Well, well, well. Another month has seemingly come and gone, just as they will. Sigh. It seems like we just started school, and now we have completed one year! Wow. I must say, I really did enjoy my first year as a school librarian. I learned quite a bit this first year, and I have a list of things in mind that I plan upon changing this next upcoming school year. Here is a small list of them:

1. When ordering books, materials, etcetera, I plan upon reading at least five items from each of the boxes that arrive in my library. I am saying this because I feel like I let quite a few of my "customers," aka "students," down this past year. I wasn't able to "sell" as many books as I would have liked, and this is all due to the fact that I hadn't read all of them. Big surprise that I couldn't have read them all. If I remember correctly, I ordered over 500 books this past school year. That's books alone, folks, not counting videos, dvds, and all of the other stuff that was ordered.

2. When working with "not-so-active" teachers this upcoming school year, I plan upon involving them BIG TIME with lessons that are going on in the media center. I mean, really, folks, what is the big problem with another teacher helping out with the lesson? I mean, I understand if the lesson doesn't directly deal with what they are actively teaching in class, but, give a person a little bit of help! How will I accomplish this task, you ask? Once the door closes and the bell rings for the period to begin, teachers will be taking attendance, and I will be conducting my "pre-lesson" set-up, which involves making sure all needed items are available and within reach for my schpeel. Schpeel, this year, was orientation, lessons over works cited, how to use particular reference resources, and the like. Teachers this year will not be able to sit down and ignore the students. Nuh-uh. I ain't going down like that!

3. My third (and final, for the purposes of this journal) item to work on will be directly telling (via e-mail, telephone conversations, or whatever) book vendors that I do NOT want to deal with them this way. Ya'll, there was ONE woman last year that pestered the absolute snots out of me. And only because she wanted to come in and take over my library. Well, probably not. I made the mistake of continually pushing her to a further date that she could call, that I would talk, that we would meet, and finally, I had to bite the bullet and meet with her. Ugh. It was horrible. I mean, I had heard the horror stories from library school professors that would advise us to NOT deal with vendors, only do it if it was the ONLY way possible to get a particular item, etcetera, and I ignored all of the advice. Boy, was I sorry. Well, not next year, ya'll. I am going to figure out a way to politely but FIRMLY let these book hawkers know that I will NOT be dealing with them, not now, and not in the future!

Ahhhh. That feels much better, having gotten all of that off my chest. I thought that I would feel guilty about "letting loose" with my secret confessions, but I don't. I mean, life is a learning journey, right? And since I am only thirty-hum-hum-hum years old, I got a LOT more years left to learn, and make mistakes! I'm just glad that the good Lord has given me the opportunities He has thus far, and I can't wait to see what else He has in store for me!