Library Entrance and Exit Tips

In Harry Wong fashion, I've always taught my students procedures for entering and exiting the library. After many years, it has evolved into this: Enter through the door on the right. Line up with one foot on a red square, and wait for instructions. To exit, place one foot on a blue square in front of the Goodbye Door. 

 

The squares are just duct tape, and the colors don't matter as long as one represents entering and another represents exiting.

Things to remember...
1. Ask permission before applying the tape - it doesn't come up easily!
2. The tape pieces need to be spaced far enough apart to allow for personal space.
3. For those who pretend to be standing on a square but aren't, I send them to the back of the line. It may sound harsh, but most of them don't test you after a couple of weeks of practice.

Yours happily ever after,

Book Return Sanity Savers

Sometimes I just don't understand things that perhaps I should. For example, I don't understand having a "book drop" INSIDE my library. My goal is to get the books scanned in and then returned to the correct shelf. While a book cart may be helpful in accomplishing that goal, I can't see where the  book drop is of any help at all.

It actually caused quite a few problems. On busy days when I couldn't keep up with the traffic, the books would overflow the bin. Plus, the check out computer wouldn't let students check out because they still hadn't returned their books, only they really had. They were just buried under other books that had been "dropped."

Several years later, I was at a conference and heard about a library that had eliminated their book drop, having the students place books directly on a book truck instead. You should have heard the exclamations throughout the room. It was ingenious!

I brought the idea back and implemented it in my library, with a few changes:
1. I have my students check their books in themselves.
2. The cart is labeled, and the students place books on the correct shelf of a labeled cart. 
3. I made up a little jump rope chant to help the students place them correctly on the shelf: "UP like a DOOR, with the LABEL near the FLOOR."
4. We hot-glued foamy shelf liner on the shelves to help books stay upright. It doesn't last forever, but it certainly helps.
5. To prevent a long line out the door when large groups come in, I revert to a mini version of the book drop by placing a container on the desk. Students drop books in, and then I check them all in quickly.

 

  

 A few more reminders: 
1. Cover the book drop hole securely - your students will try to help by uncovering it :)
2. Set up the computer closest to the entrance to check in, and leave it that way all day. Connect loud speakers so your students can hear the "good" sound.
3. Walk through the process with your classes.
4. Set up the other computer to check out and place parameters to only allow a maximum of checkouts per patron. That way, it will sound a warning if the students accidentally fail to check in their books. Remind them that they won't be able to check out if they haven't effectively checked in, so they should listen for the "good" sound every time they check in a book.
4. You'll need 2 of these carts, so you can have a replacement while you take one to shelve.

Please contact me if you have any problem opening the following documents.

Check In Sign  
Return Cart Labels
(Click the printer icon, select "Open with Adobe" and print from there for best quality) 
Elf Sign 1
Elf Sign 2
Elf Sign 3
Elf Sign 4



Yours happily ever after,
 

Library Circulation Desk Sanity Savers

Over the years, I've picked up a few ideas that help students be more independent as they check in and check out their books. Take a look at these pictures, and I'll explain...

There are two computers at the circulation desk. This is the one for checking out books. It's set up for students to check out their books themselves, but we monitor it mainly to make sure they've chosen at least one book that is a "good fit" for them (more about that in a later post). Notice...

• iPod speaker: We don't use it for the iPod. I just bought it because it was inexpensive and LOUD. That's the point - the self check out procedure only works if the students can clearly hear the "good sound" and be able to discern it from the sounds coming from the check in computer, located about ten feet away.
• Sign: This "CHECK OUT HERE" sign is helpful because we have two computers from which to choose. It's inside an acrylic picture frame.
• Scanner: Sometimes the online program doesn't process the check out, even though the scanner light blinks. I needed the students to depend on the "good" sound that results from a successful scan whether or not the scanner light blinks, so I covered the light with blue tape.
• Destiny: This computer runs Destiny "Check Out" at all times. We set it to a limit of two books per student, so it makes the "bad" sound whenever a student forgets to identify themselves by scanning their barcode (resulting in the computer trying to apply that checkout to the prior student's account) or when they attempt to checkout more than two at a time. The sound alerts us that we need to assist them.

 This is where students check in their books themselves.

• Speakers: You can't see them, but there is a set of computer speakers here, too.
• Sign: The sign reminds identifies this computer as the check in computer and lists the steps of the check in process. Click here to print your own.
• Scanner: The light on the scanner is covered here for the same reasons stated above.
• Destiny: This computer runs Destiny "Check In" at all times, and it makes the "bad" sound if a student scans the wrong barcode, alerting them to scan a different one.
• NO Book Drop: I covered up the hole in the desk. The students read the spine label and place the book on the correct shelf (E, F, B, 000-399, 400-699, 700-999) of a six-shelf book truck. Read more HERE.

Please leave comments, questions and your own sanity saving tricks!


Yours happily ever after,