In all these years that the Church Librarians Network has existed, I’m not sure we have ever focused on this topic. Perhaps we have touched pieces of the topic but not in a focused way. Let's give it a go this week!
First, any interest in the CLN having a Group for librarians that serve both?
Second, we have lots of new members in recent months to the CLN who are restarting or revitalizing a library. For those of you who serve both a church/synagogue and a school/preschool/PTO, do you have suggestions or tips for those considering serving both? What have you learned from experience?
Third, for those of you in this multiple type situation, do you have challenges that we can chew on together? Chances are you are not the only one with the challenge.
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We do have a school on the premises, two in fact. The Pre-K - 8 school is on the other side of campus and has it's own school library. There is also a pre-school in our building and, as I mentioned in my other comment, the three and four year olds come here for Story Time. My library predominately serves the Parish. There are a few homeschool families that have started using the library too.
You mention that you have both a school library and a church library. Do you do any coordination with the school library as to what you collect? Do the two libraries share the same library system? Does the school library use ebooks and online resouces?
Thanks!
This is a timely topic, I've been meaning to ask the group if anyone has a school on premises and if the church library also serves the school. At my parish there are quiet plans to build a K-grade 3 in the next year or two and the church library would play a role. I'm wondering what I could be doing now to develop a print collection that would support K-grade 3. Any suggestions?
Currently we have a home-school co-op that meets once a week on site and since they have discovered the library there are families that have become regular borrowers. Their feedback and borrowing habits have given me collection development direction. I've added more to the "Readers" collection and have also gotten a copy of co-op reading lists. I made some purchases that were a good fit for the church collection been on the list.
Our church has the privilege of hosting 3 different homeschool Co-ops on 3 different days during the week. We have invited them to utilize our library and materials and they have. They are also better at returning books than most! Greatful to have this wonderful connection.
Besides our youth fiction section, I have been adding materials to the youth non-fiction section such as Biographies, Science and History.
If you have ideas regarding this partnership I would love to hear them!
The children in 3 and 4 year old classes of the Weekday Children's Program that meets in our building come once per month for Story Time in the Library. The Bridge Class gets permission slips to bring home and get signed so that the children in that class are allowed to check out one book with their class after the story. Other than that, we don't do much with the program.