One half hour in a library
What happens in the Library? While student teacher Amanda Murray was teaching a literature lesson to first graders, many other activities were occurring.
Children are enjoying their story.
They enjoy it so much that only one child is distracted by the camera.
Dorothy Reed, library assistant, was shelving books.
FLIP (Friends Learning in Pairs) Senior Citizen program linked volunteers with students to read together one on one.
Volunteers from Fleetguard/ Cummins, a Pencil Partner for Hickman Elementary School, come each week to work with Math Manipulatives in groups of 1’s and 2’s or to read to children individually. Materials were supplied by a Fleetguard/Cummins math grant written by the librarian and reading specialist. Materials are maintained by them in the connecting book and math room. 
Teachers like Dana Wallace work on the computer to create graphical projects and activities for their classes. 
Grandparent volunteer, Nana Charlene Smith, repairs books 
and creates art displays to interest students in history and science books.
Classes, small groups, and individual students slip in for a quiet checkout. Notice the word wall near the clock. 
Virginia Burke, second grade teacher, helps all grades check out books while her class looks for Accelerated Reader titles and read-alouds to use with a kindergarten class. 
Students read at tables and talk to each other about their favorite parts of the story.
Computer technician Mike Powell arrives with 15 donated computers that need to be stored in the library office until new hard drives, mice and keyboards can be obtained. While he is in the building, he consults the librarian to see which classrooms have computer problems and installs a new computer and fax/printer/scanner to use with a new math initiative. The librarian will attend half-day training to be able to support classroom teachers scanning in assessment papers.
YMCA Fun Company site director Tara Jordan volunteers 5 hours or more a week and was able to help the entire faculty celebrate the librarian’s birthday in the library office. 
When I requested permission from parents to use these photos, one of the kindergarten parents commented on how enthusiastic her child looked while using the computer. I was so grateful to be able to share more about the exciting things that happen in today’s library. We need to share more, tell more, and be enthusiastic.
