By Jennifer
Eckert, Librarian, Leon springs Elementary, Northside ISD, San Antonio TX
Hi, I’m Jennifer, and I let first graders check out books by
themselves.
It’s true. Every grade level except kindergarten in my
school knows how to check their own books in and out. And that knowledge has
freed me.
A few years ago, elementary and middle school librarians in
my district lost their assistants. It was a budgetary concern that was echoed
across the state. We were lucky that every school got to keep their librarian.
However, it’s a decision whose ramifications are still being felt. Without that
constant extra support in the library, elementary and middle school librarians
are not able to do all the things we used to do. We can’t step out of the
library any time of day to attend a team planning meeting with a grade level.
We can’t go teach a collaborative research lesson in the computer lab. We can’t
visit classrooms giving booktalks or being a “secret reader.” Well, we can’t
unless we close the library, and many of us are just not willing to deny that
free access so randomly throughout the day; the scheduling would drive us and
the teachers crazy.
Being the sole professional in a school library all day
isn’t easy. But there are things one can do to make it easier. And
self-checkout is one of them.
It’s not hard to start, but it is a process. First, you have to have a set-up that makes
the circulation computer accessible to students. I solved that problem by
purchasing a second display for my circulation computer that sits facing out. I
also purchased a number pad so that students can type in their ID to pull up
their account. I rummaged around the
computer lab for a stray mouse to sit next to the number pad, stuck my scanner
on top of the counter, and I was pretty much set. In my district, the students’
ID number is used for myriad things: lunch, various computer programs, and
checking out books in the library. So, most kids know their number, especially
those who purchase lunch on a regular basis. If they don’t know their number,
they soon learn it since it’s required for almost every computer login they
have.
Student in action, being self sufficient!
I start teaching self-checkout in kindergarten, although it
can’t really be called “self-checkout” at that point. By the end of the year,
my kindergarteners know how to type in their number, check and make sure it’s
their own name on the account and not someone else’s, scan their book, and
click “Reset” so the computer is ready for the next person. It’s still very
much a guided check out for kindergarteners, but the groundwork is there for
first grade.
In first grade, we start the year just checking OUT
independently. They need some review from the year before, many have forgotten
their number, and many are new students. So we spend the first couple of months
of school just checking OUT. Around October, I teach them how to check IN their
own books (until then, I have them hand their check-ins to me and I do it). A
week or so practicing that, and they’re usually good to go.
The scanner and student facing screen/mouse.
The student screen and reminder instruction sign.
By second grade and beyond, they have totally got it. I give
a quick review at orientation the first week of school and they start checking
out independently that very same day. When new students come throughout the
year, teachers send them to the library with a buddy to teach them the
ropes. They usually catch on quick.
Of course, there are snags. Students forget their number,
accounts are blocked because of overdues, the scanner doesn’t always scan
correctly, sometimes books walk out of the library without being checked out
correctly (they almost always wander back). But, oh, the freedom of not having
to be chained to that circulation computer all day long. I can teach lessons
without having to worry about the kids who have come with a pass from their
teacher not knowing how to checkout. I can help students find good books when
their class checks out instead of sitting by the computer scanning everyone’s
books. Not to mention, the sense of ownership and independence self-checkout
gives to students. They know how the library works and they are not dependent
on me to get them the books they need. And, in the end, isn’t this what we all
want: independent members of society that can take care of their own business?
Self-checkout is a process in elementary school, but the
payoffs are more than worth the effort.
