Elementary Hours (MJDS)

Today's (actually yesterday's) Elementary/Middle Hours: 8 hours
Total Elementary/Middle Hours: 15 hours
Total Hours: 15.5

Yesterday I spent the day (7:45-3:45) at the Milwaukee Jewish Day School, where, I might add, the two lovely young ladies that run the library are doing an absolutely fantastic job. I started out the day by going through the information and procedures book that the head LMS prepared. It has step by step instructions on how to set up everything in Destiny, as well as instructions for any time that a substitute might be needed. I can see how this book would be incredibly handy for a sub and it is no less important to have a sub binder, or something like it, in the library than it is in the classroom. The binder continues to go through record keeping procedures for both books and students and how to create labels. I found this incredibly useful because at some point my LMS at the school that I work at is going to want me to have the proper access to add books to the library that she does not current have.

I also helped out, very briefly, on materials for the folk fair that the school has coming up this week. As previously mentioned in another post, the school sets up a mock plane ride for students in grades K through 5. Today I helped by cutting out a fake terminal walkway and by coloring some windows.

Next, I moved onto the more practical job of checking-in and shelving books. I did this at various times throughout the day because as a class comes in they procede to return more books. The first class in today was the Kindergarten. I observed as the LMS read them a couple of stories. I loved this because in my secondary experience I for some reason never imagined that reading to students would be a part of the gig. I think that this would actually be a lot of fun. Afterwards, I checked out books for the kindergarteners and I didn't have to worry about not knowing what I was doing, because they showed me. I forgot to collect the "shelf elves" from them as they checked out books, but they were on their game and taught me what to do - I appreciated it. Then I went around and asked the kids what they were reading.

After that I learned how to cover books. I've always known that there must be something on those books to keep them in good shape, but I never knew exactly how it was done. It was a bit easier than I expected and I didn't mind doing it, but if I had to do an entire cart of paperbacks it might start to wear on me.

I helped out when, I think it was the 3rd and 4th grade classes came in to work on learning how to use an online encyclopedia (World Book Online). They learned how to search for the most important parts of the questions instead of the whole question. I tried to help them where I could, but they didn't listen to me too much because I was a stranger (I didn't mind - I understand why they would be suspicious).

Finally, I spent the remainder of the afternoon weeding the 300s. It was a bit challenging for me at times because I am not Jewish and only have a small amount of background with the religion, culture, and history, so I was sometimes reluctant or apprehensive about pulling certain books off of the shelves. In the end I tried, like the LMS suggested, to stick with getting rid of the really old (or old looking ones), and the books that had not been checked out in over 10 years.