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School Librarian for A Day is a Hit!by Christina Stoll, MLS Over fifty individuals from Chicago Public School libraries and Metropolitan Library System member libraries contributed to the success of the first School Library for a Day (SLFAD) event, which took place April 23, 2007. Funded by a LSTA grant, this event brought together CPS librarians and MLS librarians in the hopes of creating long-term partnerships. The day included a shadowing opportunity for MLS librarians at their partner school followed by an afternoon program to meet and recognize participants and discuss ways to continue the partnership. School Library, Abuzz with Activity Sarah Kaufmann, Information Services Manager for The RJA Group, Inc. (http://www.rjagroup.com/) was paired up with librarian Ms. Katie Terry from Lindblom Math and Science Academy, a grades 9 and 10 school. Kaufmann was amazed by the amount of activity the library received by students outside scheduled classroom time. Both before school and during lunch she witnessed the library abuzz with activity. Students were either working at the computers, reading in comfy chairs or sitting in groups at the tables. Throughout the day, classes would filter in and out of the library either freely utilizing the space and the resources, or Ms. Terry would provide formal instruction to students on the resources available. “Overall, I had an extremely positive experience with the SLFAD. I was immensely impressed with the library, the teachers, the administrators, and of course, the librarian,” says Kaufmann. 7th and 8th Graders Learn About Library Hospitality Josephine Kujawa, librarian at Lexington College (http://www.lexingtoncollege.edu) a women’s college offering Associate and Bachelor degrees in Hospitality Management, was blown away by the librarian and students at Mitchell Elementary. Half-time librarian Ms. Anne Marie Strom, who also serves as librarian for another school, impressed Kujawa with her collaborative work with teachers on the school’s reading program. Welcomed with a banner and breakfast, Kujawa not only shadowed the librarian, but met with the principal and teachers, and had the opportunity to speak with students in several classrooms. She even sat in on a student council meeting and library club meeting. During her visit with 7th and 8th grade girls, she talked about opportunities that await them in the field of hospitality. The students even came prepared to ask questions. The day ended with talk about continuing the relationship between the schools with future student visits to Lexington. “I was very pleased with the entire School Librarian for a Day Program,” said Kujawa. She even had the SLFAD afternoon event participants laughing when she mentioned that after her day with these students, they all wanted future careers as wedding planners! MLS Staff Shadow CPS Library Members MLS staff also took part in the SLFAD event. MLS Executive Director Alice Calabrese, Consultants Jeannie Dilger-Hill, Gretel Stock-Kupperman, and Christina Stoll, and Interlibrary Loan Bibliographic Assistant Semi Grady’s’ experiences follow: Calabrese was paired with the Andrew Jackson Language Academy, where K-8 students learn Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese and Chinese as part of the curriculum. Librarian Ms. Susan Knibbs utilizes the library as both a learning space and a community space for faculty and staff. An up-to-date collection of 15,000 books reflects the support of the principal, faculty and parents. “Ms. Knibbs is to be congratulated for her efforts in creating an environment which encourages a love of learning and reading,” remarked Calabrese. Dilger-Hill visited Granville T. Woods Academy, a K-8 school with nearly 700 students, all served by solo librarian Ms. Collins-Lee. With $2000 budget to purchase books, Ms. Collins-Lee was also assisted this past year by a donation from the Book Worm Angels (http://bookwormangels.org), a nonprofit organization established to address the lack of books in Chicago elementary schools. The media center has 10 new computers funded by a grant but is not automated, and Ms. Collins-Lee does all of the cataloging and circulation by herself. Stock-Kupperman spent her day at the Jordon Community School, a diverse K-8 school on the north side of the city. Taking up most of the third floor, this spacious library is served by Ms. Debra Toporek. Ms. Toporek’s duties include checking in and out materials, shelving, reader’s advisory, and organizing Jordan's first ever Battle of the Books team. Stoll’s day was spent at O.A. Thorp Scholastic Academy shadowing another solo librarian, Ms. Cathy Ruszel. The day included a visit from three different elementary classes and a puppet show on American Revolutionary History. With occasional assistance from parent volunteers and student teachers, Ms. Ruszel is responsible for classroom instruction, storytelling, circulation, cataloging, shelving, and material selection. The library only has four computers, making it challenging to ensure all students get access to online resources. Grady meet with school librarian Connie Amon from the Orozco Academy in the Pilsen neighborhood. On the day of her visit the library was hosting the Scholastic Book Fair. Her day also included a tour of the library, and several classroom visits. Grady participated in reading a bilingual story to a fourth grade class as well as meeting several teachers attending the book fair. Chicago Public School Libraries During the afternoon portion of the SLFAD event, Paul Whitsitt, Director for Libraries and Information Services for Chicago Public School (http://www.cps.k12.il.us/aboutcps/departments/libraries) presented the challenges and the achievements of the CPS libraries. Whitsitt also shared ideas on how other librarians can help support CPS libraries in need:
For additional information about the SLFAD event, contact Christina Stoll at stollc@mls.lib.il.us or (630) 734-5117. For information about the Chicago Public School Department of Libraries, call their main phone line at (630) 553-6210.
School Library for a Day Participants at the afternoon reception
O.A. Thorp Scholastic Academy Library Story time Area
Granville T. Woods Academy Media Center Published June 6, 2007 in vol. 1, iss. 10 [View] |
