Aim for the Bullseye in Elementary Library Media Centers

Celeste Ashcraft, LMSLouise Durham Elementary

K-2

New Popular Books or Series

• Mercy Watson• Disgusting Series Books• Young Cam Jansen• Eloise• I Spy• Babymouse & other Graphic Novels• Buddy Books – Buddy Bios (Taylor Swift, Zac

Efron, Miley Cyrus, etc.)• Dragon by Dav Pilkey• Skippyjon Jones• Pinkalicious series• Drawing instruction books

Instructional Strategies/Standards, Frameworks, & Curriculum

• Books with Crafts (keeps K busy) – Eric Carle books are among my favorites

• Read themed books w/ coloring sheets (e.g. Easter, spring, other holidays or seasons)

• Teach the Five Finger Rule – poster and book available – Goldilocks and the Three Libearians

• Periodicals

Instructional Strategies/Standards, Frameworks, & Curriculum

• Tie more than one framework with another concept – e.g. Election Week, read a book about the president, or the election process – covers the nonfiction framework, you can also pull in the source of information framework, and the index framework

• Plan a unit: e.g. Penguins. You could tie in fiction/nonfiction, periodicals, print & nonprint media, group collaboration, sequencing, etc. all into a single unit that may stretch over 1 month.

Parental Involvement/ Library Promotion

• Grandparents Week• Build-a-Book workshop• Book Fair• Always advertise on radio and in the

newspaper, most of the time, it’s free if you just ask to have it placed in announcements or community calendar.

Library Themes

• Ocean theme “Reading Paradise”• Movie Theater & Popcorn “Pop

Open a Good Book”• Circus “Big Top Reader”• Space “Blast Off Into Reading”• Safari “Wild About Reading”

Library Themes

Library Themes

Library Themes

Library Themes

Library Themes

Library Themes

Library Themes

Library Themes

Library Themes

Building a Collaborating Learning Community

• Acquire materials that your teachers WANT to use, but really can’t afford.

• Collaborate with your teachers as to what library media frameworks are also covered in the classroom, and cover yours during the same timeframe, so students are getting double the instruction.

• Make your teachers feel welcome…that’s the most important element!

Educational Technology

• Flip Video (low cost video camera to use for any school function or project – around $100)

• Digital Photo Frame for use as book advertisement tool ($200 or less at Wal-Mart)

• books in motion (tons of sites available for this, one of my favorites is Tumblebooks -$399 per year, Living Books on You Tube)

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Educational Technology

• CD Roms –Living Books co. – Stellaluna is my favorite ($15 each) – probably discontinued, and do not work great on newer computers with XP & Vista.

• Tie in to realistic fiction: e.g. Skyboys, Pop’s Bridge – project pictures on overhead or online of the real bridges & buildings. Kids love to see the “real thing” and tie it in with the story.

• Papa & the Pioneer Quilt – unlimited resources on the Oregon Trail, pictures of real quilts with the Wandering Feet or Turkey Tracks pattern, calendar to give visual as to how long they traveled.

Funds Acquisition

• Just ask! My theory is to always have your hand out for more, if there is a need. Show them how bad the need is. All they can say is “no”. Have a collection analysis and show them what the problems are.

• ACSIP committee• Parent-Teacher Organization

Resources

• Follett’s Titlewave – I keep a running list all the time!• PermaBound - running lists• Library Skills Inc. – Awesome Library Signage (libraryskills.com)• ReallyGoodStuff.com – lots of organizational & classrooms tools• Upstart – Great for Theme items• Oriental Trading Co. – great for theme decorations• Lakeshore – Theme boxes, Big Book Theme Packets ($379 set 8)• Complete Science Specimen Set ($179), Theme Boxes Set of

8 ($379 or $50 ea.), Theme Book Sets to compliment Boxes• School Specialty – Literacy, Science, & Math Bag Sets• Dollar Treee- now you can order directly online