What a day it was visiting a middle school Media Center! I just happened to visit on a day when there were multiple functions going on in the library. First of all, the Book Fair was that week, so students were in and out throughout the day. It was nice to see students coming into the library excited to look through the Book Fair merchandise and purchase new books for pleasure reading. I was impressed by the amount of traffic the Book Fair received. Second, some Counselors from the high school came to talk to the eighth graders (rising freshmen!) about registering for high school classes. Each eighth grade English teacher brought their group of students to the Media Center where, on their computers, they followed the School Counselor through the process of registering for classes, and they listened to a presentation on different courses of study and class requirements.
During these activities, the librarian, Ms. S, wasted no time jumping between working with me, teachers, the counselors, and students. I noticed she had excellent multitasking skills, and she was attentive and supportive to her patrons and me. She gave me an overview and specific examples about budgeting, explained to me what it was like to be new in the library field, gave me advice on managing time and a “new” library, and told me about technology, technology repair, circulation, new books, cataloging and much more.
Another especially meaningful conversation I had with Ms. S dealt with the Principal’s support of the Media Center. Ms. S explained how lucky she was to have a Principal who valued the Media Center and understood its invaluable role in the school. I felt I learned so much during the few hours I spent at the middle school, and I hope to volunteer there in the future if possible!
My First Experiences in a School Media Center 