First-graders Solve Gingerbread Man Mystery

This was in this week's Coffey County Republican. It's such a creative way to reinforce a joy of reading that I had to add it to the blog. The picture shows Principal Houchin and two class members discussing the missing gingerbread man.

From the Coffey County Republican, Dec. 14, 2007, pp 7, 10.

Amy Johnson
Reporter

WAVERLY — Yvonne Houchin’s first-grade class began the day in an ordinary way, Friday, Dec. 7, with the usual reading and writing assignments. About midmorning,the class took a break and worked together to make a gingerbread man. When the class went to retrieve
the gingerbread man from the school’s kitchen, he was gone. School cooks, Sandra McNabb and Dana Kistner, told the class that when they took him out of the oven, he jumped off the cookie sheet and took off running down the hall. They tried to catch him, but were unsuccessful.

Confused and concerned, the first-graders returned to the classroom to put together clues about where their gingerbread an might be. Some of the clues included a note left by the gingerbread man saying he had just begun his life and didn’t want to be eaten, suspicious crumbs in the hallway, and many unconfirmed sightings of the wayward gingerbread man at different locations around the school. However, he still remained at large.

Houchin sent the students in groups to different classrooms to ask the teachers and students if they had seen their gingerbread man. Most said no, and a few just laughed when asked if they had seen a gingerbread man with licorice eyes and buttons running around the school. But, Waverly Grade School Principal Tony Houchin told two students he did see the cookie frantically running down the hall toward the library. He said he tried to catch him, because of his strict policy of no running in the hall, but the gingerbread man was just too fast.

School custodian Dennis Tyson also said he saw the gingerbread man hurrying toward the fifth grade room, but was also unsuccessful in catching him. Armed with this information, the students told their classmates, and the first-graders quickly and quietly rushed to Patt Bray’s fifth-grade room before he could get away again.

When they arrived in the room, the fifth-graders were gone to computer class. This made it easier for the first-graders to roam around the room to search for the gingerbread man, as they were sure he had to be there. Haley Fischer was the first to sight the gingerbread man underneath the fifth-grade Christmas tree. He was trapped in a large zip-loc bag and had unfortunately suffered a broken leg during the escape attempt. The first-graders decided after all of the trouble the gingerbread man went through to not be eaten, they would respect his wishes. The gingerbread man now sits in the classroom, watching over the students and enjoying his freedom.

Beginning Cataloger Tutorials

Are you cataloging more and enjoying it less?

If you are a beginning cataloger, you may find tutorials at one of the following sites useful. I queried catalogers on AutoCat (list for catalogers) and educators on CLENERT (The ALA Roundtable for Continuing Education instructors) for their favorite sites. Here is the response as I posted it to AutoCat. My thanks to everyone who responded to my query!


There is no special order to the list. I'm leaving in the commentary about the sites
because it is useful.


1. I don't know if you are an OCLC member library, but they have some decent online intro to cataloging tutorials: http://www.oclc.org/education/tutorials/default.htm.
Regardless of whether you use OCLC, all of the tutorials at this site are free and could have
potential value for other systems. I had my assistant work through the MARC tuturial as well as a number of the Connexion Client tutorials. She seemed to appreciate a better understanding of everything as she copy catalogs.

2. OCLC. Introduction to MARC Tagging: An OCLC tutorial. This tutorial introduces you to the basics of bibliographic records, specifically MARC (MAchine Readable Cataloging) format records-what they are, how and why they are used, and how to read them.
http://www.oclc.org/support/training/connexion/marc/default.htm

3. Idaho's Alternative Basic Library Education (ABLE) Program has a series of tutorials. Is this what you had in mind?

Introduction to Technical Services & Cataloging http://www.lili.org/forlibs/ce/able/course5/01index.htm

Introduction to Subject Headings
http://www.lili.org/forlibs/ce/able/course6/01index.htm

Introduction to the Dewey Classification System
http://www.lili.org/forlibs/ce/able/course7/01index.htm

Introduction to the MARC System
http://www.lili.org/forlibs/ce/able/course8/01index.htm

4. Idaho State Library. Includes: Introduction to Technical Services and
Cataloging; Introduction to Subject Headings; Introduction to Dewey
Classification; and Introduction to MARC Cataloging.
http://libraries.idaho.gov/able

5. Are you familiar with LibraryU (http://learning.libraryu.org/home/)? LibraryU offers 4 cataloging-related courses, that might be just what you're looking for.

6. You might also try WebJunction (http://webjunction.org/do/Home). There are several cataloging courses listed in the e-learning clearinghouse section of Courses.

7. I don't know if any of these will be of use to you, but these three tutorials are on the topic of cataloging. I am maintaining a website of free online library tutorials at
http://home.earthlink.net/~stephaniegerding/accidentaltechnologytrainer/ html

If you hear of any others, I'd be happy to add them. [I couldn't get this link to work. iij]

8. Utah State Library. A basic cataloging tutorial with many links. Explanation of the Dewey Decimal system, MARC records, and subject headings. Some information may be slanted toward Utah users, especially resources for obtaining bibliographic records, but most of the information would be useful to any librarian.
http://library.utah.gov/library_services/continuing_education/cataloging_basics.htm

and for good measure:

9. It's not a tutorial, but the most helpful web resource I've found is on the Follett software site. They list each of the common MARC tags with a link to a basic description of the information that belongs in the field.
The URL is: http://www.fsc.follett.com/clientsupport/community/tagofthemonth/index.cfm
I think that anybody starting out in cataloging will find it very useful.

10. I(Iris Jones) will add this one myself in the "not a tutorial, but useful category": Understanding MARC Bibliographic from the Library of Congress and Follett. http://www.loc.gov/marc/umb/

Organizing a Personal Library

Do you have so many books it’s getting hard to find the one you are looking for? Would you like to set up your personal library a little bit like the public library?It’s not necessary to put spine labels on the books or to follow the Dewey Decimal System. All you need to do is to create an index of your collection and keep it where you can find it – 3x5 cards in a box; a notebook; a computer file. Describe the location of the book on the entry and be sure to return the book to the same place when it’s used. To make it easier to find, you can arrange the books in alphabetical order by author or title in each bookcase.

The computer file is probably the most versatile because it can be sorted by the author field, or the title field, or the “wooden bookcase in the living room” field. If you have Microsoft Access on your computer, you can download a free template from Microsoft called the Book Collection Database. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/TC010186431033.aspx?pid=CT102144001033

Use the “notes” box to identify where theitem is located: “Bookcase in children’s room” “Stored in hall closet”, “Bathroom”. If you are experienced with Access, you can go into the “Table View” and add extra fields, such as “Topic” or “Location.” (That would let you use the Notes box for other information.)

Computers aren’t your bag? Write the information on recipe cards and file them. You can add ABC dividers to make it easier to sort the cards. Where do you store them? Cards can be kept in a recipe box, a shoe box, or a purchased a file drawer from an office supply. There are single drawer traveling boxes that will hold a large number of cards. (100 cards take about 1” of space.) The benefit of file cards is they can be rearranged and cards can be inserted (or removed) between existing cards. Ah ha! Your own Card Catalog!

If you prefer to use a notebook, use a small ring binder (5x7 or smaller) and write one entry per page. That way you can interfile new entries or delete records without having to rewrite entire pages. Tab dividers can be labeled ABC so you can flip through the notebook easily.

Publisher Newsletter That's Useful for School and Children's Librarians

WhatsNew@enslow.com or www.enslow.com
The above e-mail address is for the monthly newsletter from Enslow Publishing. I've added their website, too. They specialize in materials for K-12. The newsletter is jammed with good information and they cite review sources for many of their books when they promote them. Below is a sample of the articles published:

Collection Development List Created by Catherine Barr

As the world becomes a smaller place and our population becomes increasingly diverse, reading literature by authors of different ethnic origins is of course one of the best ways to gain insight. These three reader's guides will be particularly helpful for students in grades 9 to 12:

• A Reader's Guide to Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club
• A Reader's Guide to Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
• A Reader's Guide to Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun

Biographies also serve a useful role in stimulating conversations about multicultural topics, and can be used in many areas of study. Among new and forthcoming biographies offered by Enslow are the following series:

• African-American Heroes (for grades 1-3): Muhammad Ali, Mae Jemison, Wynton Marsalis, Colin Powell, Chris Rock, Will Smith, Oprah Winfrey
• African-American Biography Library (for grades 6 and up): Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, Zora Neale Hurston, Barack Obama, Paul Robeson, Ida B. Wells-Barnett

Studying history is another excellent way to engage students in discussions of multicultural issues. Coming in early 2008 are titles in the From Many Cultures, One History series. These cover:

• The Underground Railroad
• Native American history
• Puerto Rican history
• School desegregation
• Japanese-American internment during World War II
• Latino civil rights

And, finally, holidays always offer opportunities to learn about important multicultural traditions. Among relevant Enslow series are:

• Best Holiday Books (for grades 3–4), revised and updated editions of eight titles including Diwali—Hindu Festival of Lights and Ramadan and Id al-Fitr
• Celebrate Holidays (for grades 5 and up), five titles including Celebrate Tet and Celebrate Kwanzaa

For details about these books click here or for more information about additional books, please visit http://www.enslow.com/

Sincerely,
Catherine Barr
Author/Co-author: Best Books for Children; Best Books for Middle School and Junior High Readers; Best Books for High School Readers (All available from Libraries Unlimited and http://lu.com/).

Getting it All Together: Time Management for Librarians

An SEKLS Workshop

led by

Rosemary Honn and Lisa Farrar Wellman

of Ottawa Public Library

November 13, 2007

Icons for workshop handouts are shown at various parts of this blog. Double click on the image to see the handout.

We first did some brainstorming to identify the things that troubled us:

Habits of Ineffective Time Use

• Interruptions

1. E-mail
2. Phone Calls
3. Co-workers/Patrons

• Distractions
• Avoidance
• Procrastination
• Short attention span
• Setting priorities
• Disorganization
• Technological difficulties

After the brainstorming, we discussed ways to overcome those problems. Many of the ideas listed below came from the members of the workshop. Others came from Rosemary and Lisa. The dialog was going strong. We were on a roll!

Interruptions

Change the way you see the interruption: “This patron isn’t an interruption. This patron is my reason for being here.”
Don't think “I gotta do this dumb thing” but “I get to polish this skill!” Don't see the job as "Argh! I have to be on the Reference Desk” but “I’m getting a chance to give great customer service!”
If it takes 5 minutes or less to res olve, handle it on the spot. If longer, schedule an appointment.
Make complete notes so you can get back to where you were
Empower others to handle situations whenever possible (Don’t make yourself indispensable)
When in a spot where you will be interrupted (public desk) work on tasks that are interruptible. Pick tasks that are a. Small and b. Portable. A good example is taking review journals to the Reference Desk and reading the reviews. You can write notes on slips of paper for the ones you want to order, or make notes in the corner of the magazine.

Just say no:

1. State you are concerned.
2. Explain priorities (You have a deadline)
3. Stand up; walk with them (to escort them from your space)
4. Set up a time to meet later

Set boundaries
“Let me finish this so I can give you my full attention.”
“Thank you for your patience”
Patrons who give too much information: Smile. Say, “I’m sorry, but that’s not my business.”
Lonely talker monopolizing your time?
1. Keep a doorbell under reference desk to ring other staff for help
2. One person library? Keep cell phone in your pocket. Speed dial library phone to create a “rescue”
To e-mail or not to e-mail?
Pro: lets receiver read it at his/her convenience and answer after thinking about it or doing necessary research
Con: Takes lots of time – no immediate answer.
Rule of thumb: If it can be handled in a 5 minute conversation, telephone, don’t e-mail.
Telephone interruptions:
Hang up on conversation while YOU are talking – other person will think you were cut off (Who would hang up on himself??)
Sales calls:
Ask for a donation
“I’m sorry. Our budget is spent for this year. If you’d like to donate this book, we’d be glad to consider it”
Ask for reviews
“I’m sorry. We can’t buy books unless they have had a positive review in a critical review source. If you can provide me with reviews, I’d be glad to look at your material.”

Distractions

Self-discipline!

Dealing with troublemakers
1. Use humor/age
“Hey, Kids, I’m too old to listen to that kind of music. Would you turn it down a bit?”
“You know I’m old enough to be your grandma. I don’t need to hear language like that.”
2. Have programs for them
3.Enlist troublemakers as volunteers /have busywork ready
“Hey, Johnny, while you’re waiting for a computer, would you do this for me?”
4.Teen partners with younger readers
5.Teen Advisory Board
6.Let them have input on creating their space in the library – decorations, layout
7.Give them a list of recommended YA titles (YA core collection book from Neal Schulman publishers) and have them help you pick books for YA area
8.Magnetic board for poetry wall. They post their poetry (after librarian reviews it)
9.If really bad, have policy on dealing with troublemakers, and enforce it.
10.Know when to call the police.
11.Regularly occurring problem? Ask local law enforcement to walk through your building at that time of day once or twice a week.
Ottawa Public Library has targeted their “lost teens”.
Started an Anime Club
Invited guest speakers from college
Kids really enjoy it
Will be making their own movie

Procrastination/
Avoidance
Don’t make excuses. Just tackle a project.
Use peak time well – guard it!
Break a large project into smaller, more manageable parts.
Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy
Eat the whole frog, one bite at a time.
If a project takes less than 2 minutes, do it now.
Can’t get started? Bounce ideas off someone.
Post-it notes above desk/on computer:
“Don’t play Freecell”
Inspirational quotes
Post-It Portable Workspace by Tammy Cravit
Personal rewards: When I finish this I can take a break and …..
Vibrating timer: I have this much time to do this project.
Pick your projects. If likely to be interrupted, choose “Easy to get back to”
Don’t leave a project in a spot where you don’t know what to do next. (It’s harder to get started if you don’t know where you’re going.)
Listen to books on tape while doing housework
Use music:

1. Play classical music in background as white noise

1. Play music that is only 30-60 minutes long. Must be done when music ends.
2. Clean a room/ do a major project to upbeat music – Theme from Rocky; Sousa marches

Apply ideas found on Rosemary’s blog: http://dailyplanit.com/
Time map as discussed by Julie Morgenstern
Alternate negative and positive projects so you aren’t “stuck” doing the hard ones all at once.

Short Attention Span

Remove distractions.
1. Only have on your desk what you are working on.
2. Worst case scenario: bare desk with 1 paper and 1 pencil
Focus on one thing
Use a timer: “I have 15 minutes to complete this report”
Reward yourself when finished
Focus on focusing
Be creative

1. Let your mind wander
2. Jot down your ideas at random
3. Come back to them later when you can focus and act on them

Bounce ideas off others
Recruit Teammates to help you:

1. Tell what you are doing
2. Give them your priorities
3. Ask them the help you stay on task

Setting Priorities

Why are we here? Patrons!
Remember -- we are here to serve them.
What will serve them the best?
TIME!
What has outside deadlines?
What is most urgent?
Level of importance
What does the Boss say is most important?
What will give you the best return on your investment?
Plan ahead so you don’t have to live in the crisis zone.

Organizing
Plan your day each morning (in shower, while brushing teeth, while driving to work)
Review the day at the end (what needs to be carried forward? What was a success? A learning experience?)
Make a schedule and stick to it.

Keep most used items close to hand. Organize your desk to serve you -- not as just a flat spot to drop things.

Use a tickler file – file folders set up for day/month/year. This description comes from Making Time Work for You by Harold L. Taylor. Make a manila folder for every day of the month. Create hanging files for every month of the year, and one for the coming year. The manila folders will live in the hanging file for the current month and be moved to the coming month as the day ends. When an item comes across your desk, determine when you need to deal with it. If now, do it today. If later, file the item in the manila folder for the day you will handle it.  (Say June 15.) When June 15 comes, that morning you pull the June 15 manila folder and find that item waiting to be handled. When everything in the folder has been handled, you place the 15th folder in the July hanging file and it becomes the July 15 folder.

Calendars

1. Use only one calendar so everything is in one place
2. Highlight high priorities
Use online calendars so they can be shared and can be accessed from work and home. Some calendars, like Yahoo and Google can be accessed from many platforms. Others can be shared with specific people.

1. Shared family access
2. Syncs with Outlook and Outlook Express
3. Syncs with PDAs

To-do lists

1. Do the easy ones
2. Work on hard ones a little at a time
3. Electronic to-do lists: set alarms for repeating tasks
4. Cross it off when it’s done – there’s a lot of reward in this!
5. Prioritize items to know which ones are the most important, give the best return for your effort

E-mail

1. Use folders and filters to route e-mail to labeled areas
2. Route lists to a folder
3. Route specific people to their own folders
4. Move answered e-mail to a different folder (in e-mail or elsewhere on computer) so it doesn’t stay in Inbox
5. Delete after you have answered it!
6. Make decisions immediately
7. Just like paper mail there are only three things to do with e-mail:
8. Act on it
9. Pass it on
10. Discard it

OHIO = ONLY HANDLE IT ONCE

Post-it notes! :Portable folder with post-its listing to-dos. Goes with you.
Post-its above desk so you see them
Simplify!

1. Eliminate stuff.
2. Are you doing this for a good reason or just because we’ve always done it?
3. Keep only what you use and need

Consider alternative formats

1. E-books. Keep the content—get rid of the bulk
2. Audiobooks. Read (safely) while driving

Brainstorm aloud/ tape record your thoughts (Good use of travel time)
Fake yourself out – set personal deadline one day before real deadline
When feeling bogged down, listen to audiobooks of favorite time management books as a pep-talk.
Two good ones: 10 Natural Laws of Time and Life Management by Hyrum Smith
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Finish one project before starting new ones.
This doesn't mean you can't have more than one project in the works at the same time, it means when you are working on one thing -- don't multitask. Just do that thing. To keep those multiple projects afloat, schedule time each day to work on one part of each project.
Don’t re-invent the wheel. Use form letters, agendas, checklists, etc.
Bribe yourself with chocolate (or yarn, or whatever your weakness is!)


Getting Things Done
A synthesis of many good time management techniques can be found in David Allen's book Getting Things Done. 


Good Reading

Best Organizing Tips by Stephanie Winston
Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy.
Getting Things Done by David Allen
It’s All Too Much by Peter Walsh
Making Time Work for You by Harold L. Taylor (of taylorontime.com)
Making Work Work by Julie Morgenstern
Manage Your Time, Your Work, Yourself by Merrill E. and Donna N. Douglass
Post-It Portable Workspace by Tammy Cravit
Productivity Power by Jim Temme
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey (The Covey of Franklin-Covey)
Sidetracked Home Executives by Pam Young and Peggy Jones
Simplify Your Space by Maria Ramsland
10 Natural Laws of Time and Life Management by Hyrum Smith (the Franklin of Franklin-Covey.)
Task Order-Up by David Seah
Time Management for the Creative Person by Lee Silber
Woulda/Coulda/Shoulda by Arthur M. Freeman

Blogs/Websites

http://dailyplanit.com/
http://www.businessballs.com/
http://davidco.com/
http://www.flylady.net/
http://www.franklincovey.com/
http://www.shesintouch.com/
www.taylorontime.com/desktest/html
http://2time.wordpress.com/ime.wordpress.com/

Chris Rippel's Aisle Read Challenge

At SEKLS Annual In-Service at Westminster Woods, Chris Rippel of Central Kansas Library System explained how patrons follow the path of least resistance when they use the library. The phenomena is so well known it has a name: The Principle of Least Effort. Patrons check out the books closest to the entrance; they check out books that are in the mid-range on the shelves (the ones that can be easily seen and that do not require stretching or bending to reach.) They don’t go any further into the library than they must to reach the materials they want.

How do we counter this bit of human nature? Chris had several suggestions. Since the books shelved within 15 feet of the front door get up to 137% more circulation that books outside that zone, put the books there that are being missed. Move the materials people know you have farther into the library so patrons have to walk through the building to reach them. They may find things they didn’t about as they go by. Then use that precious first 15 feet to promote things that aren’t being found.

The most valuable space in the building is to the right of the entrance. It’s the first area folks see when they come inside. So put your displays there. Don’t display things people will find anyway. Promote good books that haven’t been found. Pull something from those top shelves and bottom shelves that they aren’t finding and make a display of it.

Chris also told us to walk through our libraries as if we were patrons. What are they seeing? What is inviting? What is distracting? How do patrons get to the shelves? Does the path from the front door lead them through your merchandise the way the aisles do at a good department store?

Your main aisle is your “Yellow Brick Road.” You want it to stop at every department and important destination in the library. Is your environment comfortable and inviting? Would you want to spend time here? What can you change to make it more comfortable?

After telling us about marketing changes that can increase circulation, Chris challenged SEKLS librarians to give them a try and let him know how it worked. What did you do? How did it work? What did it change? Did you see a difference in circulation statistics for the areas that you marketed

If you use these techqniques, send Iris Jones an e-mail with your results. She will share it with Chris. Her e-mail is ijones@sekls.org.

Oswego Make Over

Last fall Oswego Public Library and Southeast Kansas Library System partnered to do the Oswego Makeover Project. It has been a busy year, but the changes have been striking. We blogged the Project as it developed, from the beginning tour to see which library received the Makeover Grant to the Bus Tour where we showed off the results.

Slip over to the Oswego Makeover blog to see how it was done. The link is http://oswegomakeover.blogspot.com/

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

How do you separate your meeting room from a library collection when they have to share the same space? The Chetopa Public Library has found a creative answer -- they put up a fence!
They purchased vinyl fencing at a local store and installed a lock on the gate. When the meeting room is used after hours, they can close off the Children's Area and lock the gate.

The fencing is cheery, provides display space and helps define the Children's Area. It's a win-win situation!

Halloween at Bowles Branch in Grand Prairie, Texas

Besides having a Haunted Van to visit the branches, the Bowles Branch at Grand Prairie Public Library set up a Dia De Los Muertes display and had the kids "Bowling in the Aisles" Well, it was the BOWLes branch...

Truck or Treat!

My friends at the Grand Prairie Public Library, in Grand Prairie, Texas had fun this Halloween. Instead of creating a Haunted House for library patrons to visit, they had a Haunted Van! The Library's courier van was decorated with spooks and treats. Of the bony fellow in the back of the van, they said "Mr. B.O. Nes (known to his friends as Slim) haunts the van, ever since he relied on his own outdated medical book, instead of coming to the Library for a current medical atlas."

Coffey County's Promotion Easels

The Coffey County Library System has display easels outside each library near the front doors. They serve as an outdoor bulletin board for coming events. Library staff switch the decorations according to the season. Notices are stapled to the lattice work.

The easels are attractive, eye-catching, and inexpensive to make. They are constructed of 1x2s and lattice and given an all-weather stain.

Garnett's Library Donor Quilt

Some libraries sell bricks and make a garden path outside their building when they want a fund raiser. Some have bake sales or book sales. The Garnett Public Library has a donor quilt!

The quilt is made to look like a book case with individual books clearly shown on each shelf. When donors "buy a book" they can have the information of their choice written on the spine as a title. "In memory of Mom and Dad", "In honor of Charles' high school graduation 2007", "Jonseys' Construction" -- whatever they want to say. Of course, the Library has final approval on the wording.

The quilt makes a colorful wall hanging near the Circulation Desk. The Library Director says the only thing she would do differently is to use machine embroidery to appliqué the titles. They have been handwriting the titles with a gold lettering pen. Over time the ink fades and becomes hard to read.

Welcome to Iris' Idea File!

Hello! My name is Iris Jones and I'm the Library Consultant for the Southeast Kansas Library System. The librarians I work with are some of the most creative people I know. They come up with innovate ways to serve their patrons all the time. When I see what one library is doing, I want to share the idea with others, but there isn't always space in our newsletter to give the topic full justice. Ta da! Enter Iris' Idea File. I plan to post those neat ideas here so we can all share them.

If you have an idea to share with others, please drop me an e-mail and I'll post it here, too. My work e-mail address is ijones@sekls.org.

At some point this blog may migrate to a different address. Joe T., the SEKLS Technology Consultant, is reworking the SEKLS website. We want to connect this blog to it in some fashion. When that happens, I'll share the new address with readers. The present SEKLS website is www.sekls.org.