MONTHLY REPORT TO THE PRINCIPAL

2009-2010 August/September

This report provides a summary of activity for the first month and two weeks of school. All statistical data reflects reports run for the period 8/24/09 – 9/30/09. The first school week in review is provided at the end as a reference point.

LMC MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the D.L. “Dusty” Dickens Elementary School Library Media Center (Dickens LMC) is first and foremost to provide adequate access to information; second, to provide a warm, kind, inviting, and comfortable environment for all students and teachers to learn, grow, and ultimately love reading; third, to actively teach students by partnering with classroom teachers for regular and consistent collaboration; fourth, to foster the integration and use of 21st century literacies within the classroom and media center; and fifth, to build the foundation for increased student achievement within the school.

Monthly Report to the Principal

Page 1

Monthly Report to the Principal S T A T I S T I C A L H I G H L I G H T S

Average number of students visiting the Dickens LMC to check in and out per day (on non-scheduled library days): 10 Books lost: 2 (approximately .36 percent of the total circulated) Books damaged beyond repair: 1 Monies recovered from books lost or damaged in previous years: $161.24 Birthday Book Club Members: 34 Birthday Book Club Profit: $510 Number of circulations: 7,053 (722 of those being faculty) **1st grade = 656 **2nd grade = 831 **3rd grade = 1,210 **4th grade = 1,862 **5th grade = 1,751 Number of holds placed: 82 (This number is expected to increase as patrons become self-empowered and learn how to use the Destiny system.) Top 6 search terms: **captain underpants **sponge bob **diary of a wimpy kid **star wars **ghost **sharks Number of students consistently involved in the Friends of the Library apprenticeship club: 14 Number of brand-new instructional materials and books added to the catalog: 433

Monthly Report to the Principal

Page 2

Number of brand-new magazine subscriptions added to the catalog: 17 Classes awarded the Shelf Elf Award for proper use of shelf markers and meeting or exceeding LMC expectations thus far: **Williams **Hinz **Johnson **Gabarre Number of teachers participating in the LMC Book Basket program: 8 Number of teachers participating in 100 Books in 100 Days: 16 Number of teachers participating in Faculty Photo Fun (Mystery Readers): 19 Number of teachers involved in the Teacher Book Review program, which provides free hardcover books (2009 publication dates) to the library in exchange for reviews: 13 G E N E R A L H I G H L I G H T S

Author visit planned for grades 3-5 focusing on the writing process; scheduled for October 29. Book Fair scheduled for 12/2 – 12/16 Grant for LMC technology written and 50 percent funded thus far; a little over $12,000 to go. Technologies requested include 40 netbooks, a wired netbook cart, 6 iPod touches, 6 digital cameras, 1 document camera. Two well-known experts in the field of library science and educational technology found the Dickens LMC website and wrote about it as being "an excellent example of the use of Web 2.0 technologies at the elementary level." One Tech 2sday workshop held on the Destiny cataloging system. Fulfilled a variety of teacher requests, some of which are the following: **Hispanic American materials and books **Native American materials and books **Amelia Earhart resources **Alcatraz resources for background knowledge prior to reading a class novel Worked with fellow specialists to provide appropriate materials for their subject matter: physical

Monthly Report to the Principal

Page 3

activity, art, and music. Located off-site materials for several teachers via the interlibrary loan system. Offered support for the teacher-run after school program. The proposal includes the cultivation of a reading garden outside in the quad area. Set up a professional development area within the library to accommodate as much staff as possible for gatherings. A variety of emails were distributed on the following topics: **author birthdays **calendar events (like Stamp Collecting Month, for example) **articles **new arrivals Postcards were placed in teacher boxes announcing the following: welcome back to school, new materials have arrived, faculty photo fun, visit the Dickens LMC website, etc. Posters were placed around the school to encourage students to visit the library. Provided assistance to a teacher on her back-to-school night presentation using a new presentation tool introduced on the Dickens LMC website. Provided two research-based articles/handouts to teachers about the importance of having a print-rich classroom collection (supported by our Book Basket program) and addressing the link between the amount of reading and academic achievement (supported by number of books students are allowed to check out). F U T U R E P L A N S

Cultivation of a reading garden in the school quad area. Collaborative planning and teaching between grade levels and the library media specialist using the Dickens LMC Teacher Collaboration Ning. Staff development presentations about the use of the Destiny catalog in planning lessons, searching for books at specific levels, searching for materials aligned to standards, etc.

Monthly Report to the Principal

Page 4

The Dickens LMC Week in Review: 8-24-09

Collection Development

• Purchased a variety of posters for promotion of reading, literacy, and the library media center around the school

• Purchased a variety of big books based on teacher feedback (each comes with accompanying lessons)

• Purchased a special book stand for library media center storage of big books • Purchased a special kit to repair damaged books within the library media

center so they can get back into circulation • Purchased a variety of professional books and resources based on teacher request and need • Purchased several of the books nominated for the Nevada Young Reader Award (NYRA) for student voting later in

the year • All books that were segregated by level are in the process of being interfiled per district standards. This is to avoid

the “leveling” of a book. Per CCSD: All books (with grade-level appropriate content) are accessible to all students unless a parent makes a special request for his or her child.

• Purchased materials so that several books and videos that have been previously unavailable for circulation can now be processed and readied for patron check-out

Curriculum / Classroom Teacher Support

• Assisted a teacher with a genre study unit by providing student work samples of projects, as well as professional books and resource materials in both print and online.

• Helped several teachers locate materials for use in their classrooms the same day. • Distributed a variety of emails with regard to the RJ newspapers in education program, book review opportunities,

materials list for Hispanic Heritage month, social networking, character ed resources (based on teacher request), soliciting feedback, special thematic days, made AR list available through the Las-Vegas Clark County Library District, and more.

• Used the inter-library transfer system to obtain three books for two different teachers (we do not have the books they requested)

• The library media center is inaccessible for NO MORE THAN 15 minutes per day (during library media specialist’s duty)

• Collected classroom teacher input for library program improvements, as well as to guide grant-writing and purchasing decisions

• Worked with kindergarten teachers to help make the library program convenient for their students and parents

Circulation

• Purchased a second barcode scanner for the addition of a second computer at the circulation counter for faster checkout and more time on task

• Provided temporary library cards to students and staff • Checked out 335 books to teachers; student check-outs begin next week

Monthly Report to the Principal

Page 5

Program Administration

• Started 100 Books in 100 Days; progress can be noted by looking at the south east wall just outside the library door • Started the Teacher Book Review Program—four teachers are currently participating---more needed! • Distributed brochures, patron agreements, birthday book club letters, and other communications to students • Started the Book Basket Program—six teachers are currently participating • Signed three teachers up for the RJ’s Newspapers in Education program; they are receiving the e-edition and/or

print edition bundles for their classes • Distributed staff newsletter “The Digital Shelf” to classroom teachers electronically • Updated the library media center’s Web 2.0 presence on Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, etc. • Started drafting a grant for classroom teacher book sets that will be integrated into the library media center

collection

Instructional Technology Leadership

• Readied teacher and student accounts to self-empower the patron to use the search, renewal, and copy status functions within Destiny (plans for a staff training are currently in the works)

• Made minor modifications to the school and library media center websites • Distributed teacher orientation via progressive presentation maker Prezi.com (training on that to come)