Smithfield Library Page
Hi! My name is Julie Brown, and I am the librarian at the Mercer and
Smithfield elementary schools. On Wednesdays and Fridays I am at the Smithfield
School, on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Mercer. Mondays I alternate. Each
month I have an author-of-the-month (or feature of the month, such as fantasy),
usually a different one at each school; my choice is based on the material available
at the libraries and calendar events such as authors’ birthdays. For
the younger students’ library time I usually read to them before they choose
their books; often my choice of a book is related to what they are doing in class. The
older students do library skills and library-related projects. Since
I am new in this position, I experiment to find out what students respond best
to and also what the teachers like.
Besides the usual library business (checking out books;
keeping track of overdue materials; ordering, processing, and shelving books;
making repairs; trying to keep up with the interests of the students so I can
recommend reading material, etc.) I have various projects in the works, such
as expanding areas in which teachers indicate that there is a need, in which
students show an interest, or where there is a lack. I am trying to add
to our selections of Maine authors. We are also researching sign language
selections and captioned videos. Multicultural offerings are exciting to
consider. As I get to know the students, I am trying to find ways to incorporate
their interests into the choices of books and activities the library might provide. I
always look forward to parent input as well.