Librarian on the Roof : A True Story by M. G. King and Stephen Gilpin was a read aloud at my house a few weeks ago. My girls couldn't believe the story was true. A librarian, RoseAleta Laurell arrived at her library in Lockhart, TX, only to discover that it had very few patrons. RoseAleta went about rounding some up. She especially was looking for a way to get children to visit her library. However, there was a huge obstacle. There weren't books for them. And finding funding to get books seemed to be very difficult as well. Finally, RoseAleta takes things into her own hands and camps out on the roof until the town raises enough money for the children to have an appropriate children's section. RoseAleta is quite the take charge person, creating a bit of humor and unbelievability to the story - that is true. The book was entertaining and interesting - one I will share with my students at some point. It also has me thinking a bit of my own library situation. Each year my money doesn't seem to go as far. My budget has been cut this year. My students are just as needy as ever. I have tried various fund raisers - for two years I spent an entire day each week running between teaching and making popcorn so I could sell popcorn bags for 25 cents to students. Some weeks I would make over 300 bags of popcorn. However, I don't have the schedule to support that anymore. Scholastic will no longer send a book fair because it does not turn a profit at my school. I love my job and I love my library. Right now my collection is not horribly old, but it is getting there. I doubt even my camping out on the roof would generate enough money to do much - plus it would be rather dangerous in the neighborhood I'm in. Of course I am looking into grants and we'll see how that goes. I understand that when the economy is bad, money to purchase new books - considered more of a luxury item- is one of the things to go. However, my students this year need new books to look at just as much as my students did five years ago. Especially if we want to hook them and get them to love reading.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Librarian on the Roof - Is This What's In My Future?
Librarian on the Roof : A True Story by M. G. King and Stephen Gilpin was a read aloud at my house a few weeks ago. My girls couldn't believe the story was true. A librarian, RoseAleta Laurell arrived at her library in Lockhart, TX, only to discover that it had very few patrons. RoseAleta went about rounding some up. She especially was looking for a way to get children to visit her library. However, there was a huge obstacle. There weren't books for them. And finding funding to get books seemed to be very difficult as well. Finally, RoseAleta takes things into her own hands and camps out on the roof until the town raises enough money for the children to have an appropriate children's section. RoseAleta is quite the take charge person, creating a bit of humor and unbelievability to the story - that is true. The book was entertaining and interesting - one I will share with my students at some point. It also has me thinking a bit of my own library situation. Each year my money doesn't seem to go as far. My budget has been cut this year. My students are just as needy as ever. I have tried various fund raisers - for two years I spent an entire day each week running between teaching and making popcorn so I could sell popcorn bags for 25 cents to students. Some weeks I would make over 300 bags of popcorn. However, I don't have the schedule to support that anymore. Scholastic will no longer send a book fair because it does not turn a profit at my school. I love my job and I love my library. Right now my collection is not horribly old, but it is getting there. I doubt even my camping out on the roof would generate enough money to do much - plus it would be rather dangerous in the neighborhood I'm in. Of course I am looking into grants and we'll see how that goes. I understand that when the economy is bad, money to purchase new books - considered more of a luxury item- is one of the things to go. However, my students this year need new books to look at just as much as my students did five years ago. Especially if we want to hook them and get them to love reading.
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Shop at Borders tomorrow and Sunday and they will donate $15 to schools for each purchase. Also don't forget the website, DonorsChoose.org. I am registered there and parents and other donors can fill your wishlists. It's a great way to get books for classrooms and libraries!! Thanks for thinking of our kids. As a classroom teacher I so appreciate your efforts - you help enrich my kiddos and make my job easier. Don't lose hope. Let's just keep thinking!
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