School Starts!

Getting the McCullough Library up and running is going to be a bit of a challenge, due to the bond renovations during the summer. We are told quite firmly that we were not allowed into the school at all this summer. There were of course safety issues, and plus they just didn't want the teachers to get into the contractor's way! It was wonderful to have a nice long summer, but now we have to move triple-time to get the library back into kid-friendly mode. I pride myself on have the library open on the very first day of school. I am not going to let the the fact that all the library books are packed in boxes, the circulation desk computers are stored somewhere, I don't know where, and the electricity is off and on again, stop me from inviting the students in on day one!

The very first order of business is the Required Reading Book Fair. I have about 24 ELA teachers (more or less), and they make a list of their outside reading for me in May. My wonderful PTO Book Fair volunteer, Sally, helps us get the teachers' lists together, and by July we submit our list to Southwest Book Fairs out of Stafford, Texas. I can't say enough about Sally's diligent work getting this huge project together. She has a large, busy family, and I can't begin to count how many hours she puts into this volunteer job. Sally and I work together so well, and I will miss working with her when this year is over. However, she has twins coming up to McCullough in a few years and I have already made her promise to come back as book fair volunteer!
I also want to praise and recommend Southwest! They have an impossible task of supplying us with thousands of books, and some of the individual titles requires 500-600 copies each! We give them a number of copies for one title based on the teachers' lists, and they fulfill it. As any experienced librarian knows, this is a huge task: first of all to get a book fair company to accept the lists, then to have them actually fulfill the order. They do a great job and I will be glad to pass on their contact information if anyone wants it.
This book fair is held during Student Orientation, the week before school starts. This is where parents and students can pick up their schedules and other things necessary for the first day of school. My administration promotes Student Orientation in order to have the students ready to get to work and start their learning on day one of school. My book fair only offers the ELA Required Reading. We do not have the usual fun books and toys that the traditional book fair offers. Unfortunately the gyms will not be ready, so the textbooks will not be given out during Orientation this year only.

I will have to run get my annual super-sized desktop academic calendar for the year. The only place I can ever find them is Office Depot or a teacher supply store. If I wait too late they will be sold out!