This was a presentation at TLA 2012 regarding the use of library aides.

1. School Library
Aides and
Volunteers:
Partners for
Success
Dr. Sunni Johnson
Northwest ISD
sjohnson@nisdtx.org

2. Why do we need student
aides/volunteers?
• Budget cuts
• Relate to other students
• Bring
students/community
members in the library
• Student/community
ownership
• Free up time to get all
our tasks done!

3. Recruiting
• Word of mouth
• Signage
• Announcements
• Website
• Facebook
• Counselors
• Teachers
• PTA
• Partners in Education

4. Top 10 reasons to be a library aide

5. Applying
• Scheduling time!!!
• Application- all three
aides
• Ranking
• Schedule
• Teacher references
• Adult- background
check

6. As a student aide I agree to
Rules and Regulations the following:
• I will serve as a positive role model for my
• Students must have: peers
– passing grades • I will be respectful to
personnel, parents, visitors, and other
– satisfactory conduct students
• I will keep school and personal
– positive attitude information confidential
– good attendance • I will be responsible and trustworthy and
behave in a mature manner
– on time • I will follow all school policies and
procedures
– dress code • I will stay in my assigned area
• I will not have personal phone calls
• I will not give out hall passes without
permission
• I will not allow anyone to access to the
office without a pass
• I will have school work or a book to keep
me busy in the event that the staff does not
have work for me.

7. Choosing library aides
• What choice?
• Scheduling issues
• How many per period?
• 7th and 8th graders
• Check references
• Accommodate, Accom
modate, Accommodate
(plan!)

8. Adult Volunteers
• Don’t have choices
• Abilities
• Accommodate,
Accommodate,
Accommodate (plan)

9. Library Boot Camp
• Expectations and
confidentiality
• Survey
• Scavenger hunt
• Training videos
– Destiny circulation
– Destiny Quest
• Training on the job
• Test!!!!

10. Training

11. Boot camp week
• Monday: Getting to know you and
you getting to know the library.
• Tuesday: Destiny and Quest video
• Wednesday: Learning how to shelve
• Thursday: Practice shelving
• Friday: Test!
• Monday: Supervised chaos

12. Training Videos
• Getting to know the library
• Destiny circulation
• Destiny Quest

13. Jobs and Grading

14. Library Aides Daily Duties
This list should be followed everyday, every period
• Check in for attendance and put on library aide badge.
• Check in any books in the book drops. (Remember to take out due date
cards!!!)
• Shelve any books that are on the black cart at the circulation desk.
• Check your shelves daily. Make sure your books are in order and brought
to the edge of the shelf. (This is the largest portion of your grade)
• Stamp due date cards. Check and make sure we have enough for today
and tomorrow. There should be at least a 2 inch stack in each basket by
the scanners.
• Push in chairs and pick up books, pencils, and trash in the research area.
• Check the Extra Jobs list and with Ms. Johnson or Mrs. Maples to see if
there is anything that needs to be done.
• Monitor the circulation desk at all times.
• If all duties are finished, you may work on homework, read, or work on
the puzzle but you must stay quiet and stay close to the circulation desk.

15. Shelf Assignments
• Fiction- approx. 12 shelves- colored
• Nonfiction- approx. 8 shelves-
numbered

16. Retaining library aides
“I want a schedule change!!!”
• Ownership- Who is in
charge?
• Choice
• Change it up
• Get to know your
students
• Tell them they are
important
• Special privileges

17. Not a perfect world
• Shelves
• Books checked out
• Books checked in
• Holds
• Due date cards
• Student IDs

18. Getting past the challenges
• Let go of the control!!!!
• Patrons are resilient
• Don’t touch the cash!!
• “STOP”
• Check the shelves
• Grades

19. Using adult volunteers
• Circulation
• Shelves
• Displays
• Book fairs
• Preview reading
• Book clubs
• Book repairs
• Book processing
• Book list
• Equipment

20. If they do all that, what do I do?
• Co-teach with all content areas
• Give students individual
attention
• Give teachers individual
attention
• Order books
• Manage contests and book of the
month
• Manage the aides
• Etc.

21. Making Book Trailers

23. http://tinyurl.com/DrSunniTLA2012
sjohnson@nisdtx.org