Required Readings

• Bishop 17
  

Standards

• 4.2B Applies accepted management principles and practices that relate to personnel, financial, and operational issues
• 4.2C Plans adequate space for individuals, small groups, and whole classes

Discussion Points

• You may think this won't happen to you.  Likely, one of these things will if you spend a good number of years as a media specialist.
• A better approach is: "When this happens, I will devote a great deal of energy to learning as much as I can."
• Throughout your career, pay close attention when you hear colleagues talking about any of the circumstances to follow. Visit their facilities when you have a chance.
• In each scenario below, take time to think through the task ahead of time. Map it out conceptually. Use your common sense to streamline things as much as possible.  Once you have a plan, pilot it on a small scale before diving in. Minor faults in a large project, repeated many times, will cause major time and effort loss.
  
• New school, new collection
• The first concern will probably be architecture. Levels of input vary tremendously. Be prepared if you're approached for your design ideas.  More likely, carefully study any proposed plans.  Compare to the ideas set out in one of many books written on this subject.  Wiring and power - study plans with utmost care.
  
• Find a media specialist nearby or in a similar situation (same system, if possible) who has recently done this. Tour their new media center.  Talk at length and follow up with questions.
  
• In the past, there were guidelines for size and configuration of new media centers at the state level. These are no longer in effect or being enforced.
  
• Vendors provide opening-day collections as a package - consider these. However, package deals may not be the best method for your situation.  Vendors will work with you and provide lots of assistance.
  
• Be ready for this question: "What do we need books for? We have the Internet!"  (especially in upper grades).
  
• This is a great opportunity for incorporating new plans.  It's also a great time to rethink some old "givens," like AR.
• In a new school, there will also be a new faculty. See this as a fresh start!
  
• Moving: new facility, old collection
• Same as above, except for new collection considerations
• Learn about the project timeline and what the system will provide. At minimum, they should provide packing supplies, professional movers, and storage.  Your job will likely involve getting items into the boxes in some sort of reasonable order. Preserving order may be more important that filling boxes efficiently.
  
• You will need lots of extra labor to pack and unpack.  Plan for this and be ready to direct everything. Make it as fun as possible.
• Closing
• Usually, schools set for closing have terribly battered and outdated collections.  Weed liberally. If the weeds outnumber the useable items, then reverse the approach: separate out the good things.
  
• Explore potential destinations for useful resources.
  
• Decide where resources will go and divide the materials accordingly.  Pack as needed.  Alternatively, other media specialists might come and "shop" for desired materials.
  
• Investigate the catalog-transfer possibilities to discover the most efficient method.  One option might be to provide the entire database to all receiving schools, and let them do the work of selecting out the appropriate records.
  
• In this situation, you personally will either be looking for a new job or looking forward to a new position.  Try not to overlook the responsibility of making the best possible use of the old collection.
• Combining
• The physical aspects of this task are probably covered under headings above.
• One way to think about this: you are receiving a huge order shipment.  Follow as many procedures as you can for normal processing of new materials.
  
• There will be some things, possibly many, that you don't want or need.  Weed liberally. What will you do with useful duplicates or other good items that simply don't fit into your collection?
  
• Consider carefully how to create the new catalog.  Consult the software vendor for help.
  
• Consider how materials will be re-marked with ownership.  What will you do if there is significant mismatch between the way books were processed?  
• The work of smoothing out inconsistencies in the catalog and in how materials are marked is a great job for volunteers, and may take many months.
  

References

• Bishop, K. (2007). The collection program in schools: Concepts, practices, and information scources (4th ed.). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
  
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