We switched to a 6-day rotation in 2013.
1) As a pre-emptive measure, we printed up and laminated color-coded
door-knobbers for each individual child from K-4, as each of those
classrooms attends a regularly-scheduled library class. The
brightly-colored door-knobbers each have the child's name, grade, and "Your
library books are due on Day __ ." The blank space will have a number 1
through 6, indicating their scheduled library day. They can then bring them
home and hang them on their bedroom doorknobs at home, or wherever they may
need a visual reminder about when to return library books.
2) Books are *always due* on the *following scheduled library day* (with
the potential for renewal). For example, this year, 2nd grade has library
on Day 5. If Day 2 were to fall on a Monday, and all subsequent days were
on the normal 6-day rotation, second grade's books would be due the
following *Tuesday*, as that would be the next instance of Day 5.
3) K-4 Classroom teachers are vigilant about posting daily
agendas/schedules in their classrooms to remind children when their library
days are.
4) We have set up our library software to generate automatic overdue
notices every Thursday morning, regardless of rotation, as an extra
reminder for those who may be confused by the schedule.
You'd actually be surprised at how quickly everyone falls into the rotation
routine, and though we still have overdue books (what library doesn't?),
children are seldom confused for more than 2 consecutive classes. Even a
mere five or six weeks into our school year, our kindergarteners would run
up to me on Day 2, excitedly and emphatically informing me that they've
brought their books back.
I hope this helps; I'd love to clarify any confusing passages.
--Harrison
On Tue, Jun 2, 2015 at 2:26 PM, Maeve Knoth <mknoth@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Hello all,
We are moving from a five day schedule to a seven day schedule with one
stand-alone day each week (maybe Fab Friday?). This will mean that the
kindergarteners can, for example, no longer know that their library books
are due every Thursday. They will be due on a Monday then on a Tuesday,
then a Thursday. I am afraid that the lower grades especially will never
know when books are due and so will, more often than they do now, have to
go home without selecting a new book.
How do you, if you have this kind of schedule, handle this? Would it work
if library books were always due on Fridays, no matter when they had been
borrowed? What else might I do? I don’t particularly want a system that
requires teachers to send endless extra e-mail reminders, nor a system that
punishes the kids for the complexity of the schedule.
I would love your thoughts. Thanks in advance.
Maeve
Maeve Knoth
Librarian
Phillips Brooks School
2245 Avy Avenue
Menlo Park, CA 94025
650.854.4545 x 140
mknoth@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
