Media Center visits

This week I have been busy visiting other Media Centers. My first visit was to a High School. I spent my day weeding her collection. I did a lot of weeding and the books needed it. I would estimate I weeded nearly 200 books from the collection. I weeded on the basis of age. If the books were older than 15 years or in some cases older than 5 years old. I also did a display for Red Ribbon Week that was approaching. I also created a wiki that the staff could use to find information and PSAs on Red Ribbon Week.

This Media Center was very traditional in its administration. The Media Specialist was getting ready to retire. There was not a lot of traffic in the Media Center, I do understand that pleasure reading for high school students is probably not a priority. However, it was very sad to see that students did not find their way into the Media Center. I have to believe it is because of the traditional views of the Media Specialist.

South High School: 8 hours

My second visit this week was to a Middle School Media Center. The Media Specialist and administration make it a priority to have students read for pleasure. The students spend 20 minutes a day reading and compete in homeroom contests to win a lunch at Chick-fil-a. The Media Specialist was also very in touch with what the students were reading and what they wanted to have in the Media Center available to them. She kept a list that the children would add books to of what they wanted to have available. She also knew her collection really well. She had read many of the books and knew what she was putting in her collection.

Her busy day included teaching 2 computer literacy classes. She is the catch all for various tasks. It was good to see the good and the bad of the Media Specialists day. I found this activity very insightful and learned from my two mentors for the day.

Piney Grove M.S.

8 hours