First Impressions

1. Why are catalog cards still used in your materials?
2. Who runs the library when both librarians are out?
3. What do you do with items that are given in memory of someone, but need to be weeded?

1. The cards are used in conjunction with the online catalog to help prevent mistakes. Many times a student or teacher will come to the library and say that they never check out the book that is under their name in the catalog. The cards are a way to double check the system. Each time a teacher or student checks out an item it is checked out electronically. Then the person checking out the item is required to sign and date the card as well. The cards are kept till the item is returned.
2. It is rare that both librarians are absent on the same day at Central. When both librarians are unable to at work they have one substitute that they use. If that substitute is unavailable they close the library for that day.
3. The Mrs. Brewer and Mrs. Peery have come across this situation multiple times. Their solution to the problem is to find an item that is similar in context as the weeded book, but a current publication. Once the item has been purchased, a book plate is placed in the new book with the old book plates content. I found the a very useful solution to a problem that I am currently dealing with in my job at CA.

Reflection:
My first day at Columbia Central High School was February 16th. The first day anywhere, you tend to feel like a fly on the wall. You do your best to stay out of the way, but in the mix enough to still understand what is going on and ask questions along the way. I found out with in the first hour when my first teaching opportunity would be. That helped with preparing my self and materials in time for the lesson which would be later in the week.

Central was a little bit of an adjustment for me the first couple of days. I have been accustomed to elementary age students since I only teach Kindergarten through 6th grade at my current job. I over see the high school library at CA, but do not get to work closely with the students very often. The number of students at Central totals more than CA's entire student body kindergarten through twelfth grade. I also had to adjust to hearing the foul language that the students use when speaking with each other. I work at a school where we can enforce the rule of no foul language. That is not a realistic school wide rule at Central. Overall, my first day provided me with a glimpse into the everyday working of a high school library. But oh was it just the tip of the iceberg.