Reading is My Superpower!

I've been waiting to write these words on my blog for a long time: 

The new library is open! 

Here is your tour:

The Book Zone

The Learning Zone

Next year the upstairs loft will become a study zone with couches, tables, and chairs.

Obligatory picture of Scaredy Squirrel 

The library friends

This beautiful tree represents the huge chilamate tree that used to be at our school before it fell down in a huge storm earlier this year.  

And now let me take you back a week to the opening day of the new library.

Event: Super Library Day

Theme: Reading is my Superpower!

Attire: Superhero capes

During the day different groups of students came in for some reading activities. The youngest group made a superhero book and we read about all of their superpowers together. Leading up to the grand opening, many of the older students participated in a writing contest. Requirements said that the story or comic must include a superhero and a library. The winners were announced during Super Library Day and their stories were compiled into a book that we read together as a group. 

The preschoolers and kindergartners listening to their superhero stories

The winners from upper elementary

We spent some time touring the new library, browsing the books, making superhero masks, creating superhero identities, and becoming reading superheroes.

Checking out the new books 

Thanks to MANY donors from my home church, there are many new books in the library

Super Library Day was a success! There was such an excitement around school, and seeing the students' faces as they saw the new library for the first time was priceless. 

I am beyond happy. 

We closed the old library in mid-December. While I was super busy re-cataloging our books and getting everything ready for the new library, I REALLY missed teaching and having the students in the library. Now classes are in full swing, and more students are using the library than ever before.

Our new library isn't completely finished, but we decided to open it anyway. We are currently without air conditioning. This wouldn't be a big deal except that none of our windows open! The building was designed for AC, and it is a little stuffy and toasty without it. Many items, like new furniture, rugs, and a projector will have to wait until next year when our funds are replenished. For now, I am happy that the students can check out books and the library can be used again. As long as we have the books, we can wait patiently for the rest. 

I want to send a HUGE thank you to the many people from my home church, Emmanuel Fellowship, who donated money so that I could purchase new books for the new library. The students were so, so excited when they saw the new books. I also want to send a HUGE thank you to my two superheroes who purchased chairs for our new space so that we don't have to stand around the tables. 

When I was in Omaha over Christmas I shared at my church how this last year has been a story of God's provision in my life and with this library. Now that the new library is opened and filled with students, I can continue to look back and say that God's hand was all over this. He has big things planned for us here, and I can't even put into words the joy that I feel being able to take part in it. 

Festival

"Miss Eberly, there's a GOAT at school!"
"Please don't scream on the playground! And whatever you do, don't touch that goat!"
"Where's the goat? I haven't seen him all day!"

Weird animals sometimes make an appearance at school. This week it was a pelibuey, a goat/sheep.

His name is Poncho and he was the top raffle prize for our school's festival. Before the big day, he hung out at school and got to bond with the students. How cute.

The Festival is a huge fundraising event that we do every two years. Each teacher is in charge of running a game or activity. There's all kinds of food, a raffle, and bouncy houses. Add in some 90+ degree weather, and the day is sure to be a success.

Here's a little snap shot of my day:

While the students and some teachers ran a 3K or 5K....

...I stayed close to my books, like always. Books sale!

Next I ate a lot of food. How can I pass up the Korean food and THE BAKE SALE? No one needs to know how many brownies I ate. 

I also had a goal to win Emily a candy bar by totally dominating the game of Corn Hole. Mission = success. 

And finally, I got thrown in jail by a 5th grade student. Crime? Being an awesome teacher. Not sure how, but I will get my revenge. 

...
In un-Festival related news, we have officially started moving books into the new library! Many pictures and detailed updates coming soon. Here's your only sneak peak for the day:

Boxes and Piles

As I wait for the construction to finish on our new library building, I find that boxes and piles of books have overtaken my school life. As one student noted/yelled as he peeked his head into the library, "The library is being DESTROYED!"

We are in this weird transition of packing up the old library and trying to get everything ready for the new library. Before we open the new library I am trying to reorganize books, rethink how our books are laid out, and finish up some new projects: barcoding all our books so we can use our fancy smancy new scanner, and put protective covers over our old and new books, something that has rarely been done here in the past.

Exhibit 1: New books! I love piles of new books! But these new books have to go through a lot of steps (and be placed in many new piles) before they are ready for the shelf - well in this case until they are ready to be packed up in a box. This first pile of books is very distracting. I usually want to read them all, right there and then.

Exhibit 2: This is the look-up pile. Internet is required. Where does it belong in the Dewey Decimal system? What's the AR level? All this info goes into the database.

Exhibit 3: This pile of books (or dvds) needs to be located near the stack of library check out cards and envelopes. Books are then given an identification number.

Exhibit 4: This pile of books get stickered up with spine labels and AR stickers.

Exhibit 5: New pile. Match barcode with book. This is not an easy task. I'd rather not talk about it.



Exhibit 6: Freshly barcoded books need a protective sticker on top. This pile is getting very large very quickly. I am out of stickers... I can only get the stickers in the US...

Exhibit 7: While new books are being processed, the old books are leaving their comfy spots on their shelves and going into boxes. Each book gets cleaned, checked for a barcode, and stored. Books that need protective covers get put in another pile, like the lovely stack on top of the bookshelf here.

Exhibit 8: No picture shown because these piles are my least favorite. The pile with sticky notes telling me that there is an issue with a book. It's catalogued incorrectly. Missing an AR sticker. Ripped. Needs glue. Incorrect spine label. Has some issue but I forgot to write down what the issue was and now can't remember. These are the books in a weird pile on the floor, stacked against my chair, and overflowing from the library cart.

Exhibit 9: These books are ready to get covered. Newly ordered protective sheets are in the pile next to them. This pile shrinks sllloowwwllyy. Covering books is time consuming.



Exhibit 10: The pile you have to create to get that one book from the bottom of a box you already packed.



Exhibit 11: Isn't it beautiful? The tumbling boxes of books. Printer paper boxes aren't quite as sturdy as they look.

Exhibit 12: Organizing old books and processing new books always creates a beautiful pile: the pile of books I am going to put in my bag and take home to read before all my students get to them. This is the #1 perk of being a librarian. 

First up to read: Should I Share My Ice Cream? This is a very valid question and one I am very curious to know the answer to. 

I am hoping that I will be able to start moving things into the new library at the end of this week. Pictures coming soon!