2019-01-19 00:00:00
School Visits: A Librarian’s Perspective
From: FundsforWriters
My high school usually welcomes two authors every year. They come at the request of the language departments. Everything is planned between the teachers and the authors, and I have nothing to do except making sure the library is available on the scheduled dates â at least in theory.
Surprises always pop up minutes before the presentation is due to start. One author might suddenly request a white board and markers, another a projector, sometimes all three. I've learned to be ready for anything, but what if I â superior librarian that I am â had not been there to save the day? In all instances, these near setbacks could easily have been avoided with simple communication.
Here's a little insider tip: Schools are not the most proficient at passing along information. By knowing this fact alone, you'll be one step ahead of the game next time you're invited to give a presentation. Although my school has attempted to correct this problem, some things still manage to catch me unawares. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to avoid running into this situation.
First, find out where your presentation will take place â library, classroom, auditorium, gym? If your presentation will be held in the library, ask for the name of the librarian. Then tell her what you'll need ahead of time: white board, screen and projector, audio, etc. Do you want the chairs set up in a semicircle facing you? If it's a hands-on workshop, will the participants need tables to work on? Don't skip this step even if the teacher or whichever staff member you've been communicating with knows all the details. Although the information might reach the librarian, it could do so at too short notice to do much good.
Here's another insider tip: Schools can take an amazingly long time to get stuff done. This is due in large part because most things need the approval of several people or committees before they can get under way. And as all these dedicated people have a lot on their plate, the process is slowed even more. So make sure you start the ball rolling way ahead of your scheduled visit.
Read more at FundsforWriters.
