Frank Long Elementary

8:00-12:00; 1:00-2:30
Day 2 in the media center brought a new opportunity to look at organization. I studied the organization of the media center by discussing the system with Dr. Sands and also walked the aisles looking for specific sections. I found that this media center is divided into an easy section, a series section, non-fiction, fiction, reference, a teacher's professional section, and class sets. The media center is very easy to navigate. The students can reach all shelves and all books on the shelves. No shelf is too full that it does not allow for removal of books. There is a system in place to keep the books in the correct spot. Students are required to get a shelf marker and put it into the slot on the bookshelf where a book is taken. When the student decides to return that book, he/she knows where to put it. If the student decides to check out the book, he/she will pull the shelf marker. It seems to work very well once the students remember to actually use the markers.
I also paid close attention to the reference section since this is the section I will be using for a practicum assignment that I will complete over the course of my hours. I studied how this section was organized, what types of reference books were included, its accessibility, and its use by students. I saw as I studied that this section is not a very big section. Most of the books that are included are encyclopedias. This section tends to be relatively inaccessible as it is placed behind a laptop area.
Overall, the day was very productive and informative in terms of organization. I enjoyed learning about the placement of books and the reasons for this placement. I also enjoyed delving a little deeper into the inner workings of a media center. It makes me have a different perspective on the workload of a media specialist.