Every year, around this time,’ the librarians at Brookline High School send out a series of emails to members of the faculty.’ These tend to be informative updates and reminders of library programs, collections, and policies.’ ‘ Some messages target a subset of faculty while others are sent out to the full staff.’ ‘ In the past, we’ve been more reactive when communicating with faculty.’ Every year we’re scrambling to find the email we sent out last year.’ In our defense, we are a staff of two full time librarians and two .5 librarians, each with different duties and responsibilities.’ Often something comes up and we assume it’s being handled by a colleague.’ Not this year! ‘ This year I’ve taken on the task of collecting the various emails to be sent at the beginning of the year to faculty from the library.’ I’ve named the file “Beginning of the Year Emails”,’ and it’s my blog for today.
To:’ Department Heads
As you know the library has a collection of textbooks for student use. The textbooks are security stripped and are for in-library use only. We rely on you to keep this collection current. A visit to the library to peruse the textbook shelveshas been very successful in the past. You can also tell us if we have old textbooks that are no longer in use.
Thanks so much!
BHS Librarians
(The new teachers meet as a group for a full year.’ Their agenda is packed, and the group leader is stretched very thin.’ I take particular pleasure in bugging him to get the new teachers in for an orientation.’ When introducing me, the word relentless either precedes or follows my name.’ The bottom line is that the new teacher group shows up every fall to get an introduction to the library and it’s resources)
To: Teacher/ leader of the New Teacher group
How about the Oct 19th meeting to open the new teachers eyes to the wonders of the BHS Library? We can just fit you in.’ If you have an earlier date, that would be workable too.
Thanks,
Ann
(The library relies heavily on library monitors to maintain an atmosphere conducive to academic pursuits.’ We are an open campus of 1,900 students.’ The library has, on average, 600 students a day coming and going from the library.’ Library staff simply can not supervise this number of students every block of the day.’ Nor do we want to.’ We rely heavily on the monitors and they are sorely missed when they don’t show up.”
To:’ Library Monitors
According to the Assistant Headmaster’s duty roster, you are among the select few to be chosen for library duty.’ Believe it or not, this was the most requested duty.’ There is a sign in sheet at the circulation desk when you come in.’ As many of you are new to this duty, please introduce yourselves and we’ll give you a tour.
If you are unable to make your duty please let us know, in advance if possible.’ We greatly appreciate your work in the library.
Three teachers are assigned lunch block each day.’ We’ve divided lunch into shifts as follows:
Lunch’ 1st 11:15-11:50′ 2nd 11:45-12:25′ 3rd 12:20-12:55
Talk to the other lunch monitors who assigned your block to divvy up the shifts.If you don’t think you are a library monitor, let us know.’ The duty grid is attached.
Thanks,
BHS Librarians
(First semester freshman are assigned study hall.)
To:’ Freshman Study Hall Teachers
Students are welcome from Study Hall only if they need to use Library resources; e.g., Reference Books or Computers for online research or word processing.’ The student must check in at the circulation desk when s/he arrives at the Library.’ We’ll give them a directed study card to write their name and time of arrival.’ When the student leaves we will fill in their time of departure and they can take the card back to you.’ Please do not send more that 3 students to the Library at one time.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!
BHS Librarians’ ex. 5029
I haven’t sent the study hall memo yet.’ I plan to give it a tweak in the more positive direction.
Does anyone have similar memos to share?
Ann
