A year on...

Almost a month of this school year has flown by...it's hard to believe I've only been working in Cullman for a year. It has really begun to feel "like home," and I'm not sure if I could "go back" to my previous school system.

Flying

What's different here?

• The parents care. It's their school system. They tax themselves to support it (or pay the out-of-district tuition that a third of students pony up).
• The teens are strangely responsible. It took me aback not to have multiple copies of some popular books. How could we get by with single copies of books by Sarah Dessen or Rick Riordan? These students actually return their library books. 
• Not having to touch (or receipt) money is terrific.
• The district tech support is practically instant.
• The faculty is top-notch.
• Unlike many school districts in the state, we still have paraprofessionals to assist us. Mine has an MLIS. 

We're in a shop this year, but even our temporary space isn't THAT bad. I have seen many libraries that were worse-situated.

What still needs work?

The library isn't as integrated into the curriculum as I'd like. It really functions more like an administrative unit. The teachers actually apologize when they ask for help, which I hate. But I'm working on that...