I have been encouraged by resources such as STAR by Barbara Braxton to form some ideas but also have applied what I know and have seen in practice over the years. I even think back to the article on Library Warriors at Evans High by Tamara Rogers.
But every school library is different with different needs and each library monitor program is unique while reflecting the needs of that school.
One of my focuses will be on encouraging ownership of the library and actually utilizing their skills and interests. I have asked applicants to provide an overview of the skills and interests to help me to utilize them effectively.
All of the applicants like to read, and I'll be encouraging them to provide reviews that can be published on OLIVER, School Newsletters and even on the shelves (like Dymocks do to promote books) to motivate students across the school to read. Some of them enjoy writing, and that provides them a chance to pursue their interests or build up their skills further. I know students are more keen to read if their friends are reading and sharing their interest with others.
I even set them a reading challenge of two or three books to read each term from the library collection. This will aid in providing recommendations to read.
Believe it or not, they like the shelves to be tidy along with library spaces. Doing shelf tidy tasks or general cleanups will allow them to help develop an appreciation of the library space but also help them to own it.
And I aiming to have them actively involved in the creation of library displays based around the various collections but also improving the appeal of the space.
Happy days lie ahead!!!
