Thursday, March 5, 2009

Day Eight: Processing those new books

March 4, 2009
7.5 hours



Remember that day I spent in glorious cataloging?  I do.  (That is the slightly sick side of me:  I do love to catalog!)  Today’s focus was on preparing those books for circulation. This meant stamping with the school’s name & address as well as putting on the appropriate covers. 

My focus was on paperback books.  I know that paperback books are more common in a school library due to student’s preference for the format & the media center’s ability to purchase more due the lower cost.  Knowing how to prepare paperback books is an important skill that requires a great deal of patience!

Lisa explained the process to me, slowing down her quick pace to be sure I understood the step-by-step process.  The first book sat upon the counter taunting me.  How was I going to cover this book without making a mess of the cover or otherwise ruin the book?  This is not my library – these are not my funds – these are not my materials.  I started with the first book that seemed to fit nearly perfectly into the precut shape.

A few books into the process & I felt more comfortable.  A bit of fear still loomed but I knew I could manage it & mistakes were bound to happen.  My ability to recover from them was a more important piece. 

The best part: watching kids review the books I had just finished with a few snatching one up. 


63 of 100 hours completed

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