• Volunteering in the Library

    Thank you for your support! Email egoldman@wssd.org to indicate interest in helping in the library.   In order to become a Guest Volunteer, all you need to do is submit the form that was sent home with your child in the beginning of the year, fill out and print the form online or email the Media Specialist and wait for their approval.  Note: You must be on a students contact list in the office before you will be admitted to the school to volunteer.

     

    The Nether Providence Elementary School Library is a wonderful, busy place with excellent resources for students, staff, and parents to share. Volunteers assist with routine circulation desk tasks, help students locate materials, and shelve books. Thank you for your interest in helping our students in the library! Your active participation shows your children how much you value libraries, books, and reading -- a powerful message!

    The goal is for children to have a positive experience in the library. This is where YES happens! The library is the place to foster a love of reading to complement directed classroom language arts instruction as well as incorporating all of the other school disciplines and specialties. In the library our learners exercise personal choice.

    Book Selection

    I subscribe to the 5-Finger Rule when choosing library books. Students are encouraged to challenge themselves with their book selections and are directed to explore materials for both leisure reading and classroom assignments.  

    General Procedures

    Volunteers make a difference.  Volunteers perform routine circulation desk tasks, assist students with locating materials using the online catalog, shelve books, and help with light organization.  Please do not feel you have to know everything right away. Over time you will grow to be comfortable with our school library operations and services.

    Students visit the library with their class once every four days for 30 or 45 minutes. As they enter they return their books for check in or for renewal, then they sit on the rug for a read-aloud experience, information skills activity, research activity, technology integration and/or other presentation. During this time the volunteer checks in or renews materials and shelves returned items. Check out books once the children have made their selections. Straighten shelves and check that books are in exact order. Other tasks may be offered on an as needed basis.  Books are checked out for 8 days and may be renewed once.

    The Circulation Desk: Where ACCURACY Is More Important than SPEED

    Check in or renew all items before checking out new materials. Watch the screen during the transaction for accuracy and messages.

    • Students may check out the number of items in the following schedule: first graders get one item, second graders get two items, third graders get three item and fourth/fifth grade get four items.  Kindergarten students may check out one book per child. Student materials are given a one-cycle due date.
    • Students are allowed one bookmark per visit, not one per book.
    • Teachers may check out an unlimited number of items.

    THIS and THAT

    Be present in the moment for the kids... "be here, now." While checking out books engage the student in a conversation about his or her choice, or make a positive statement about the choice. Talk to the student rather than to the parent working alongside you.

    If there is no action at the circulation desk and all the books are shelved, then it's time to straighten and organize. Straightening means to make sure the books are lined up at the front edge of the shelf for an overall neater appearance. Organizing means to make sure each book is shelved exactly by it's call number.

    But Wait, There's More!

    • Please turn off your cell while volunteering at school.
    • Please respect privacy and student confidentiality.
    • Parent volunteers assist all students, not just their own child.
    • The time spent helping at school should not be used to talk to the teacher about your child. Please make arrangements for a conference.