It's All About History Changing the Future

Before I get too much further in this, I feel like it might help to have a little history lesson (or a lengthy one). I have been teaching for 19 years. I taught 3rd grade and kindergarten for the first 15 years of my career and have spent the remaining time in an elementary school library.

I became a National Board Certified Teacher (ECE GENERALIST) 10 years ago while teaching kindergarten. (I can say that because I have about 13 more days until my certification expires. If you ever have the opportunity to do this, SEIZE IT! It will make you focus on what really matters as an educator and bring to the forefront all the natural things we do that are so impactful.) I participated in a library cohort partnership between my school system and Towson University and received a Masters Degree in Instructional Technology with a concentration in School Library Media. Did I grow up and enter the teaching profession to become a librarian? NO. I really thought I would be a classroom teacher until the day I retired. But as I went through the cohort (chosen for its' reduced cost for educators, speed of classes and my love of reading-honesty always!), I came to realize that the little girl who LOVED going to the library might make a pretty good librarian. I admit it. I once had a high school boyfriend comment to me that I was the only person he knew who actually went to the library when they told their parents that was where they were going. As an adult, I embrace that geekiness and still can be found at the public library more than your Average Joe! After all, being an elementary school librarian is just classroom teacher but with more kids and more books! I have a curriculum to teach. I give grades. I have parent interactions and Student Learning Outcomes and Yearly Goals. I take attendance and monitor behaviors just like classroom teachers. I participate in school-wide testing and all professional development. The differences are that I also get to order books, read books, shelve books, manage technology and teach EVERY student in the school (yes- even my favorite Pre-K kiddos)and work with a fabulous outside support system in the library office.

Speaking of support system, now would be a good time to introduce them. In my district, Library Media falls under the Department of Digital Learning. My supervisor, Fran Glick, is an amazing agent of change in heels. Her fearless right hand ladies are resource teachers Kelly Ray and Chimere Charles. Together they assist new (and seasoned) librarians, coordinate professional development and keep abreast of every "hot off the presses" bits of information that one would need.

This past summer 2014, I had the opportunity to work with a small group of librarians and interns to completely rewrite and revamp the library media curriculum to fit the changing needs of 21st Century Learners and our district switch to 1 to 1 computing for students. It was an energizing July to work in such close proximity with such talented and learned librarians. Because our district primarily has 1 librarian per school, the opportunities to network and really delve deep into discussion about lessons is limited. This curriculum writing experience left us all excited about teaching in the new school year.

During a pop in visit, Fran had an impromptu discussion with us regarding a session she attended featuring Jennifer LaGarde AKA Library Girl! The concept of Zombie Librarians was amusing to me but I had work to do and half listened until I heard her say she really wanted some brave soul to step up and un-Dewey their library. It took about 5 seconds for me to say "I'll do it!" and her to say, "Really?" and me to say, "Yeah! I've been reading about this and would LOVE to make it happen." It took about an hour after Fran left for my fellow librarians to look at me like I had grown an external brain and question if I really meant it when I said I would rearrange my library and to ask why would I even consider doing this. It took about 5 hours for me to stop and look myself in the mirror and say, "Are you crazy? Do you know how much work this is going to be? Your library is finally in great shape. Other teachers envy your space. Why mess with the status quo?" But in true Bixby fashion, I leaped! 

I continued to read blogs, research best practices and discover all I could. My haphazard research produced just as many questions as answers. The Dewey Defenders were loud and many. They have very valid points to their arguments for keeping Dewey. But something inside of me kept saying, "This is the future and, more importantly, this is good for MY kids." How do I know? Because NEVER have I had a student say, "Where is the 904 section of the library?" but I have plenty of students say, "Where are the Titanic books?" And the frustration I feel when a student asks where the mystery books are and I have to say, "They are everywhere. What kind of mystery book would you like?" and they look at me blankly and say, "A mystery book" and I completely feel their pain at our inability to speak the same language. They don't know what mystery book they want (historical, sci-fi, contemporary) and neither do I. Yes, a good librarian in an utopian setting, engages in discussion to tease out the subtleties of their interest to find the perfect piece of literature. A good librarian in an elementary school setting with less than 10 minutes (on average) for book check out can not do this for 25 individual students. This good librarian is frustrated by that and believes that having a mystery section will allow them to find their best book independently and allow time for the librarian to interact with students who aren't quite sure what they want to check out that day.  This good librarian also believes that the student will meet likeminded mystery loving fans in the mystery section and organic conversation will occur about books they have read, enjoyed and recommend to one another or, if the stars align, I will have time to actually walk to that section and address many students, looking for mysteries, in one productive conversation.

 Am I putting all my eggs in one basket? Yep.  I might end up with broken eggs or I might end up with beautiful pysanky eggs.


I am SO ready to do this that I made it my teacher goal for this year. My goal is that by ditching Dewey there will be an increase in circulation (specifically in low circulating categories). My reasoning is that the students will experience a greater ease in finding materials and be exposed to other complimentary materials, in their areas of interest, that they may not have considered reading previously.

I keep harkening back to The Five Laws of Library Science by S.R.Ranganathan:
These laws are:

1. Books are for use.
2. Every reader his [or her] book.
3. Every book its reader.
4. Save the time of the reader.
5. The library is a growing organism.

Fast forward to Halloween afternoon. Students are gone after the half day early dismissal and Fran, Kelly and Chimere come to the library to meet with me. I thought I was prepared but the discussion generated so many additional to-do's and questions. Initially, I thought I would just ditch Dewey in the nonfiction section. But after discussion, I am going all in (sort of). We will be ditching Dewey in the fiction and nonfiction sections but NOT the everybody section. I think it is important that my youngest patrons have the opportunity to use their alphabet skills in the library (that is the kindergarten teacher in me!). I also feel that the themes are so wide and varied, in picture books and early readers, that trying to classify them by genre would create more difficulty locating texts which is counterintuitive to the reasons for doing this. Additionally, I will not integrate the fiction and nonfiction sections. Out of our meeting came the following goals and timelines:

1) Create classification headings for the FICTION section of the library based upon the interests of my students and DESTINY classifications.
2) Work with the library office to design spine labels that include a graphic and word for each section. A matching larger sign will be created to be displayed above sections.
3) Complete Fiction section re-do by Friday, November 14th. Just in time for American Education Week!
4) Create classification headings for the NONFICTION section of the library.
5) See #2
6)Complete the NONFICTION section re-do by December 12th.
7) Remember to run circulation reports and statistics before during and after the process.
8) Document, in pictures, the transformation.
9) Document, via this brand new blog, the transformation highs and lows.
10) Submit presentation proposals for various events (This is Fran's idea and frankly it frightens me more than changing the library.)

All that in a month and a half with no weekend access?  Should be doable, right?