The Library is Almost Open!

This week has been really busy for the library group. Exams start next week, so we wanted to finish organizing the library before that.

Tuesday morning we went into town to find supplies. We’ve decided that the best way to organize the books is by color coded categories. We’ve divided the nonfiction into groups according to subject and assigned each subject a different color. The fiction books are labeled with a letter indicating the first letter of the author’s last name. Each of the shelves has large signs stating whether they are nonfiction, fiction novels, fiction young adult and fiction children. We did this because we were encountered by a teacher who asked the difference between the books on the shelves. This method would make it easier for both the students and the teachers.

After color coding the books and making signs for the shelves we also made a Book Shelf Key, showcasing all of the colors and symbols and their meanings. We even updated our excel spreadsheet database to reflect the colors on the books. This is a very simple way for the librarians to locate the books on the shelf.

On Wednesday morning, we discussed amongst ourselves what we thought would be the best way to explain to the teachers our organization process. The headmistress had set up a meeting for us to meet with the teachers at the end of the day. We explained to them the entire process. We also asked for as much input as possible. We did not want to Americanize the library by any means. Our goal was to get them started at to allow them to create all of the policies such as how long a book will be loaned out, how many books at a time and who would be in charge of the library. It was suggested that we put the database on a few of the laptops for the children, this would allow them to access the books as well. However, their files would be “read-only”. We were told that two women would be the primary librarians and that we could meet with them later to go over the information in greater detail.

Most of the teachers seemed very grateful for the work we had accomplished. However, there was one person who believed that the books we brought were not exactly what they needed. He believed that the books wouldn’t be loaned out and used only as references. We were not sure how to react to his statement. We knew that we could not please everyone. And by the looks on the other teacher’s faces they did not agree with him. So 98% agreement was better than none.
By the end of the day we felt good. We had successfully organized all 681 books, created a database and shared with the teachers what we were doing. We even noticed a young girl who was utilizing the library. She had come in quietly and began reading the children’s books.

Now all we have to do is thoroughly explain the database to Eugenia and Bertha. They are the two women who would be the primary librarians. By the next time we meet, the logistics should be ready to be implemented. Our plan is to go into the villages to see what work can be done there, leaving Ridge School to operate on their own, and to return in a week to make sure everything working well and that there are no questions.

Meanwhile, the journey continues….