Thank you, Jim, for such a thorough description of your Library Advisory
Board. It is invaluable to learn about some of the issues your board has
tackled, and how it is structured.
We would love to hear from anyone else who has a Student Advisory Board for
their library. It's wonderful to hear about the different ways you solicit
student input!
On Fri, Feb 19, 2016 at 1:12 PM, Jim Sternberg <Jim.Sternberg@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Hi Sheila:
We have Library Advisory Board in each of our MS and HS Libraries. In the
High School, it functions like a school club that students sign up for
during a club fair event. In addition, I invite certain faculty and staff
who frequent the Library to join the board so it represents our school
community. The total size of the Board is ~35 but we typically have 25 at
each meeting.
We meet 4x/year and I provide a catered lunch from a local restaurant for
our long-lunch meeting (50 mins). Two students volunteer to facilitate
each meeting and I meet with them in advance to select the menu and plan
the agenda. Topics are generated at the first meeting of the year and I
often add timely agenda items if I’m considering a policy or facilities
change that I want Board input on.
Some examples of library initiatives, changes or issues that the Board has
discussed recently include:
-designating quiet study rooms
-determining food and drink policy
-offering tea/cocoa/hot cider for checking out a book
-judging the Bookplate Design, Creative Writing, Bookmark Design & Poetry
Contests & determining Film Festival winners
-deciding to “genrefy” our fiction collection
-initiating a student book review program
-writing the monthly library newsletter
-approving the addition of a zen garden on the patio & an art installation
on the front of the library
-designing a school-wide library survey
-adding additional technology to the library
-reviewing library equity and inclusion audit results and determining
collection development priorities
This has been an invaluable way for our library to get community input and
buy-in on decisions that matter to our patrons. I can’t think of a
decision that the Board has made that I haven’t supported myself. A recent
out-growth of this activity has been the Student Librarian Assistant
Program (SLAP) in which students, often Board Members, volunteer to work in
the Library during a break or free-period every week working a projects of
their choosing.
Feel free to contact me if you’d like further details-good luck with
developing an Advisory Group at your school!
*Jim Sternberg*
Library Director
The Athenian School
2100 Mt. Diablo Scenic Blvd.
Danville, Ca 94506
925-362-7233
jsternberg@xxxxxxxxxxxx
*From:* baisl-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:baisl-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] *On
Behalf Of *Ms. Sheila Perlite
*Sent:* Friday, February 19, 2016 11:12 AM
*To:* baisl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
*Cc:* Ms. Christina Wenger <cwenger@xxxxxxxxxx>
*Subject:* [baisl] Student Advisory Groups
Greetings librarians,
I would love to find out more about your Student Advisory Groups. I
remember hearing several of you mention them at the last BAISL meeting, and
our Library Director has asked me to gather information that will help us
form our own advisory group.
We are interested in any input you can give, especially regarding pitfalls
that you have overcome, as well as successes. The following information
would be helpful, as well:
* Selection process: Are students hand-picked, elected, or do you ask for
volunteers?
* Size of group: Do you limit students to one per grade? balance
male/female? Any other limitations on size?
* Focus of group: Does the group serve primarily as a Reader's Advisory,
or do they represent the students on a variety of issues involving the
library?
* How often do you meet?
Thank you in advance for your help. It was wonderful to meet so many of
you at the BAISL meeting!
Best,
Sheila
--
Sheila Perlite
Library Technology Coordinator
St. Ignatius College Preparatory
2001 - 37th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94116
415-731-7500 x262
sperlite@xxxxxxxxxx
www.siprep.org
