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| Donovan Junior/Senior High School Library |
2009 no. 14
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| Library Profile |
| Library Name: Donovan Junior/Senior High School Library Location: Box 186, Donovan, IL 60931 Type: School Mission: To support the students and staff by providing reading materials and also access to information, both in print and online. LTLS Directory Page: http://www.lincolntrail.info/jzn.html LTLS Member Since: 1990 |
An interview with Librarian, Jessica Titus.
| What is unique about your library?
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| A Junior/Senior High School Library works with a wide mix of students and staff with interests across the board. It’s wonderful to serve so much variety. The best part is matching someone to the exact book or information they need. A school librarian is in the unique position of working with every student. In our school district the librarian also works at the Elementary School Library. This means the librarian has the potential of working with some of the same students for up to thirteen years. |
| What are the primary goals and objectives of your library? |
| The main goal is to support students and teachers and their informational and recreational needs. A school librarian helps students find the information they need, and teaches them how to find it. It’s important that students learn how to research and search. Encouraging students to read and spending time helping them to find the right book is a big part of the job. |
| What cooperative efforts are you currently doing? |
| I just started as a librarian here in late August, and so I am just getting started with cooperative efforts. Currently, I am focusing on cooperating with the school and teachers. In the spring the school is having a big medieval Renaissance fair. I am lending my knowledge along with the library’s resources and space to help make that a big hit. I know if there is a resource they need that the library doesn’t have, we can use interlibrary loan through LTLS to acquire it. My students use the LTLS interlibrary loan service often, since we don’t have a lot of current fiction. It’s great that through LTLS they can get the books, CDs and materials they need and want. |
| Tell us a story about your library. |
| I love it when students come into the library looking for recreational reading. A couple of students came in during their lunch period the other day. The girl was returning a book and looking for another. She told me she wanted a "real" story, meaning something that didn’t necessarily happen, but could feasibly happen. I was suggesting a few titles and The Burn Journals was one of them. The boy with her piped up and said, "Oh yeah, I have the library’s copy! I was cleaning my room this summer and found it." I asked him if he could bring it back Monday and he did. I found a different book for the other student to check out, and ended up getting a lost book back. It was a win-win for me. |
| If money were no object, what services would you add? |
| I am the librarian not only for the Jr/Sr High School, but also the Elementary School. I would love to be able to hire a full time aide that would be able to switch libraries with me so that both libraries could be open to students all day. As it is now, the Jr/Sr High School Library is open in the morning, and the Elementary School Library is open in the afternoon. I would love to dedicate more money to collection development. I would buy more new fiction, audio books, CDs and DVDs. We don’t have a public library in the community so I would really like to offer more recreational materials to supplement the curriculum and research materials. It would also be great to add new, comfy furniture to the library and make it a more inviting place for students. |
| What is popular in your library? |
| Students are always asking for fiction books that are "real", non-fantasy fiction is popular with the students. Many of the students come in during their lunch period and study hour to use the computers. |
| How does your library use online tools to connect to your users? |
| Right now the students use the LTLS OPAC to search the system for the books they want, and then interlibrary loan to get them. I am hoping to get a website up and going next fall. |
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Request a visit to your library If you would like to set up a special date for us to visit your library contact LTLS Consultant Michelle Ralston Library of the Week is published by Lincoln Trail Libraries System, 1704 W. Interstate Dr., Champaign, IL 61822 217-352-0047 - ltls@lincolntrail.info Executive Director: Jan Ison, Editorial and Design Team: Michelle Ralston and David Lottes |
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