15 -20 minutes each day, in no time you will have your papers /files in order and your library  more organized and efficient.

Friday, December 21, 2012

Happy Holidays From the Organized Librarian

      I would like to wish you and your families  the best of Holidays as we wind down 2012!  Enjoy each other and renew yourselves for another round of education  and books in our buildings and libraries.
   
     I will return late next week after the bustle of the Holiday is over and hopefully will bring you ideas that you can use and share with  your co- workers.  I am almost done with the book and it will be an ebook. I am hoping to make it available soon., just seems I have been getting holiday things done and have not done all that I wanted this month.

Friday, January 6, 2012

The Organized Librarian- lesson planning

I am in the final stages The Organized Librarian and am going through the editing process. It is amazing to see how much work a librarian is supposed to accomplish, but we do it . We need to focus our work on student reading and learning. This year in my district we are also focusing on student writing so I am trying to incorporate more writing and thinking into my lessons.
This month I am developing a unit on biography for 4th grade and going to try a game so I am thinking about how I can engage students into being more active. I think I will be handing out a series of lists of biography books and then have students develop call numbers for these ( as a table group or groups of two) and then have them work as a table group to put them into Alphabetical order. That's for next week- this week is Atlases- I did one lesson yesterday and then decided to change it just a bit for the next 3 fourth grades. That's what I do- develop and then refine the lessons until I feel they are great for a learning experience with the students.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

New Books- Checking in/ Processing New books

Yes, I am still unpacking books and supplies from my orders this summer. I check in each book and place the vendor and price in the inside cover. Books are stamped and a date due slip placed in back, and they are ready to go. I get most of my books from Follett, and Perma-Bound already processed.
Books from other vendors ( Junior Library guild) I catalog, make labels, stamp , date due slip, and then they are good to go.
Those are my three major jobbers for books and I pretty much just use those three except when I am ordering Reference sources. This simplifies my ordering and processing.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

First Day of School- but no school!

September 7, 2011
Its our first day with students but school is closed due to flooding.! What a way to start the year.
Any way , at school yesterday and last week. I am putting up posters in a different way and making lots of signage- like labeling my reference section and my magazine and newspaper section . I will also make signs and posters for my library rules and routines and will go them with students when they come for library class or orientation.
Using lots of color - to make areas pop. My library is small and I want it to be inviting for the students. Our other library ( classes run by my aide k-3) is in the historic part of the building so it has beautiful woodwork and a non-working fire place. She always decorates it nicely with posters and lots of signs.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Author visits - Part I

1. Host an Author visit to your school. Contact your PTO / PTA and see if they can help with funding your author visit. Students love when authors visit! You might also contact your local library to see if you could collaborate with their program director to see if they have funding that might be helpful. We had Lindsay Barrett George. Visit her at LindsayBarrettGeorge.com
The first steps are: funding and contacting the author. What funds do you have for payment? Parent group- Assembly funds- other funding perhaps from the community?
Make sure you have resources for payment. You may also need to provide accommodations/ transportation so get that in line also.
Contact the author, and make the arrangements. When will he come? You will want to speak with administration before hand to determine what day and time will be appropriate for you author day. You don't want to be in conflict with another program or a testing
date.

Then we start the promotion: What can you do to promote the program. Firstly, the students. Hopefully you will have ( or can borrow) some of the authors works! Then begin to tell and read to the students ( or have them read) some of the authors works. Put up posters or do a bulletin board about your authors visit. If you are allowed outside visitors - contact your local news media and see if you can send a press release or short article for them to publish/ present.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Review

The Collaboration Handbook by Toni Buzzeo

Toni Buzzeo has done it! . This slim volume is the definitive book that provides LMS’s with the tools to develop steps to collaboration in our schools. Every LMS to wants to begin to collaborate should read this book. Her book is also geared to administrators to show them how they can work with their LMS and teachers to promote collaboration.
The different levels of collaboration of LMS and teachers are first defined. Each level is described and expanded upon in the beginning chapters of the book. Each chapter outlays the level, and provides many find examples of the level of collaboration from schools across the US. The examples will give you ideas of how you can apply collaboration in your school. This is a work book, and there are places that you can write in your ideas, and places where you can evaluate your own levels of collaboration.
I was wishing the copy I read was my own. There were places I wanted to underline, and I wanted to fill in the action plans, the putting it to work charts, the discussion charts, and the tool charts for librarian s and administrators. This book (and some action on your part)will get you into the role of collaborator with your staff.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Third week of school. Still getting organized and into my new routine. I tried I new trick that seems to work. On 3by 5 cards, I jotted down some tasks that I need to do on a regular basis. I have one for daily, one for weekly, and monthly. This I placed up on my board with a card file.I can glance at that and see what tasks I need to complete. It seems to work for me. Try it you might like it.

Monday, November 30, 2009

File

I am still working on my file cabinets at school. I have one more to go and I will be finished on my main files at the circulation desk. This includes most all my files since I do not have an office. My other file cabinets are another thing - but I won't get to them this year.
What Have I done with my files? First thing that was done was , I had hanging file frames put in. Then I can do a section at a time and put folders into hanging files .