Text book's systems??????

[Labbie]

At the moment we have an old system, that when the seniors yr 11 & yr 12 get a text book from Science, it is put on a card. I type up the list each year, it is then attaned to their sign our sheets. If the teacher does not put it on the card, I have no idea until some kind students bring it back. I am interested in getting a new system, perhaps by bar code. But would like to know if other labbies do this job, I know in some schools it is the Head Teacher job. This school it is mine. How do you manage your on loan text books??

[smeee]

All textbooks get allocated through the Library.

[RosalieM]

We don't have enoough text books for each student to have their own in 7-10 so they are just 'class sets' that are given out and collected each lesson. The library deals with all other text books for seniors and all other subject areas. They already have the system so maybe you should try handing it over to your library? Perhaps as a 'peace offering' you could offer to help add the books to their data base (time you would have spent doing it yourself anyway) so it wasn't taking too much extra time from them, and then leave it with them for the future!

[Kathryn]

I am apparently responsible for text book distribution in our school, but I have to confess it is one area which drives me nuts. Despite piling all books in numerical order (with Cores bks 3&4 in their pairs), and even when I have printed out class lists with students names and book numbers on them, I find the teachers tend to ignore everthing and hand out books in any order - not even always taking down the name of the student. Consequently it becomes a big mess which I feel I am responsible for. I am thinking of asking that next year the students have to actually come to me to get their books - at least that way if it still becomes a mess, it really is my fault.
kathryn

[Lyn]

When I first started working here (early 80's), the Science department issued its own textbooks. Used to be all kinds of end of year dramas getting them back. Then we had a bookroom and a bookroom lady who did a wonderful job. Then we needed the bookroom as a staffroom so all the textbooks were culled and what was left ended up in a very big compactus in a room attached to the library. So now it is the library's function to issue textbooks. The library does the barcoding and the book covering. We used to book class sets of texts and store them in the science labs. Then the science dept. was made to buy textbooks for every student from an extremely tight budget. So every student now has a science textbook. Shame they can't look after them properly. It takes a fair bit out of a budget to replace damaged books.
Lyn.
P.S. I don't envy you Kathryn. It would be a mongrel of a job on top of all your other duties as a lab. tech.

[lizzieb]

Sue, I strongly suggest you do it through the Library, and perhaps store and repair them in Science.

At this school the Science textbooks are accessioned, loaned & returned here in the Faculty, using the Library system, as well as labels inside the books. I believe it's double handling and ties up a huge amount of my time, also creating unnecessary complications for the Library Assistant, although the HT argues that we can keep closer track of books and refunds.

As this is my first full year here, and because I was so preoccupied with the refurb at the start of the year, 4 or 5 other people were involved with the process of issuing books and putting them onto the system. Of course, not all staff were diligent about giving out the books correctly, and it's been quite a headache trying to get it sorted out!

On the other hand, there's no better way to learn a system than by being 'thrown in the deep end'!

[Rita]

Teachers distributed texts and I was given all records to keep (put on computer).
All texts were to be handed in to teachers and myself and records updated...was double-handling, time consuming and confusing for all when students claim text handed in to someone else.

We now have bar-coded texts distributed and collected in the library and hassle-free.

Rita

[fibreweb]

Our text books are stored in the science department but are barcoded and distributed and collected through the library.

The student must have all books returned through the library before they can sign out after year 12

The junior school have class sets of text books that are shared between the 7 /8 classes that are in each year.

Senior students each have a borrowed copy of the appropriate text. My involvement is only openenig the store room and handing the books to the kids who then troop to the library and returning them to the book room at the end of the year. That time is upon me now with 150 odd text books sitting in the library waiting for a gaggle of students to transpoprt them to me so I can put them on the appropriate shelves.

Though I often wonder who does the English books, certainly not SASS staff. These science teachers have it easy some times.

Wendy

[sampjm]

All text books are catalogued and distributed through the library, for individual students or class sets.

[kimmy]

Ours are done through the Lib. We have a list that I keep with students name and number on it so if one seems to be missplaced we know whos it is without going off to the Lib. Much easier now with laptops as this is minimising th need for so many text books. Students borrow them at the start of the year and return at the end of year or have to pay to replace the book. Seems to work . Seniors have to return all books prior to signing out.

KIM

[smiley]

Most of our kids have their textbooks issued through the Library on a bar-coded system. It's the same one as the rest of the Library books, so the Library can track whatever an individual student has borrowed at any one time. Leaves me out of it entirely.

All our Yr9's have laptops (Netbooks) and they go to the Library and upload their texts to their laptops, and then they just have them all the time! Other years can go and get the CD of their text book, to take home and load onto their own computer, for homework purposes. They still have the hard copies for in-school time. Definitely the way of the future, but not perfect by any stretch.

[General]

Text books for all subjects at my school are allocated through the library. Our librarian is awesome . It is a bit hectic at the start of the year but by the end of week two all the Maths and Science books are issued. The students name is put on inside cover so they can't swap. And at the end of the she checks the condition, notes any repairs required and the students are sent a bill. The next year they can't get their new text books until the fines are paid.

[Kathryn]

I checked with our librarian and issuing textbooks through the library is not an option at the moment. So it is back to just writing lists and the teachers ignoring them as usual!
kath